Zenta Prince Eugene of Savoy

battle of zenta jacques parrocel.

the distractions of war against louis xiv had enabled turks recapture belgrade in 1690. in august 1691, austrians, under louis of baden, regained advantage heavily defeating turks @ battle of slankamen on danube, securing habsburg possession of hungary , transylvania. however, when baden transferred west fight french in 1692, successors, first caprara, 1696, frederick augustus, elector of saxony, proved incapable of delivering final blow. on advice of president of imperial war council, rüdiger starhemberg, eugene offered supreme command of imperial forces in april 1697. eugene s first independent command—no longer need suffer under excessively cautious generalship of caprara , caraffa, or thwarted deviations of victor amadeus. on joining army, found in state of indescribable misery . confident , self-assured, prince of savoy (ably assisted commercy , guido starhemberg) set restoring order , discipline.

portrait of prince eugene of savoy (1663–1736) c. 1700. flemish school.

leopold had warned eugene act cautiously, when imperial commander learnt of sultan mustafa ii s march on transylvania, eugene abandoned ideas of defensive campaign , moved intercept turks crossed river tisza @ zenta on 11 september 1697. late in day before imperial army struck. turkish cavalry had crossed river eugene decided attack immediately, arranging men in half-moon formation. vigour of assault wrought terror , confusion amongst turks, , nightfall, battle won. loss of 2,000 dead , wounded, eugene had inflicted approximately 25,000 casualties on enemy—including grand vizier, elmas mehmed pasha—annihilating turkish army. although ottomans lacked western organisation , training, savoyard prince had revealed tactical skill, capacity bold decision, , ability inspire men excel in battle against dangerous foe.

after brief terror-raid ottoman-held bosnia, culminating in sack of sarajevo, eugene returned vienna in november triumphal reception. victory @ zenta had turned him european hero, , victory came reward. land in hungary, given him emperor, yielded income, enabling prince cultivate newly acquired tastes in art , architecture (see below); new-found wealth , property, was, nevertheless, without personal ties or family commitments. of 4 brothers, 1 still alive @ time. fourth brother, emmanuel, had died aged 14 in 1676; third, louis julius (already mentioned) had died on active service in 1683, , second brother, philippe, died of smallpox in 1693. eugene s remaining brother, louis thomas—ostracised incurring displeasure of louis xiv—travelled europe in search of career, before arriving in vienna in 1699. eugene s help, louis found employment in imperial army, killed in action against french in 1702. of eugene s sisters, youngest had died in childhood. other two, marie jeanne-baptiste , louise philiberte, led dissolute lives. expelled france, marie joined mother in brussels, before eloping renegade priest geneva, living him unhappily until premature death in 1705. of louise, little known after salacious life in paris, in due course, lived time in convent in savoy before death in 1726.

the battle of zenta proved decisive victory in long war against turks. leopold s interests focused on spain , imminent death of charles ii, emperor terminated conflict sultan, , signed treaty of karlowitz on 26 january 1699.