Louis-Joseph DUC DE VENDÔME (1704-14)

One of King Louis XIV´s leading generals during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-14).

He was the son of Louis de Vendôme duc de Mercoeur and the great-grandson of King Henry IV.

He entered the French Army in 1672 and had risen to the rank of lieutenant general by the outbreak of the War of the Grand Alliance (1689-97) between France and the other major powers. He distinguished himself in the victory over the Allies at Steenkirke (1692) and was made commander in Catalonia in 1695. Two years later he captured Barcelona.

The dispute over the succession to the Spanish throne brought France and Spain to war with the British, the Austrians and the Dutch in 1701.
Appointed to the command in northern Italy in 1702 he fought the Austrian commander Prince Eugene of Savoy in the bloody but indecisive Batte of Luzzara on August 15.
He took Vervelli in 1704 and defeated Prince Eugene at Cassano in August 1705.
In May 1706 Vendôme was transferred to the Flanders front where the British commander John Churchill 1st duke of Marlborough had just won an overwhelming victory at Ramillies.
Vendôme made limited gains until he was severely defeated by Marlborough and Prince Eugene at Oudenaarde on July 11 1708. He subsequently failed to relieve besieged Lille (in northern France) which fell to the Allies in October.
Recalled by Louis XIV he was temporarily disgraced.

In the autum of 1710 he was made commander of the army of King Philip V of Spain.
He recaptured Madrid for Philip and on December 9 forced the British general James Stanhope to surrender at Brihuega. 
The next day he won a major victory ober Guido von Starhemberg´s Austrian forces at Villaviciosa.
As a result of these triumphs Philip was assured of his throne and the Austrians were confined to Catalonia.

Vendôme was preparing to reconquer Catalonia when he died in Vinaroz June 15 1712.