Prince Eugene of Savoy | Origin of Street Names

Francis Eugene of Savoy (1663-1736) was one of the most renowned Austrian military commanders in history. A nobleman from the House of Savoy with Italian origins, born in Paris and raised in the French spirit, his path to becoming the greatest military leader of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was quite unusual. Being closely connected to the French court, King Louis XIV characterized him as weak and unfit for the French army due to his poor physical predispositions when he was still a boy. As a result, young François Eugène (his original name) found himself in the imperial army of the Habsburg Monarchy, which often rivaled the French.

He quickly proved himself as a capable warrior and a master tactician, spending over half a century in the service of the Austrian Emperor. He fought major battles against the Ottoman Empire and France, achieving some of the greatest and most significant victories in the long history of warfare in Europe.

Some of these victories, perhaps pivotal for the shaping of modern Europe, took place on the territory of our country. They were battles against the Turks at Senta, Petrovaradin, and Belgrade.

The Battle of Senta occurred in 1697 and is recorded in the history of European warfare as crucial in preventing the expansion of the Ottoman Empire towards Central Europe. This battle followed the Turkish siege of Vienna 14 years earlier, after which the Habsburg Empire (successfully defending its capital) launched an unstoppable offensive to reclaim the Pannonian Plain and the Danube region within its borders. After several unsuccessful attempts and defeats, the cannons of the Turkish and Austrian armies clashed once again in the Battle of Senta, along with a significant percentage of Serbs. Making decisions independently for the first time, Prince Eugene surrounded and launched a surprise attack on the Turks, wiping them off the face of (this part of) the Earth, capturing the few survivors, and even seizing symbols of the Ottoman Empire. The war ended with the Treaty of Karlovac, which largely pushed the Turks out of the Pannonian Plain, while the name of Eugene of Savoy was celebrated throughout Europe.

His fame and reputation grew from battle to battle, reaching its pinnacle after the Battle of Petrovaradin in 1716 and particularly following the siege and capture of Belgrade in 1717. This event was met with complete enthusiasm throughout Europe as one of the most important strategic points in this part of the continent was conquered.

In the decades that followed, Belgrade changed hands multiple times, alternating between Turkish and Austrian rule (occasionally being Serbian), until 1867 when the Turkish conquerors permanently left the city. With the restoration of independence in 1878 and the proclamation of the Kingdom of Serbia in 1882, Belgrade finally became Serbian. However, the ambitions of conquerors towards our capital did not cease even later, especially during the 20th century and the world wars. The significance of Prince Eugene and his capture of Belgrade in German plans for eastward expansion is best reflected in the Nazis' attempt to rename Belgrade as Prince Eugenstadt (Prinz Eugen Stadt), which would likely have happened had the war plan Drang nach Osten been successful...

Prince Eugene was certainly more than just a warrior and military leader. Being of noble descent, his upbringing and education were of an exceptionally high level. The National Library of Austria is based on the legacy of his private library, while the magnificent Belvedere Palace in Vienna is also his endowment. As a highly esteemed and most powerful figure of the Habsburg Monarchy in his time, he was buried in the famous St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna.

Today, the name of Prince Eugene of Savoy is symbolically carried by two streets in the suburban parts of Belgrade and Senta, while the famous painting of monumental dimensions, The Battle of Senta by the painter Ferenc Eisenhut, is located in the County Building in Sombor.