Eugene of Savoy - Generalissimo of the Austrian army. The greatness of the commander. Young years of Eugene of Savoy Prince Eugene of Savoy and his wars

In my opinion, a perfect hero; there are no such good qualities that would not be in him: he is frank, courteous, easy to handle, without losing, however, decency, and proud without vanity; he is not capable of deceiving anyone, and every word that comes out of his mouth can be believed as the truth itself; he is eloquent, knows the sciences and read a lot; He speaks perfectly five languages: Latin, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Hatred is unknown to him, and oppressed virtue will always find a defender in him. In war, he is always cheerful, vigilant, attentive and even, even being in the most severe fire. No one knows the art of war better than he: this is proved by the ten battles he won. In political matters he is shrewd and expresses himself, although in few words, but very clearly. He hates compliments and does not tolerate gratitude for the favor shown to him. Being just in the highest degree, he will not refuse to give satisfaction to every honest person, if this one, thinking of being offended by him, demands it. In a word, he is a perfect man in every way."
NOTES ON THE STAY AT THE IMPERIAL RUSSIAN COURT AS AMBASSADOR OF THE KING OF SPANISH<...... >

In the stream of books and writings (until now there were 1800) that have glorified Eugene over the past three centuries, there is not the slightest indication of the personal life of the famous commander. There is one very simple reason for this: not a single personal letter remained after Yevgeny. His correspondence deals exclusively with war, diplomacy and politics. Even in the archives of famous contemporaries who corresponded with him, no trace of personal communications can be found. It seems that the personal, intimate side of Eugene's life simply did not exist. We are left with only the iron face of a soldier, diplomat and statesman. An almost inhuman image of the hero, leaving no room for feelings, weaknesses or doubts.

Women? It looks like this warlike monolith has never touched any of them. Eugene, who was one of the richest and most respected people of his time, never married. Although some women are associated with him, most notably Countess Eleonora Batthyani, who has been considered his "official mistress" since 1715, what remains of her correspondence with Eugene does not give the slightest hint of an intimate relationship. Perhaps the female sex was more necessary for Eugene than pleasant: it seems that there is documentary evidence that, as a chimney sweep writes in December 1720, he settled Countess Palfi, Joseph's beloved, on Himmelpfortgasse (that is, not far from his own palace) for in order to be able to control it (see: Max Braubach. Prince Eugene of Savoy. Vienna, 1964, vol. 3, p. 21 et seq.).

At the same time, it is known for sure that Eugene's childhood and youth, which took place in France, proceeded disorderly, little was done with his upbringing, moreover, he grew up with little or no supervision. The English historian Nicholas Henderson writes: “It is known for sure that there were dark sides in Eugene's early youth. He conversed with a small group of effeminate men, to which belonged such degraded subjects as the young Abbé de Choissy. He always went to women's clothing and from time to time put on extravagant earrings and wigs for older women ”(N. Henderson. Prince Eugene of Savoy. London, 1964, p. 21). From the letters of the daughter-in-law of Louis XIV, Liselotte of the Palatinate, Countess of Orleans, it follows that the homosexual adventures of Eugene, which Abbé Melanie speaks of, correspond to this time. Liselotte knew Eugene personally when he was still living in Paris. Her aunt, Elector Sophia of Hanover, told her that Eugene had nicknames like Simon or Madame L "Ancien; that the young Savoy "acted like a lady" in relation to his peers; that during his erotic adventures he was accompanied by the Prince of Turenne; that both were called "universal whores"; that Eugene never followed the ladies, because the young pages "were dearer to him"; that the church career he started was closed to him because of his "corruption" and that he would probably forget in Germany "art", which he learned in Paris. <........ >

As it turned out, Eugene of Savoy is not only a fabulous Belvedere.

The Winter Palace (city palace) of Prince Eugene of Savoy is a significant mature baroque palace in the Vienna Inner City (1st district), Himmelpfort lane 8. The palace served the commander mainly as a winter residence, while he spent the summer in the castle Gazebo.

In the historical rooms in the mezzanine, until the general restoration of the city palace started in 2007, the Ministry of Finance was located. In the course of these works, the ceremonial halls were restored in accordance with the original and appeared in the Baroque richness designed for Prince Eugene. In the fall of 2013, the ministry transferred the state rooms that it had previously used to the Belvedere Gallery, which, starting from the 350th birthday of the prince, opens public access to the palace.

The city palace or winter palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy in today's (up to 1857 was surrounded by a city wall) old town of Vienna was the main residence of a successful commander. Here were the largest parts of the owner's famous collections, including an extremely extensive library.
The city palace also served primarily representative purposes. Prince Eugene performed high-ranking duties in the Habsburg monarchy, including being president of the court military council from 1703-1736 and formally acting governor of the Austrian Netherlands from 1714-1724. Therefore, he had to give appropriate receptions and audiences.

From an urban planning point of view, the palace is in a special position, since Prince Eugene did not choose a building plot appropriate to the social status - such as Herrengasse, which is even closer to the Hofburg - but the absolutely non-sensational narrow Himmelpfort lane. After his arrival in Vienna, the successful commander did not have his own apartment and lived in the house of the then Spanish ambassador.

In 1693 and 1694 the first land purchases are documented; several older houses, as well as an early baroque theater hall, were added to the area. In 1697, Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach (well, who else?), on behalf of Prince Eugene, began the construction of a palace with 7 axes; Andrea Simone Carove was the producer of the works. The order for stonework was received by Johann Thomas Schilk, who has family ties with quarries.

The large portal with side reliefs (left: Hercules fighting the giant Antaeus; right: Eneas saving his father from burning Troy) was made of imperial stone, the sculptor was Lorenzo Mattiegli. This building phase also includes wonderful staircases with steps made of imperial stone, with figures of Atlanteans, which serve as supports instead of columns. In the center stands a resting Hercules, above which a profile portrait of the prince leads on to Luis Dorigny's oil painting "Apollo on the sun chariot" (1710/11). The sculptures from the Zogelsdorf stone on the stairs were created by Giovanni Giuliani. Supplies from the imperial quarry came from master Reinhardt Fuchs. The most important room, completed under the direction of Fischer von Erlach, is the so-called. Red salon, former audience room. Here, the artists Marcantogno Chiarini (quadrature) and Andrea Lanzani (figures), summoned to Vienna in 1697, painted "The Adoption of Hercules to Olympus"

In 1702 Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt took over the construction. Several state rooms belong to this phase, first of all, a golden study with an oil painting by Solimenas. After the acquisition of the house adjacent to the east, the facade expanded in 1708 to 12 axes.

During the latest restoration, the Sala terrena was opened next to the lobby, with whimsical paintings by Jonas Drentwett. It has been used for deeds and papers for decades. The premises are not mentioned in the sources. Since, however, the medallion depicting the "Histoire" in the middle of the wall between the windows, among the battles of Prince Eugene, the "Höchstätt" is mentioned, the fresco can be dated to 1704.

In 1710 a home chapel and a gallery were built. As well as the central room of the auditorium, the so-called. Blue salon with frescoes by Marcantogno Chiarini and Luis Dorigni. In 1719, the 17-axle front expanded with the acquisition of an adjoining house in the west. Lorenzo Mattiegli designed the reliefs of the gates and decorative wall fountains in the courtyard.

Prince Eugene died in 1736. His niece Anna Victoria of Savoy, who married the Prince of Sachsen-Hildburghausen on April 17, 1738, was like the heiress of one of the richest people in Europe. (Her husband Joseph Friedrich von Sachsen-Hildburghausen served the Habsburgs as a commander and army manager). She auctioned off Eugene's property; the palace passed into the possession (like most other palaces of the prince) of the imperial court and was used after reconstruction to accommodate various public institutions, from 1848 k.k. Ministry of Finance.

The splendid staircase on April 8, 1945 only miraculously escaped destruction. This Sunday, at 2 pm, during the capture of Vienna by the Red Army, an attack by Soviet aircraft on the Inner City took place. At the same time, the bomb broke through the roof of the palace and exploded in the attic. The plafond of the French artist Luis Dorigny was damaged, but was restored.
Fischer von Erlach planned to create here the most magnificent main staircase in Vienna.

The biography of Prince Eugene and, above all, the short period of time in which he could build several magnificent castles and palaces, indicates what opportunities were available at the end of the 17th or at the beginning of the 18th century for determined and energetic, but impoverished young aristocrats, if they had good relations with the dynasty. Already after 11 years in the service of the emperor, he begins the construction of the city palace. In 1694, the then field marshal, who was still having financial difficulties, bought a modest plot of land in the Himmelpfort lane from Count Karl Max von Thurn. The building site was not exactly suitable for a high aristocrat, as it lay away from the aristocratic quarter and not far from the city prison. In addition, the area around the Himmelpfort Lane was an extremely burgher area.

Already in 1697/98, the artist and architect Marcantogno Chiarini, as well as Andrea Lanzani, decorated the ceilings of the hall with frescoes. This was a novelty for Vienna, since until now the stairwells and halls were decorated with frescoes, while the living quarters and representative rooms had plastered ceilings. The door supports are the work of Peter Paul Rubens and were decorated with portraits incl. Charles the Bold and Emperor Maximilian I.

In 1711 the palace was completed. In April of this year, the prince already received Turkish ambassadors here.

The 4-storey palace is one of the finest Baroque palaces in Vienna. The first floor and mezzanine are combined into a basement area. On both upper floors, the façade is divided by 18 grooved pilasters with Ionian capitals. Gate 3 has the same appearance. They are framed by 2 reliefs from Greek mythology. 4 reliefs are attributed to Lorenzo Mattiegli. Reliefs on the western gate - by an unknown master. Above each gate there is respectively one balcony, the stone railing of which surrounds 2 large vases.

Above the middle balcony is a large stone coat of arms of the prince. In its place above the other balconies are decorations with various weapons.

Since no one told me that it was strictly forbidden to take pictures, I managed to shoot the first hall. then the guard just followed me with his tail.

Numerous facade decorations in the form of military objects, such as helmets and banners, indicate the military profession of the owner. Also, the numerous images of Hercules that are in the building should remind of his military strength and his victories, although the prince was physically clearly not Hercules.

The flat roof of the building is hidden behind a decorative balustrade. On it stood 18 stone figures that represented the Roman gods and various allegories. They disappeared in 1931 and are considered lost.

Actually representative premises begin with the so-called. bedrooms and 3 according to the colors of the wallpaper named salons. Followed by a golden office with a home chapel, a hall of battle paintings and another salon. These rooms have retained their Baroque character despite the more late changes. The Yellow Salon was originally almost twice as large and served as an art gallery. The president of the court chamber, Karl Ferdinand Graf Koenigsegg-Erp, ordered that the premises be divided into a bedroom and a salon for his wife.

The last room is today the yellow salon. The fresco on the ceiling, by Luis Dorigni, which shows the abduction of the oreithia by the northeast wind, is still preserved, but is not noticeable due to the ceiling being lowered in 1752. The paneling of the windowed wall is decorated - as in the Red and Blue Salon - with whimsical paintings by Jonas Drentwett. In the Red Salon, the prince gave audiences. Today, its walls are covered with wallpaper made of red silk fabric. They were originally upholstered in red velvet. The large fresco on the ceiling shows again the labors of Hercules. This time his acceptance to Olympus.

Today, the Blue Salon is the largest room in the palace. There used to be a "front bed" here. She was sold after 1736.

Perhaps the most beautiful room in the palace is a narrow golden office. Prince Eugene used this as a breakfast room. Its walls, windows and doors are overloaded with gilded wood carvings. Mirrors placed opposite each other simulate an endless golden gallery. Also, a carved and gilded linden wood ceiling saves the picture with numerous figures of angels in the center. In its corners, carved medallions show mythological scenes. Today's equipment of the room is the work of Empress Maria Theresa, who dismantled the original wall cladding planned by Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt and reinstalled it in the belvedere. The ceiling, however, is original, as it was not transportable.<...... >

No guards, far from silently stomping behind me, could interfere with my admiration, delight, an absolutely incredible feeling of greatness and importance. Gold fucked in the rays of the setting sun. It's good that there are very few people there.

I recommend. A feast for the eye.

First, about the note to Aga. The acts relating to the campaigns of Eugene contain a report that the prince wrote to Karl (Campaigns of Prince Eugene of Savoy. Based on field records and other authentic sources, published by the department military history Imperial-Royal Military Archives. Vienna, 1876^1892, vol. XIII, addition, p. 14, ch. 7, Vienna, April 11, 1711):

“Finally, the Turkish aga, delegated to me, arrived on the 7th, in the afternoon, to which I gave an audience on the 9th and I am enclosing Your Royal Majesty a copy of the letter handed to me.”

What about the original letter? The reader, of course, expects to find it in the appendix to Yevgeny's letter. Those who are familiar with the appendix of historical documents to the "Imprimatur" and "Secretum" already guess for sure: the letter of the agha is absent in the acts. Certain operations are always carried out in the same way, whether it is only to cover up the crimes of the pope, to forge the will of the king, or to make evidence of a conspiracy against the emperor disappear.

What was written in this letter to Aga and why did Eugene send it to Karl? In fact, he had to inform Joseph I about this, of course, if it did not contain something that Joseph should not have known, and Karl, on the contrary, was in the know ...

Intrigue Atto Melanie. Abbot Melanie cleverly set up an ambush with a forged letter from Eugene of Savoy. And he got pretty close to his goal. Indeed, as the abbot himself relates, the forged letter, which attributed to Eugene a plan to betray Austria, was transmitted to the Spanish king Philip V, and from him to Louis XIV through his minister Torcy. The minister prevented the distribution of the letter, which Atto complains to the chimney sweep. Only in May 1711 (that is, a month after the events that the chimney sweep tells about) did Eugene, just after his arrival in Tournai in Flanders, learn about the letter, but he managed to prove his innocence. You can read about this whole story in Yevgeny's correspondence, which is located in the State Archives in Vienna. It is also transmitted in the acts of Eugene's campaigns, namely in a letter in which Count Bergeyk informs Eugene that Philip V instructed him to ask Savoy whether that treacherous letter is genuine (if so, can he negotiate with Eugene (State archive, military acts 262, 22.3.1711; military acts 263, 3.5.1711)); in the indignant response of Eugene (State Archives, Large Correspondence 93 a, 18.5.1711); in her letters to the queen mother and regent Eleonora Magdalena Theresa, as well as to Charles (The Campaigns of Prince Eugene XIII, addition, pp. 32–33, 13. And 17.5.1711), and in addition, in a letter to Sinzendorf (State Archive, Large correspondence, 73 a, 18 May 1711). In all these letters, Eugene expresses his bewilderment and encloses a copy of Bergeik's letter. In the answers of the regent, Karl and Sinzendorf confirm that he has nothing to do with this matter (State Archives, Big Correspondence, 90 b, 3.6.1711; 31.7.1711; Big Correspondence, 145. 21.5.1711).

Atto's analysis of the relationship between Eugene, Joseph, and Charles reflects historical realities surprisingly accurately. For example, it is true that Eugene, according to Atto, could have had more influence in the court of Charles than in the reign of the unfortunate Joseph. Eugene did succeed in persuading Charles to continue the War of the Spanish Succession alone, while the Allies had already signed peace with France. Later, Eugene, who could never get enough of the war, went to the front to fight the Turks.

However, first of all, Eugene's envy towards Joseph, which Atto Melanie talks about, has a lot of evidence. historical fact is that in 1702 Eugene was expelled from the Battle of Landau to make room for Joseph, as reported by Otto Klopp (The Fall of the House of Stuart. T. I. Vienna, 1885, p. 196). It is also true that Joseph did not allow Eugene to fight in Spain against the French, although Eugene had reasonable hopes that he could perform great deeds there (ibid., vol. XXIV, pp. 2 et seq.).

Also, the reasoning of Atto Melanie regarding the personality of Eugene of Savoy coincides with historical sources. However, one should not be surprised that official history pays so little attention to the dark sides of the life of great generals. In the stream of books and writings (until now there were 1800) that have glorified Eugene over the past three centuries, there is not the slightest indication of the personal life of the famous commander. There is one very simple reason for this: not a single personal letter remained after Yevgeny. His correspondence deals exclusively with war, diplomacy and politics. Even in the archives of famous contemporaries who corresponded with him, no trace of personal communications can be found. It seems that the personal, intimate side of Eugene's life simply did not exist. We are left with only the iron face of a soldier, diplomat and statesman. An almost inhuman image of the hero, leaving no room for feelings, weaknesses or doubts.

Although the voluminous work on the life and deeds of the great commander has five volumes, Max Braubach, Eugene's most important bibliographer, devotes little space to Lieselotte's letters. Another historian, Helmut Ohler, cites ticklish expressions from these letters, basing them, however, solely on Liselotte's personal dislike for Eugene: during the period of writing letters (1708-1710), the Italian commander opposed peace between the European powers and France, a peace that Liselotte - due to the dramatic situation in which Louis XIV was, she wished with all her heart. In fact, things were a little different: Liselotte, even years after the end of the war, is unambiguous about Eugene's homosexuality.

In principle, it is not surprising that in the case of Eugene of Savoy, the glorious description of his deeds outweighs. There should be no flaws in the biography of the commander, least of all in the sexual part of his life. The figure of an exemplary general, formed according to the principle of an ideal, was very popular during the Nazi era, for example, in Viktor Bibl's biography of Yevgeny “Prince Yevgeny. A Hero's Life" (Vienna/Leipzig, 1941), which he dedicated to "the armed forces of the Greater German Empire".

The first of the letters in which Lieselotte speaks of Eugene's homosexuality is printed by Wilhelm Ludwig Holland (responsible ed.) in "Letters of the Duchess Elisabeth Charlotte of Orleans" (Stuttgart, 1867), located in the Library of the Literary Association in Stuttgart, vol. CXLIV, p. 316:

"Madame Louise, Countess of the Palatinate - Frankfurt

[…] I did not know Prince Eugene in his ugliness, because when he was here, he had a short upturned nose, and in engravings they make him a long, sharp nose; his nose was so turned up that his mouth was always open, and his two large front teeth were fully visible. I know him very well, he often bothered me as a child; then they decided that he should become a confessor, he was dressed like an abbot. However, I always assured him that he would not stay there, and he did. When he ended his spiritual career, young people began to call him only Simone or Madame Lancien; for he often pretended and acted like a lady towards young people. To this, you, dear Louise, will surely say that I know Prince Eugene very well; I knew his whole family, Mr. father, Mrs. mother, brothers, sisters, uncles and aunts, that is, quite a few, but he could not earn a long sharp nose in any way.

Another passage (a letter from Liselotte dated June 9, 1708 to her aunt) is quoted by Helmut Ohler (Prince Eugene in the Judgment of Europe. Munich, 1944, p. 108):

“Prince Eugene is too smart not to adore E. L. While E. L. wants to know the real reason why Prince Eugene is called mad. Simone and Mad. Lancienne, and also the Prince de Tourenne, this was because these two were the common whores of the whole court and everyone pretended that these two were used, and for this they were given at any time to everyone and everyone, and they behaved like ladies; perhaps Prince Eugene will forget this art in Germany.”

From another letter dated 1710 (ibid., p. 109):

"He does not trouble himself with ladies, a couple of lovely pages are dearer to him."

From a letter dated 1712 (ibid.):

“If courage and reason turn into a hero, then Prince Eugene is certainly a hero, but if virtue is needed, then this is probably not enough for him. Since he was Madame Simone and Madame Lancien, he is considered a kind of whore, [he] even then wanted only 2000 thalers, which he was denied because of his disgusting adventures; so he went to the imperial court, where he was lucky.”

Other information Atto gives about homosexuality at court french king, everything is confirmed and everything can be checked with Dieter Godard (Le go ^ ut de Monsieur - L "homosexualit" e masculine au XVII si`ecle (Taste for men - male homosexuality in the XVII century. Paris, 2002) and Claude Pasteur ( Le beau vice, ou les homosexuels `a la cour de France (The Beautiful Vice, or Homosexuality at the French Court), Paris, 1999).

Descriptions of Eugene's palace on Himmelpfortgasse, where the former residence of the prince was located and today the Ministry of Finance, are authentic in all parts, including the placement of the planned library on the second floor. These rooms housed the most extensive library of the prince, which was then included in the Imperial Library, and later in the Vienna National Library.

The descriptions of the sieges of Landau under the leadership of Joseph are reliable in every detail, including the story of the coins, which the French commandant of the fortress Melak ordered to be cast from his dishes (see: G. Heyzer. The siege of Landau. 2 volumes, 1894-1896).

The procession that makes Penichek take a detour on the afternoon of the fourth day really existed. The already mentioned volume on the death of Joseph I (Detailed description, p. 6) contains a list of orders and brotherhoods that took part in the forty hours of prayer: on April 12, shortly after 4 p.m. Stephen, because between 4 and 5 pm it was their turn to join in prayer.

The name of the imperial protomedicine von Gertod confirms the work “Detailed Description”, already cited above, which details the death of Joseph and the long mourning ceremony.

The decoration of the coffin completely coincides with the description in Apparatus funebris quem JOSEPHI I. Gloriosum. Memoriae…” (Funeral ceremony in memory of Joseph the First Victorious. Vienna, 1711).

Abbot Melanie rightly asserts that the Jesuits were among the enemies of Joseph I. The news of the expulsion of the Jesuit Wiedemann by the young emperor, which the chimney sweep stumbles upon while reading works about Joseph, corresponds to the facts (see: Eduard Winter. The Age of Early Enlightenment. East Berlin , 1966, p. 177). None of the laudatory newspaper hymns that the narrator cites as quotations are fiction: readers who understand the history of periodicals, for example, have recognized the famous almanac "Englisher Warzager", that calendar in which the chimney sweep discovers a gloomy prophecy for 1711.

And sunrises of an extraordinary, blood-red color are also not fiction: Count Sigmund Friedrich Kövenfüller-Metsch reports this, and his testimony is repeated in the diary of Prince Johann Joseph Kevenfüller-Metsch (In the time of Maria Theresa. Diary 1742-1776. Vienna / Leipzig, 1907, p. 71):

"This 'unfortunate death' is predicted not only by the English soothsayer in his calendar, but the sun itself predicted it with its sometimes observed red or bloody sunrises."

A strange phenomenon, which, perhaps, accidentally resembles an event in 1936 and appears at the beginning of Nikita Mikhalkov's film "Burnt by the Sun".

According to the stories of the chimney sweep, "Englisher Warzager" was literally snatched from the hands of merchants after he correctly predicted the death of Joseph. Judging by the copies that have survived to this day, until the end of the 18th century it was distributed more than any other almanac.

Participation in wars: War of the Spanish Succession. Campaign against the Turks. War for Polish heritage.
Participation in battles: At Zenta. With Capri and Chiari. At Hochstadt. At Peterwardein. Victory near Belgrade

(Eugene of Savoy) Outstanding Austrian general. Member of the Austro-Turkish War (1683-1699), the War of the Spanish Succession, the Austro-Turkish War (1716-1718) and the War of the Polish Succession

Eugene was the son of a prince Eugene Moritz of Savoy and Carignansky, the chief commander of the Swiss troops in the service of the French king.

Since childhood, Eugene had poor health, and therefore he was being prepared for a spiritual title. However, he himself dreamed of a completely different field of activity, and therefore, having reached adulthood, he turned to Louis XIV with a request to give him command of a cavalry regiment. However, this desire was met with ridicule, both by the king himself and by his Minister of War Luvu but. Insulted, Eugene left France, vowing to return here only with arms in hand. His path lay in Austria.

Here he was quickly accepted into the imperial troops, in which he passed his baptism of fire in the fields Austro-Turkish War. In 1683, Eugene of Savoy became a participant in the battle of Vienna, where the Polish king Jan Sobieski defeated the Turkish troops.

During the two years of command of the dragoon regiment, Eugene of Savoy was so distinguished by his military abilities that in 1686, during the siege of Offen, at the age of twenty-three, he found himself in the responsible role of the chief of defense of the circumvalence line against the large army of the supreme vizier.

In 1687, Eugene of Savoy, in the rank of major general, pursuing the Turks defeated at Gersan, penetrated with the regiment to their very fortified camp and, hastening dragoons, stormed the last Turkish stronghold. At the beginning of 1688, he was promoted to field marshal-lieutenant, having climbed the first gap during the capture of Belgrade.

Since the beginning 2nd Dutch War(1689-1697) Eugene of Savoy was appointed commander of the imperial troops sent to Italy to help Duke of Savoy Victor Amadeus II. Here, one of the best French commanders became his main opponent. Marshal Katina, to whom Eugene of Savoy became a worthy opponent.

But in the person of Duke Victor Amadeus, who did not have the necessary abilities for a leader, Eugene often encountered an obstacle to his plans. Under Stafford in 1690, Victor Amadeus, having entered into battle with the French, was almost defeated and was saved only thanks to the courage and diligence of Eugene of Savoy. The same situation was repeated in the battle of Marsalia in 1693.

On July 28, 1691, after a stubborn battle, Eugene of Savoy forced the French to lift the siege of the Koni fortress and retreat across the Po River. The following year, Eugene secured permission to launch an invasion of Dauphine and Provence, thereby placing French troops in danger of serious consequences for France itself. He had already captured several border fortresses, when suddenly Duke Victor Amadeus fell dangerously ill, and the advance of the allied vanguard was stopped. In 1693 for victories in Italy Yevgeny Savoysky was promoted to field marshal.

Now the military reputation of Eugene of Savoy was so high that Louis XIV himself began to call him into his service, offering the title of marshal, governorship in Champagne and 20 thousand livres of maintenance. However, Eugene firmly replied that he was obliged Austrian emperor gratitude, but does not need money.

In 1697 he was again sent to act against the Turks in Hungary. This was the first campaign in which Eugene acted independently and freely. His main victory in this campaign was the defeat of the Turkish troops. at Zenta on the river Teys.

Shortly before the start of the battle, a courier arrived to Eugene with an imperial dispatch, in which he was forbidden to take decisive action, and it was proposed to confine himself to defense. However, the prince, guessing what order was contained in the package, did not open it and on September 11, 1697, inflicted a crushing defeat on the enemy troops.

The chairman of the gofkriegsrat, General Caprara, succumbing to the suggestions of envious people and personal enmity towards Eugene, insisted on bringing him to a military court, however, given public opinion and the fact that the winner is not judged, the emperor Leopold I not only did not condemn the prince, but also put him at the head of the army in Hungary, granting him complete independence from the gofkriegsrat. The victory at Zenta and the further actions of Eugene of Savoy contributed to the conclusion in 1699 of a favorable for Austria world of karlowitz, as a result of which most of Hungary, Croatia, Transylvania and almost all of Slovakia became part of the empire.

War of the Spanish Succession(1701-1714) became the highest achievement of the military art of Eugene of Savoy.

The beginning of the campaign in 1701 was marked by the most difficult transition of the 30,000th army of Eugene of Savoy through the Trent (Tyrolean) Alps.

In fact, the army of Eugene of Savoy was the first to open hostilities, while the armies of other countries were only preparing for them. His troops were concentrated in Tyrol, pretending to be preparing to go on the offensive from here. In response, the French army under the command of Catina took up position in the Rivoli Gorge in order to prevent the advance of the Austrians. But Eugene, having made a secret reconnaissance of a difficult pass in the mountains, which had not been used by the troops for a long time, overcame it and went out onto the plain, making a deep detour to the east. Increasing the advantage thus obtained by further maneuvers, which often misled the enemy as to his intentions, Eugene of Savoy involved the French in a disastrous offensive for them in the Chiari region (near Brescia). This led to the complete retreat of the French from Northern Italy, occupied by Austrian troops.

Eugene of Savoy began the campaign of 1702 with a sudden attack on Cremona, where at that time he was Marshal Villeroi who replaced Katina. Soon, superior forces under the command of Marshal Vandom. However, having half the strength of the French commander in chief, Eugene of Savoy still managed to hold the territories conquered in Italy. One of the main difficulties he encountered in Italy was the lack of a traditional shop supply system for troops. The prince managed to overcome these difficulties by learning to extract everything he needed from the Italian lands he occupied.

In 1703, Eugene of Savoy was appointed president of the gofkriegsrat, and the supreme leadership of the military affairs of the empire passed to him. In the same year, under the leadership of Eugene of Savoy, an uprising was suppressed. Ferenc Rakoczi that broke out in Hungary.

In 1704, together with Duke of Marlborough Eugene of Savoy defeated the Franco-Bavarian troops at Hochstadt(Blenheim). This victory immediately led to the falling away of Bavaria from the alliance with Louis XIV. Shortly before the start of the battle, the prince managed to quietly break away from the troops of Villeroi and connect with the troops of the Duke of Marlborough, thereby forcing the French troops under the command Tagliara by surprise. In the battle of Hochstadt (August 13, 1704), Eugene dealt the main blow to the left flank of the French troops. Although his attack was twice repulsed, Eugene was able not only to repeat it, but also to support the Duke of Marlborough, whose troops counterattacked the French.

In 1705, Eugene of Savoy was sent to Spain where he stopped the advances of Vendôme. However, the campaign of 1706 is considered to be the pinnacle of his military art in the War of the Spanish Succession. In this campaign, Eugene of Savoy set as his goal the conquest of all of Italy.

Initially, Eugene of Savoy was forced to retreat east to Lake Garda and further into the mountains, while his ally the Duke of Savoy was besieged in Turin. But instead of trying to break forward with a fight, Eugene of Savoy deceived the enemy with a cunning maneuver. Together with his 24,000-strong army, he made a difficult and bold transition through the mountains along the right bank of the Po River, completing it with the defeat of the 80,000-strong French army near Turin. Eugene of Savoy without hesitation, sacrificed his base, but won the battle for all of Italy, which was not saved even by 33 fortresses occupied by French garrisons.

In 1707, the troops of Eugene of Savoy invaded Provence, where the prince tried to capture Toulon, but this attempt was unsuccessful. In the same year, Eugene of Savoy acted less vigorously than in previous campaigns. So, he rejected the plan of the Duke of Marlborough to directly break through to Paris by bypassing the fortresses and not getting involved in protracted battles with the French troops.

From 1708 he acted in Netherlands commanding the combined Allied forces. Here, together with the Duke of Marlborough, he defeated the French at Houdenard and captured Lille.

In 1709, they won a victory at Malplac, which cost the allies too high a price and did not bring tangible results. In 1711, the army of Eugene of Savoy was withdrawn from the theater of operations for political reasons. In the next campaign of 1712, he commanded the Austrian and Dutch troops and now decided to make an invasion of France. However, as a result of a complex maneuver undertaken by Marshal Villars near Denen, Eugene of Savoy was defeated and retreated. This defeat completed the collapse of the anti-French coalition.

In 1714, Prince Eugene of Savoy acted as the imperial plenipotentiary at the conclusion of the Rastadt Peace. Emperor Charles VI forced to recognize the king Philip V of Bourbon the right to the Spanish crown, but was able to retain a significant part of the "Spanish inheritance": the Spanish Netherlands, Northern Italy with Milan, the Kingdom of Naples, part of Tuscany and Sardinia.

During the new Austro-Turkish War (1716-1718), the troops under the command of Eugene of Savoy, having defeated the Turkish troops at Peterwardein, captured Temeswar(now Timisoara). The Austrian army owed this victory to a large extent to the genius of its commander. The same genius saved the imperial troops the following year. near Belgrade when they were caught between the Grand Vizier's army and the strong Belgrade garrison. On the night of August 16, under the cover of fog, the troops of Eugene of Savoy, coming out of the trenches, attacked Turk and put them to flight. The victory of Eugene of Savoy near Belgrade led to the signing Passarovitsky (Pozharevetsky) peace treaty, according to which Banat, Temesvar, part of Wallachia and Northern Serbia with Belgrade went to the Austrian Empire. Austrian subjects were granted, after paying an extremely low duty (3%), the right to free trade throughout the territory of the Ottoman Empire.

Until 1724, Eugene of Savoy was stadtholder in the Austrian Netherlands, at the same time acting as chairman of the Privy Council under the emperor. Despite the fact that Charles VI did not treat the prince with the same confidence with which the former Austrian sovereigns treated him, his influence was preserved in all important state issues.

The prince himself was interested not only in military affairs. He built magnificent palaces in Vienna, first of all, the Belvedere, where a unique library and collections of world art monuments were collected.

In 1733, Eugene of Savoy was appointed commander in chief of the allied forces operating against France in War of Polish Succession(1733-1739). However, his strength was running out, and the prince could not show his former military genius and was soon recalled. Three years later he died in Vienna and was buried in St. Stephen's Cathedral. Subsequently, a magnificent monument to the greatest military leader in world history was erected in front of the Belvedere in the capital of Austria.

Evgeny of Savoy combined courage and determination, based on a deep understanding of his opponent and the given situation, the ability to adjust his goals with forces and means, for which he was especially appreciated Napoleon, composure in the most critical moments of the battle.

Despite the harsh discipline that Eugene of Savoy established in his troops, he managed to attract the hearts of warriors who were ready to follow their beloved commander everywhere.

The composure and presence of mind at the most critical moments were so unusual that contemporaries wondered how such a great spirit could be contained in such a weak body. Eugene of Savoy had a rare ability to speak with a soldier, to gain his confidence, despite the extremely motley composition of his army and the fact that he himself was a stranger.

Prince without a kingdom

Eugene of Savoy was born on October 18, 1663 in the family of an outstanding statesman and military figure of France, a representative of the House of Savoy, Eugene-Maurice of Savoy-Karinth. He was an influential person at court and served as governor of Champagne. Eugene's mother was Olympia Mancini, the niece of the all-powerful Cardinal Mazarin. From childhood, the boy was prepared for a spiritual rank, because the family had many influential clerics, but young Eugene was attracted by the military path. He wanted to be like his father, a hero of two wars and a fighter against the Fronde.

Genealogical tree of Eugene of Savoy

As soon as Eugene was ten years old, Eugene-Maurice died, and a black streak began in the boy's life. Having fallen out of favor at court, his mother was forced to leave Paris, and the little prince remained in the capital with a tiny boarding house. Eugene tried to enter military service, but Louis XIV, seeing the weak physique of the child, refused his request and decided to continue spiritual education.

Eugene was born into the family of the Prince of Savoy and Mazarin's niece

The Prince of Savoy was not one to calmly accept adversity, even if it was the Sun King himself who caused it. The future commander firmly decided to follow in his father's footsteps, stopping at nothing. Soon he had a happy opportunity to start a military career.

Great Turkish

In 1683, a terrible threat loomed over the Austrian monarchy: the Turkish Sultan Mehmed II decided to put an end to the “infidels” once and for all, setting Vienna on fire, for which he gathered a huge army for that time: about 200 thousand soldiers (and the same number of non-combatants). The German emperor Leopold I hastily searched for allies throughout Europe, calling on all sympathizers to stand under his banner. The emperor's call found a response even among the sworn enemies of the Habsburgs - the French. Hundreds of nobles went to war with the Turks, enlisting in the Austrian army. So the twenty-year-old Eugene decided to try his luck in the struggle for the common Christian cause, especially since his cousin Ludwig-Wilhelm was already in Hungary. The young man was warmly received by the emperor and sent to the active army.

Battle of Mohacs 1687. In the foreground, Ludwig-Wilhelm, brother of Eugene of Savoy

On the fields of the Turkish war, the young aristocrat quickly gained fame - in less than six months he was promoted to colonel, and in 1686, after two years of constant fighting, where he and his regiment were invariably the first, he received his first general rank. And this at twenty-three! His bold and daring ventures spread the fame of the young talent throughout Europe. Minister of War Luvlua, a prominent associate of Louis XIV (and part-time the main enemy of the Savoy at court), allegedly said, having heard about Eugene's successes: "He will never return to France!" Eugene, according to legend, promised to return without fail, but already with weapons in his hands. And very soon he had such an opportunity.

To Italy!

The fact is that in 1688, when the war with Turkey was still in full swing, Austria had to enter another war. The fact is that Louis XIV decided to take advantage of the political and dynastic situation and, while the Austrians were fighting in the east, lay claim to the small German Principality of Electoral Hall. The Dutch ruler William of Orange, fearing the strengthening of France, quickly put together a coalition against Louis, the so-called Augsburg League, from which the war got its name.

Austrian soldiers during the war of the Augsburg League (according to the book by I. Golyzhenkov European soldier for 300 years)

Despite the fact that the lands on the Rhine became the object of the dispute, the flames of war quickly spread throughout Europe. The emperor left a small corps in Hungary for action against the Turks, and threw the main forces against France. Eugene of Savoy was sent to Italy, where he was to act in agreement with the Duke of Savoy, with whom an agreement was concluded.

At the age of 20 he entered the army, at 23 he became a general, and already at 30 he became a field marshal!

The fighting in northern Italy began in the spring of 1690, when the French tried to pull Savoy out of the war. The Duke of Savoy, thirsting for military exploits, decided to engage in battle with the excellent French army of Marshal Catin. No matter how Eugene begged to abandon his distant relative (Duke Victor-Amadeus and the prince belonged to the same Savoy dynasty) to abandon a risky venture, he was adamant. The result is natural: allied forces were defeated at Staffardo, and only the competent actions of Eugene saved from a complete disaster in Italy, who even managed to achieve some success by the end of the year.

Portrait of a young Eugene of Savoy (c. 1700)

During the campaign of 1691, the French were driven out of Savoy and cleared all of Northern Italy, largely due to the skillful actions of Prince Eugene. In the spring of 1692, the allies, bypassing the French army, invaded Dauphine, a region in southern France. Eugene planned to take Dauphine and Provence, which were left without cover (the main forces of the French were occupied on the Rhine), but the execution of the plan was prevented by the illness of Duke Victor-Amadeus, who was actually dying and even managed to appoint Eugene as regent for the young son of the duke. After the capture of Embrun, the allied army had to return to Savoy, and the duke miraculously recovered and began to actively approach the French, conducting secret negotiations, sabotaging all the enterprises of the Austrians.

As commander

Before the conclusion of peace in 1697, nothing noticeable happened in Italy, and the Duke of Savoy even concluded a separate peace with the French in 1696. The emperor summoned Eugene to Vienna (back in 1693, the prince was granted the rank of field marshal when he was only thirty years old!) And ordered to go to Hungary, where the war with Turkey was still going on.

The defeat of the Turks by Eugene at Zenta, became the reason for the conclusion of peace

Interestingly, Louis XIV himself drew attention to Eugene's talents after campaigns in Italy and the latter's invasion of France. The monarch offered him to go to the French service, promising an impressive salary of 200,000 livres, the "father's" governorship of Champagne and a marshal's baton. Eugene, who once so wanted to enter the service of the king, indignantly rejected such an offer - the emperor, who once warmly received the prince as a twenty-year-old youth and showered him with ranks, became Eugene's second father.

Rice. 5 Scheme of the battle of Zenta - the first battle where Eugene was the commander-in-chief

The campaign in Hungary in 1697 was the first campaign where Eugene was the absolute commander, independent of the orders of the highest ranks in the theater of war. Here he was able to even more clearly show his military leadership talents both in the strategic field and on the battlefield. With maneuvers and movements, he forced the Turkish army to cross to the eastern bank of the Danube, and then caught it at the crossing over the Tisza near the town of Zenta (modern Serbia). The battle took place on September 11, 1697.

Before the eyes of Sultan Mustafa, the Turkish camp on the other side was attacked, and after a skirmish and shelling, the Turks were put to flight, many of them drowned in the river, fleeing persecution. The 100,000-strong army of the Sultan was missing more than 30 thousand people, 90 guns, treasuries and banners that went to the winner. The losses of the Austrians amounted to only 300 people killed and fifteen hundred wounded! The Turks were crushed by an inglorious defeat, the Sultan agreed to peace negotiations.

Eugene managed to fight in Hungary, Italy and in France itself

It is curious that just before the battle, a courier arrived at the headquarters of Eugene with a dispatch from Vienna: the gofkriegsrat (military department) and the emperor were afraid that Eugene, in his youth, would not make mistakes and therefore sent a letter with an order not to engage in battle with Turks (Eugene's army hardly reached half of the Sultan's). The ossified Viennese cabinet tried to artificially limit the commander's initiative with its directives. Eugene, guessing about the contents of the dispatch, refused to read it at that moment, arguing that all orders for the start of the battle had already been given, and he himself was already going on the attack.

Battle of Zenta, painting by Jacques Paracel

After a triumphant victory, Eugene invaded Bosnia, and when the army was sent to winter quarters, he left for the capital. In Vienna, instead of congratulations, he was expected ... by a prison. The commander was taken into custody, and especially zealous Viennese generals even demanded a trial of him. Fortunately, common sense won (the inhabitants of Vienna doted on the prince and even sent a deputation to the emperor), Eugene was completely justified and favored by Emperor Leopold.

Together with Marlborough, he defeated the French at Hochstedt, turning the tide of the war

The debacle at Zenta and Eugene's two successful campaigns in Hungary forced the Sultan to seek peace, which was concluded at Karlowice in 1699. Under the terms of the peace, Austria received Hungary and Transylvania, which the Habsburgs had claimed since the time. The war, which began with the Turkish invasion of Austria and the siege of Vienna back in 1683, was won largely thanks to the victory of Eugene at Zenta. It seemed that Eugene could rest on his laurels, but that was not the case.

War again

In 1700, King Charles II died, which ended the Spanish Habsburg dynasty, and Philip of Anjou, the grandson of Louis XIV, was declared the new king. The European powers could not allow such a strengthening of France (if they rose up against the capture of the tiny Palatinate, then what can we say about the huge Spanish Empire), and the War of the Spanish Succession began, in which Eugene of Savoy was to play an outstanding role.

Map of Europe in 1700

Eugene spent the campaign of 1701 in Italy, where he commanded a corps of 30,000, whose task was to capture northern Italy. He was opposed by old acquaintances - Marshal Katina and the Duke of Savoy Victor-Amadeus, who spoke at the beginning of the war on the side of Louis XIV (more than 50 thousand soldiers in total). Prince Eugene initially succeeded in driving the French out of Parma and Verona, reaching Cremona and Bergamo. The following year, however, Marshal Vendome, who had just arrived in Italy, was lucky, so that the Austrians cleared large areas in Italy, and Eugene of Savoy himself was recalled to Germany, where he was to act together with another great commander of that time - John Churchill Marlborough.

Together with Marlboro

The difficult situation at the beginning of the war forced Leopold to send Eugene to Germany, where the French, in alliance with the Bavarians, had already caused the emperor a lot of trouble. Marlborough also approached the borders of Bavaria to help the Austrians and remove the threat from Vienna. The result of such a strategic deployment was the main battle of the first stage of the War of the Spanish Succession, which destroyed Louis' plans for a quick victory in the war along with the army of Marshal Tallard.

Battle of Hochstedt (Bleinheim) August 13, 1704

It was only thanks to the genius of the two great tacticians that the two allied armies (each remaining under the command of “its own” commander) acted as a single whole, and the confident actions of Prince Eugene led the allies to victory. The Bavarian elector refused to fight and was forced to make peace with the allies. The French, on the other hand, were so demoralized by this defeat that they did not even think about offensive actions, and the war was transferred from the Danube to the banks of the Rhine.

On the threshold of glory

After the campaign in Bavaria, Eugene of Savoy again went to Italy, where Marshal Vendome over and over again defeated the Austrians and the Duke of Savoy (who had already managed to defect to the Allies). The whole company of 1705 passed in maneuvers and small skirmishes: despite the difficult situation of Victor Amadeus, Eugene was in no hurry to engage in battle with the French, who had a two-fold superiority in strength.

The crossing of the Alps by Eugene of Savoy is one of the feats of the commander during the War of the Spanish Succession. Copper engraving

The military merits of Eugene of Savoy in the war with the French were marked by the emperor with the title of chairman of the gofkriegsrat - the highest military authority of the empire. This was the last beneficence of Leopold I. In 1705, the emperor died, and his eldest son Joseph succeeded to the throne.

In 1701, Eugene repeated the feat of Hannibal by crossing the Alps

In the valley of Adijde, on the shores of Lake Garda, we will leave Prince Eugene - at the very heights of glory. For over twenty years military career he achieved unprecedented success, highly raising the prestige of the Austrian monarchy and German arms. One could only guess that after the triumphant battles at Zenta and Goshtedt, new victories and sensitive defeats await him. And the campaign of 1706 in Italy will become a true classic of the history of military art. To be continued.

Battles/wars

- Vienna, Buda, Mohacs, Belgrade, Zenta

- Staffarda, Marsaglia

- Carpi , Chiari , Hochstedt , Turin , Toulon , Oudenarde , Lille , Malplac , Denin

- Petrovaradin, Belgrade

Awards and prizes

Prince Evgeny Savoysky(German Prinz Eugen von Savoyen, fr. Francois-Eugène de Savoie, Italian Eugenio di Savoia-Carignano ; October 18 ( 16631018 ) - April 21) - an outstanding commander of the Holy Roman Empire of Franco-Italian origin, Generalissimo. Along with Moritz of Orange, Wallenstein, Gustav II Adolf, Turenne, Great Condé, Montmorency-Boutville, Vauban and Marlborough, he is one of the most prominent and most influential European military leaders of the New Age until the Seven Years' War.

Early career and the Great Turkish War

After his mother was expelled from France in connection with the case of poisons, 20-year-old Eugene went to the fields of the Great Turkish War to defend Vienna besieged by the Turks, where a regiment of dragoons fought under his command. After that, Eugene of Savoy took part in the liberation of Hungary from Turkish troops in 1684-1688.

War of the Spanish Succession

Appointed president of the Hofkriegsrat, Eugene took a number of measures that saved Austria from the greatest danger that the Hungarian uprising and the French successes in Bavaria put her in.

Campaign against the Turks. Later years

In the role of commander-in-chief, Eugene appeared again in the War of the Polish Succession (-1735), but due to illness he was soon recalled.

Character traits

The distinguishing features of Prince Eugene as a commander are courage and determination based on a deep understanding of opponents and the given situation, inexhaustibility in finding means to implement the plans, composure in the most critical moments and the ability to bind the hearts of soldiers to oneself and maintain morale.

Eugene of Savoy never married and left no offspring. Contemporaries attributed to him homosexual inclinations.

Memory

A monument was erected to Prince Eugene in Vienna (author - Fernkorn) and in Budapest (author - Rona).

A number of baroque palaces, commissioned by Prince Eugene, have survived. The most famous of them is the Belvedere Palace located in Vienna. The largest is the Schlosshof summer palace located a few kilometers from Bratislava (but on the territory of Austria).

The tropical tree genus Eugenia is named after him, the essential oil of which is the source of the odorous antiseptic substance eugenol, widely used in medicine and perfumery.

About the brave prince they composed a song known in several languages that were in use in the Austrian Empire, including in Latin - Prinz Eugenius, der edle Ritter (Prince Eugene, noble knight). The song is dedicated to the victory over the Turks near Belgrade in 1717.

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Notes

Literature

Feldzüge des Prinzen Eugen von Savoyen. - Wien: Verlag des K.K. Generalstabes, 1876-1892. - T. 1-20.
Arneth A.R. Prinz Eugen von Savoyen. - Vienna, 1864.
Evola J.// La Stampa. - 1943. - No. XXI.(Italian)
Kausler F.G.F. Das Leben des Prinzen Eugen von Savoyen. - Freib., 1838-39.
Koster M. Russische Truppen fur Prinz Eugen. - Wien: Österr.Bundesverlag, 1986.
Golitsyn N. S.. - St. Petersburg. : Type. Partnerships "Public benefit", 1875. - Vol. 2.
Ivonin Yu. E.. // Bulletin of the Udmurt University. 2010. Issue. 1. S. 24-32.
Nelipovich S. G. Union of double-headed eagles. Russian-Austrian military alliance of the second quarter of the XVIII century.

An excerpt characterizing Eugene of Savoy

Everything in him and around him seemed to him confused, meaningless and disgusting. But in this very disgust for everything around him, Pierre found a kind of annoying pleasure.
“I dare to ask Your Excellency to make room for a little one, here for them,” said the caretaker, entering the room and leading another, stopped for lack of horses, passing by. The passer-by was a squat, broad-boned, yellow, wrinkled old man with overhanging gray eyebrows over shining, indefinite grayish eyes.
Pierre took his feet off the table, got up and lay down on the bed prepared for him, occasionally glancing at the newcomer, who, with a gloomy tired look, without looking at Pierre, was heavily undressing with the help of a servant. Left in a shabby, covered sheepskin coat and felted boots on thin, bony legs, the traveler sat down on the sofa, leaning his very large and wide at the temples, short-cropped head against the back and looked at Bezukhy. The strict, intelligent and penetrating expression of this look struck Pierre. He wanted to speak to the traveler, but when he was about to turn to him with a question about the road, the traveler had already closed his eyes and folded his wrinkled old hands, on the finger of one of which was a large cast-iron ring with the image of Adam's head, sat motionless, or resting, or about something thoughtfully and calmly thinking, as it seemed to Pierre. The passerby's servant was all covered with wrinkles, also a yellow old man, without a mustache and beard, which apparently had not been shaved off, and had never grown with him. The agile old servant was dismantling the cellar, preparing a tea table, and brought a boiling samovar. When everything was ready, the traveler opened his eyes, moved closer to the table and poured himself one glass of tea, poured another for the beardless old man and served it to him. Pierre began to feel anxiety and the need, and even the inevitability of entering into a conversation with this traveler.
The servant brought back his empty, overturned glass with a half-bitten piece of sugar and asked if he needed anything.
- Nothing. Give me the book, said the passerby. The servant handed over a book, which seemed to Pierre spiritual, and the traveler deepened in reading. Pierre looked at him. Suddenly the passer-by put down the book, laid it down, closed it, and, again closing his eyes and leaning on his back, sat down in his former position. Pierre looked at him and did not have time to turn away, when the old man opened his eyes and fixed his firm and stern gaze straight into Pierre's face.
Pierre felt embarrassed and wanted to deviate from this look, but the brilliant, aged eyes irresistibly attracted him to him.

“I have the pleasure of talking to Count Bezukhy, if I am not mistaken,” said the passerby slowly and loudly. Pierre silently, questioningly looked through his glasses at his interlocutor.
“I heard about you,” continued the traveler, “and about the misfortune that befell you, my lord. - He seemed to emphasize the last word, as if he said: “yes, misfortune, whatever you call it, I know that what happened to you in Moscow was a misfortune.” “I am very sorry about that, my lord.
Pierre blushed and, hastily lowering his legs from the bed, bent down to the old man, smiling unnaturally and timidly.
“I did not mention this to you out of curiosity, my lord, but for more important reasons. He paused, without letting Pierre out of his sight, and moved on the sofa, inviting Pierre to sit down beside him with this gesture. It was unpleasant for Pierre to enter into a conversation with this old man, but, involuntarily submitting to him, he came up and sat down beside him.
“You are unhappy, my lord,” he continued. You are young, I am old. I would like to help you to the best of my ability.
“Oh, yes,” Pierre said with an unnatural smile. - I am very grateful to you ... Where do you want to pass from? - The face of the traveler was not affectionate, even cold and stern, but despite the fact, both the speech and the face of the new acquaintance had an irresistibly attractive effect on Pierre.
“But if for some reason you find it unpleasant to talk to me,” said the old man, “then you say so, my lord. And he suddenly smiled unexpectedly, a fatherly gentle smile.
“Oh no, not at all, on the contrary, I am very glad to meet you,” said Pierre, and, looking once more at the hands of a new acquaintance, he examined the ring closer. He saw Adam's head on it, the sign of Freemasonry.
“Let me ask,” he said. - Are you a Mason?
- Yes, I belong to the brotherhood of free masons, said the traveler, looking deeper and deeper into Pierre's eyes. - And on my own behalf and on their behalf, I extend my brotherly hand to you.
“I’m afraid,” said Pierre, smiling and hesitating between the confidence instilled in him by the personality of a Mason and the habit of mocking the beliefs of Masons, “I’m afraid that I’m very far from understanding how to say this, I’m afraid that my way of thinking about everything of the universe is so opposite to yours that we do not understand each other.
“I know your way of thinking,” said the Mason, “and that way of thinking of which you speak, and which seems to you the product of your mental labor, is the way of thinking of most people, is the monotonous fruit of pride, laziness and ignorance. Excuse me, my lord, if I did not know him, I would not speak to you. Your way of thinking is a sad delusion.
“Just as I can assume that you are in error,” said Pierre, smiling weakly.
“I will never dare to say that I know the truth,” said the freemason, more and more striking Pierre with his certainty and firmness of speech. - No one alone can reach the truth; only stone after stone, with the participation of all, millions of generations, from the forefather Adam to our time, that temple is being erected, which should be a worthy dwelling of the Great God, - said the freemason and closed his eyes.
“I must tell you, I don’t believe, I don’t ... believe in God,” Pierre said with regret and effort, feeling the need to tell the whole truth.
The Mason carefully looked at Pierre and smiled, as a rich man who held millions in his hands would smile at a poor man who would tell him that he, the poor man, did not have five rubles that could make him happy.
“Yes, you do not know Him, my lord,” said the Mason. “You cannot know Him. You don't know Him, that's why you're unhappy.
“Yes, yes, I am unhappy,” Pierre confirmed; - but what am I to do?
“You do not know Him, my lord, and that is why you are very unhappy. You do not know Him, but He is here, He is in me. He is in my words, He is in you, and even in those blasphemous speeches that you have spoken just now! said the Mason in a stern, trembling voice.
He paused and sighed, apparently trying to calm himself.
“If He weren’t there,” he said quietly, “we wouldn’t be talking about Him, my lord. What, who were we talking about? Who did you deny? he suddenly said with enthusiastic severity and authority in his voice. - Who invented it, if it does not exist? Why did the assumption arise in you that there is such an incomprehensible being? Why did you and the whole world assume the existence of such an incomprehensible being, an omnipotent being, eternal and infinite in all its properties?… – He stopped and was silent for a long time.
Pierre could not and did not want to break this silence.
“He exists, but it is difficult to understand Him,” the freemason spoke again, looking not at Pierre’s face, but in front of him, with his old hands, which, from inner excitement, could not remain calm, sorting through the pages of the book. “If it were a person whose existence you would doubt, I would bring this person to you, take him by the hand and show you. But how can I, an insignificant mortal, show all omnipotence, all eternity, all His goodness to the one who is blind, or to the one who closes his eyes so as not to see, not to understand Him, and not to see, and not to understand all his abomination and depravity? He paused. - Who are you? What you? You dream of yourself that you are a wise man, because you could utter these blasphemous words, - he said with a gloomy and contemptuous smile, - and you are more stupid and madder than a small child who, playing with parts of an artfully made watch, would dare to say that , because he does not understand the purpose of these hours, he does not believe in the master who made them. It is difficult to know Him... We have been working for this knowledge for centuries, from the forefather Adam to the present day, and we are infinitely far from achieving our goal; but in not understanding Him, we see only our weakness and His greatness ... - Pierre, with a sinking heart, looking with shining eyes into the face of the Mason, listened to him, did not interrupt, did not ask him, but with all his heart believed what this stranger told him. Did he believe in those reasonable arguments that were in the Mason's speech, or did he believe, as children believe, in the intonation, conviction and cordiality that were in the Mason's speech, the trembling of the voice, which sometimes almost interrupted the Mason, or those brilliant, senile eyes, grown old on that the same conviction, or that calmness, firmness and knowledge of one's purpose, which shone from the whole being of the Mason, and which struck him especially strongly in comparison with their omission and hopelessness; - but with all his heart he wanted to believe, and believed, and experienced a joyful feeling of calm, renewal and return to life.
“He is not comprehended by the mind, but is comprehended by life,” said the freemason.
“I don’t understand,” said Pierre, fearfully feeling doubt rising in himself. He was afraid of the vagueness and weakness of the arguments of his interlocutor, he was afraid of not believing him. “I do not understand,” he said, “how the human mind cannot comprehend the knowledge you are talking about.
The Mason smiled his meek, paternal smile.
“The highest wisdom and truth is, as it were, the purest moisture that we want to absorb into ourselves,” he said. – Can I take this pure moisture into an unclean vessel and judge its purity? Only by inner purification of myself can I bring the perceived moisture to a certain purity.
– Yes, yes, it is! Pierre said happily.
– Higher wisdom is not based on reason alone, not on those secular sciences of physics, history, chemistry, etc., into which mental knowledge breaks down. There is only one supreme wisdom. The highest wisdom has one science - the science of everything, the science that explains the entire universe and the place of man in it. In order to accommodate this science, it is necessary to purify and renew one's inner man, and therefore before you know, you need to believe and improve. And to achieve these goals, the light of God, called conscience, is embedded in our soul.
“Yes, yes,” Pierre confirmed.
“Look with your spiritual eyes at your inner man and ask yourself if you are satisfied with yourself. What have you achieved by being guided by one mind? What are you? You are young, you are rich, you are smart, educated, my lord. What have you made of all these blessings given to you? Are you satisfied with yourself and your life?