Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, Viscount of Turenne
French general and Marshal General of France.
Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, Viscount of Turenne (11 September 1611 – 27 July 1675), better known simply as Turenne, was a French general who rose to become one of only six Marshals General of France. As the most famous member of the La Tour d'Auvergne family, his career spanning roughly fifty years made him widely regarded as one of history's great military leaders.
He was born into a Huguenot family in Sedan, the second son of the Duke of Bouillon and a daughter of William the Silent. His father was also a Marshal of France, so Turenne learned the art of war early. As a child, he gave much of his money to the poor. He got a Huguenot education and the usual training for a young noble, but physical weakness held him back, though he excelled at history and geography and admired Alexander the Great and Caesar. He was initially a lazy student, but after his father remarked that his intellectual laziness was as big an obstacle to joining the army as his physical weakness, he began studying on his own. After his father died in 1623, he threw himself into physical training and largely overcame his natural frailty.
Turenne and his mother were devout Calvinists and distrusted Cardinal Richelieu, so at age fourteen he started his military career in the Dutch States Army under his maternal uncles, Maurice of Nassau and later Frederick Henry. He began as a private in Maurice's bodyguard during the Eighty Years' War. In 1626, Frederick Henry made him a captain. Turenne personally drilled his troops, won their respect through charity and a simple lifestyle, and his company was considered the best-drilled and most disciplined in the army. He demanded not just discipline but high moral standards, and his kindness made him popular throughout the army. He took part in sieges, learning about fortifications and siegecraft. In 1629, he served at the siege of Bois-le-Duc as an artillery and reconnaissance commander, earning praise for his skill but a reprimand for recklessness. He also learned army leadership details like posting guards and reconnaissance.
In 1630, motivated by career prospects and his mother's wish to show loyalty to the French crown, Turenne left the Netherlands for French service. Cardinal Richelieu immediately made him colonel of an infantry regiment, though he continued serving with the Prince of Orange at intervals during their alliance with France. He
- born
- 11 September 1611
- died
- 27 July 1675
- field
- Military
- nationality
- French
- known_for
- Marshal General of France; victories at Breisach, Zusmarshausen, Arras, Dunkirk, Turckheim
Lore & Background
Turenne was born at Sedan to a Huguenot family, the son of a Marshal of France. He first served as a volunteer in the Dutch States Army under his maternal uncles Maurice of Nassau and Frederick Henry, then pursued a career in France. He rose to prominence during the Thirty Years' War by capturing the fortress of Breisach in 1638. Promoted Marshal of France in 1643, he struck against Bavaria, defeating the Bavarian army in three years of campaigning and forcing the Elector of Bavaria to make peace. The Elector broke the treaty, and in 1648 Turenne invaded again with Swedish support, subduing the Imperial army at Zusmarshausen and pacifying Bavaria.
Turenne initially supported the Fronde but returned to royal service in 1651, emerging as France's foremost general by defeating the rebellious army of the Prince of Condé on the outskirts of Paris and re-occupying the city. His triumphs against Spanish armies at Arras (1654) and Dunkirk (1658) led to the overrunning of much of the Spanish Netherlands and brought the war against Spain to a victorious conclusion. Two years later, Louis XIV appointed him Marshal General of France. Although a supporter of absolute monarchy, he only converted to Catholicism in 1668, refusing to do so earlier despite political incentives.
During the War of Devolution in 1667 Turenne captured the Spanish Netherlands practically without resistance. In 1672 the French invaded the Dutch Republic and he conquered the country up to Amsterdam. Checked by Dutch flooding, he invaded the Holy Roman Empire the next year, reaching the Elbe and compelling Brandenburg to abandon the anti-French coalition. Faced with the loss of Alsace to superior Allied forces, he crowned his career with victories at Turckheim (1675) and a strategic turning movement around the Vosges in mid-winter that drove the Imperials from Alsace. He was killed by an Imperial cannonball at the battle of Salzbach in 1675.
Reader's Guide
Turenne's significance lies in his five-decade career as a French general, culminating in his promotion to Marshal General of France, a rank held by only six marshals. His military exploits during the Thirty Years' War, the Fronde, and wars against Spain and the Dutch Republic established him as one of the greatest commanders in history. He captured key fortresses such as Breisach, defeated Bavarian and Imperial armies, and secured French victories at Arras, Dunkirk, and Turckheim. His strategic turning movement around the Vosges in mid-winter was a masterful feat. Despite being a Huguenot, he rose to the highest military rank and only converted to Catholicism in 1668. His legacy is that of a commander who shaped French military dominance in the 17th century, though his death in battle at Salzbach cut short his career.
Did You Know?
- Turenne was one of only six marshals promoted to Marshal General of France.
- He was born to a Huguenot family and only converted to Catholicism in 1668.
- He was killed by an Imperial cannonball at the battle of Salzbach in 1675.
- He captured the fortress of Breisach in 1638 during the Thirty Years' War.
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