Condé, Louis II de Bourbon (Duc d'Enghien) (1621-1686)

Condé represents the apogee of the French aristocrat's approach to war, in that he was a bold, even rash, commander whose lust for glory brought him spectacular success as at Rocroi in 1643, and not a few disasters. The French military historian Corvisier considers him a 'military intellectual, the very pattern of the military prince of the baroque, gifted and independent'.

Educated by Jesuits at Bourges, he went up to Paris in 1637 to study at the Royal Military Academy, whereafter he entered the army in 1640. Both Richelieu and Mazarin were convinced that the young Louis was a man of some considerable talent. Even at the age of 17, as governor of Burgundy, he took an interest in the training and recruitment of troops. In 1638 he commanded the French army at the siege of Fuentarrabia, but was defeated by a relieving army. Undeterred, he joined the army of Picardy as a volunteer and took part in the siege of Arras in 1640. At the age of 22 he won the great victory of Rocroi over the Spanish under Francisco de Melo. As the King's cousin, and a Prince of the Blood he had been given command of the French army, facing the Spanish in the Netherlands in April 1643. Shortly before his death the King told Louis' father that he had dreamed of a great victory won by the young Duke.

On 17 May 1643 Enghien moved to the relief of Rocroi, despite doubts in Paris over the succession of the infant Louis XIV. The veteran Spanish army faced his force and although slightly outnumbered it was still a formidable force and disposed of the toughest infantry in Europe. Enghien led a devastating charge on the Spanish left and broke it and wheeled onto the rear of the enemy's advancing right flank, relieving pressure on the French horse on that wing, who were in some distress. This left the Spanish tercios isolated, but they put up a stout resistance to the repeated French assaults. Gradually the Walloons and Italians of the tercios were ground down by artillery, cavalry and infantry, and Enghien had to intervene to prevent his men cutting down their prisoners. This signal victory secured France's borders and demonstrated the decline of Spanish power. It had been won by the dash and courage of Enghien alone. He then went on to take over command from Turenne during the Rhineland campaign of 1644, and conducted a fine campaign in the Low Countries. Considered arrogant and overweening by Mazarin, he was posted to Spain again, where he was successful despite his failure to take Lerida. In 1648 he was again victorious over the Imperialists under Archduke Leopold Wilhelm at Lens, but was to take up arms against the king during the rebellion of the Fronde (1648-53), taking service with the Spanish until 1659. He had met his rival Turenne (q.v.) at the Dunes near Dunkirk in 1658, and was defeated for his pains.

After his rehabilitation in 1659, Condé was never again fully trusted by Louis XIV, but he did play a major role in the War of Devolution (1667-1668) and the Dutch War of 1672-8. At Seneffe in 1674 he defeated a Dutch army of 67,000 with a much smaller force. However, his health began to fail him and from 1675 he took little part in affairs of state. Nevertheless, his military skill did not decline with age, although he is not generally viewed as the equal of Turenne (q.v.). His style consisted of audacity, a headstrong rush, and aggressive assault full of panache, whereas Turenne was the exponent of subtle and careful manoeuvre, patient and calculating.

Military historians have praised Turenne and denigrated Condé, but this is probably to do with his blue blood, which was politically unfashionable at certain later stages of France's history, particularly during the Third Republic. Condé's tactical ideas greatly influenced the young Napoleon. His method of pinning the enemy to the front and piercing their line at its weakest point with a mass of cavalry, followed by a broad encircling movement, ranks among one of the classic gambits of battle tactics.