John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough

The Most Noble John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (May 26, 1650 – June 16, 1722), in full The Most Noble Captain-General John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Earl of Marlborough, Baron Churchill of Sandridge, Lord Churchill of Eyemouth, KG, PC (in addition to these English and Scottish titles he was also Prince of Mindelheim and a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire), was an English military officer during the War of the Spanish Succession. Churchill is generally considered the greatest military genius that Britain has produced. Historian Sir Edward Creasy wrote that " never fought a battle that he did not win, and never besieged a place that he did not take."

Dismissal from court

However, In 1710, two occurrences brought to an end Marlborough's military exploits and his ascendance at court. Firstly, Queen Anne finally threw off the Duchess of Marlborough entirely, dismissing her from her offices and banishing her from the court. The second was the fall of the Whig Ministry that had so long supported the continuation of the war. Incidentally, the chief Whig minister, Lord Godolphin, was intimately connected to the Churchills. Godolphin's son was married to Churchill?s daughter. The new Tory ministry began at once to negotiate with France. Marlborough, skillfully bursting through Villars' fortified lines, had just taken Bouchain, and was preparing to advance into Picardy, when he was recalled to England and replaced with the Duke of Ormonde. On his arrival, he was accused of embezzlement, a false accusation by his political enemies. Britain made peace with France in 1713 with the signing of the celebrated Treaty of Utrecht. The chief legacy of Marlborough's victories was the destruction of French hegemony in Europe.

Related Topics:
1710 - Whig - Lord Godolphin - Tory - Bouchain - Picardy - Duke of Ormonde - Embezzlement - 1713 - Treaty of Utrecht

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