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."

Early years

John Churchill was born to Elizabeth and Sir Winston Churchill (the more famous holder of that name is a descendant) in the immediate aftermath of the English Civil War. He was educated at St Paul's School, London. Apparently he learned the basics of military strategy from a book in the School library. His father had fought for the Royalists during the Civil War and had suffered badly for it—they lived in very modest circumstances until the end of the Commonwealth. His staunch support for Charles II of England paid off with The Restoration, however, and one of the fruits of this was the appointment of 17-year-old John Churchill to the household of the man second in line to the throne, then–Lord High Admiral, the Duke of York. Joining the navy, he remained at court for a while, but saw turns of duty first in the Mediterranean and in the last of the Anglo-Dutch Wars. In the latter, he became a Marine officer, and was attached to the siege of Maastricht, his first taste of land battle. Having come to the attention of the French crown during this action, he moved on to the fighting in Alsace, where he fought with one of the leading generals of the day, Marshal Turenne.

Related Topics:
English Civil War - St Paul's School - Royalist - Commonwealth - Charles II of England - The Restoration - Navy - Mediterranean - Anglo-Dutch Wars - Marine - Maastricht - French - Alsace - Marshal Turenne

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