Prince Eugene and Turin, 1706

When the campaign in Italy reopened early in the summer of 1706, it seemed that France, not Austria, would emerge the victor.

Few foresaw that in the space of one battle, fought on a September day outside the walls of the city of Turin, a whole theatre of war would be eliminated from the calculations of soldiers and statesmen, politicians and princes.

The brunt of the fighting in Italy had been borne by the Austrians. Her allies, England and Holland, had concentrated on the Rhineland and Flanders, producing Marlborough’s celebrated victories. But in Italy, the battles had been indecisive.

Luzzara, fought on August 15th, 1702, was high in casualties. It was followed by an equally indecisive and, for the Austrians, equally costly battle at Cassano in eastern Lombardy on August 16th, 1705. Thereby the French were able to prevent the Austrians under Eugene of Savoy from moving out of the foothills of the Alps.