Prince Eugene from rejected French applicant to Habsburg commander

Born in France to broadly Italian parentage, Eugene sought a French command but took Louis XIV's rejection personally and joined the Habsburg forces instead. In his own recollection, he portrayed the refusal as the origin of a lasting hostility and claimed that he would return to France only under arms. The decision made him a persistent opponent of Louis XIV and a contemporary and friend of Marlborough. Eugene won repeated victories, was well paid for his service, and collected art. He never married or built the kind of family dynasty associated with his British contemporary.