Stamps of France: Louis II

 LOUIS II, PRINCE OF CONDÉ

(8 September 1621 – 11 December 1686)

 

Louis II of Bourbon-Condé, Prince of Condé, was born in Paris and died in Fontainebleau, France. He was a French general and the most famous representative of the Condé branch of the House of Bourbon. Prior to his father's death in 1646, he was styled the Duke of Enghien. For his military prowess he was renowned as le Grand Condé.

The Grand Condé carries the titles of Prince de Condé, Duke de Bourbon, Duke of Enghien, Duke of Montmorency, Duke of Chateauroux, Duke of Bellegarde, Duke of Fronsac, Governor of Berry, Count of Sancerre (1646-1686), Count of Charolais (from 1684), Peer of France, and the first blood prince.

It is on his military character that the Grand Condé's fame rests. Condé was equally brilliant in his first battle and in his last. 

In 1643 his success at the Battle of Rocroi, in which he led the French army to an unexpected and decisive victory over the Spanish, established him as a great general and popular hero in France. Together with the Marshal de Turenne he led the French to victory in the Thirty Years' War.

After the defeat of the Fronde (Franco-Spanish civil war) he entered Spanish service and led their armies against France. He returned to France only after the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, but soon received military commands again.

Condé conquered the Franche-Comté during the War of Devolution and led the French armies in the Franco-Dutch War together with Turenne. His last campaign was in 1675, taking command after Turenne had been killed, repelling an invasion of an imperial army.

He is regarded as one of the premier generals in world history, whose masterpiece, the Battle of Rocroi, is still studied by students of military strategy.

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