John Churchill, First Duke of Marlborough

John Churchill (1650-1722) came from a gentry family and was married to Sarah Jennings in 1677. He went down in history as one of the greatest commanders and soldiers in British history. His military successes, the greatest of which achieved in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1713), were the results of Churchill's remarkable administrative capacity, tactical skill, and personal courage in battle. Equipped with such military talent, Churchill became a tough and dangerous opponent of the Europeans, particularly to the French, back then.

Churchill served as page to James, the Catholic Duke of York, brother of King Charles II and Head of the Royal Navy, which shaped his military career in the sense that he decided to become a soldier at the age of fifteen years himself. In 1667, he entered the army as ensign and, from that point in time, he worked his way steadily up. After the Franco-Dutch War (1672-1674), Churchill was appointed Colonel of the English army by the French king Louis XIV. Later, he served as Brigadier General in the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685 and, in return, was promoted to Major General by King James II, Charles' successor. Side by side with the Protestant Prince William III of Orange, Churchill, as Lieutenant General, successfully defeated the Catholic monarch during the Glorious Revolution (1688/1689), which entitled him Earl of Marlborough and forced King James II to flee to France. His military career culminated in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1713) when John Churchill is appointed Master-General of the English army and the allied forces by Queen Anne in 1702, who feared French expansion and domination over Europe. The war began in the Low Countries where Churchill captured Venlo, Roermond, Stevensweert and Liège successfully and, as a reward, was made the first Duke of Malborough by Queen Anne. He brought a series of further victories over France from 1704 to 1709, the most famous of which was gained in the Battle of Blenheim (1704), the first major defeat to France in 40 years, followed by the Battles of Ramillies (1706), Oudenaarde (1708) and Malplaquet (1709). In memory of John Churchill's military triumphs against the French, Blenheim Palace was built in Oxfordshire.

In 1711, John Churchill was dismissed from his duties when Queen Anne and a new British government had been no longer supporters of the war with France and, instead, planned a peaceful reconciliation. The War of Spanish Succession ended in 1713 with the Treaty of Utrecht signed between France and the allies. Even though Churchill was reappointed to the post of Captain-General under King George I in 1714, he lived in retirement until his death in 1722.

Sources: Barnett, Correlli. Marlborough. Eyre Methuen Limited, 1974. Dilworth, W.H. The Life and Heroic Actions of John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough … Adorned with Copper Plates. G. Wright, 1755.