(Raymond de), generalissimo of the emperor's army, and one of the greatest commanders of his time, was born in the duchy of Modena, of a distinguished family in 1608. Ernest Montecuculi his uncle, who was general of the artillery in the Imperial army, resolved that he should serve first as a common soldier, and that he should pass through all the military degrees, before he was raised to command. This the young Montecuculi did with applause. In 1644, when he was at the head of 2000 horse, he surprised by a precipitate march 10,000 Swedes, who laid siege to Nemefau in Silezia, and obliged them to abandon their artillery and baggage; but a short time after, he was defeated and taken prisoner by the general Banier. Having obtained his liberty at the end of two years, he joined his troops to those of John de Wert; and defeated general Wrangel in Bohemia, who was killed in the battle. In 1657, the emperor made him general marshal de camp; and sent him to the assistance of John Casimir, king of Poland. Montecuculi vanquished Ragotzi prince of Transilvania, drove out the Swedes, and distinguished himself in an extraordinary manner against the Turks in Transilvania and Hungary. In 1673, he commanded the Imperial army against the French, and took Bonne; he then proceeded with feint marches in order to deceive Turenne, in which he obtained great honour. However, the command of that army was taken from him the next year; but it was restored to him in 1675, in order that he might make head against the great Turenne. All Europe had their eyes fixed on these two able warriors, who then made use of all the stratagems which genius and military knowledge were capable of suggesting. The marshal de Turenne was obtaining the superiority, when he was taken off by a cannon-ball. Montecuculi wept at the death of so formidable an enemy, and bestowed upon him the greatest praises. The great prince of Conde was the only French general that could deprive Montecuculi of the superiority he had obtained by Turenne's death. That prince was therefore sent to the Rhine, and stopped the Imperial general; who considered this last campaign as the most glorious of his life, not for his being conqueror, but for his not being conquered, when he was opposed by a Turenne and a Conde. He spent the rest of his life at the Imperial court; and died at Lintz, in 1680. He wrote Memoirs; the best edition of which is that of Strasbourg, in 1735.