(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 Nemeshan in Silecia, 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: ceeded 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 forgetting. The marshal de Turenne was obtaining the superiority when he was taken off by a cannon ball. Montecucculi wept at the death of so formidable an enemy, and bestowed upon him the greatest praises.

The great prince de Conde was the only French general that could deprive Montecucculi 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 from 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.