First Duke of Marlborough

Article abstract: Marlborough was a skillful diplomat and a brilliant general whose stunning victories over France in the War of the Spanish Succession established Great Britain as a major power and ended Louis XIV’s dreams of French hegemony over Europe.

Early Life

John Churchill was born on May 26, 1650, at Ashe House in Devonshire, England. He was the son of Sir Winston Churchill, a member of the lesser gentry and a committed supporter of the Stuart monarchy, and Elizabeth Churchill (née Drake). Parliament’s victory in the English Civil War left...

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