More than Just Enemies

Eugene Franz Prince of SavoyCarignan was the most important commander of the House of Austria He won his spurs as an officer of the army that liberated Vienna in 1683 But describing him as a military genius does not do him full justice He was also an exceptional diplomat an art patron on the grandest scale ndash and an extraordinary war profiteer who became the richest man in Europe

Gülnüs concubine in the harem of Sultan Mehmed IV and mother of two Sultans held enormous influence over the political and cultural fortunes of the Ottoman Empire For more than 30 years the Greek woman abducted from Crete leveraged her influence to become a confidante of the empires most powerful leaders She played an important role in the Ottomans engagement with Austrias Prince Eugene