Villars, CHARLES LOUIS HECTOR, DUC DE, marshal of France, one of the most illustrious of the great captains of Louis XIV.'s time, was born at Moulins, 8th May 1653. He distinguished himself in the wars of the Low Countries, on the Rhine, and in Hungary, fighting against the Turks. From 1699 till 1701 he represented France at Vienna, and by his sleepless vigilance foiled the tortuous policy of the Austrian ministers. On his return he was employed in Italy under Villeroi, and was for the first time (1702) raised to independent command, when he was sent to succour the Elector of Bavaria. Towards the close of 1702 Villars crossed the Rhine, defeated the Markgraf of Baden at Friedlingen, and next year again crossed the Rhine, traversed the Black Forest, and joined the Elector. His bold scheme for advancing upon Vienna was defeated by what he regarded as the stupid obstinacy of his colleague, the Elector; and after his skill and genius had been taxed to the utmost to keep the Austrians at bay, and he had been relieved, he returned in disgust to France. He was next commissioned to put down the insurrection of the Camisards (q.v.). Villars was then sent to watch over the north-eastern frontier, which he successfully defended against Marlborough, who retreated; upon which Villars entered Alsace and captured the enemies' reserves of supplies and artillery. In 1708 he defeated all the attempts of Prince Eugene to penetrate into France. In 1709 he was sent to oppose Marlborough in the north; but at the commencement of the battle of Malplaquet (q.v.) he was severely wounded, and rendered unfit for service. But in 1711 he headed the last army France could raise, and with it fell upon the British and Dutch under Albemarle, who were entrenched at Denain (24th July 1712), carried their entrenchments sword in hand, and captured the most of them; he then turned upon Prince Eugene, and drove him under the walls of Brussels. This magnificent series of successes saved the honour of France, and brought about the peace of Rastatt (q.v.), which Villars signed as plenipotentiary, 6th May 1714. After the peace he became the principal adviser on military affairs and on questions of foreign policy; was a strong opponent of Law's financial measures; but through the intrigues of Fleury lost favour at court. The outbreak of war in 1732, however, brought out the old hero from his retirement, and he went to head the French army in the Milanese. The campaigns of 1733-34 showed that the weight of years had left Villars' military genius and spirit untouched; but discontent with his ally, the king of Sardinia, determined him to solicit his recall; and he accordingly set out for France, but fell ill at Turin, and died 17th June 1734.
See his Mémoires (ed. by De Vogué, 2 vols. 1884-87), and the biographies by Anquetil (1784), Giraud (1881), and De Vogué (1888).