Editing Prince Eugene of Savoy (section)

==== President of the Imperial War Council ====
Eugene's European reputation was growing (Cremona and Luzzara had been celebrated as victories throughout the Allied capitals), yet because of the condition and morale of his troops the 1702 campaign had not been a success.{{sfn | McKay | Baker | von Savoyen | 1977 | p=66|ps=: "Eugene was in no doubt that the blame lay with Leopold and his ministry, namely Henry Mansfeld and Gotthard Salaburg.}} Austria itself was now facing the direct threat of invasion from across the border in [[Electorate of Bavaria|Bavaria]] where the state's Elector, Maximilian Emanuel, had declared for the Bourbons in August the previous year. Meanwhile, in Hungary a [[Rákóczi's War of Independence|small-scale revolt]] had broken out in May and was fast gaining momentum. With the monarchy at the point of complete financial breakdown Leopold I was at last persuaded to change the government. At the end of June 1703 [[Gundaker Starhemberg]] replaced Gotthard Salaburg as President of the Treasury, and Prince Eugene succeeded Henry Mansfeld as the new President of the Imperial [[War Council (Austria)|War Council]] (''Hofkriegsratspräsident'').{{sfn | Spielman | 1977 | p=189}}

As head of the war council Eugene was now part of the Emperor's inner circle, and the first president since [[Raimondo Montecuccoli]] to remain an active commander. Immediate steps were taken to improve efficiency within the army: encouragement and, where possible, money, was sent to the commanders in the field; promotion and honours were distributed according to service rather than influence; and discipline improved. But the Austrian monarchy faced severe peril on several fronts in 1703: by June the [[Claude Louis Hector de Villars|Duke of Villars]] had reinforced the Elector of Bavaria on the Danube thus posing a direct threat to Vienna, while Vendôme remained at the head of a large army in northern Italy opposing Guido Starhemberg's weak Imperial force. Of equal alarm was [[Francis II Rákóczi]]'s revolt which, by the end of the year, had reached as far as [[Margraviate of Moravia|Moravia]] and [[Lower Austria]].{{sfn | McKay | Baker | von Savoyen | 1977 | p=73}}