known as the Great Condé
born Sept. 8, 1621, Paris, France
died Dec. 11, 1686, Fontainebleau
French military leader.
He distinguished himself in battles with Spain in the Thirty Years' War, and in 1649 he helped suppress the Fronde uprising. After being arrested by Mazarin in 1650, he rebelled and led the second Fronde, fighting from Spain until he was defeated at the Battle of the Dunes in 1658. Pardoned the next year, he again became one of Louis XIV's greatest generals, winning numerous battles in Spain, Germany, and Flanders. He was a man of great courage, unconventional habits, and sound independence of mind; broadly cultivated, he counted Molière and Jean Racine among his friends. See also Condé family .