Schomberg, Frederick Herman, 1st duke of

Schomberg, Frederick Herman, 1st duke of (schŏm`bərg), Ger. Friedrich Hermann von Schönberg, 1615–90, German soldier of fortune. After serving on the Protestant side in the Thirty Years War, he entered French service in the early 1650s during the Fronde. From 1659 to 1668 Schomberg commanded a French army helping Portugal win independence from Spain. Schomberg distinguished himself in the Third Dutch War (1672–78) and was created marshal of France and duke by King Louis XIV. After the revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1685), Schomberg, a Protestant, left France and entered the service of the elector of Brandenburg, who made him commander in chief of the army of Brandenburg in 1687. He assisted (1688) William III of Orange, who was allied with Brandenburg, in the Glorious Revolution. Created (1689) duke of Schomberg in the English peerage, he was given command of the English forces in Ireland. He was killed there in the battle of the Boyne.