Sébastien Le Prestre, Marquis of Vauban

Sébastien Le Prestre, Marquis of Vauban (May 1633 – 30 March 1707), commonly referred to as Vauban (French: [vobɑ̃]), was a French Royal Army officer and engineer who served under Louis XIV. He is generally considered the greatest military engineer of his time, and one of the most important in European military history.

His principles for fortifications remained in use for nearly 100 years after his death, while aspects of his offensive tactics were employed into the twentieth century. Viewing civilian infrastructure as closely connected to military effectiveness, Vauban upgraded many of France's major ports, as well as new projects like the Canal de la Bruche, which is still in use today. He founded the Corps royal des ingénieurs militaires, whose curriculum was based on his own principles of design, strategy and training.

His economic tract, La Dîme royale, used statistics in support of his arguments, making it a precursor of modern economics. Later destroyed by royal decree, it contained radical proposals for a more even distribution of the tax burden. His application of rational and scientific methods to problem-solving, whether engineering or social, anticipated an approach common in the Age of Enlightenment.

Perhaps the most enduring aspect of Vauban's legacy was his view of France as a geographical entity. His advocacy of giving up territory for a more coherent and defensible border was unusual for the period; the boundaries of the French state he proposed in the north and east have changed very little since.