Finck von Finckenstein came from ancient Prussian nobility or according to the Imperial Count Diploma originally from Carinthia and was the son of a Prussian chamberlain.
He went into Dutch, then French war service, but resigned from French service when Louis XIV mobilized against Germany and destroyed Heidelberg and the Heidelberg Castle in 1689. He acquired a position as a Prussian Major in 1689 through "prudence and moderation, as well as exceptional conduct". He was Lord Chamberlain for two crown princes, became in 1710 Imperial Count (Reichsgraf) of the Holy Roman Empire and Count (Graf) in Prussia after the Battle of Malplaquet in which he successfully led the Prussian forces under Prince Eugene. His military career culminated in 1733 when he was made Prussian field marshal.
