Cardinal Richelieu

Cardinal Richelieu (1589-1642), also known as thewere executed and their fortresses demolished.
Duke of Richelieu, was a great French cardinal andIn the end, Richelieu had achieved absolute power
statesman under whose leadership Francefor the French monarchy. This policy was called
achieved a position of dominating power in Europe.absolutism.
Born into a noble family, Richelieu became aTo achieve the second aim, Richelieu constantly
cardinal in 1622. He also was a statesman andattacked the power of the Bourbon monarchy's
became successively the adviser to Madame derivals - that is, the Hapsburg monarchy that was
Medicis (the queen mother), the Secretary forbased in Madrid, Spain and Vienna, Holy Roman
War and Foreign Affairs, and then in 1624 theEmpire.
Chief Minister under King Louis XIII of France.He invaded their domains, including Catalonia,
From the time that he became Chief Minister,Rousillon, Lorraine and Turin. He made alliances
Richelieu dominated the king and was himself thewith the powers of the north - the Netherlands,
effective ruler of France.the German states and Sweden. In 1635, he
Richelieu had two aims:entered the Thirty Years' War by directly
- firstly, to ensure strict obedience within Franceattacking Spain. By these actions Richelieu
to the Bourbon monarchy (the monarchy toultimately succeeded in checking the power of the
which Louis XIII belonged); andHabsburgs while increasing France's territory,
- secondly, to increase France's power on thepower and prestige.
international stage.To pay for his extensive wars, Richelieu
To achieve his first aim, Richelieu destroyed theintroduced a wide range of taxes and attempted
political power of the Protestant Huguenots andto expand France's industries, trade and
put down the various conspiracies being hatchedcommerce.
by France's nobility against Henry XIII and againstHe also carried out a series of financial, military
himself (for example, the conspiracy launched byand legal reforms.
the Queen Mother and the House of Guise andOn the cultural front, Richelieu patronized the arts
the conspiracy set in motion by Henri Cinq-Mars).and in 1635 he set up the celebrated French
The Huguenot city of La Rochelle was besiegedAcademy which still exists today.
and that of Montaubon was destroyed. Once heRichelieu was highly intelligent, ambitious and
had conquered and disarmed the Huguenots, heiron-willed. He was a Minister whose life was
showed them mercy and allowed them freedomdevoted to the service of the French state. By
of worship.the time of his death, he had largely achieved his
The conspiracies and rebellions of the feudalaims of creating an all-powerful absolutist
nobles of France were put down savagely and nomonarchy within France and of making France the
such mercy shown to the conspirators. Themost powerful country it had ever been.
leaders of the conspiracies such as Cinq-Mars