Cardinal Richelieu Becomes Chief Minister of France
Cardinal Richelieu, originally named Armand Jean du Plessis, became Chief Minister of France on August 13, 1624, appointed by King Louis XIII. Born in Paris in 1585, Richelieu was initially a clergyman, having been ordained a priest and bishop by 1607. His entry into the political arena coincided with a tumultuous period in France marked by dynastic conflicts and religious wars between Catholics and Huguenots. As Chief Minister, Richelieu aimed to solidify France's independence in Europe and establish the king as an absolute ruler, leading to key actions such as the siege of La Rochelle in 1628, which dismantled Huguenot political power.
Richelieu was also instrumental in increasing royal authority over the provinces through the use of intendants, and he sought to counter the Habsburg threat by supporting Protestant forces during the Thirty Years' War. While his unpopular war alliances and heavy taxation drew criticism from many, he is credited with significant contributions to French culture and governance, including the founding of the French Academy and the promotion of exploration and trade. Richelieu passed away in 1642, leaving behind a legacy as one of France's most impactful statesmen, despite mixed sentiments about his rule during his lifetime.
Cardinal Richelieu Becomes Chief Minister of France
Cardinal Richelieu Becomes Chief Minister of France
Cardinal Richelieu, born Armand Jean du Plessis, was appointed chief minister of France on August 13, 1624, by King Louis XIII. The cardinal was a statesman, and under his leadership France became one of the greatest powers of Europe.
Richelieu was born on September 9, 1585, in Paris, France. He took the name Richelieu from his family's estate. His father was grand provost, or chief magistrate, to King Henry III, but he died when Richelieu was five years old. So that the family might retain the bishopric of Luçon near La Rochelle, young Richelieu began studying theology as a teenager and was ordained a priest and bishop in 1607. Thus, it was as a clergyman that Richelieu entered the turbulent world of French politics.
During the second half of the 16th century, France had been wracked by dynastic quarrels and by religious wars pitting the country's Catholic majority against the Huguenots, a Protestant minority who followed the teachings of John Calvin. When King Henry III (a Catholic) was assassinated on August 1, 1589, the Protestant ruler of Navarre succeeded to the throne of France as Henry IV. He fought off challengers, secured his position by converting to Catholicism, and then, in an attempt to end the violence, issued the Edict of Nantes on April 13, 1598, which granted limited freedom of religion and some local autonomy to Protestants. An uneasy peace ensued and France began to prosper. When Henry IV was himself assassinated in 1610, his son was still a child, so the boy's mother, Marie de Medicis, became regent, governing the country in his name. She pursued a pro-Spanish policy that aggravated religious tensions at home. In 1614 the Estates-General was convoked to discuss the increasingly unruly domestic situation, and Richelieu attended as one of the representatives of the clergy. A few years later, in 1616, he was appointed secretary of state. A palace coup against his patron, Marie de Medicis, forced Richelieu briefly into exile, but Marie's son, now King Louis XIII, restored her to favor and she in turn promoted Richelieu, using her influence in Rome to make him cardinal in 1622.
Louis XIII appointed Richelieu his chief minister in August 1624. The cardinal had two goals: to ensure France's independence in Europe and to make the king the absolute master of the nation. Richelieu saw the Huguenots, with their fortified towns and independent airs, as a threat to the king's position, and in 1628 he laid siege to the Huguenot city of La Rochelle. It surrendered to him a year later, and the political power of the Huguenots was broken. Richelieu also worked to subdue any noble who did not support the king and increased the king's authority over the provinces by using royal agents called intendants to oversee local governors and bring them more firmly under royal control. Abroad, he saw the massive dynastic empire of the Habsburgs as a potential threat to France's borders, and so he supported the Protestant rulers who were fighting the Habsburgs in Germany. In 1630 Marie de Medicis attempted to have her former protegé removed from power, but the king chose to support Richelieu and the queen mother was exiled.
France was gradually drawn into the Thirty Years' War and declared war on Habsburg Spain and the Habsburg Holy Roman Empire in 1635. Many Catholics felt betrayed by Richelieu's alliance with Swedish and German Protestants against the Habsburgs. Further, the war brought high taxes, making the cardinal unpopular with the common people. However, as long as Richelieu was the virtual ruler of France, it hardly mattered what the common people felt, and in fact Richelieu accomplished many positive things for his country. He founded the French Academy in 1635; encouraged French exploration and colonization in Canada, Africa, and Asia; and rebuilt the Sorbonne in Paris. Richelieu also supported the expansion of the French navy and developed trade connections in the Baltic. His health deteriorated during the last few months of his life, and he died in Paris on December 4, 1642. Nobles and tax-burdened peasants lit bonfires to celebrate his death, but today he is seen as one of France's greatest statesmen. The Thirty Years' War ended a few years later, leaving the Habsburgs severely weakened and France secure, united, and powerful.