Cardinal Richelieu

Life of Cardinal Richelieu

Richelieu was a French clergyman, noble, and statesman. He was born in 1585. His family, whereas belonging only to the lesser nobility of Poitou, was rather prominent. His dad was François Du Plessis, seigneur de Richelieu. He was a fighter and courtier who assisted as the Grand Provost of France. His mother, Susanne de La Porte, was the female child of a famous jurist. When he was only five years vintage, his dad past away fighting in the French Wars of Religion and left the family in debt. However with the help of regal allocations the family was adept to bypass economic difficulties. He was consecrated as a bishop in 1607. Richelieu shortly increased in both the Church and the state, becoming a cardinal in 1622, and King Louis XIII's head minister in 1624. He stayed in agency until his death in 1642. (Wedgewood 5)

Up until the middle of the 17th 100 years, it had become very clear that France was by not a foremost contestant in European affairs. Spain was still the mightiest state as it held a powerful position over European business and economics. However, by 1648, this power would move, and France would become a powerful homeland and state, in periods of political and economic influence. This move of power was aided by a weakening of the Spanish Empire, along with the establishment of an increasingly powerful French state. "This establishment of France would start to happened former to the religious conflicts, and would be spearheaded by a strengthening of the centralized government through the development of regal absolutism". (Burckhardt 120)

Richelieu was the most significant supplier to this action, political advisor to the king, Louis XIII, and head of the French Roman Catholic Church. The Cardinal's adept leadership, ambition and powerful will assisted France to proceed from a second rate homeland to a European powerhouse. During his reign as first minister, Richelieu would complete many jobs, and establish himself as an emblem of power and leadership in France.

Richelieu's major aims when he was Chief Minister were to consolidate regal power and to trample household factions. By him restraining the power of the nobility, he assisted to change France into a powerful centralized state. His major foreign policy target was to halt the power of the Austro-Spanish Habsburg dynasty. Although he was a Roman Catholic cardinal, he did not hesitate to make alliances with Protestant rulers in attempting to accomplish this goal. His tenure was assessed by the Thirty Years' War that engulfed Europe. It can be said that during his time in agency, Richelieu was both a tyrant and a statesman. All the actions he took were for the advantage of the state, even if they were appreciated occasionally in a rough or brutal way. (Bergin 100)

Richelieu could only accomplish his goals with the support of the king. The king had nominated him to the assembly in 1624 because of his achievement as an advisor to the Queen Mother. Then the Cardinal shortly ...