Cardinal Richelieu
(Armand Jean du Plessis)
1585–1682 |
Cardinal Richelieu was extremely influential in seventeenth-century France, as he was both a powerful member of the clergy and the prime minister to Louis XIII during his reign as king. He is most well-known for his large part in the Thirty Years’ War and the establishment of L’Académie français, an organization acting as official authority on the French language. He also worked to remove Protestants and the feudal nobility from power, creating a centralized, unified state that responded only to the king. Richelieu was unpopular among the common people as well as the nobility, though, and several rebellions and political plots were attempted against him, only to be found out and put down by the crafty cardinal.
After his father passed away while fighting in the French Wars of Religion, the young Richelieu and his family were granted diocesan funds by King Henry III to console them for their loss. Clergymen, however, wished the money to be spent for ecclesiastical purposes, and in order to secure their claim to the much-needed income, Richelieu was chosen to become bishop of the area at the age of twenty-three. He was the first bishop in France to implement changes brought about by the Council of Trent, and was therefore thought of as a reformer, admired by his fellow Church leaders but despised by the lower classes. He was made a representative in the Estates-General of 1614, and he effectively became the voice of the upper-class clergy; he was a strong advocate of the Church and pressed for more power for bishops and exemption from taxes. Richelieu was initially influential in the French court but fell from power after the assassination of his patron, a great minister much loved by the Queen. After the death of the king’s favorite, however, he secured a position as Louis XIII’s chief minister. He then turned to more political matters, specifically his goals of centralizing France and destroying the Habsburg monarchy. He strived toward the first by suppressing the power of the nobility, tearing down their defenses and quickly arousing their anger. Seeking religious unity to complete the process, he warred with the Protestant Huguenots and removed their political rights and protections. He also fought the Habsburgs in Northern Italy, leaving his large network of spies to oversee tensions at home. Despite several schemes meant to lead to his downfall, he was still in power during the later half of the Thirty Years’ War, and he organized several alliances with Protestant powers to give France the upper hand in battle. Strapped for funds, he raised salt and land taxes, leading the peasants to revolt against his unfair measures and greatly increasing their dislike for the cardinal. These rebellions were easily put down, and Richelieu dealt harshly with the conspirators. He successfully ended the Habsburg monarchy during the Thirty Years’ War, and he remained in power until a year before his death.
After suffering from several long-term diseases, Richelieu passed away at the age of 57. He was embalmed and buried in the church of the Sorbonne. His mummified and well-preserved face was stolen during the French Revolution and changed hands multiple times before being returned to its owner during the reign of Napoleon.
Key events during the life of Cardinal Richelieu:
| Born in Paris | |
| Father died during the French Wars of Religion | |
| Consecrated as a bishop | |
| Chosen as Secretary of State, but was dropped from favor and removed from the court | |
| Banished to Avignon | |
| Thirty Years' War | |
| Became a cardinal | |
| Became Louis XIII's chief minister | |
| Established the Academie francais (French Academy) | |
| Died; succeeded by Cardinal Mazarin |
Other Resources
| House of Bourbon in | France: Peeps at History by John Finnemore |
| Massacre of the Huguenots in | The Story of Old France by H. A. Guerber |
| Richelieu and Louis XIII. in | The Story of Old France by H. A. Guerber |
| Cardinal Richelieu in | Famous Men of Modern Times by John H. Haaren |
| Italian Favourite in | The Story of France by Mary Macgregor |
| Richelieu and the Conspirators in | Historical Tales: French by Charles Morris |
| Story of the Huguenots in | The Awakening of Europe by M. B. Synge |
Image Links | ||
|---|---|---|
Cardinal, duc de Richelieu in France: Peeps at History |
 Richelieu on the dike at La Rochelle in The Story of Old France |
 His Gray Eminence in The Story of Old France |
 Tomb of Richelieu in The Story of Old France |
 Richelieu in Famous Men of Modern Times |
 Louis XIII and Richelieu in Famous Men of Modern Times |
 Richelieu on the dike at la Rochelle in Famous Men of Modern Times |
Cardinal Richelieu in Back Matter |
A Concert at Richelieu's Plalace in Back Matter |
| Jules Cardinal Mazarin | Minister of France during the early reign of Louis the XIV. Followed in the footsteps of Richelieu. |
| Popular Huguenot King who converted to Catholicism, but decreed religious toleration. | |
| Founded French colonies in the St. Lawrence seaway and great lake region. Father of 'New France.' | |
| Louis XIII | King of France during the Thirty Years' War. Established the Academie francais. |