Cardinal Richelieu is the First Minister of France. City houses inside and outside. - Royal residences. – Castle and city of Richelieu. – New France

Name: Cardinal Richelieu (Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu)

Age: 57 years old

Activity: cardinal, aristocrat, statesman

Marital status: wasn't married

Cardinal Richelieu: biography

Many people know Cardinal Richelieu or the Red Cardinal from the book “The Three Musketeers”. But those who have not read this work have probably watched its film adaptation. Everyone remembers his cunning character and sharp mind. Richelieu is considered one of the statesmen whose decisions still cause debate in society. He left such a significant mark on the history of France that his figure is put on a par with.

Childhood and youth

Cardinal's full name is Armand Jean du Plessis de Richelieu. Born September 9, 1585 in Paris. His father, Francois du Plessis de Richelieu, was the highest judicial official in France, worked under Henry III, but also had the chance to serve. Mother Suzanne de La Porte came from a family of lawyers. He was his parents' fourth child. The boy had two older brothers - Alphonse and Heinrich, and two sisters - Nicole and Francoise.

Since childhood, the boy had poor health, so he preferred reading books to playing with his peers. At the age of 10 he entered the College of Navarre in Paris. Learning was easy for him; by the end of college he was fluent in Latin, spoke Italian and Spanish. At the same time, I became interested in ancient history.

When Arman was 5 years old, his father died of a fever. He was 42 years old. Francois left the family a lot of debt. Back in 1516, Henry III gave Armand's father the position of Catholic clergyman, and after his death this was the only source of finance for the family. But according to the conditions, someone from the family had to enter the clergy.

It was originally planned that the youngest of three sons, Armand, would follow in his father's footsteps and work at court. But in 1606 the middle brother renounced the bishopric and entered a monastery. Therefore, at the age of 21, Armand Jean du Plessis de Richelieu had to take this fate upon himself. But at such a young age they were not ordained to the clergy.

And this became his first intrigue. He went to Rome to the Pope for permission. At first he lied about his age, but after being ordained, he repented. Richelieu soon defended his doctorate in theology in Paris. Armand Jean du Plessis de Richelieu became the youngest court preacher. Henry IV referred to him exclusively as "my bishop". Of course, such closeness to the king haunted other people at court.

Therefore, Richelieu's court career soon ended, and he returned to his diocese. But, unfortunately, after the religious wars, the Luzon diocese was in a deplorable state - the poorest and most ruined in the area. Arman managed to correct the situation. Under his leadership they restored cathedral, the bishop's residence. Here the cardinal began to show his reforming abilities.

Policy

In fact, Cardinal Richelieu was different from his “evil” literary prototype. He was a truly talented and smart politician. He did a lot for the greatness of France. Once he visited his tomb, he said that he would give such a minister half the kingdom if he helped rule the other half. But Dumas was right when he portrayed Richelieu in the novel as a lover of espionage intrigue. The cardinal became the founder of Europe's first serious espionage network.

Richelieu meets her favorite Concino Concini. He quickly gains their trust and becomes a minister in the Queen Mother's cabinet. He is appointed Deputy of the States General. He shows himself to be an inventive defender of the interests of the clergy, capable of extinguishing conflicts between the three classes. Because of such a close and trusting relationship with the queen, Richelieu makes a lot of enemies at court.

Two years later, he, who was 16 years old at that time, conspires against his mother’s lover. It is noteworthy that Richelieu knows about the planned murder of Concini, but does not warn him. As a result, Louis sits on the throne, his mother is sent into exile to the castle of Blois, and Richelieu is sent to Luzon.

Two years later, Marie de' Medici escapes from her place of exile and makes plans to overthrow her own son from the throne. Richelieu finds out about this and becomes an intermediary between the Medici and Louis XIII. A year later, a peace treaty was signed between mother and son. Of course, the document also stipulated the return of the cardinal to the royal court.

This time Richelieu bets on the king, and soon he becomes the first Minister of France. He served in this high position for 18 years.

Many believe that the main goal of his reign was personal enrichment and an unlimited desire for power. But that's not true. The cardinal wanted to make France strong and independent and sought to strengthen royal power. And even despite the fact that Richelieu held clergy, he participated in all the military conflicts that France entered into at that moment. To strengthen the country's military position, the cardinal intensified the construction of the fleet. This also helped the development of new trade links.

Richelieu carried out a number of administrative reforms for the country. The French prime minister banned duels, reorganized the postal system, and created positions that were appointed by the king.

Another significant event in political activity The Red Cardinal became the suppression of the Huguenot uprising. The presence of such an independent organization was not to Richelieu's advantage.

And when in 1627 the English fleet captured part of the French coast, the cardinal personally took charge of the military campaign and by January 1628, French troops took the Protestant fortress of La Rochelle. Fifteen thousand people died from hunger alone, and in 1629 this religious war was put to an end.

Cardinal Richelieu contributed to the development of art, culture and literature. During his reign, the Sorbonne was revived.

Richelieu tried to avoid direct French involvement in the Thirty Years' War, but in 1635 the country entered the conflict. This war changed the balance of power in Europe. France emerged victorious. The country demonstrated its political, economic and military superiority, and also expanded its borders.

Adherents of all religions acquired equal rights in the empire, and the influence of religious factors on the life of the state sharply weakened. And although the Red Cardinal did not live to see the end of the war, France owes victory in this war primarily to him.

Personal life

The Spanish infanta became the wife of King Louis XIII. Cardinal Richelieu was appointed her confessor. The girl was a statuesque blonde with blue eyes. And the cardinal fell in love. For Anna's sake, he was ready to do a lot. And the first thing he did was set her and the king at odds. The relationship between Anne and Louis became so strained that the king soon stopped visiting her bedroom. But the confessor often went there, they spent a lot of time talking, but, as it turned out, Anna did not notice the cardinal’s feelings.

Richelieu understood that France needed an heir, so he decided to “help” Anna in this matter. This infuriated her; she understood that in this case “something would certainly happen” to Louis and the cardinal would become king. After this, their relationship deteriorated sharply. Richelieu was offended by the refusal, and Anna was offended by the offer. For many years, Richelieu haunted the queen; he intrigued and spied on her. But in the end, the cardinal managed to reconcile Anna and Louis, and she gave birth to two heirs for the king.

Anna of Austria - it was the most strong feeling cardinal. But perhaps just as much as Anne, Richelieu loved cats. And only these furry creatures were truly attached to him. Perhaps his most famous pet was the black cat Lucifer, who appeared to the cardinal during his fight against witches. But Mariam, an affectionate snow-white cat, was my favorite. By the way, he was the first in Europe to have an Angora cat; it was brought to him from Ankara, he named her Mimi-Poyon. And another favorite had the name Sumiz, which translated meant “person of easy virtue.”

Death

By the autumn of 1642, Richelieu's health had deteriorated sharply. Neither healing waters nor bloodletting helped. The man regularly lost consciousness. Doctors diagnosed purulent pleurisy. He tried his best to continue working, but his strength was leaving him. On December 2, the dying Richelieu was visited by Louis XIII himself. In a conversation with the king, the cardinal announced a successor - he became Cardinal Mazarin. He was also visited by envoys from Anne of Austria and Gaston of Orleans.

Didn't leave his side last days niece of the Duchess of Aiguillon. He admitted that he loved her more than anyone in the world, but he didn’t want to die in her arms. Therefore, he asked the girl to leave the room. Her place was taken by Father Leon, who confirmed the death of the cardinal. Richelieu died on December 5, 1642 in Paris; he was buried in a church on the territory of the Sorbonne.

On December 5, 1793, people burst into the tomb, destroyed Richelieu’s tomb in a matter of minutes, and tore the embalmed body to pieces. The boys on the street were playing with the mummified head of the cardinal, someone tore off a finger with a ring, and someone stole the death mask. In the end, these are the three things that remain from the great reformer. By order of Napoleon III, on December 15, 1866, the remains were solemnly reburied.

Memory

1844 – Novel “The Three Musketeers”, Alexandre Dumas
1866 – Novel “The Red Sphinx”, Alexandre Dumas
1881 – Painting “Cardinal Richelieu at the Siege of La Rochelle”, Henri Motte
1885 – Painting “Rest of Cardinal Richelieu”, Charles Edouard Delors
1637 – “Triple Portrait of Cardinal Richelieu”, Philippe de Champagne
1640 – Painting “Cardinal Richelieu”, Philippe de Champagne

1939 – Adventure film “Man in iron mask", James Whale
1979 – Soviet TV series “D’Artagnan and the Three Musketeers”, Georgy Yungvald-Khilkevich
2009 – Action adventure “Musketeers”,
2014 – Historical drama “Richelieu. Robe and Blood, Henri Elman

Cardinal Richelieu is the First Minister of France.

The king allowed Richelieu to join the Queen Mother in the hope that he would have a pacifying influence on her. As part of the king's compromise with Mary, on September 5, 1622, Armand Jean du Plessis, former bishop of Lucon, became Cardinal du Plessis, then 37 years old. In a congratulatory letter, Pope Gregory XV wrote to him: “Your brilliant successes are so famous that all France should celebrate your virtues... Continue to elevate the prestige of the church in this kingdom, eradicate heresy.”

But Louis continued to treat Richelieu with distrust, since he understood that his mother owed all her diplomatic victories to the cardinal. A few months later, in August, the current government collapsed, and at the insistence of the Queen Mother, Richelieu joined the Royal Council and became the king's "first minister", a post in which he was destined to serve for 18 years. When Richelieu first entered the meeting room of the French government on April 29, 1624, he looked at those present, including the chairman, the Marquis of La Vieville, in such a way that it immediately became clear to everyone who was boss here from now on. From that moment until the end of his life, Richelieu remained the de facto ruler of France. From now on, Richelieu began to serve Louis XIII, and not the whims of his eccentric mother. Of course, Marie de Medici was angry when she realized the situation had changed, but this did not happen immediately. Cardinal du Plessis knew full well that he would not be able to avoid a violent confrontation with the Queen Mother.

From the very first day in power, Richelieu became the object of constant intrigue on the part of those who tried to "catch" him. In order not to become a victim of betrayal, he preferred not to trust anyone, which caused fear and misunderstanding of those around him. In Paris, Cardinal Richelieu managed to prove his indispensability and in 1624 headed the new government. In terms of intrigue, the First Minister had no equal.

Goals and objectives of the First Minister.

IN " Political testament"(6) Richelieu describes in detail the program of government and determines the priority directions of internal and foreign policy: “Since Your Majesty has decided to give me access to the Royal Council, thereby placing great confidence in me, I promise to apply all my dexterity and skill, coupled with the powers that Your Majesty will be pleased to grant me, to destroy the Huguenots, pacify the pride of the aristocrats and exalt the name King of France to the heights at which he is supposed to be."

“He planned to strengthen the power of the king and his own, crushing the Huguenots and the noblest families of the kingdom, in order to then attack the Austrian royal house and break the power of this power, so formidable for France” (3), i.e. his goal was to weaken the position of the Habsburg dynasty in Europe and strengthening the independence of France. In addition, the cardinal was an ardent supporter of absolute monarchy.

Wanting to achieve absolute power, Richelieu embarks on the path of suppressing any resistance, limiting the privileges of individual cities and provinces and, ultimately, destroying opponents. Richelieu pursues this policy on behalf of Louis XIII. The desire for absolutism causes discontent, which resulted in scattered but violent opposition actions characteristic of the era of the Wars of Religion. Violent measures were most often used to suppress resistance, regardless of who showed discontent - aristocrats, Huguenots, members of parliament or ordinary citizens.

1585. His father was one of the closest associates of King Henry III, the chief judge of France, Francois. At nine years old, the boy was sent to Navarre College, later he studied at one of higher schools Paris. In 1606, the future Cardinal Richelieu received his first position, being appointed Bishop of Luzon. The young priest lived for several years in Poitiers, where his diocese was located. However, after the death of King Henry IV, the young man returns to Paris to join one of the political movements with which he sympathized. This happened in 1610.

Beginning of a political career

Very soon he made new acquaintances in the capital, which greatly contributed to his further rise. An important event was the meeting of the young bishop with Concino Concini, the favorite of the widowed queen. The Italian appreciated Richelieu’s flexibility of mind and education, becoming his protégé and inviting him to join the so-called “Spanish” party. Very soon Richelieu became one of the most important advisers to the regent.

In 1615 in France occurs important event: young king Louis XIII is married to the Spanish princess Richelieu and becomes the confessor of the newly-minted queen. And a year later, virtually all the international affairs of the French crown were in his hands. In 1617, the matured king decides to get rid of Concino Concini. Hired killers were sent to the latter with this task. Richelieu, through his own agents, received news of the impending event in advance. But instead of trying to prevent the murder, the young intriguer made a classic bet: he chose to change his patron to a more powerful one. However, the calculation turned out to be incorrect. Appearing in the morning at the king's court with congratulations, instead of the expected greetings, he received a cold reception and was actually expelled from the court for seven long years. At first he was removed to Blois along with Maria de Medici (the mother of the young king), and later to Luzon.

The brilliant years of the French cardinal

In 1622, Richelieu was ordained to a new ecclesiastical dignity: he is now a Catholic cardinal. And the return to the palace took place already in 1624. This was facilitated by reconciliation with his mother. At the same time, Cardinal Richelieu effectively became the king's first minister. This was due to the escalating intrigues within the state, which threatened France, and in particular the Bourbons, with the loss of their own sovereignty in the face of the Austrian and Spanish Habsburgs. The king simply needed a person experienced in these matters, who would be able to normalize the situation in the highest circles of the aristocracy. Nimes became Cardinal Richelieu. Next years became truly brilliant for the First Minister of France. The basis of his program has always been the strengthening of absolutism and royal power in the country. And he very productively created this through his actions: the rebellious feudal lords were executed, their castles were destroyed, duels were prohibited among aristocrats, the Huguenot movement was destroyed, and the Magdeburg law of cities was limited. The cardinal actively supported the Protestant princes of Germany, who opposed the sovereign of the Holy Roman people and thereby weakened his position. In the second half of the thirties, as a result of the war with Spain, Lorraine and Alsace returned to France. Cardinal Richelieu died in December 1642 in the capital.

The legacy of the French minister

He left a significant mark not only in political history Europe, but also in world art. Cardinal Richelieu appeared numerous times in feature films depicting France at that time. His photographs and portraits have become one of the most recognizable among the galaxy of the most important European figures

On August 13, 1624, Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu, became the first minister of France.

"Clone" invented by the writer

Alexandre Dumas's famous trilogy about the musketeers once and for all changed people's understanding of France in the 17th century. Among historical figures, “victims” of Dumas, Cardinal Richelieu occupies a special place. A gloomy personality, weaving intrigues, surrounded by evil henchmen, having under his command a whole unit of thugs, who are only thinking about how to annoy the musketeers. The real Richelieu differs very seriously from his literary “double”. At the same time real story his life is no less interesting than the fictional one...

Godson of two marshals

Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu, was born on September 9, 1585 in Paris. His father was François du Plessis de Richelieu, a prominent statesman who served Kings Henry III and Henry IV. If Armand's father belonged to high-born nobles, then his mother was the daughter of a lawyer, and such a marriage was not welcomed among the upper class.

François du Plessis de Richelieu's position, however, allowed him to ignore such prejudices - the king's mercy served as a good defense.

Arman was born weak and sickly, and his parents seriously feared for his life. The boy was baptized only six months after birth, but he had two marshals of France as godparents - Armand de Gonto-Biron and Jean d'Aumont.

Armand de Gonto, Baron de Biron - one of the leading commanders of the Catholic Party during the Wars of Religion in France. Marshal of France since 1577.

In 1590, Armand's father died suddenly of a fever at the age of 42. The widow received from her husband only a good name and a bunch of unpaid debts. The family, living at that time in the family estate of Richelieu in Poitou, began to have financial problems. It could have been worse, but King Henry IV paid the debts of his deceased close associate.

Sutana instead of a sword

A few years later, Armand was sent to study in Paris - he was accepted into the prestigious Navarre College, where even future kings studied. Having successfully completed it, the young man, by family decision, enters the military academy.

But suddenly everything changes dramatically. The only source of income for the Richelieu family is the position of Bishop of Luzon, which was granted by the king Henry III. After the death of a relative, Arman found himself the only man in the family who could become a bishop and ensure the preservation of financial income.

17-year-old Richelieu reacted philosophically to such a drastic change in fate and began studying theology.

Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu

On April 17, 1607, he was elevated to the rank of Bishop of Luzon. Considering the youth of the candidate, King Henry IV personally interceded for him before the Pope. All this gave rise to a lot of gossip, to which the young bishop did not pay attention.

Having received a doctorate in theology from the Sorbonne in the fall of 1607, Richelieu assumed the duties of bishop. The Luzon bishopric was one of the poorest in France, but under Richelieu everything rapidly began to change. The Luzon Cathedral was restored, the bishop's residence was restored, Richelieu himself earned the respect of his flock.

Deputy Richelieu

At the same time, the bishop wrote several works on theology, some of which were addressed to theologians, and some to ordinary parishioners. In the latter, Richelieu tried to explain to the people the essence of Christian teaching in an accessible language.

The first step in political life for the bishop was the election as a deputy from the clergy to participate in the Estates General of 1614. The Estates General was the highest class-representative body of France with the right of an advisory vote under the king.

The Estates General of 1614 were the last before the outbreak of the Great french revolution, so Richelieu was able to take part in a unique event.

The fact that the Estates General will not be convened for the next 175 years is also due to Richelieu. The bishop, having participated in the meetings, came to the conclusion that everything boils down to an empty talking shop, not related to solving the complex problems facing France.

Richelieu was a supporter of strong royal power, believing that only it would provide France with economic growth, strengthening of military power and authority in the world.

Princess Anne's confessor

The real situation was very far from what seemed correct to the bishop. King Louis XIII was practically removed from government, and power belonged to his mother Maria de Medici and her favorite Concino Concini.

The economy was in crisis public administration has fallen into disrepair. Marie de Medici was preparing an alliance with Spain, the guarantee of which was to be two weddings - the Spanish heir and the French princess Elizabeth, as well as Louis XIII and the Spanish princess Anne.

This alliance was unprofitable for France, because it made the country dependent on Spain. However, Bishop Richelieu could not influence the policy of the state at that time.

Unexpectedly for himself, Richelieu found himself among those close to Marie de Medici. The Queen Dowager took notice of the bishop's oratorical abilities during the Estates General and appointed him confessor to the princess, the future Queen Anne of Austria.

Secondly, Richelieu was already about 30 years old, and Anna was 15, and their life interests lay very far from each other.

From disgrace to favor

There were conspiracies and coups in France at that time business as usual. In 1617, the next conspiracy was headed by... Louis XIII. Deciding to free himself from his mother’s care, he carried out a coup, as a result of which Concino Concini was killed and Maria de’ Medici was sent into exile. Along with her, Richelieu was exiled, whom the young king considered “his mother’s man.”

The end of the disgrace, like its beginning, for Richelieu turned out to be connected with Marie de Medici. Louis XIII summoned the bishop to Paris. The king was confused - he was informed that his mother was preparing a new rebellion, intending to overthrow her son. Richelieu was instructed to go to Marie de Medici and achieve reconciliation.

The task seemed impossible, but Richelieu managed it. From that moment on, he became one of the most trusted men of Louis XIII.

In 1622, Richelieu was elevated to the rank of cardinal. From that moment on, he occupied a strong place at court.

Louis XIII, who achieved full power, could not improve the situation of the country. He needed a reliable, intelligent, determined person, ready to take on the entire burden of problems. The king settled on Richelieu.

First Minister bans stabbings

On August 13, 1624, Armand de Richelieu became the first minister of Louis XIII, that is, the de facto head of the government of France.

Richelieu's main concern was strengthening royal power, suppressing separatism, and subjugating the French aristocracy, which, from the cardinal's point of view, enjoyed completely excessive privileges.

Edict of 1626 prohibiting duels, with light hand Dumas is perceived as Richelieu's attempt to deprive noble people of the opportunity to defend their honor in a fair fight.

But the cardinal considered duels to be a real street stabbing, claiming hundreds of noble lives and depriving the army of its best fighters. Was it necessary to put an end to this phenomenon? Undoubtedly.

Thanks to Dumas' book, the siege of La Rochelle is perceived as religious war against the Huguenots. Many of her contemporaries perceived her the same way. However, Richelieu looked at her differently. He fought against the isolation of territories, demanding from them unconditional submission to the king. That is why, after the capitulation of La Rochelle, many Huguenots received forgiveness and were not persecuted.

The Catholic Cardinal Richelieu, significantly ahead of his time, opposed national unity to religious contradictions, declaring that the main thing is not whether a person is a Catholic or a Huguenot, the main thing is that he is French.

Trade, navy and propaganda

Richelieu, in order to eradicate separatism, achieved the approval of an edict, according to which the rebellious aristocrats and many nobles of the internal territories of France were ordered to tear down the fortifications of their castles in order to prevent the further transformation of these castles into strongholds of the opposition.

The cardinal also introduced a system of intendants - local officials sent from the center at the will of the king. Intendants, unlike local officials who bought their positions, could be dismissed by the king at any time. This made it possible to create effective system provincial administration.

Under Richelieu, the French fleet grew from 10 galleys in the Mediterranean to three full-fledged squadrons in the Atlantic and one in the Mediterranean. The Cardinal actively promoted trade, concluding 74 trade treaties with different countries. It was under Richelieu that the development of French Canada began.

Richelieu was the first in France to understand the importance of state propaganda, making the Gazette the mouthpiece of his politics. Sometimes the cardinal published his own notes in the publication.

The guards were financed by the cardinal himself

Richelieu's political line could not but arouse the anger of the French aristocracy, accustomed to freedom. By old tradition, several conspiracies and assassination attempts were organized on the cardinal's life.

After one of them, at the insistence of the king, Richelieu acquired personal guards, which over time grew to a whole regiment, which is now known to everyone as the “Cardinal’s Guards.”

It is interesting that Richelieu paid the salaries of the guardsmen from his own funds, thanks to which his soldiers always received money on time, unlike the more popular musketeers, who suffered from delays in salaries.

The cardinal's guard also took part in military operations, where they showed themselves very worthy.

During Cardinal Richelieu's tenure as First Minister, France transformed from a country that was not taken seriously by its neighbors into a state that decisively entered the Thirty Years' War and boldly challenged the Habsburg dynasties of Spain and Austria.

But all the real deeds of this true patriot of France were overshadowed by the adventures invented two centuries later by Alexandre Dumas.

Famous trilogy writer Alexandre Dumas about the musketeers once and for all changed people's understanding of France in the 17th century. The true picture of events remains in the shadow of the description given by the successful writer.

Among the historical figures who “suffered” from Dumas, Cardinal Richelieu occupies a special place. A gloomy personality, weaving intrigues, surrounded by evil henchmen, having under his command a whole unit of thugs who are only thinking about how to annoy the musketeers - the portrait painted by Dumas does not evoke much sympathy.

The real Richelieu differs very seriously from his literary “double”. At the same time, the real story of his life is no less interesting than the fictional one.

Godson of two marshals

Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu, born September 9, 1585 in Paris. His father was Francois du Plessis de Richelieu, a prominent statesman who served King Henry III And Henry IV. If Armand's father belonged to high-born nobles, then his mother was the daughter of a lawyer, and such a marriage was not welcomed among the upper class.

François du Plessis de Richelieu's position, however, allowed him to ignore such prejudices - the king's mercy served as a good defense.

Arman was born weak and sickly, and his parents seriously feared for his life. The boy was baptized only six months after birth, but he had two French marshals as his godparents - Armand de Gonto-Biron And Jean d'Aumont.

Sutana instead of a sword

But suddenly everything changes dramatically. The only source of income for the Richelieu family is the position of Bishop of Luzon, which was granted King Henry III. After the death of a relative, Arman found himself the only man in the family who could become a bishop and ensure the preservation of financial income.

17-year-old Richelieu reacted philosophically to such a drastic change in fate and began studying theology.

On April 17, 1607, he was elevated to the rank of Bishop of Luzon. Considering the youth of the candidate, he personally interceded with the Pope for him King Henry IV. All this gave rise to a lot of gossip, to which the young bishop did not pay attention.

Deputy Richelieu

The first step into political life for the bishop was his election as a deputy from the clergy to participate in the Estates General of 1614. The Estates General was the highest class-representative body of France with the right of an advisory vote under the king.

The Estates General of 1614 were the last before the start of the French Revolution, so Richelieu was able to take part in a unique event.

Richelieu was a supporter of strong royal power, believing that only it would provide France with economic growth, strengthening of military power and authority in the world.

Princess Anne's confessor

The real situation was very far from what seemed correct to the bishop. King Louis XIII was practically removed from management, and power belonged to his mother Marie de Medici and her favorite Concino Concini. The economy was in crisis, public administration had fallen into disrepair. Maria de Medici was preparing an alliance with Spain, the guarantee of which was to be two weddings - the Spanish heir and the French Princess Elizabeth, and also Louis XIII and Spanish Princess Anne.

This alliance was unprofitable for France, because it made the country dependent on Spain. However, Bishop Richelieu could not influence the policy of the state at that time.

Richelieu was not actually inflamed by any love passion for Anna, which Dumas hinted at. Firstly, the bishop had no sympathy for the Spanish woman, for she was a representative of a state that he considered hostile. Secondly, Richelieu was already about 30 years old, and Anna was 15, and their life interests lay very far from each other.

From disgrace to favor

Conspiracies and coups were commonplace in France at that time. In 1617, the next conspiracy was headed by... Louis XIII. Deciding to free himself from his mother’s care, he carried out a coup, as a result of which Concino Concini was killed and Maria de’ Medici was sent into exile. Along with her, Richelieu was exiled, whom the young king considered “his mother’s man.”

The task seemed impossible, but Richelieu managed it. From that moment on, he became one of the most trusted men of Louis XIII.

Louis XIII with Richelieu. commons.wikimedia.org

In 1622, Richelieu was elevated to the rank of cardinal. From that moment on, he occupied a strong place at court.

First Minister bans stabbings

On August 13, 1624, Armand de Richelieu became the first minister of Louis XIII, that is, the de facto head of the government of France.

The Edict of 1626, which prohibited duels, is lightly perceived by Dumas as an attempt by Richelieu to deprive noble people of the opportunity to defend their honor in a fair duel.

Thanks to Dumas' book, the siege of La Rochelle is perceived as a religious war against the Huguenots. Many of her contemporaries perceived her the same way. However, Richelieu looked at her differently. He fought against the isolation of territories, demanding from them unconditional submission to the king. That is why, after the capitulation of La Rochelle, many Huguenots received forgiveness and were not persecuted.

Richelieu on his deathbed, Philippe de Champagne. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

Trade, navy and propaganda

Under Richelieu, the French fleet grew from 10 galleys in the Mediterranean to three full-fledged squadrons in the Atlantic and one in the Mediterranean. The cardinal actively promoted the development of trade, concluding 74 trade agreements with different countries. It was under Richelieu that the development of French Canada began.

In 1635, Richelieu founded the French Academy and awarded pensions to the most outstanding and talented artists, writers, and architects. With the support of the first minister of Louis XIII, the first periodical publication “Gazettes” appeared in the country. Richelieu was the first in France to understand the importance of state propaganda, making the Gazette the mouthpiece of his politics. Sometimes the cardinal published his own notes in the publication.

The guards were financed by the cardinal himself

Richelieu's political line could not but arouse the anger of the French aristocracy, accustomed to freedom. According to old tradition, several conspiracies and assassination attempts were organized on the cardinal's life. After one of them, at the insistence of the king, Richelieu acquired personal guards, which over time grew to a whole regiment, which is now known to everyone as the “Cardinal’s Guards.” It is interesting that Richelieu paid the salaries of the guardsmen from his own funds, thanks to which his soldiers always received money on time, unlike the more popular musketeers, who suffered from delays in salaries.

The cardinal's guard also took part in military operations, where they showed themselves very worthy.

But all the real deeds of this true patriot of France were overshadowed by the adventures invented two centuries later by Alexandre Dumas.