Cardinal Richelieu

Cardinal Richelieu was a powerful French church leader and government official in the early 1600s. His full name was Armand Jean du Plessis. He was born in 1585 in Paris, France. Richelieu is best known for serving as the chief minister to King Louis XIII. A chief minister is the main person who helps a king manage the government.

Richelieu first trained to be a soldier, but later joined the Catholic Church. He became a bishop, which is a church leader in charge of a large area. In 1622, he was made a cardinal. A cardinal is a high-ranking leader in the Catholic Church who advises the pope. Two years later, Richelieu became the chief minister of France.

As chief minister, Richelieu worked to strengthen the power of the king. He believed that France needed a strong central government. Central government means control from one main authority. At the time, many nobles held private armies and acted independently. Richelieu reduced their power by ordering castles destroyed and banning private armies.

Richelieu also dealt with religious conflict inside France. Many Protestants, called Huguenots, lived in French cities. Richelieu allowed them to practice their religion but reduced their political and military power. One important event was the Siege of La Rochelle from 1627 to 1628. A siege is a military action where a city is surrounded to cut off supplies. After this event, the Huguenots lost control of fortified cities.

In foreign affairs, Richelieu focused on limiting the power of the Habsburg family, who ruled large parts of Europe. Although Richelieu was a Catholic cardinal, he supported Protestant states during the Thirty Years’ War. This war lasted from 1618 to 1648 and involved many European countries. Richelieu’s actions were based on political balance rather than religion.

Cardinal Richelieu also supported culture and learning. He helped create the French Academy, an organization that worked to standardize the French language. Standardize means to make something consistent. Richelieu died in 1642. King Louis XIII died the next year. Richelieu is remembered as a leading figure in the French government during the early modern period.