The famous trilogy by Alexandre Dumas about the Musketeers once and for all changed the way people think about France in the 17th century. Cardinal Richelieu occupies a special place among the historical figures "affected" by Dumas. A gloomy personality, weaving intrigues, surrounded by evil henchmen, having under his command a whole unit of thugs, who only think how to annoy the musketeers. The real Richelieu differs from his literary "double" quite seriously. 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 de 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 noble nobles, then his mother was the daughter of a lawyer, and such a marriage was not welcomed among the upper class.
The position of François du Plessis de Richelieu, however, allowed him to ignore such prejudices - the king's favor served as a good defense.
Armand 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 at once - Armand de Gonto-Biron and Jean d'Aumont as godparents.
Armand de Gonto, Baron de Biron - one of the leading military leaders of the Catholic party during the years of the Religious Wars in France. Marshal of France since 1577.
In 1590, Armand's father died suddenly of a fever at the age of 42. The widow from her husband got only a good name and a bunch of unpaid debts. The family, who lived at that time in the Richelieu family estate in Poitou, began to have financial problems. It could be worse, but King Henry IV paid the debts of his deceased close associate.
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Sutana instead of a sword
A few years later, Armand was sent to study in Paris - he was admitted to the prestigious Navarre College, where even the future kings studied. Having successfully graduated from it, the young man, by decision of the family, enters the military academy.
But suddenly all cardiac
Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke de Richelieu.
On April 17, 1607, he was ordained Bishop of Luçon. Given 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.
After receiving his Ph. D. in theology at the Sorbonne in the fall of 1607, Richelieu assumed the duties of bishop. The Luçon bishopric was one of the poorest in France, but under Richelieu everything began to change rapidly. The Luzon Cathedral was restored, the bishop's residence was restored, Richelieu himself earned the respect of his flock.
MP 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 the essence of Christian teaching to the people in an accessible language.
The first step in political life for the bishop was the election of a deputy from the clergy to participate in the General States of 1614. The states-general were the highest estate-representative body of France with an advisory vote under the king.
The states-general of 1614 were the last before the start of the French Revolution, so Richelieu was able to participate in a unique event.
Richelieu is also responsible for the fact that the States General will not convene for the next 175 years. The bishop, having participated in the meetings, came to the conclusion that it all boils down to an empty talking shop, not connected with the solution of the complex problems facing France.
Richelieu was a supporter of a strong royal power, believing that only she would provide France with economic growth, strengthening of military power and authority in the world.
Confessor to Princess Anne
The actual situation was very far from what the bishop thought was correct. King Louis XIII was practically removed from control, and power belonged to his mother Maria de Medici and her favorite Concino Concini.
The economy was in crisis, and public administration fell into decay. Maria 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, the bishop of Richelieu could not influence the policy of the state at that time.
Unexpectedly for himself, Richelieu was among the confidants of Marie de Medici. The Queen Dowager drew attention to the oratory skills of the bishop during the States General and appointed him confessor to the princess, future Queen Anne of Austria.
Richelieu did not really inflame with any love passion for Anna, which Dumas hinted at. First, the bishop had no sympathy for the Spaniard, for she was a representative of a state that he considered hostile.
Secondly, Richelieu was already about 30 years old, and Anna - 15, and their vital interests lay very far from each other.
From disgrace to grace
Conspiracies and coups at that time in France were commonplace. In 1617, another conspiracy was headed by … Louis XIII. Deciding to free himself from the care of his mother, he made a coup, as a result of which Concino Concini was killed, and Maria de Medici was sent into exile. Richelieu, whom the young king considered "the mother's man", was also exiled with her.
In exile, Richelieu began writing a new book, this time on government. The work "Political Testament" has become one of the most famous works of Richelieu.
The end of the opal, as well as its beginning, for Richelieu turned out to be associated with Marie de Medici. Louis XIII summoned the bishop to Paris. The king was at a loss - 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 did it. From that moment on, he became one of the most trusted confidants of Louis XIII.
In 1622 Richelieu was elevated to the rank of cardinal. From that moment on, he takes a strong place at the court.
Louis XIII, who achieved the fullness of power, could not achieve an improvement in the country's situation. He needed a reliable, intelligent, decisive person, ready to take on the whole burden of problems. The king settled on Richelieu.
First Minister prohibits stabbing
On August 13, 1624, Armand de Richelieu became the first minister of Louis XIII, that is, the actual head of the French government.
Richelieu's main concern was the strengthening of royal power, the suppression of separatism, the subordination of the French aristocracy, which, from the point of view of the cardinal, enjoyed completely excessive privileges.
The edict of 1626, which prohibited dueling, with a light hand of Dumas is perceived as an attempt by Richelieu to deprive noble people of the opportunity to defend their honor in an honest duel.
But the cardinal considered the duels to be a real street stabbing, taking away hundreds of noble lives, depriving the army of the best fighters. Was it necessary to put an end to this phenomenon? Certainly.
Thanks to Dumas' book, the siege of La Rochelle is perceived as a religious war against the Huguenots. Many contemporaries perceived it in the same way. However, Richelieu looked at her differently. He fought with the isolation of the territories, demanding from them unconditional submission to the king. That is why, after the surrender of La Rochelle, many Huguenots received forgiveness and were not persecuted.
The Catholic Cardinal Richelieu, well ahead of his time, opposed religious contradictions with national unity, declaring that the main thing is not whether a person is 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 inner 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 behest of the king. The intendants, unlike local officials who bought their posts, could at any time be dismissed by the king. This allowed the creation of an effective provincial administration system.
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 a pension to the most outstanding and talented artists, writers and architects. With the support of the first minister, Louis XIII, the first periodical newspaper Gazette appeared in the country.
Richelieu was the first in France to understand the importance of state propaganda, making Gazeta the mouthpiece of his policy. Sometimes the cardinal published his own notes in the edition.
The guardsmen were financed by the cardinal himself
Richelieu's political line could not but arouse the anger of the French aristocracy, accustomed to liberties. According to the old tradition, several conspiracies and attempts were made to assassinate the cardinal.
After one of them, at the insistence of the king, Richelieu acquired a personal guard, which eventually grew to a whole regiment, which is now known to everyone as the "cardinal's guards".
Interestingly, Richelieu paid the salaries of the guards from his own funds, thanks to which his soldiers always received money on time, in contrast to the more popular musketeers who suffered from salary delays.
The cardinal's guard also took part in hostilities, where it showed itself very worthily.
During the tenure of Cardinal Richelieu as first minister, France turned from a country that its neighbors did not take seriously, into a state that resolutely entered the Thirty Years War and boldly challenged the Habsburg dynasties of Spain and Austria.
But all the real deeds of this real patriot of France eclipsed the adventures invented two centuries later by Alexandre Dumas.
Andrey Sidorchik