Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu(in Russian tradition Richelieu; fr. Armand-Jean du Plessis, duc de Richelieu; September 9, Paris - December 4, Paris), also known as Cardinal Richelieu or Red cardinal(French l "Éminence rouge) - cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, aristocrat and statesman of France. Cardinal Richelieu was Secretary of State from 1616 to 1617 and head of government (chief minister of the king) from 1624 until his death.
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Biography
Origin
The father's family belonged to the noble nobility of Poitou. The father, François du Plessis de Richelieu, was a prominent statesman during the reign of Henry III, and after his death served Henry IV.
Armand's mother, Suzanne de La Porte, did not belong to the aristocracy. She was the daughter of the lawyer of the Parisian Parliament, François de La Porte, a bourgeois who was granted nobility for his years of service.
Childhood
Armand was born in Paris, in the parish of Saint-Eustache, on the Rue Boulois (or Bouloir). He was the youngest son in the family. He was baptized only on May 5, 1586, six months after his birth, due to his “frail, sickly” health.
1586, fifth day of May. Armand Jean, the son of Messire François du Plessis, Seigneur de Richelieu...member of the Council of State, Provost of the Royal House and Chief Provost of France, and Dame Suzanne de La Porte, his wife, was baptized...The baby was born on September 9, 1585.
From the baptismal certificate in the registers of the parish of Saint Eustace in Paris
Arman's godfathers were two marshals of France - Arman de Gonto-Biron and Jean d'Aumont, who gave him their names. His godmother was his grandmother, Françoise de Richelieu, née Rochechouart.
In 1588, Armand's father became one of the organizers of the flight of Henry III from the rebellious Paris. The mother and children also left Paris and settled in the family estate of Richelieu's husband in Poitou. After the assassination of the king, Armand's father continued to successfully serve the new king Henry IV of Bourbon. François du Plessis-Richelieu died unexpectedly of a fever on July 19, 1590 at the age of 42, leaving behind only debts. The family began to experience significant financial difficulties. To organize a worthy funeral, Suzanne was even forced to lay down the chain of the Order of the Holy Spirit, of which her late husband was a holder. King Henry IV, in recognition of the merits of the late provost, twice allocated funds to the widow totaling 36 thousand livres.
Back in Paris
A few years later, Armand returns to Paris, where he is enrolled in the College of Navarre, where both Henry III and Henry IV studied. At college, Arman studied grammar, art and philosophy. After graduating from college, Arman, by family decision, entered the Pluvinel Military Academy. But suddenly circumstances change, since Armand Richelieu must now take the place of Bishop of Luzon, an ecclesiastical diocese granted to the Richelieu family by Henry III. Arman is forced to change his military uniform to a cassock, since this diocese is the only source of income for his family. At this time he is 17 years old. Armand, with his characteristic ebullient energy, begins to study theology.
Bishop of Luzon
Soon, Marie de Medici appointed Richelieu as confessor to Anne of Austria. A little later, in November 1616, she appointed him to the post of Minister of War. Richelieu was resolutely opposed to the government's then existing policy aimed at an unequal alliance with Spain and neglect of the national interests of France, but then the Bishop of Luzon did not dare to openly confront the government. The state's finances were also in a deplorable state, and there was a constant threat of further riots and civil war.
But soon the king orders him to follow Maria de Medici in order to reason with her (the queen mother wanted to rebel against her own son). Richelieu copes brilliantly with this mission. Peace has been restored in the kingdom. The bishop's disgrace has been lifted.
Cardinal of France in the service of the state
Inside the country, Richelieu successfully uncovers a conspiracy against the king, aimed at eliminating the monarch and enthroning his younger brother Gaston d'Orléans. Many noble nobles and the queen herself participate in the conspiracy. The assassination of the cardinal was also planned. It was after this incident that the cardinal acquired a personal guard, which would later become the cardinal’s regiment of guards.
War with England and the siege of La Rochelle
In 1632, Richelieu uncovered another conspiracy against the king, in which Gaston d'Orléans and the Duke of Montmorency participated.
On December 29, 1629, the cardinal, having received the title of His Majesty's lieutenant general, went to command an army in Italy, where he confirmed his military talents and met Giulio Mazarin. The latter became Richelieu's closest ally, which helped him later become the first minister of France.
Richelieu based his policy on the implementation of the program of Henry IV: strengthening the state, its centralization, ensuring the primacy of secular power over the church and the center over the provinces, eliminating the aristocratic opposition, and countering Spanish-Austrian hegemony in Europe. Main result government activities Richelieu is to establish absolutism in France. Cold, calculating, often very stern to the point of cruelty, subordinating feelings to reason, Cardinal Richelieu firmly held the reins of government in his hands and, with remarkable vigilance and foresight, noticing the impending danger, warned it at its very appearance.
Facts and memory
Works of Richelieu
- Le testament politique ou les maximes d'etat.
- Memoires (ed.).
RICHELIEU(in full Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu; Du Plessis, Richelieu) (September 5, 1585, Paris - December 4, 1642, ibid.), French statesman, cardinal since 1622, first minister, head of the royal council since 1624, Duke peer from 1631. In order to strengthen absolutism, Richelieu destroyed the political organization of the Huguenots; carried out administrative, financial, military reforms; suppressed feudal revolts and popular uprisings. In foreign policy, he considered the main thing to be the fight against the Habsburgs. Richelieu involved France in the Thirty Years' War of 1618-1648, contributed to the reorganization of the French army and the creation of a navy. He pursued a policy of mercantilism and promoted the activities of French trading companies. Under Richelieu, the French Academy was founded, and a number of lyceums were founded.
The youngest son of the chief provost of France, François du Plessis, and Suzanne de la Porte, the daughter of a lawyer in the Parisian Parliament, Armand was educated at the College of Navarre in Paris and prepared for the military field, inheriting the title of Marquis du Chilloux. The middle brother's refusal to pursue a church career allowed the young marquis to take the name of Richelieu and the rank of Bishop of Luzon in 1608. Elected as a deputy from the clergy to the States General (1614), he attracted the attention of the regent Maria de Medici, became her adviser and confessor to Anna of Austria, the wife of the young king Louis XIII of Bourbon. Later, the Bishop of Luzon became Secretary of State for Foreign and Military Affairs, but soon fell into disgrace and was exiled to Avignon. Having successfully contributed to the reconciliation of Louis XIII with his mother, Richelieu managed to continue his career at court. In 1622 he received the rank of cardinal, and in 1624 he joined the royal council, became first minister and remained the de facto ruler of France until the end of his life.
Richelieu later formulated the basic principles of his state activities in his “Political Testament”. The priority of domestic policy for him was the fight against the Protestant opposition and the strengthening of royal power, the main foreign policy task was to increase the prestige of France and the fight against Habsburg hegemony in Europe.
The numerical superiority of Protestants in a number of provinces, their military power and separatist aspirations threatened the integrity of France and undermined the prestige of the monarchy. In fact, the Huguenots created a state within a state. Richelieu sought to crush the “Huguenot party” at all costs, even at the cost of civil war. Under the onslaught of royal troops in 1628, La Rochelle, the main stronghold of Protestants on the Atlantic coast of France, fell, cut off from the help of the British. A year later, the Huguenot forces in Languedoc were defeated and the southern fortresses were occupied. In 1629, Louis XIII signed the Edict of Grace, revising the Edict of Nantes: the Huguenots were deprived of political and military privileges. But the freedom of worship and judicial guarantees granted to him put an end to the religious wars in France and did not give rise to disagreements with Protestant allies outside the country.
Overcoming the opposition of the pro-Spanish “party of saints,” Richelieu persistently pursued an anti-Habsburg policy. Counting on an alliance with England, he arranged the marriage of Charles I Stuart with Princess Henrietta of France. Richelieu sought to strengthen French influence in Northern Italy (by undertaking an expedition to Valtellina) and in Germany (by supporting the league of Protestant princes). Having defeated the Huguenots inside France, Cardinal Richelieu did not hesitate to enter into an alliance with Protestant countries - Holland, Denmark, Sweden. Richelieu persistently waged a hidden war against the Habsburgs, but for a long time kept France from direct participation in the Thirty Years' War. However, in 1630, French troops occupied Savoy, and in 1634 Lorraine. In 1635, France entered into hostilities in Alsace and Italy. At first, the French army was plagued by failures; Spanish troops even threatened Paris. But gradually the situation changed in favor of France, although Richelieu did not live several months before the decisive victory at Rocroi (1643). France's victories were facilitated by the creation of a navy and the reorganization of the army under Richelieu.
In an effort to strengthen the sovereignty of royal power in the field of internal and foreign policy and finance, Richelieu initiated the codification of French laws (the Michaud Code, 1629), and carried out a number of administrative reforms (the establishment of intendant positions in the provinces, appointed by the king). In 1632, Richelieu suppressed a feudal rebellion in Languedoc and executed the governor, the Duke of Montmorency. By order of the first minister, the noble castles (except for the border ones) were razed. He strengthened control over provincial governors and greatly limited the rights of provincial states, parliaments, and chambers of accounts, transferring control to provincial intendants. One of the measures to combat the privileges of the nobility was the prohibition of duels.
In the field of economics, Richelieu pursued a policy of mercantilism, expanded the French colonization of Canada, and intensified the activities of French trading companies in the Antilles, Saint-Domingue, Senegal, and Madagascar. During his reign, the postal service was reorganized. To strengthen absolutism and solve ambitious foreign policy tasks, Richelieu increased tax oppression and brutally suppressed the popular movements it caused (numerous city uprisings of the 1620-1640s, the crocan uprisings of 1624, 1636-1637, the barefoot uprising of 1639).
Richelieu promoted the development of culture, trying to put it at the service of French absolutism. With his support, the French Academy was founded, and an official propaganda organ was created - Theophrastus Renaudo's Gazette. On the initiative of the cardinal, the reconstruction of the Sorbonne took place (in his will, Richelieu left it his richest library). A palace grew up in the center of Paris - the Palais Cardinal (later it was donated to Louis XIII and has since been called the Palais Royal). Richelieu patronized artists and writers, in particular Corneille, and encouraged talent, contributing to the flourishing of French classicism.
D'Artagnan stood and looked at this man. At first it seemed to him that in front of him was a judge studying a certain case, but he soon noticed that the man sitting at the table was writing, or rather, correcting lines of unequal length, counting the syllables on his fingers. He realized that this was a poet. A minute later, the poet closed his manuscript, on the cover of which was written “Miram, a tragedy in five acts,” and raised his head. D’Artagnan recognized the cardinal.”
This is how Dumas described the first minister of France in the novel “The Three Musketeers”. Yes, Cardinal Richelieu considered himself not only a statesman, but also a creative person. At least he said that writing poetry gave him the greatest pleasure. However, we do not know Richelieu from his poetic works. He is, first of all, the first minister, the founder of the French Academy, the creator of a unified state and the creator of absolutism.
Armand-Jean du Plessis, Duke de Richelieu (1585-1642), is an all-powerful cardinal who held French politics in his hands for 18 years. His activities were assessed differently by his contemporaries and descendants. Richelieu determined the direction of development of the state for 150 years. The system he created collapsed only during the French Revolution. Ungrateful revolutionary France in 1793 with hatred threw the remains of the minister of Louis XIII at the feet of a raging crowd, not without reason seeing him as one of the pillars of the old regime.
Richelieu's ascent to political Olympus was difficult and painful. How many skillful and intricate intrigues the resourceful mind of the cardinal had to weave, how many dangers and failures this amazingly talented man was destined to endure before he became what we know him!
Cruel and cunning, he knew how to be charming and generous with his few friends. Richelieu loved solitude, believing that this was the lot of all great people. The cardinal was ungrateful towards those who helped him make a political career, but he knew how to generously reward his followers, and no one could accuse him of stinginess. Being physically weak and sickly, he spent half his life in the saddle and on military campaigns, showing miracles of endurance. Pious, Richelieu was never a fanatic. Thanks to him, in France, unlike other Catholic countries, the Inquisition did not commit atrocities and the fires of “witch trials” did not burn. With an amazingly subtle ability to feel people, the cardinal, in the age of personal influence, perfectly used the vanity and weaknesses of the powerful for his own purposes. Having devoted his entire life to strengthening France, Richelieu turned out to be perhaps one of the most unpopular politicians in the entire history of the country. And yet, today we can say that the minister is one of the most striking, significant and tragic figures in history.
At first, Richelieu prepared himself for a military career. But family circumstances forced him to change his sword and put on a priest’s cassock. He received a department in Luzon. The inquisitive and arrogant young Bishop of Luson, appearing at the court of Henry IV, immediately began to cherish dreams of a government career. 23-year-old Richelieu managed to attract the attention of the king, who was so fascinated by his intelligence, erudition and eloquence that he called him only “my bishop.”
However, the insightful young man quickly realized that with his talents he was only making enemies for himself. Then Richelieu decided to leave the capital and bide his time.
In Luzon, not content with only episcopal duties, he so diligently expanded his already extensive knowledge that he began to suffer from terrible headaches, which tormented him throughout his life.
From the provinces, Richelieu closely followed the events in the capital. He surprisingly accurately, drawing information only from letters, formed an idea of the alignment of political forces. Despite a number of failures that befell him when trying to advance, the bishop did not give up hopes of a political career, while relying on Henry IV. However, the unexpected happened: on May 14, 1610, the king was killed by the fanatic Ravaillac.
The new King Louis XIII was only nine years old, and power was in the hands of the mediocre and arrogant Queen Marie de Medici and her favorite, the empty and worthless Concino Concini. For seven long years France had to endure this stupid and pretentious couple, who managed to destroy everything that Henry IV had created with such difficulty.
The Bishop of Luson, after taking a closer look, decided to leave his voluntary exile and try his luck in Paris. By hook or by crook, rude flattery and smart advice, in six years he managed to win Concini’s trust and almost subjugated the queen to himself. In 1616, having ousted numerous hangers-on of the favorite, Richelieu became Secretary of State.
The government of Marie de Medici reoriented the political course of France, turning the country to face Spain, with which Henry IV was going to fight. The “Spanish party,” which Richelieu initially joined, managed to alienate all its old allies from France. The power of Spain grew, threatening to engulf and subjugate all of Europe to its influence. Needless to say, such an orientation brought neither benefit nor prestige to France. Solidarity with the “Spanish party” was Richelieu’s first mistake, which, however, stemmed from the general policy of the government. His second miscalculation, which almost became fatal for the ambitious Bishop of Luzon, was his inattention to the young Louis XIII, who sincerely hated the Secretary of State.
The young monarch, weak-willed and melancholy, was burdened by Concini’s insolence and his mother’s lust for power. Deciding to rule on his own, he decided to eliminate the hated favorite. On his orders, Concini, who had already become Marshal d'Ancrom, was killed. At the same time, the reign of the cabinet of Maria Medici ended.
The Bishop of Luzon, who served as Secretary of State for only five months, is forced to resign. But he's not going to give up. Seven years later he will return to power and will determine French policy. He will have to endure years of disfavor, fear, intrigue, humiliation, and tireless work before he is able to subjugate the king to his influence. To achieve this goal, Richelieu will shamelessly use his patroness Marie de Medici, who cannot take a step without him.
In France, meanwhile, the fires of uprising are burning. The rise of new favorites who only want to take and cannot give anything caused violent indignation among the aristocracy. The provinces, incited by the princes of Condé, Soissons and Bouillon, rebel against the king. The Queen Mother joins this friendly chorus of opponents of the young monarch, and Louis XIII, unable to resist the pressure, is forced to make concessions. Marie de' Medici is seeking to return to Paris, from where she was expelled. Richelieu dreams of the same thing, striving to continue his political career. Only in 1622 did the Queen Mother agree to finally reconcile with her son, but with one condition - the Bishop of Luzon, who meant so much to her, must become a cardinal.
In Paris, Cardinal Richelieu managed to prove to Louis XIII his indispensability and in 1624 he headed the new government. In terms of intrigue, the First Minister had no equal. The story of how he achieved supreme power in the state is a real adventure novel, before which all the works of Dumas pale. Richelieu's unparalleled ability to maneuver at court helped him maintain power over the next 18 years. It is difficult to list the conspiracies that were organized against the first minister by all those dissatisfied with his policies. At times his life hung by a thread. Richelieu could and did find the only support in the weak-willed and apathetic king, who had enough common sense appreciate your minister and understand the correctness of his actions.
Numerous attempts on Richelieu's life made it necessary to organize his personal security. This is how the cardinal's musketeers appeared, whom Dumas mistakenly called guards. Unlike the king's musketeers, who wore blue cloaks, Richelieu's guards shone in red - the color of the cardinal's robe.
Having taken the post of minister, Richelieu tried to carry out a number of significant reforms designed to strengthen royal power. One of the main tasks was to establish peace in the long-suffering country. To begin with, it was necessary to calm down the rampant “fronde of princes”, seeking to wrest privileges and money from the king. Richelieu advised the king to stop making concessions and took a tough course to curb the rebellious aristocrats. He almost managed to put a rein on the restless relatives of the monarch, subduing their exorbitant pride. The cardinal did not hesitate to shed the blood of the rebels, regardless of their position. The execution of one of the country's leading figures, the Duke of Montmorency, made the aristocracy shudder with horror.
Second in line was the task of pacifying the Huguenots, who had enjoyed greater rights since the time of Henry IV. The Huguenots created real small states on the territory of France, ready to break control at any moment. The center of Huguenot resistance was the fortified and independent fortress of La Rochelle.
Richelieu believed that the time had come to put an end to the Huguenot freemen. The right opportunity was not long in presenting itself. In 1627, relations with England worsened, concerned about the construction of the fleet begun by Richelieu. The politicians of Foggy Albion decided to cause trouble in their neighbor's possessions by starting a rebellion in La Rochelle. The French army dealt with the English landing quite easily, but the siege of the rebellious fortress dragged on for two whole years. Finally, in 1628, broken by hunger and having lost all hope of help, the defenders of the fortress laid down their arms. On the advice of Richelieu, the king granted forgiveness to the survivors and confirmed freedom of religion, depriving the Huguenots only of privileges. Protestant Languedoc lost its liberties in 1629. No religious persecution followed. Cardinal Richelieu was too political to try to impose religious homogeneity on the country - the chimera that Rome stood for. However, thanks to such tactics, the cardinal made enemies among the church ministers.
When it came to the interests of the state, issues of religion seemed to fade into the background for him. The cardinal said: “Both Huguenots and Catholics were equally French in my eyes.” Thus, the minister again introduced the word “French”, long forgotten due to strife, into use, and the religious wars that had torn the country apart for more than 70 years ended.
With Richelieu coming to power, serious changes took place in foreign policy. The long path to a high position was not in vain. The Cardinal appreciated and understood his mistakes. He gradually began to gently lead the country away from Spain and returned it to the traditional course of the policies of Henry IV. Restoring ties with old allies, Richelieu methodically inspired Louis XIII with the idea of the need to repel the excessive claims of Spain and Austria.
The Habsburg dynasty, which ruled both empires, slowly swallowed Europe, displacing France from Italy and almost subjugating Germany. The Protestant princes, unable to resist the powerful pressure of Austria, gave up one position after another. If it were not for Richelieu’s intervention, it is unknown how this unequal struggle would have ended. The Catholic cardinal, without any embarrassment, began to subsidize the Protestant sovereigns and enter into alliances with them. The diplomacy of Richelieu, and most importantly, the French pistoles, managed to breathe life and strength into the German principalities ready to capitulate, presenting an unpleasant surprise to the Habsburgs, who were confident of their victory. Thanks to the diplomatic and then military intervention of France, the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) was continued and ended with the complete collapse of the imperial plans of Austria and Spain. Before his death in 1642, Richelieu could proudly say to Louis XIII: “Now the song of Spain is finished.” And these were not empty words.
During the war, the cardinal’s idea of introducing France into “natural borders” was realized: the long-awaited unification of all historical territories took place - Lorraine, Alsace and Roussillon, which after so many years of struggle became part of the French kingdom.
The “Spanish Party” did not forgive Richelieu for changing the country’s political course. The most influential people of the kingdom - Maria de Medici, Anne of Austria, Gaston of Orleans - persistently carried out intrigues and concocted conspiracies against the "Mr. Chief Minister of State."
Marie de Medici, with the tenacity of an abandoned woman, pursued Richelieu, undermining the already weak health of the cardinal with her hatred. She could not forgive him for his exceptional influence on Louis XIII, nor for his betrayal of her policies, and most importantly, for his relegation to the background. In the end, after a number of unsuccessful attempts to destroy her former favorite, she fled the country, never to return.
The king's brother Gaston of Orleans, in his desire to take the throne, did not even disdain an alliance with the enemies of France. A stupid, unscrupulous, greedy, frivolous traitor, he saw Richelieu as his main enemy. The cardinal who despised him believed that the prince had no moral right to be the heir to the French throne.
Richelieu's relationship with Anne of Austria was more complex. She was too Spanish to be a good Queen of France. Absolutely not understanding the cardinal’s policy aimed at raising the country, she actively supported her brother, King Philip IV of Spain, hoping with his help to overthrow the hated minister even at the cost of France’s defeat in the war. However, for these people, personal interests have always been higher than state interests.
Richelieu was obsessed with the idea of the good of the state. He quite reasonably perceived all attempts on his life as an attempt to destroy the national policy of France. In that age, too much depended on the individual. A change of minister meant a change of orientation. Think about how unpatriotic d'Artagnan's actions look against the backdrop of Richelieu's titanic efforts to secure France. Did d'Artagnan alone put serving a beautiful woman above the interests of his own country?
The French nobility, for whose benefit the cardinal worked tirelessly, hated the first minister. Like a sick child who does not like the one who forces him to drink bitter medicine, the nobility became in opposition to Richelieu, who was healing his flaws and vices. The concept of “homeland,” introduced by the first minister into political use, was absolutely alien to the first estate.
The law banning duels also caused general hatred of Richelieu. The nobles wanted to see in the king only the first among equals. The Cardinal sought to instill in them the idea of the sacredness of royal power. According to Richelieu, the blood of subjects can only be shed in the name of the homeland, personified by the sacred person of the king. If the nobles sacrifice their lives in defense of their honor, then they thereby put themselves on the same level as the monarch - unacceptable liberty! Among other things, a huge number of the best representatives of noble families ended their lives in a duel, without any benefit to the state. In the name of the interests of the nobility itself, Richelieu sought to attract them to public service, thus demonstrating the value of the first estate for the country. All this, however, caused furious resistance and ridicule, without meeting understanding.
The third estate felt no less hatred for Richelieu. Busy with the creation of a unified national-political state, the cardinal resolutely suppressed any separatism. Namely, the parliaments of large cities, who did not want to see national interests behind their local problems, were inclined towards it. The curtailment of the rights of parliaments was the reason for the enormous unpopularity of the First Minister. Richelieu's policy towards parliaments led to the deliberate destruction of the official opposition of the third estate. The followers of the great cardinal will follow the same course. The lack of an outlet for political activity in the system of absolutism will result in an explosion of popular indignation 150 years later - during the French Revolution.
The common people also had reasons to be dissatisfied with the first minister. The ruinous wars, the Thirty Years' War and the Spanish War (1635-1659), into which France found itself drawn through the efforts of the cardinal, brought not only foreign policy benefits, but also terrible ruin. At times military operations were carried out on French territory. Alsace and Lorraine were annexed after three campaigns by the army of Louis XIII, an invasion of imperial troops that, like locusts, left no stone unturned. The war required a gigantic effort. The peasants and bourgeoisie did not know and did not want to know about the great plans of the cardinal and about the coming “golden age” promised to Louis XIII by his minister. During the 18 years of the cardinal's reign, the country was rocked by popular uprisings, causing Richelieu a lot of trouble.
Seeing the only goal in front of him - the good of the country, Richelieu stubbornly walked towards it, overcoming the fierce resistance of his opponents and despite almost universal misunderstanding. The cardinal can rightfully be considered one of the founding fathers of the French nation and the creators of modern Europe. It is rare that any statesman can boast of the implementation of all his plans. “I promised the king to use all my abilities and all the means that he would like to place at my disposal to destroy the Huguenots as a political party, weaken the illegal power of the aristocracy, establish obedience to royal authority throughout France and exalt France among foreign powers.” - this is how Richelieu defined the tasks of his government. And they were fulfilled. Despite the hatred that surrounded him and accusations of seeking personal gain, Richelieu devoted all his strength to serving France. Before his death, when asked to forgive his enemies, he replied: “I had no other enemies except the enemies of the state.” The Cardinal had the right to such an answer.
RICHELIEU(in full Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu; Du Plessis, Richelieu) (September 5, 1585, Paris - December 4, 1642, ibid.), French statesman, cardinal since 1622, first minister, head of the royal council since 1624, duke-peer since 1631. In order to strengthen absolutism, Richelieu destroyed the political organization of the Huguenots; carried out administrative, financial, military reforms; suppressed feudal revolts and popular uprisings. In foreign policy, he considered the main thing to be the fight against the Habsburgs. Richelieu involved France in the Thirty Years' War of 1618-1648, contributed to the reorganization of the French army and the creation of a navy. He pursued a policy of mercantilism and promoted the activities of French trading companies. Under Richelieu, the French Academy was founded, and a number of lyceums were founded.
The youngest son of the chief provost of France, François du Plessis, and Suzanne de la Porte, the daughter of a lawyer in the Parisian Parliament, Armand was educated at the College of Navarre in Paris and prepared for the military field, inheriting the title of Marquis du Chilloux. The middle brother's refusal to pursue a church career allowed the young marquis to take the name of Richelieu and the rank of Bishop of Luzon in 1608. Elected as a deputy from the clergy to the States General (1614), he attracted the attention of the regent Maria de Medici, became her adviser and confessor to Anna of Austria, the wife of the young king Louis XIII of Bourbon. Later, the Bishop of Luzon became Secretary of State for Foreign and Military Affairs, but soon fell into disgrace and was exiled to Avignon. Having successfully contributed to the reconciliation of Louis XIII with his mother, Richelieu managed to continue his career at court. In 1622 he received the rank of cardinal, and in 1624 he joined the royal council, became first minister and remained the de facto ruler of France until the end of his life.
Richelieu later formulated the basic principles of his state activities in his “Political Testament”. The priority of domestic policy for him was the fight against the Protestant opposition and the strengthening of royal power, the main foreign policy task was to increase the prestige of France and the fight against Habsburg hegemony in Europe.
The numerical superiority of Protestants in a number of provinces, their military power and separatist aspirations threatened the integrity of France and undermined the prestige of the monarchy. In fact, the Huguenots created a state within a state. Richelieu sought to crush the “Huguenot party” at all costs, even at the cost of civil war. Under the onslaught of royal troops in 1628, La Rochelle, the main stronghold of Protestants on the Atlantic coast of France, fell, cut off from the help of the British. A year later, the Huguenot forces in Languedoc were defeated and the southern fortresses were occupied. In 1629, Louis XIII signed the Edict of Grace, revising the Edict of Nantes: the Huguenots were deprived of political and military privileges. But the freedom of worship and judicial guarantees granted to him put an end to the religious wars in France and did not give rise to disagreements with Protestant allies outside the country.
Overcoming the opposition of the pro-Spanish “party of saints,” Richelieu persistently pursued an anti-Habsburg policy. Counting on an alliance with England, he arranged the marriage of Charles I Stuart with Princess Henrietta of France. Richelieu sought to strengthen French influence in Northern Italy (by undertaking an expedition to Valtellina) and in Germany (by supporting the league of Protestant princes). Having defeated the Huguenots inside France, Cardinal Richelieu did not hesitate to enter into an alliance with Protestant countries - Holland, Denmark, Sweden. Richelieu persistently waged a hidden war against the Habsburgs, but for a long time kept France from direct participation in the Thirty Years' War. However, in 1630, French troops occupied Savoy, and in 1634 Lorraine. In 1635, France entered into hostilities in Alsace and Italy. At first, the French army was plagued by failures; Spanish troops even threatened Paris. But gradually the situation changed in favor of France, although Richelieu did not live several months before the decisive victory at Rocroi (1643). France's victories were facilitated by the creation of a navy and the reorganization of the army under Richelieu.
In an effort to strengthen the sovereignty of royal power in the field of domestic and foreign policy and finance, Richelieu initiated the codification of French laws (the Michaud Code, 1629) and carried out a number of administrative reforms (the establishment of intendant positions in the provinces, appointed by the king). In 1632, Richelieu suppressed a feudal rebellion in Languedoc and executed the governor, the Duke of Montmorency. By order of the first minister, the noble castles (except for the border ones) were razed. He strengthened control over provincial governors and greatly limited the rights of provincial states, parliaments, and chambers of accounts, transferring control to provincial intendants. One of the measures to combat the privileges of the nobility was the prohibition of duels.
In the field of economics, Richelieu pursued a policy of mercantilism, expanded the French colonization of Canada, and intensified the activities of French trading companies in the Antilles, Saint-Domingue, Senegal, and Madagascar. During his reign, the postal service was reorganized. To strengthen absolutism and solve ambitious foreign policy tasks, Richelieu increased tax oppression and brutally suppressed the popular movements it caused (numerous city uprisings of the 1620-1640s, the crocan uprisings of 1624, 1636-1637, the barefoot uprising of 1639).
Richelieu promoted the development of culture, trying to put it at the service of French absolutism. With his support, the French Academy was founded, and an official propaganda organ was created - Theophrastus Renaudo's Gazette. On the initiative of the cardinal, the reconstruction of the Sorbonne took place (in his will, Richelieu left it his richest library). A palace grew up in the center of Paris - the Palais Cardinal (later it was donated to Louis XIII and has since been called the Palais Royal). Richelieu patronized artists and writers, in particular Corneille, and encouraged talent, contributing to the flourishing of French classicism.
Graduated from Navarre College. He was consecrated Bishop of Luzon on April 17, 1607. He defended his dissertation at the Sorbonne for the degree of Doctor of Theology on October 29, 1607. On December 21, 1608, he took over the Luzon episcopate. Member of the Estates General in 1614 from the clergy. He advocated strengthening royal power. He was noticed at court and in 1615, after the marriage of Louis XIII to Anne of Austria, he was appointed confessor to the young queen.
After successful negotiations with the rebellious prince, Condé entered the narrow circle of personal advisers to Queen Regent Marie de' Medici. In November 1616 he was appointed to the post of Secretary of State. May 19, 1617. Richelieu becomes head of the Queen Mother's council. On April 7, 1618, due to the intrigues of the Duke of Luynes, he was exiled to Avignon, but after the fall of the temporary worker he returned to court.
Head of the French government under Louis XIII (from 1624 until the end of his life). On December 29, 1629, the cardinal, having received the title of Lieutenant General of His Majesty, went to command an army in Italy, where he confirmed his military talents and met Giulio Mazarin. On December 5, 1642, King Louis XIII appointed Giulio Mazarin as chief minister
Armand Jean Du Plessis Richelieu
Constantly managing - and even so brilliantly - the affairs of the state, the first minister was always greedy for beautiful women. “Once,” the chronicler reported, “he wanted to seduce Princess Maria de Gonzaga, who had now become the Queen of Poland. She asked for an audience with him. He was lying in bed; She was brought in alone, and the head of the guard quickly escorted everyone out of the room. “Monsieur,” she told him, “I came to...” He immediately interrupted her: “Madam, I promise you everything you want; I don’t even want to know what you’re asking for; I just see the way you are.” "Yes. Madam, you have never been so good. As for me, I have always dreamed of serving you." Saying this, he takes her hand; she releases her and wants to talk about her business. He wants to take her hand again, and then she gets up and leaves.”
Some time later, he fell in love with Madame de Brissac, the wife of his cousin Marshal de la Meyerie, the owner of an arms manufacturing company. “His wife was pretty and sang very well,” the chronicler wrote. - Cardinal Richelieu became interested in her; Now he always had some business with the gunsmith. The owner of the arsenal began to be overcome by heavy forebodings. The marshal's wife, who, if she wanted, could tease and anger the cardinal with complete impunity, noticed her husband's condition. And so, one fine day, showing a determination rare for her age, she came to her husband and said that the air of Paris had a bad effect on her and that it would be good, if he, of course, did not object, to go to her mother in Brittany. “Ah, madam,” the marshal answered her, “you are bringing me back to life! I will never forget the mercy you showed me.” The Cardinal, fortunately, thought no more about her. And not surprisingly, he had even stranger fires ahead. Here it is, the other side of the coin.”
One day, Louis XIII found out that his favorite, the favorite of Saint-Mars, had a mistress. This woman was the most famous courtesan of that time: her name was Marion Delorme. The king almost fell ill.
Richelieu, who was immediately informed about this, was stunned. Saint-Mars's relationship with a woman could have very unpleasant political consequences. For five months, the king made serious efforts to conquer the province of Artois (which was at that time a Spanish possession) and personally directed military operations. He had already captured Ezden, Maizières, Yvois, and Saint-Quentin. But Arras, the provincial capital, still resisted, and fierce fighting continued. Richelieu, who knew the king’s vulnerability and jealous temperament, immediately realized that there was a serious danger of suffering military defeat unless Saint-Mars broke up with his courtesan. Therefore, the cardinal invited Marion Delorme to his place, and since he did not know any other way to end her relationship with his favorite, for the good of the state he himself became her lover.
This is how, according to Talman de Reo, a contemporary of Richelieu, the two first meetings of the cardinal and the most beautiful woman of the 17th century proceeded: “Cardinal de Richelieu paid women no more than artists for their canvases. Marion Delorme came to see him twice. On her first visit, she came to him in a dress of gray satin embroidered with gold and silver, elegant shoes and feather jewelry. She said that this wedge beard and the hair covering the ears made the most pleasant impression. I was told that once she came to him in a man’s dress: everyone was told that she was a courier. She talked about this herself. After two visits, he sent her a hundred pistoles with his valet de Bournay, who acted as a pimp.”
“I treated this thing,” she said, “as a trophy, because it used to belong to Madame de Combalet, my rival, whose victory I was proud of, and this ring was like a booty, while she continues to lie on the field battles."
Despite the cardinal’s stinginess, Marion, flattered that she was chosen by this powerful and dangerous man, agreed not to meet with Saint-Mars again, after which the king again made peace with his young friend.
The king was saved and the conquest of Artois continued. Satisfied Richelieu, wanting to reward himself for this, decided to remain Marion Delorme's lover for some time. But, alas, the beauty turned out to be talkative; She hastened to boast of her new relationship, and evil tongues immediately nicknamed her “Madame Cardinal.”
Sometimes Marion's friends from the Marais and from the Place Royale would say to her: “How can you sleep with a prelate?”
She smiled: “But without a red cap and purple vestments, any cardinal is nothing special.” Then she added that such a love affair would, without a doubt, provide her with complete absolution.
Soon all of Paris was aware of this amazing love idyll, and the somewhat puzzled poet Conrard wrote to Monsieur de l'Esseaux:
“Monsieur, is it true what they tried to convince me of, namely, that our Great Pan is in love with Marion Delorme, he is the eyes and ears of his prince, vigilantly concerned about the good of the state and holding the fate of all Europe in his hands?
Tell me, monsieur, whether I should believe such significant and such pleasant news. I can no longer trust anyone but you."
Conrard was not mistaken, and we will see that he could without hesitation call Richelieu the Great Pan, so accurately did this nickname suit the first minister...
The Cardinal was indeed a great admirer of women, and his cardinal's robes did not in the least prevent him from chasing skirts.
In one of his works, Mathieu de Morgues spoke quite frankly about beauties, “not only not dissolute, but, on the contrary, among the most virtuous, who complained about the encroachments and violence that Richelieu tried to inflict on their honor...”
But Richelieu's love affairs did not always end so unsuccessfully. Guy Patin, in a letter sent in November 1649, wrote: “Two years before his death (that is, in 1640), the cardinal still had three mistresses, the first of them was his own niece, the second was a Picardy, that is, the wife of Marshal de Crazy, and the third is a certain Parisian beauty named Marion Delorme, so all these gentlemen in red hats are decent brutes: “Vere cardinale isit sunt carnales”<Воистину кардиналы очень чувственны> ».
Before Richelieu, as they say, had time to taste one girl, whose trade was trading in her own charms, his appetite had already whetted for another “priestess of Venus” - Ninon de Lenclos.
With rare shamelessness, he chose Marion as the mediator and instructed her to offer Ninon fifty thousand crowns if she agreed to accept his unctuous tenderness. However, despite the significant amount, the offer was rejected by Mademoiselle de Lenclos. Count de Chavegnac wrote about this in his “Memoirs”: “This great man (Richelieu), who knew how to carry through the largest undertakings, nevertheless suffered defeat in this matter, although Ninon never suffered from an excess of chastity or decency; in vain he offered her fifty thousand ecus through her best friend Marion Delorme; she refused, because at that time she had a relationship with one adviser of the Royal Court, into whose arms she threw herself voluntarily ... "
One may, however, wonder what Marion's role was in this matter, because she must have felt deeply insulted by seeing Richelieu offer her rival fifty thousand crowns, while she herself received only one hundred pistoles for the same services.
But be that as it may, she soon left the first minister and returned to the bed of the poet de Barro, her first lover, who, not remembering himself with joy, composed “Stanzas” of rare misery, which had a lengthy subtitle “On how much sweeter it is for the author in the arms of his mistress than to Monsieur Cardinal de Richelieu, who was his rival.”
However, Marion turned out to be only a short episode in the life of Richelieu. The cardinal's greatest love was his niece Marie-Madeleine de Vignereau, widow of Monsieur de Combalet, Duchess d'Aiguillon.
This charming, plump blonde of thirty-seven years old loved to walk “naked breasts,” which brought untold joy to the cardinal’s friends.
“When I see Madame d’Aiguillon,” one old canon once admitted, modestly lowering his eyes, “I feel like I’m becoming a child again.”
“By allowing her this freedom,” Lefebvre wrote in his “Memoirs,” he wanted to make it clear that he was looking at the charms of the beautiful duchess with the unclouded gaze of a nurse. But this pretense deceived no one, and the canon should have been ridiculed for his hypocrisy.”
Marie-Madeleine married Antoine de Roure de Combalet at the age of sixteen, but did not feel particularly good in her marriage, since this nobleman “although he was known (according to Talman de Reo) as the hairiest man at court,” but was unable to help her losing your virginity.
The poet Dulot allowed himself to have fun by composing an anagram, a genre that was then in great fashion, with the help of which he informed his readers about the sad fate of Madame de Combalais, hidden in her maiden name Marie de Vignereau, from which he managed to compose: “Virgin of her husband ... »
In 1625, the weak nobleman died, leaving the pretty widow in complete disappointment. Having lost faith in marriage, in men, and doubting the very existence of carnal pleasures, Marie-Madeleine began to think about entering a monastery. And she admitted this to her uncle: “Secular life does not interest me. I want to become a Carmelite nun.”
Richelieu looked at her carefully and found that she was very beautiful. Trying to hide his embarrassment, he, lowering his eyes, said to her affectionately: “Your place is not in the monastery, my child, it is here, next to me.”
Marie-Madeleine settled in the Petit Luxembourg Palace, and the cardinal became her lover.
This strange married life lasted until the death of the first minister. She was either illuminated by joys or darkened by sorrows, inevitable, as a rule, in family life. The uncle and niece sometimes hugged each other, sometimes argued, sometimes sulked and did not speak, but their love was sincere.
Of course, this connection did not remain a secret to others for long. First the court, and then the whole of Paris, learned that Richelieu was “enjoying himself” with Madame de Combalais. On the streets, as well as in social drawing rooms, there was no end to ironic couplets and songs with a trick. Mlle de Montpensier said in her Memoirs that in 1637 she herself had to sing insulting couplets at the cardinal and his niece.
Of course, the king knew very well about this illegal love affair and in his heart he condemned the lovers. He could not show his disapproval to the cardinal, whom he was afraid of, and therefore took out all his hostility on Madame de Combalet. “The king surprises me,” the queen once said. - He supports the cardinal and condemns his niece. He found it indecent that she dared to enter the Church of Saint-Eustache while I was listening to a sermon there, and said that it was shameless on her part.”
Richelieu's passion for women was so great that from time to time he had to cheat on his niece. And when she became aware of this, the windows in the Palais Cardinal shook, so great was her jealousy. Once she even had a desire to disfigure one of her rivals. The memoirist wrote: “What caused the most noise was the bottle of water thrown at Madame de Cholne. This is what the person who was present told me. On the road from Saint-Denis, six officers of the naval regiment, riding on horseback, wanted to smash the face of Madame de Cholnes by throwing two bottles of ink at her; she managed to put her hand up, and they fell onto the step under the carriage door; shards of bottle glass cut her skin (the ink penetrated into the cuts, and she was never able to get rid of these marks). Madame de Chaulne did not dare to complain about this. Everyone thinks that the officers only received orders to scare her. Out of jealousy for the man she loved and for his unlimited power, Madame d'Aiguillon did not want anyone else to be in the same relationship with the cardinal as she was.
But, despite his niece, the cardinal still managed to become the lover of this same Madame de Cholnes, whom Guy Patin mentions in the letter already quoted above. As a token of his gratitude, he presented this lady with an abbey with an annuity of twenty-five thousand livres near Amiens.
Despite all these minor escapades, the cardinal's incestuous relationship lasted almost seventeen years. Others even claimed that this was the blessing of God and that Marie-Madeleine was the mother of many little Richelieu...
Once at court, Marshal de Brez claimed that the cardinal gave his niece four sons.
Anna of Austria was present at this conversation. She smiled slyly and remarked to her entourage: “What Mr. Marshal claims should be believed exactly half.” Everyone immediately concluded that Richelieu had two children from Madame de Combalais. Which in the end is not so bad for a prelate...
Richelieu was madly in love with Anne of Austria. A brilliant diplomat and a prominent statesman courted the queen, but, alas, without reciprocity. He wrote poetry to her, pleased her in everything, and once admitted that he was ready for any, even the craziest, act for the sake of his beloved. Then the queen's lady of state, the Duchess de Chevreuse, suggested that Richelieu amuse the queen by dancing a sarabande in the clownish outfit of an open man. And the cardinal danced. Truly, love works wonders. True, the dance did not help Richelieu...
In 1642, Richelieu, exhausted by twenty years of fruitful work and tedious intrigue, took to bed. On December 4, at noon, the one who, in the apt expression of Madame de Motteville, “made a slave out of his master, and then out of a famous slave into the greatest monarch in the world,” gave his soul to God. He was fifty-eight years old.
This death caused a storm of joy among the people. Even Louis XIII, who owed everything to Richelieu, even he heaved a sigh of relief. For his own pleasure, he immediately set to music the poems written by the poet Miron on the death of the cardinal. Alas, the song could hardly be called appropriate to the sad event. In it, the cardinal was rewarded for all his own weaknesses and for the fear that he instilled in everyone.
It was difficult to imagine greater ingratitude.
THE DU PLESSIS FAMILY
Armand Jean du Plessis was born on September 9, 1585 in Paris into a family of minor nobles from the borders of Poitou and Anjou.
Francoise Gildeheimer
Cardinal Richelieu's father was a very worthy man.
Tallemant de Reo
The image of Richelieu evokes many memories. For example, his muddy bishopric of Luzon; however, this is a generally recognized mistake of the cardinal. The version about humble origins the du Plessis family - which probably made Richelieu turn over more than once in his grave, rejected by Messrs. Tapier and Mousnier, but still present in some authors. Today it is recognized that “the surname Richelieu was very famous at the court of Henry III” (M. Carmona); but there is a difference of opinion regarding the antiquity and nobility of the family.
Dismissing the idea of origin from the “minor aristocracy,” the historiographer Andre Du Chêne in 1631 published a family tree that traced “evidence” of the minister’s nobility back to 1201. Du Plessis was considered a native of Poitou, belonging to an ancient knightly family. Unfortunately, Du Chene had neither the education nor the instincts of Scheren, although even Scheren could not have guaranteed a family connection that was acceptable to the authorities of that time. In fact, one can confidently speak about nobility only starting with the sixth ancestor, a certain Sauvage du Plessis, lord of Vervollier, who lived in 1388, the wife of Isabeau Le Groix de Belarbe. No noble roots can be traced before 1400; although in the 18th century such origin would allow him to enjoy court honors.
The son of this Sauvage, Geoffroy, married the damsel Perrine de Clerambault, a noble lady and heir to the lordship of Richelieu; thus, Richelieu became part of the surname as a family name. It was a small fief, which became a duchy in 1631 and had expanded greatly by that time. Du Plessis-Richelieu did not refuse the patronage of their powerful compatriots - the Dukes of Montpensier and Rochechouart - and entered into very profitable and honorable marriages. Three of them are very important: in 1489, an alliance was concluded with the famous house of Montmorency - Francois II du Plessis married Guyonnet de Laval. In 1542, a marriage took place between Louis du Plessis, the cardinal's grandfather, and Françoise de Rochechouart. In 1565, a marriage was concluded between Louise du Plessis, the minister's aunt, and Francois de Cambu. These few details explain the words of Talleman de Reo: “Cardinal Richelieu’s father was a very worthy man,” as well as the even more specific phrase of Cardinal de Retz: “Richelieu was of noble birth.”
The antiquity of the family and concluded marriage alliances were two important points under the monarchy that allowed the family to take a place in the aristocratic hierarchy. We should not forget about the value of service and the reward for it. The grandfather of the minister-cardinal Louis I du Plessis († 1551) died “in the prime of life”, “honorably serving the kings Francis I and Henry II” (Father Anselm); his brother Jacques was Bishop of Luzon; his other brothers became famous as tireless warriors. One of them, François, nicknamed the Wooden Leg († 1563), who specialized in siege warfare and slaughtered the Huguenots, was the governor of Le Havre. Another, Antoine († 1567), also skilled in siege warfare and fought with the Huguenots, was governor of Tours. The military service of these intrepid du Plessis furthered the career of François III de Richelieu (1548–1590), the cardinal's father.
This character is surrounded by mystery. Premature death at the peak of honors and rise through the ranks (Chief Provost of France, Councilor of State, Captain of the Royal Guards), he appears on the list awarded the order Holy Spirit - blue ribbon - December 31, 1585. It's almost flawless cursus honorum. The chief provost was not listed among the highest officials attached to the king, but, as the head of the institution and the highest official at court, he enjoyed almost all the privileges that belonged to the highest nobility. His duties were considered very important: he was a judge, like a royal provost, but a military judge. He was also a policeman, overseeing the safety of not only the royal family, but also the entire court when he accompanied the sovereign on trips, and his police powers had no limits. Henry III trusted him: François Richelieu, rather hostile towards the Protestants, was in the camp of the “good French” and in 1588, after the murder of the Duke of Guise, he did not feel the slightest remorse in arresting the head of the League, La Capelle-Marteau, city provost However, no one dared to reproach him for failing to protect Henry III, who became the victim of the monk Clément. Henry IV not only retained him as chief provost, but also made him captain of the royal guard. At the turning point of the succession of two reigns, the chief provost took a risk and accepted a Protestant ruler; the cardinal, his son, will curse Protestantism, but will kindly negotiate with the Protestant Turenne. If we were not afraid of being accused of groundless speculation, we could put forward the following hypothesis: Henry IV contributed to the career of the chief provost, and the latter (although he took a wife from among the bourgeoisie and was deeply in debt) had all the necessary merits to become Duke His appointment was probably already on the king's desk.
When François du Plessis became a knight of the Order of the Holy Spirit on December 31, 1585 (the future cardinal minister had already been born, but had not yet been baptized), there were - or rather remained - only one hundred and forty knights of this order in France, representing ninety families. From now on, du Plessis is not mentioned among the minor nobles. Their place is at court, and they are comfortable there. A little more - and they would have become dukes. Under Louis XIII, the duchies were handed out with ease: five in the six years of the regency (1610–1616), then eight in the seven years of the joint reign of mother and son (1617–1624) and finally eleven - of which three for the Richelieu family and one for the Puylorands - for eighteen years of the minister's reign. If François III Richelieu had not died so early, the monarchy would not have waited until 1631 to introduce house Richelieu to the privileged club of dukes and peers.
What happens to the Richelieu clan between 1590 - a murderous year for the family and 1622 - the year one of its representatives, lucky and super-gifted, received the cardinal title? They were forgotten, forgotten for a whole generation. The fact is that our hero had everything necessary, with the exception of the privilege of birth. During this period, he was barely five years old, and the place of head of the family was taken first by the widow of the chief provost, then by her eldest son Henri, born in 1580. He proclaims himself the head of the family and “Marquis de Richelieu” - such is the fashion - trying to preserve the “more expensive than profitable” inheritance of François III, forcing recognition in the army and at court and winning the trust of Marie de Medici. A clever man who acts with confidence!
After the death of the chief provost, his widow Suzanne de La Porte was left with five children: Francoise(born in 1578); Henri, the so-called Marquis of Richelieu (born in 1580); Alphonse Louis(born 1582); Arman Jean(1585–1642), the hero of our book; Nikol(born 1586). She has not the slightest reason to be ashamed of their origin. Her father, the lawyer François de La Porte († 1572), served the interests of the Order of Malta, which, in gratitude, knighted his son Amador, Madame Richelieu's half-brother. Amador, active and successful, succeeded one of the Bourbon-Vendomes as chief prior, and his career elevated the La Porte clan. In any case, Madame de Richelieu, née La Porte, although she had no fortune, was not left without support. In addition, the position of the widow of a holder of the Order of the Holy Spirit provided her with a certain weight in society.
Beginning in 1586, Richelieu practically got rid of their provincialism; The award of a blue ribbon, marking their position at court and marking their ascension, also played a role here. The baptism of their third son Armand looks significant. The boy was born in Paris, in the parish of Saint-Eustache, on the Rue Boulois (or Bouloir), on September 9, 1585. He was apparently baptized immediately after birth, but the "additional baptism", a solemn ceremony, did not take place in the Church of Saint-Eustache until May 5, 1586. The reason for such a delay was “the health of the newborn, frail, sickly, susceptible to childhood ailments” (R. Mousnier). Such a long delay allowed the child to improve his health, and his father, who had recently been nominated for an award and “proud of his newfound glory,” adequately emphasized his position. In honor of this event, the house of the chief provost, the Lose mansion, is decorated with a real triumphal arch - a huge portico knocked together by carpenters with heraldic and symbolic panels. Four large paintings, each with its own Latin motto, are dedicated to little Armand and illustrate the family's religious and royalist tradition. In the midst of a war with the League, this double confirmation of loyalty certainly has deep meaning.
Armand Jean’s godfathers were two marshals of France, Armand de Gonto-Biron and Jean d’Aumont; his godmother was his grandmother Françoise de Richelieu, née Rochechouart. A real princely cortege moved from the Lose mansion to the huge, eternally unfinished church of Saint-Eustache. At the head of the cortege is a noble godmother, all in black, but decorated with a diadem with precious stones. Next come two marshals, the father of the child, his friends, cousins and comrades-in-arms, captain-lieutenants of the guard, many knights of the Order of Malta and the Blue Ribbon and, finally, the field gendarmerie with halberds in their hands. From the Soissons mansion the royal family follows the procession: Catherine de Medici, Henry III, Joyeuse and d'Epernon. The king looks delighted. He granted his chief provost 118,000 crowns. Why did François Richelieu, so beloved and so welcomed at court, manage this money so ineptly?
Before following the amazing career of our hero, it is worth mentioning the fate of the minister's brothers and sisters. The eldest, Françoise (1578–1615), had her first marriage to Bovo, a Poitevin nobleman. She would marry for the second time in 1603 to another native of Poitou, a middle-ranking nobleman René de Vignereau († 1625), lord du Pont de Courlet, an ordinary nobleman of parliament. We will soon find the second child of the chief provost, “Marquis” Henri (1580–1619), among the subjects and associates of Marie de Medici. He will contribute to the rise of his younger brother. Alphonse Louis (1582–1653) will become famous as Archbishop of Aixan-Provence, Archbishop of Lyon (1625), Cardinal (1629) and confessor of the king. The last son of the great Prevost, daughter Nicole (1586–1635), in 1617 would marry Urbain de Maillet from an old Touraine noble family, the Marquis de Brezet and, since 1632, Marshal of France - a commander not very successful, but devoted to the cardinal minister, his brother-in-law and patron. Their son Armand de Maillet, Duke of Brézé (1619–1646), would become a famous sailor; daughter Claire Clémence de Maillet-Breze will marry the Duke d'Enghien in 1641.
The du Plessis family, at least after Francis I, were never private. There were plenty of strong personalities here: Francois Wooden Leg, the chief provost, and even Henri the “Marquis,” who quite early began to hope for the marshal’s baton. On the other hand, rarely in history has there been such an amount of malice and slander directed at one person - the cardinal duke. Combine these two points - and you will understand why the Richelieu family was considered crazy.
Of course, the Baroque French, who knew little about medicine, knew even less about psychiatry. They did not know - and to this day we do not know - whether madness is inherited. But four members of the Richelieu family were considered half-mad, including the cardinal-minister himself - according to Tallemant de Reo, he sometimes imagined himself to be a horse. Cardinal of Lyon periodically imagined himself as God the Father. There remains Marshal Breze - they say that Nicole de Richelieu refused to sit in public, for fear of breaking her “seat”, since she considered it to be glass.
This symptom is strange. What could it mean? It happens that some individuals lose the concept of their bodily integrity; if so, then why shouldn’t they be afraid of losing their “seat”? What is surprising is that it seemed to be made of glass. Perhaps there is a connection here with an obsessive desire for stool. Suspicions intensified when the Princess of Condé, her daughter, who was forcibly married to the future winner of Rocroi, begins to behave so strangely that she has to be politely but firmly removed from the court. It is possible that both mother (Nicole de Vreze) and daughter (Princess of Condé) were - hereditarily or under the influence of the environment - somewhat neurotic; but this is not a reason to consider their entire family, especially the minister, insane.
COMPARATIVE AGE OF HISTORICAL CHARACTERS (BIRTH DATES)
1553 Henry IV
1555 Malherbe
1563 Michel de Marillac
1573 Maria de Medici
1581 Saint-Cyran
1581 Vincent de Paul
1585 Richelieu
1585 Janseny
1587 Olivares
1588 Father Mersenne
1589 Madame de Rambouillet
1592 Buckingham
1594 Gustav Adolf
1595 Henri de Montmorency
1597 Gue de Balzac
1598 Francois Mansart
1601 Louis XIII
1601 Anne of Austria
1602 Philippe de Champin
1606 Pierre Corneille
This table gives us a wealth of information. The Minister-Cardinal was 12 years younger than the Queen Mother and 16 years older than Louis XIII.
Richelieu was a contemporary of his enemy Olivares.
And finally, he was born four years later than Saint-Cyran and in the same year as Jansenius. And between them are two theologians and two political philosophers.
From the book Alexander Pushkin and His Time author Ivanov Vsevolod Nikanorovich From the book of Molotov. Semi-power overlord author Chuev Felix IvanovichFamily - I wanted to ask about your childhood... - We, Vyatka, are smart guys! My father was a clerk, a clerk, I remember well. And the mother comes from a rich family. From the merchant's. I knew her brothers - they were also rich. Her last name is Nebogatikova. - Origin
From the book Daily Life of Istanbul in the Age of Suleiman the Magnificent by Mantran Robert From the book World History of Piracy author Blagoveshchensky GlebChevalier du Plessis (16?? - 1668), France Chevalier du Plessis was a privateer, that is, he had a special license that allowed him to attack Spanish ships with impunity. He carried out raids with varying success, but he got really big loot
From the book 100 Great Aristocrats author Lubchenkov Yuri Nikolaevich From Frunze's book. Secrets of life and death author Runov Valentin AlexandrovichFamily Misha loved his family very much, but he left it early, devoting himself to the cause of the revolution. While in prison, he could only write once a month, so we knew little about him. I met my brother after a 17-year break only in 1921 in Kharkov. My mother and I came to
From the book Sovereign [Power in the history of mankind] author Andreev Alexander RadevichThe State and the Duke Armand du Plessis, Cardinal Richelieu "An Atypical Genius" Armand Jean du Plessis de Richelieu (1585–1642) was born to François III Richelieu, captain of the royal guards under Henry IV and Suzanne de La Porte. Left without a father at the age of five, the future
From the book Leon Trotsky. Bolshevik. 1917–1923 author Felshtinsky Yuri Georgievich9. Family Over the years Civil War Trotsky rarely saw his family and did not have a normal family life. Nevertheless, Lev Davidovich was not a hardened sectarian in everyday life. He never deprived himself of the usual pleasures of life. At the slightest opportunity he
From the book Life of Marie de' Medici by Fisel HelenChapter XII The Rise of Armand Jean du Plessis Mary was attached to her most faithful servants, and the Bishop of Lucon was for a long time her favorite119. François Bluche At the court of the young Louis XIII, the Bishop of Luçon was finally noticed. His undoubted talents produced
From the book The Failed Emperor Fyodor Alekseevich author Bogdanov Andrey PetrovichThe family of Gore Alexei Mikhailovich and Maria Ilyinichna was large, but they also had other sons: nine-year-old Fyodor and four-year-old John, who were raised and studied in the same way as Alexey. Children's books were also produced for them, which at first consisted almost entirely of
From the book The Mayan People by Rus AlbertoFamily From early childhood, parents take care not only that the child does not suffer physically, but that he, as the Mayans say, “does not lose his soul.” It is believed that only magical means can help here. For this purpose, a wax ball is attached to the child’s head or
From the book of Paul I without retouching author Biographies and memoirs Team of authors --Family From the Notes of August Kotzebue: He [Paul I] willingly surrendered to soft human feelings. He was often portrayed as the tyrant of his family, because, as usually happens with hot-tempered people, in a fit of anger he did not stop at any expressions and did not
From the book National Unity Day: biography of the holiday author Eskin Yuri MoiseevichFamily What we know about Dmitry Mikhailovich’s family life is mainly what pedigrees and property ownership documents are preserved. On April 7, 1632, the prince’s mother, Euphrosyne-Maria, died, having apparently taken monastic vows under the name Evznikei a long time ago; she was buried in
From the book Memoirs of the “Red Duke” [collection] author Richelieu Armand Jean du Plessis, Duc deArmand Jean du Plessis, Cardinal Duke of Richelieu. MEMOIRS PrefaceArmand Jean du Plessis de Richelieu, the youngest son of François du Plessis de Richelieu and Suzanne de La Porte, was born on September 9, 1585. His father belonged to one of the noble noble families of Poitou. From 1573 he served under
From the book Feudal Society author Block Mark1. Family We would make a mistake if, taking into account only the strength of family ties and the reliability of support, we painted the inner life of the family in idyllic colors. The voluntary participation of relatives of one clan in a vendetta against another did not exclude the most cruel
From the book World History in sayings and quotes author Dushenko Konstantin Vasilievich