Cardinal Richelieu

Richelieu, Cardinal (Armand Jean du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu; 1585–1642), French cardinal, statesman, and chief minister to Louis XIII for 18 years. By a mixture of diplomacy and ruthlessness he helped make France the leading power in Europe, with a monarchy secure against internal revolt. He destroyed Huguenot power by 1628, foiled an attempt by the king's mother, Marie de Médicis, to oust him in 1630, and suppressed the plots of the Due de Montmorency in 1632 and of Cinq-Mars in 1642, at the same time reducing the power of the nobles. In foreign policy he opposed the Habsburgs, intervening against them in the Thirty Years' War. Richelieu strengthened the navy, encouraged colonial development, and patronized the arts (founding the Académie Française).

See also: France.