France and the Cardinals Note
- Richelieu and Mazarin; characters, abilities and aims
- Relationships with respective rulers
- Domestic policies: the authority of the Crown; religious policies, the Huguenots; the
nobility, conspiracies, the Fronde; nance, taxation and administration; trade and
industry; particularism and local administration, intendants; the parlements; peasant
unrest
- Foreign policy and war; development of the army and navy; consolidation of territory and
strengthening of frontiers; anti-Habsburg policies; intervention in the Thirty Years War;
client states; war with Spain; gains from the Treaty of Westphalia and the Peace of the
Pyrenees
- Continuity and change; the extent of absolutis
Question
1) To what extent were Mazarin’s domestic and foreign policies a continuation of those of
Richelieu? (2010
2) To what extent did Richelieu achieve his aims in domestic policies? (2011
3) How far did France bene t from the administrations of Richelieu and Mazarin? (2012
4) ‘Richelieu’s foreign policy was both unrealistic and unsuccessful.’ Discuss. (2013
5) ‘He truly served the interests of the French monarchy.’ Discuss this view of Richelieu.
(2014
6) ‘Richelieu’s attack on the Huguenots was the only serious mistake he made in his
domestic policies.’ Discuss. (2015
7) ‘He simply carried on the work of Richelieu.’ To what extent is this a valid comment on
Mazarin? (2016
Regency of Marie de Medic
Henry IV died in February 1610. Louis XIII was only 8 years old
Marie de Medici became regent at the request of the parlements:
- Her claim to the role had been bolstered by two key events: her belated coronation in 1600 and
the power given to her by Henry IV when he had led his troops to capture Jülich and Cleves
- However, she was foreign and governed poorly, patronising the wrong people (e.g. Concini) and
spending heavily. She was nicknamed “la grosse banquière” for distributing over 10 million livres
in bribes between 1610 and 1614 and Florentine descent
Marie looked to continue the policies of Henry IV and at the beginning his ministers and system of
government were maintained
Key differences however soon emerged
- Marie adopted a pro-Spanish alliance, which was to be secured by a marriage between Louis
and Anne of Austria, the Infanta of Spain
- A court faction emerged centred on Marie’s half-sister Leonara and her husband Concini (both
were Italian). Concini was appointed Marshal d’Ancre, a senior military position, despite no
military experience. Sully was forced to resign in 1611
- As had happened in previous centuries, royal authority exercised in the name of a regent was
not respected and France’s administration soon fell into the hands of those strong enough to
seize it. The Duc de Bouillon returned to court and the Huguenots secured exemption from the
taille for their clergy
Concino Concin
1
)
s
i
)
)
.
fii
.
s
)
fi
:
.
m
.
.
.
)
)
)
.
, Concini’s rise was resented at court and led to the court revolt
Court Revolt
- A product of deep-seated resentment of both Concini and the Spanish marriage
- In February 1614 the magnates left court and retired to the provinces, where they began
mobilising troops
- Led by Henry II of Bourbon (Prince of Condé). As a prince of the blood and an over mighty
noble, be hoped to assert his own power. He had the support of many Huguenots
- A manifesto by Condé criticised the regency government and all those associated with it. Only a
meeting of the Estates General could save France from collapse
- Ended at St Ménéhould (May 1614), in which the government paid Condé and other magnates
off with large sums of money, deferred the Spanish marriage until Louis reached his majority and
summoned the Estates General to Sens in 1614
Louis’ majorit
Condé’s opposition changed little as the palace clique still monopolised power and in October
1614, Marie declared Louis’ majority. As Louis was now ruling in his own name, rebellion could no
longer be justi ed on the grounds that it was directed against the king’s regency council
In November 1615 Louis married Anne of Austria
Concini’s men continued to dominate the court (e.g. Richelieu became foreign secretary in 1616)
Concini himself was concerned with amassing wealth and land. Between 1610 and 1616 he gain
much land and many titles in Picardy
By 1617, Louis was beginning to both resent Concini’s actions, which re ected the queen mother’s
wishes as opposed to his own, and to realise that Concini’s position depended entirely on his
favour
In April 1617, as Concini made his way to the Louvre, he was shot by the king’s bodyguard.
Leonara was tried by the parlements for treason and witchcraft and executed in July 1617
Following Concini’s death
- An assembly of notables met in 1617 to decide how best to effect the demands of the 1614
Estates General
- The paulette was abolished while venality was condemned as an abuse that deprived the king of
control over his subjects, but was not outlawed
- Marie de Medici was under house arrest in Blois
- In May 1618, the Duke of Epernon retired from court when his son was refused a cardinalship. It
was possible that he and Marie could unite
- In April 1619, Louis was forced to deploy 20,000 men against Marie and Epernon. In the
summer of 1620, a second war between Marie and Louis led to the massacre of hundreds of
rebels at the Château of Pont de Cé. A peace treaty allowed Marie to return to Paris and in
December 1621 she was readmitted to the royal council
What this fragmented and fractious period shows
- Power and position at court were dependent on the crown’s trust and favour
- The brevity of successive ministerial reigns greatly bene ted Richelieu
Richelieu’s rise to powe
2
.
:
y
fi .
.
r
:
.
.
.
.
.
:
.
fi .
.
.
fl .
.
.
.
.
.
, Richelieu’s political abilities and intelligence are evident in his rise to power
- In 1607, Richelieu was consecrated as Bishop of Luçon. His energy in reforming the diocese in
accordance with the decrees of the Council of Trent drew him to the attention of the dévot
faction at court
- In 1614, he was elected to the Estates General as the spokesman for the clergy. He impressed
both Marie and Concini and was recruited to the king’s council as foreign secretary
- Concini’s fall damaged Richelieu. He accompanied Marie into exile and negotiated the truces of
1619 and 1620 that reconciled Louis and Marie. This was important, because the rivalry
between both served to encourage faction and intrigue. This helped him to gain a cardinalship
- His cardinalship (1622) gave him great prestige and political power
- In April 1624, Marie campaigned for the return of Richelieu to the king’s council
- Louis was frustrated by the failure of his ministers Sillery and Puysieux to assert French
diplomatic rights over the Valtelline. Thus Richelieu’s ambition and abilities were viewed
positively by Louis, who was anxious to promote his prestige and dignity on the European stage
- Marie de Medici had expected that Richelieu would act as her agent, but from the moment of his
appointment onwards he allied with the king
Richelieu’s aims and objective
Richelieu was concerned about how his actions would be viewed by contemporaries and by future
generations
In his “Political Testament”, he outlined ve key aims
- Destroy the Huguenot
- Humble the nobilit
- Bring subjects to obedience (“Absolute obedience to the King must be enforced upon great and
small alike” - Richelieu’s document “Advice to the King” (1629))
- Promote the king’s gloire abroa
- Extend the authority of the government (e.g. by reducing the power of the parlements. Realising
that the Paris parlement was a potential source of opposition, he weakened it in 1635 by
creating 24 new conseilleurs in the parlement. The association of the parlement with venality
weakened it. However, he was unable to solve the con ict between absolutism and parlements,
which came to a head under Louis XVI)
He hoped to rst promote absolutism at home. Having prepared for war through centralisation, he
then planned to promote Louis’ gloire abroad by allying with other enemies of the Habsburgs,
pushing back France’s borders to the Rhine and then defending them and bolstering French naval
power (this last was visionary)
Whilst Richelieu’s aims were clear, the means were not. He was an opportunist and reactionary,
introducing reforms when required. Lee: “He was a dominant force in a long period of evolution
rather than the active formulator of revolution.
Richelieu was aware of the weakness of the crown and sought to revive it through the use of tried
methods. Thus his ministry, whilst brilliant, was not revolutionary
Consolidation of powe
There were still several problems for Richelieu in 1624
- Deb
- Dévot
- No effective foreign polic
3
t
s
.
fi .
y
s
r
y
.
s
d
fi.
.
”
:
:
fl .
.
.
:
.
.
.
.
