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Louis XIII

Type Figure Region France Time 1601–1643 Also known as Louis de Bourbon

Louis XIII was King of France of the Bourbon dynasty; during his reign he relied on Cardinal Richelieu to strengthen royal power and strike Huguenot …

Timeline

  1. 1601–1617Fontainebleau · Île-de-FranceHe acceded at nine; initially his mother Marie de' Medici served as regent amid fierce court factional struggles. After taking personal rule in 1617 he gradually shook off his mother's influence and began establishing monarchical authority.
  2. 1624–1641Paris · Île-de-FranceHe made heavy use of Richelieu to strike domestic rebellions and Huguenot strongholds, and joined the Thirty Years' War against the Habsburgs. In 1640–1641 France made gains on the Rhine front; royal power and central finances were significantly strengthened, laying the foundation for Bourbon absolutism.
  3. 1641–1643Saint-Germain-en-Laye · Île-de-FranceAfter Richelieu and Louis XIII died in succession, France entered a regency period. On his deathbed he confirmed Anne as regent and Mazarin as chief minister; four-year-old Louis XIV succeeded, and French politics shifted toward cardinal rule in the era of the child king.

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