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Cardinal Richelieu Enters the Cabinet (1624)
On April 29, 1624, Armand Jean du Plessis (later Cardinal Richelieu) was appointed principal minister by Louis XIII, marking France's entry into the …
Timeline
- 1621–1623France · FranceIn the early 1620s Richelieu had served as a diplomatic adviser to Louis XIII; between 1622 and 1624 he gradually won the king's trust amid court factional struggles, competing with Queen Mother Marie de' Medici and favorite factions, paving the way for his entry into the cabinet.
- 1624Paris · Île-de-FranceOn April 29, 1624, Louis XIII appointed Richelieu principal minister, formally bringing him into the royal inner circle of decision-making, where he began to lead the agenda of diplomatic and domestic reform.
- 1624–1628France · FranceAfter entering the cabinet, Richelieu gradually eliminated the Queen Mother's faction, executed the favorite Cinq-Mars in 1626 (source: Cholet), was made cardinal in 1628; meanwhile he advanced anti-Habsburg diplomacy, weakened Huguenot arms, and reformed finances and military preparedness, laying the groundwork for the Siege of La Rochelle (1627–1629) and the Peace of Alès.
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Armand-Jean du Plessis, cardinal et duc de Richelieu https://www.britannica.com/biography/Armand-Jean-du-Plessis-cardinal-et-duc-de-Richelieu
- Bergin, Joseph. Cardinal Richelieu: Power and the Pursuit of Wealth — Joseph Bergin (1985)