Investigating the Minister Who Did the Most to Preserve and Enhance Royal Authority in France 1610-1715

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Investigating the Minister Who Did the Most to Preserve and Enhance Royal Authority in France 1610-1715 During their respective reigns, Louis XIII and Louis XIV had many ministers. Some of whom were detrimental to the advancement of their royal authority over the kingdom and others who had a generally positive effect on royal authority. This essay will look at the three main ministers, Richelieu, Colbert and Mazarin. These ministers are regarded as having the biggest impact on the two Louis'. We do not look at the other ministers, as they appear in minor roles; none of them, on a grand scale make a massive contribution to the state of affairs in France. This is why they are only occasionally referred to in this essay. Richelieu came into power in 1624, and it was the turning point of Louis XIII's reign. Richelieu made a substantial contribution to royal authority, and he first did this by solving all the problems that his predecessors had left for him. Richelieu was greatly admired among much of the country, and this brought a certain harmony to the country, which other ministers, such as Mazarin cannot claim to have done. Richelieu was held in high regard by two powerful factions in France, the dévots and the français. This is because the dévots regarded heresy as the chief enemy of the state. Richelieu was a Cardinal and therefore this faction did not have to worry about him being a heretic. The français were mainly concerned with Spanish imperialism and Richelieu did a lot to allay their fears. This increased royal authority because it meant that Louis had more loyal supporters who he could count upon for help in wars a... ... middle of paper ... ...into French society to collect money. He eventually wiped out French debt, not an easy task! Colbert increased royal authority because he was able to decrease the debt and put France back in the black. This meant that Louis had money to wage wars with and to follow his main goal of gloire. This increased respect for Louis XIV and therefore increased his royal authority. In conclusion, Richelieu was the most successful of all ministers as he increased royal authority the most. He did however create a lot of problems for himself, but not to the same extent that Mazarin did. He was not the greatest financial mind of the time, but because he had more power than Colbert he was able to make a bigger contribution, thus allowing us to say that he did the most to preserve and enhance royal authority in France 1610-1715.

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