Political Testament of Cardinal Richelieu Essay - 785 Words

At the beginning of the 17th century, France was a place of internal strife and bickering bureaucrats. The king, Louis XIII, had come to the throne in 1610 at the age of nine, leaving the running of the kingdom to his mother, Marie de Medici. One of her court favorites, Armand de Plessis de Richelieu, rose through the ranks, eventually gaining the title of Cardinal and becoming one of Louis’ key advisors and minister. His political manifesto, Political Testament, was a treatise for King Louis XIII that offered him advice mainly concerned with the management and subtle subjugation of the nobles and the behavior of a prince. Beneath all of the obeisant rhetoric, Richelieu was essentially writing a handbook for Louis XIII on how to survive†¦show more content†¦This aversion to shame could be an invaluable tool for the shrewd king: he could threaten to take away their title and position if they refused to meet his requests. During this period in French history, the nob ility was starting to gain power and prestige, and this power presented the king with a problem: he needed to have strong nobles to strengthen his realm by extension. However, he still had to maintain power and his position of supremacy. Richelieu posits that the king must maintain a firm system of punishments and rewards:†Punishments and rewards are two quite necessary elements in the conduct of states. It is an ordinary allegation, but more true, and often repeated by all men, that rewards and punishments are the two most important tools of government available in a realm.† This system played on the honor obsession the nobility had, and strengthened the kingship at the same time. If one helped the king, they were rewarded with more honor and a higher position; if they resisted, they lost everything. This strengthened the kingship as well. Those he rewarded would be assets to the kingdom, while those he punished would serve as warnings to those who considered resisting . Richelieu’s section regarding the power of the prince was particularly reminiscent of 15th century Italian political strategist Niccolà ³ Machiavelli’s seminal work, The Prince. The Prince also deals with the management of one’s people, and arguedShow MoreRelatedComparing Cardinal Richelieus Practice of Ruler Ship to Niccà ²lo Machiavellis Ideas About the Effective Exercise of Power2015 Words   |  9 PagesArmand-Jean du Plessis de Richelieu. Upon entering the French political arena, Richelieu was thrown amidst the struggles of international diplomacy, the devious schemes of the nobility, and the disgruntlement of the common people. Similarly, the unstable Florentine Italy which Niccà ²lo Machiavelli familiarized himself with led both these prominent men to publish their respective works: The Prince by Machiavelli and The Political Testament of Cardinal Richelieu by Richelieu himself. By rejecting conventionalRead MoreThe Political and Religious winds of The Seventeenth Century from Charles the First to Oliver Cromwell2303 Words   |  10 Pages THE POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS WINDS OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY FROM CHARLES I TO OLIVER CROMWELL The Restoration, a period of constantly changing ideals, shows how the change in government from Charles I to Oliver Cromwell affected the people of that time, shows the Child of Hope, shows the shift in winds of religion, compares and contrasts Absolutism and Constitutionalism, shows how the influence of the English people on the world, and shows a new era being heralded in without which we would not