TR3.5

deRichelieu and French Raison de Etat

Houjun Liu 2021-09-27 Mon 12:00

1 deRichelieu's Raison de Etat

1.1 Background

  • Near-death of HRE would allow France to expand eastwards
  • Needed a way of fending off the ever-growing HRE

So, in comes…

1.2 Cardinal de Richelieu

"Father of the modern state system."

Proposed and practiced KBhHIST201RaisonDeEtat in France

  • Richelieu is secular as minister, while salvation is only a personal objective => conflict with KBhHIST201HolyRomanEmpire1500s Ferdinand's beliefs
  • "The state has no immorality" => acting on the state means acting either now or never
  • CLAIM @KBhHIST201Kissinger — HRE would have expanded more if they agreed to work with the protestants who were totally fine with HRE dominating politically

1.2.1 Acts of Raison de 'Etat

Richeliu Subsidized the protestant German fight against the KBhHIST201HolyRomanEmpire1500s for it was in the French national interest evens against his religion.

Unique and novel secular support of a given that he himself is Catholic.