Mazarin ministre de louis xiv biography
Anne was known to have been Richelieu's enemy, and Mazarin, though acknowledged as his nominee, was universally regarded as soft, ingratiating, and harmless. To everyone's utter astonishment, Anne confirmed Mazarin as first minister, and it soon became clear that she was in love with him. It is possible, though there is no proof, that later they were secretly married.
They remained intimate friends and allies to the end of Mazarin's life. Mazarin's task was to maintain the royal authority established by Richelieu and to win the war against France and Spain that he had started. Austria was humbled at the Peace of Westphalia in ; the war with Spain dragged on until The maintenance of royal authority was the most difficult task.
Nobles who had reluctantly given way to Richelieu would not accept his successor, who was despised as a lowborn foreigner and thought to be weak-willed. The country was bitter at the taxes imposed by Richelieu to support the war, and its mounting resentment found dangerous expression in the Parliament of Paris, whose opposition was supported by all classes in the city.
The result was that the civil war that had already broken out became much worse, and several times it appeared as if Mazarin could not survive. This war was called the Fronde, a name used to this day in France to denote irresponsible opposition. Paris, led by its Parliament, had rebelled in More humane than Richelieu, Mazarin imprisoned his enemies but did not put them to death, and as a result he could not make himself feared.
The Fronde dragged on untilbut in the end, thanks to his own cleverness, the Queen's loyalty, and the mistakes of his enemies, Mazarin was completely victorious. For the rest of his life Mazarin was the unchallenged master of France. His final triumph came with the Peace of the Pyrenees in November France had finally defeated Spain and was rewarded with territorial acquisitions and the fateful marriage of Louis XIV to a Spanish princess.
When Mazarin died on March 9,he had accomplished his task as he saw it. He had also accumulated a colossal fortune for himself. In some ways Mazarin was a worthy successor to Richelieu. Behind a mask of affability, he was equally resolved to tolerate no opposition; his method of eliminating it was more devious and much less bloody but equally effective.
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The Queen was at this time pregnant with her second child, and it was already anticipated that she would be the regent when King Louis XIII died. He recommended artists to bring from Rome to Paris, and in he commissioned a bust of Richelieu from the sculptor Bernini in Rome, sending Bernini pictures of Richelieu. The bust of Richelieu arrived in August Mazarin declared that it was perfect, so lifelike that, as he wrote, "it seemed about to speak", but French tastes did not approve of the Baroque style.
The other members of the Court condemned the work, and Mazarin wrote back to Bernini, sending him more pictures of Richelieu and asking him to try again. Richelieu sent Mazarin on several delicate diplomatic missions, including a long trip to Savoy to straighten out the tangled political mazarin ministre de louis xiv biography there: the regency of Christinethe Duchess of Savoy, and sister of Louis XIII, was challenged by her brothers-in-law, the princes Maurice and Thomas of Savoy.
See Piedmontese Civil War Mazarin successfully secured Christine's position, and established a solid alliance between Savoy and France. This task kept him away from Paris for nine months, until June On 16 Decemberthough he had not reached his fortieth birthday, he received what he most desired, he was formally made a Cardinal. He had established a cordial relationship with Richelieu; Richelieu jokingly referred to him as Rinzama an anagram of his nameor Nunzinicardo "dear little envoy"or, most frequently, Colmarduccioor Colmardo.
However, he did not send Mazarin on the mission that he most wanted, as delegate of France to a Europe-wide peace conference. Richelieu's attention was devoted to making war; Richelieu, who was elderly and in poor health, took the King, who was also in poor health, the court and Mazarin on a series of long military expeditions, to suppress a rebellion in Cataloniato capture Roussillonand, in Januaryto lay siege to Narbonne.
It appeared probable that the Queen, Anne of Austria, was also aware of this secret betrayal of Richelieu, but did not tell him or the King. Cinq-Mars was arrested, Gaston was disgraced, and another conspirator, the Duke of Bouillon, was granted a pardon on the condition of revealing all the details of the plot to Mazarin, and surrendering the important fortress of Sedan to the King.
Mazarin did not reveal the participation of the Queen in the conspiracy, but his knowledge gave him even greater leverage at the court. He fell ill and died on 4 December Despite the accounts of some later historians, Richelieu did not name Mazarin as his successor. Richelieu did, according to Mazarin himself, advise the King to employ Mazarin, who until that time had no official position at court.
Mazarin and de Chavigny immediately joined together to get rid of de Noyers. They hinted to the King that de Noyers had secretly made an agreement with Anne of Austria to make her the regent of France after the King's death. The King, who had little love for the Queen and in his will had refused to make her his regent, was furious; de Noyers was forced to resign on 10 April His successor, Louis XIVwas just four years old.
The King had specifically instructed that his wife, Anne of Austria, not rule in his place as regent. However, as soon as he was dead, she applied to the body of nobles known as the Parlement of Parisand had his will annulled. She was declared Regent on 18 May. He had been close to Richelieu and was the only real rival in experience to Mazarin.
The evening that she became regent, she declared that Mazarin would be her chief minister and head of her government. The management style of Mazarin was entirely different from that of Richelieu. The contrast was described by Cardinal Retzthe future enemy of Mazarin, in his Memoires: "One saw on the steps of the throne, where the sharp and fearsome Richelieu had thundered rather than governed the people, a leader who is gentle, benevolent, and demands nothing He has the spirit, the insinuation, the playfulness, the manners, but also a certain laziness Cardinal Retz and other rivals in the court underestimated Mazarin's skills, energy and determination.
Mazarin continued Richelieu's costly war against the chief rivals of France in Europe, the Habsburgs of Austria and Spain. Mazarin's policies also added Alsace though not Strasbourg to France. He settled Protestant princes in secularized bishoprics and abbacies in reward for their political opposition to the Habsburgs, building a network of French influence as a buffer in the western part of the Empire.
In he made peace with Habsburg Spain in the Peace of the Pyreneeswhich added to French territory Roussillon and northern Cerdanya—as French Cerdagne —in the far south as well as part of the Low Countries. There was constant friction with the pontificate of the Spanish Cardinal Pamphilj, elected pope on 15 September as Innocent X. Mazarin protected the Barberini cardinals, nephews of the late pope, and the bull against them was voted by the Parlement of Paris "null and abusive"; France made a show of preparing to take Avignon by force, and Innocent backed down.
Mazarin was more consistently an enemy of Jansenismin particular during the formulary controversymore for its political implications than out of theology. Mazarin's long war against the Habsburgs, the final part of the Thirty Years' Warwas successful, but the cost was enormous. Resentment grew against the Spanish Queen and her Italian prime minister, and culminated in the Frondea rebellion against the government by members of the nobility and discontented citizens of Paris, which lasted from until Mazarin was forced to raise money by any means possible to support the war against the Habsburgs.
His financial counselor was Michel Particelli d'Emeryalso Italian. When taxes, loans, and the sale of titles did not bring in enough, he sought new sources of income. He discovered an old law dating to Henry IV which forbade Parisians to mazarin ministre de louis xiv biography houses outside the city limits. Since the city had grown well outside its old boundaries, in he imposed heavy fines on all those who lived outside the city limits.
In addition, he taxed all merchandise being brought into the city. One measure caused particular resentment among the nobility; he imposed a special tax on all the nobles who served on the various royal courts and councils, amounting to four years of their fees. The center of resistance was the Paris parlementan ancient assembly of nobles which served as a high court of appeals.
It was a period of rebellion against monarchs across Europe; independence movements appeared in the Spanish provinces of Catalonia and Portugala revolutionary seized power in Naplesand Charles I of Englandthe brother-in-law of Louis XIII, was deposed and executed in In Paris, the members of the parlement called a special session to debate Mazarin's measures.
The meeting was forbidden by Regent, Anne of Austria, but went ahead anyway. The parlement issued a charter, inspired by the writ of Habeas Corpus in England, which revoked the authority of the King's justice officials, forbade any new taxes without the approval of the parlementand declared that no royal subjects could be imprisoned without due process of law.
Mazarin recommended to the Queen that she listen to the parlement and modify her decrees, but she was furious at their opposition. She waited until the right moment to strike back. The occasion she chose was the celebration of a major victory of the French Army over the Spanish at the Battle of Lens in Belgium on 26 August On the day that a special mass was held at the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris to celebrate the victory, she gave orders to the Captain of her guards to arrest the leaders of the parlementincluding the popular Pierre Broussel.
News of the arrest quickly spread in Paris, and crowds came out into the street to protest and to build barricades. That evening Mazarin wrote in his journal, "the parlement has performed the functions of the King, and the people have deferred to it entirely. During the Fronde, the anti-Mazarin crowds of Paris enjoyed listening to Mazarinadespopular songs with verses mocking the Cardinal.
Dozens were written and published, accusing him of virtually all possible faults and crimes. Mazarin had a sense of humor, and when the Fronde was finished, he had the best Mazarinades collected and performed in a concert at his palace. The rebellion lasted for three years. It took its popular name, Frondefrom the children's slings frondes which were used by the mobs in the Paris streets to hurl stones.
It combined the anger of the Parisians against the new taxes with the resentment of the nobility against the reduction of their ancient privileges. Each of them had different goals, but all agreed that Mazarin should fall. Mazarin quickly sent an envoy to the Emperor in Vienna, calling for a truce and peace conference. The Peace of Westphaliaending the war, was signed 24 October Despite the peace, disturbances continued in the streets of Paris.
Mazarin then set to work intriguing to divide the different factions of the Fronde.
Mazarin ministre de louis xiv biography: Jules Mazarin (born Giulio
His goal was to separate the members of the Parlement and the more radical Parisian street demonstrators, who were united only by their dislike of Mazarin and Anne of Austria. He then persuaded the Parlement that they had more to fear from an uprising of the Parisiens than they did from him. On 14 March Mazarin accepted many of the reforms demanded by the Parlement.
The Parlement accepted Mazarin and his government, but the Fronde was still not finished. Many frondeurs were unhappy with the compromise reached in Mazarin had an excellent network of agents, and immediately learned of the plot. The agreements of had brought peace to Paris, but the unrest of the Fronde continued in other parts of France.
Opponents of Mazarin disrupted tax collection and administration. As the rebellion grew, Mazarin observed that the rebels were only united in opposition to him.
Mazarin ministre de louis xiv biography: When Mazarin became First Minister of
He decided it was wisest to resign his position and leave France while he could. From Germany, he sent daily instructions to Anne of Austria and to his agents in France. The strategy was to sow distrust among the different factions of the Fronde. Mazarin's instructions were carried out meticulously by Anne of Austria. His intrigues succeeded in preventing the proposed marriage between one of the leading Frondeurs, the Armand de Bourbon, Prince of Conti with Princess Charlotte-Marie of Lorraine, Mademoiselle de Chevreuseanother of his principal enemies in Paris.
Mazarin urged Anne of Austria to bring him back to Paris as soon as possible, "to correct the greatest attack ever made against the royal authority". He raised an army of Spanish and French soldiers, and marched on Paris, arriving on 2 July. Riots broke out around the Bastille, and were suppressed with great difficulty. Louis XIV, now of age to claim his throne, re-entered Paris in Octoberaccompanied by his mother and by Turenne.
Mazarin had to wait longer to make his return, which was carefully orchestrated with his help.
Mazarin ministre de louis xiv biography: After the death of
The Parlement de Paris was first transferred by Anne of Austria from Paris to Pontoise, to see how many members would accept her authority. A majority appeared at the meeting. Following the prepared plan, the Parlement respectfully asked that Mazarin be dismissed, and Anne of Austria agreed. Mazarin, knowing this was the plan, accepted this decision, and waited a respectful time in exile.
He made his return to Paris in February He was welcomed with a triumphal banquet at the Hotel de Ville, where crowds earlier had demanded his downfall. Once he was restored to power, Mazarin began arranging for his nieces, known as the Mazarinettesto marry powerful French and Italian noblemen. In order to entice the prospective grooms to marry them despite their lower rank, Mazarin provided large dowries.
Finding money was a primary preoccupation for Mazarin throughout his entire time as first minister. His new taxes on Parisians and the nobility had provoked the first Frondebut the end of the Fronde did not resolve the problem. The royal budget for was about million livreswhich amounted to eight hundred tons of silver or sixty tons of gold.
Expenditures were the greatest between and Twenty-seven agreements were made with bankers, who loaned the government 98 million livres to supplement the money collected through ordinary taxes. Following the death of his first finance minister, La Vieuville, on 2 FebruaryMazarin chose a new minister, Nicolas Fouquet. At the age of twenty-five, Fouquet had inherited a very large fortune after the death of his young first wife, and an even greater fortune when he married the second time, to Marie-Madeleine de Castille, whose family was one of the wealthiest in Europe.
Fouquet began as a master of receipts at age twenty, then an intendant to the army, then Procuror-General for the Parlement of Paris at the age of thirty-five.