Which cardinal was the chief minister of France during the war?

Cardinal Richelieu was the chief minister of France during the Thirty Years’ War. Armand-Jean du Plessis, Cardinal Richelieu, became chief minister to King Louis XIII in 1624 and remained the dominant figure in French government until his death in 1642.

Richelieu strengthened royal authority, reduced the political power of rebellious nobles, and limited the influence of the Huguenots after the fall of La Rochelle in 1628. His policies were driven by raison d’état: although France was Catholic, he viewed the Habsburg rulers of Spain and the Holy Roman Empire as France’s main strategic rivals.

France initially supported Protestant enemies of the Habsburgs with money and diplomacy. In 1635, it entered the war openly against Spain and the Empire. Richelieu did not live to see the conflict end in 1648, but his strategy helped shift France toward European dominance.

Cardinal Mazarin succeeded him and continued much of his foreign policy. Cardinal Wolsey served England, while Cardinal Ximenes was associated with Spain, making them common but incorrect alternatives.