On This Day
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Bishop Richelieu becomes French minister of Foreign affairs and War

Armand Jean du Plessis, 1st Duke of Richelieu (9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), commonly known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a French Catholic prelate and statesman who had an outsized influence in...

Armand Jean du Plessis, 1st Duke of Richelieu (9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), commonly known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a French Catholic prelate and statesman who had an outsized influence in civil and religious affairs. He became known as the Red Eminence (French: l'Éminence Rouge), a term derived from the style of Eminence applied to cardinals and their customary red robes.

Consecrated a bishop in 1607, Richelieu was appointed Foreign Secretary in 1616. He continued to rise through the hierarchy of both the Catholic Church and the French government, becoming a cardinal in 1622 and chief minister to King Louis XIII in 1624. He retained that office until his death in 1642, when he was succeeded by Cardinal Jules Mazarin, whose career the cardinal had fostered.

Historical Significance

Armand Jean du Plessis, 1st Duke of Richelieu (9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), commonly known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a French Catholic prelate and statesman who had an outsized influence in civil and religious affairs.

Events Before

  1. First Récollet missionaries arrive at Quebec City, from Rouen, France

    First Récollet missionaries arrive at Quebec City, from Rouen, France

  2. Dutch mariner Jacques Le Maire sets sails from Texel, North Holland, to find a new route to the Pacific and the Spice Is

    Dutch mariner Jacques Le Maire sets sails from Texel, North Holland, to find a new route to the Pacific and the Spice Islands and the southern continent (Terra Australis)

  3. Nighttime naval battle off the coast of Peru between a Dutch fleet led by Joris Spilbergen and a Spanish fleet carrying

    Nighttime naval battle off the coast of Peru between a Dutch fleet led by Joris Spilbergen and a Spanish fleet carrying silver; two Spanish ships sink [1]

  4. Dutch expedition of Joris van Spilbergen attacks and later pillages the Spanish-held town of Paita, north of Lima [1]

    Dutch expedition of Joris van Spilbergen attacks and later pillages the Spanish-held town of Paita, north of Lima [1]

  5. Nicolas Fouquet is born

    Nicolas Fouquet, French official, known for french official, was born on 1615-02-23.

Events After

  1. Pieter van den Broecke arrives at Arabian port of Mocha, will be first Dutchman to establish trade links between East In

    Pieter van den Broecke arrives at Arabian port of Mocha, will be first Dutchman to establish trade links between East India Company and Yemen and taste coffee [1]

  2. Sweden and Russia sign the Treaty of Stolbovo, ending the Ingrian War

    The Polish–Swedish War (1617–1618) was a phase of the longer Polish–Swedish War of 1600–1629. It continued the war of 1600–1611 and was an attempt by Sweden to take Polish pressure off Russia.

  3. Dutch expedition of Jacques Le Maire and Willem Corneliszoon Schouten returns to Zeeland after two years - discovered Ca

    Dutch expedition of Jacques Le Maire and Willem Corneliszoon Schouten returns to Zeeland after two years - discovered Cape Horn route around South America (Le Maire died on return voyage) [1]

  4. First one-way streets open in London

    First one-way streets open in London

  5. Peace of Pavia is signed in Pavia between Spain and the Duchy of Savoy

    The Treaty of Pavia was signed in Pavia on October 9, 1617, between representatives of the Spanish Empire and the Duchy of Savoy.

More from the 1610s

Galileo Galilei discovers the first three moons of Jupiter: Io, Europa and Ganymede

There are 97 known moons of the planet Jupiter. This number does not include a number of meter-sized moonlets thought to be shed from the inner moons, nor hundreds of possible kilometer-sized outer…

King James I's daughter Elizabeth marries Frederick V of the Palatinate

The wedding of Frederick V of the Palatinate (1596–1632) and Princess Elizabeth (1596–1662), daughter of James VI and I, was celebrated in London in February 1613.

Michael Romanov, son of the Patriarch of Moscow, is elected the first Russian Tsar of the House of Romanov

The House of Romanov was the reigning imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after Anastasia Romanovna married Ivan the Terrible, the first crowned tsar of all Russia.

English sea captain Gabriel Towerson marries Maryam Khan, an Armenian Christian bought up at the Mughal court, in London

English sea captain Gabriel Towerson marries Maryam Khan, an Armenian Christian bought up at the Mughal court, in London

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on November 20, 1616?
Armand Jean du Plessis, 1st Duke of Richelieu (9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), commonly known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a French Catholic prelate and statesman who had an outsized influence in civil and religious affairs. He became known as the Red Eminence (French: l'Éminence Rouge), a term derived from the style of Eminence applied to cardinals and their customary red robes. Consecrated a bishop in 1607, Richelieu was appointed Foreign Secretary in 1616.
Why is Bishop Richelieu becomes French minister of Foreign affairs and War significant?
Armand Jean du Plessis, 1st Duke of Richelieu (9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), commonly known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a French Catholic prelate and statesman who had an outsized influence in civil and religious affairs.

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November 20 in HistoryYear 1616