King Louis XIII and the Cardinal de Richelieu. These two men are quite important and deserve to be better known. The Cardinal is probably the most known of the two, because of his policies, wars and his long lasting impact on French institutions and Europe's destiny. Louis XIII is often perceived as the weaker of the two, the king who merely signed his minister's recommendation. But history is never quite that straightforward, that easy. It is under these men that France will become an absolute monarchy and will begin her rise as Europe's dominant power. Louis XIII's son, Louis XIV will complete his father's work and become Europe's most powerful monarch.  Join me as I discuss the Just king and the famed red eminence, France's dynamic duo!  Timecodes: Introduction 04:13 - Bloodied France 09:47 - The Red Eminence 13:48 - The Phoenix Rises 19:56 - The Great Partnership 26:28 - A Reinforced Kingdom 33:40 - France and the World 38:31 - Conclusion Music: Marche pour la cérémonie des Turcs, composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully, arranged and performed by Jérôme Arfouche. Artwork: Louis XIII in coronation costume and Portrait of Cardinal Richelieu. Both by Philippe de Champaigne. Support the showReach out, support the show and give me feedback! Follow the podcast on social media Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify Become a patron on Patreon to support the show Buy me a Coffee Get beautiful “La Fayette, We are Here!” merchandise from TeePublic