Most of our compatriots know the Cardinal of France Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu (1585-1642), only from fiction - from the novels of Alexander Dumas the Father. Alexander Dumas was a great writer, but even more so a freedom-loving Frenchman. In his negative characters, he chose, first of all, those who, in his opinion, had limited this French freedom of the individual in all its manifestations for many centuries. It is not surprising that Cardinal Richelieu and other powerful representatives of the Church suffered more than anyone else in Dumas’s works. In the immortal novel “The Three Musketeers,” the literary Cardinal Richelieu is a stilted villain, an intriguer, an unlucky lover, a mediocre poet, who, compared to the noble musketeers, looks petty and comical. In life, everything was completely different, but no less intriguing. Indeed, with the historical Cardinal Richelieu There were few friends, but there were more than enough enemies. However, even his enemies knew his value well and spoke of him not just as a worthy opponent, but as “one of the best people that not only France, but all of Europe has ever known.” And all because the Duke de Richelieu was a brilliant, and maybe even great, crisis manager. This modern term perfectly suits the first minister of France, who lived four centuries ago. Richelieu took the highest government office of his country at a time when it was in a political impasse and the affairs of the state were in complete disorder. A few years of his rule - and the situation changed radically: feuds and conspiracies were suppressed, the economy and finances were rapidly strengthening, France was becoming a powerful player in the international arena. Richelieu, as a great ruler, made politics politics and made it serve not ideology, but the cause of the prosperity of the state. First Minister Richelieu was neither an ideal person nor an ideal ruler. He was always tough and often cruel, achieved his goals, and did not forget about his selfish interests. But still, the main meaning of his life and work was France. And therefore this man could rightfully say: “My first goal was the greatness of the king, my second goal was the power of the kingdom”... The electronic publication includes the full text of the paper book and a selected part of the illustrative documentary material. And for true connoisseurs of gift editions, we offer a classic book. Like all publications in the “Great Rulers” series, the book is equipped with detailed historical and biographical comments. The book contains an excellent selection of illustrative material: the text is accompanied by more than 250 old color and black and white illustrations, most of which the reader will be introduced to for the first time. Elegant design, beautiful printing, and the best offset paper make this series a wonderful gift and decoration for the library of the most discerning reader.