The Three Musketeers
by Alexandre Dumas
Current Events & Pop Culture
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Sample of Current Events & Pop Culture
A Brief History of Cardinal Richelieu
There's a lot of French history to digest while reading The Three Musketeers, and much of the plot involves real historical events and characters. To explain the historical background of every single character and every single event would take another unit altogether, and you probably don't have the time to delve into the intricacies of French politics. The best thing to do is give your students a few brief factoids about some of the major characters—just enough for them to better understand the plot of the story. This brief, handy-dandy bio of Cardinal Richelieu will help your students understand a little of what was going on behind the scenes in the time of Louis XIII, since the Cardinal had his hands in just about everything.
"Richelieu adhered to the maxim that "the ends justify the means." Although he devoutly believed in the mission of the Roman Church, he sought to assign the church a more practical role. Richelieu argued that the state is above everything, and that religion is a mere instrument to promote the policies of the state. When Richelieu rose to power France's King Louis XIII had not solidified his authority in France. A combination of political corruption, an independent nobility, and the power of a Protestant group called the Huguenots, threatened the monarchy's rule. In 1627 Richelieu set out to secure the authority of the crown through force and political repression. By 1631 he had crushed Huguenot resistance, severely punished nobles who plotted against the king, and replaced his enemies in the government. In addition, he expanded the king's authority in the provinces through the use of royal agents called intendants."