Cardinal Richelieu & Rise of France after the Thirty Years’ War

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the lecture on Cardinal Richelieu, the Thirty Years’ War, and the rise of France.

Peace of Westphalia

1648 treaties ending the Thirty Years’ War; affirmed state sovereignty and helped France eclipse Spain.

Thirty Years’ War

1618–1648 conflict that began over religion but became political, leading to France’s dominance and Spain’s decline.

Spanish Golden Age

16th–early-17th-century period when Spain led in power, wealth, and culture before being eclipsed by France.

Politique Tradition

French view that the stability and interests of the state outweigh religious allegiance.

Cardinal Richelieu

First minister to Louis XIII (1624-1642); strengthened royal power, practiced raison d’état, and pioneered modern statecraft.

Huguenots

French Calvinist Protestants protected by the Edict of Nantes but later stripped of political rights by Richelieu.

Edict of Nantes

1598 decree granting French Protestants freedom of worship; amended by Richelieu to curb their political power and arms.

Mercantilism

Early modern economic theory that sees global wealth as finite and urges states to control colonies and trade to amass gold and silver.

Centralization

Shift of authority from local feudal lords to a strong national monarchy, advanced in France by Richelieu.

Absolutism

System in which a monarch holds unchecked power, later solidified in France following Richelieu’s reforms.

Feudal Decentralization

Medieval arrangement where power flowed down to vassals; reversed by early-modern centralizing monarchs.

Habsburg Dynasty

Catholic ruling house of Spain and Austria; chief rival of France during the Thirty Years’ War.

Catholic League

Alliance of Catholic states led by the Habsburgs in the Thirty Years’ War; opposed by France despite shared faith.

Raison d’État (Reasons of State)

Doctrine that state interests supersede all else, used by Richelieu to justify aiding Protestants against the Habsburgs.

Spanish Netherlands

Northern European territories lost by Spain, signaling its waning power and France’s ascent.

Age of Exploration

15th–17th-century era of global voyages that initially propelled Spain to world power status.

New France

French North American colonies whose trade was restricted to France under mercantilist policy.