Armand-Jean du Plessis de Richelieu was born in 1585, and would become the future chief minister of the French monarchy from 1624 to 1642. When he was born, on his cot was the motto, Regi Armandus, meaning "Armand for the King" . This statement would arguably become one of the truest statements in history, as Richelieu would eventually play a very important part in firmly establishing the power of the French monarchy over its subjects and the power of France as a world power . Richelieu has been seen by different historians in two ways; one being a ruthless despot who would do whatever he possibly could to achieve his goals, and the other being of a brilliant politician who transformed France into one of the greatest and most powerful nations and monarchies in the world. However, some historians, such as Knecht argue that both of these views are interlinked. The Machiavellian principle...