Claude Bouthillier

Claude Bouthillier, Sieur de Fouilletourte (1581–1652)

Claude Bouthillier, Sieur de Fouilletourte (* 1581 ; † March 13, 1652 ), was a French politician and diplomat. From May 2, 1629 to March 18, 1632 he was Foreign Minister , and from July 1632 to June 10, 1643 Minister of Finance of France .

Life

Claude Bouthillier came from an old noble family from Brittany and initially worked as a lawyer . He was introduced to the royal court through a friend of his father's, an inspector general. He was appointed to the council of the Paris Parliament in 1613 and during the same period secured the goodwill of Cardinal Richelieu . Thanks to his mediation, Bouthillier also obtained the position of a Council of State in 1619 and became secretary to the Queen Mother Mary of Medici . Ten years later, in 1629, getting along well with Cardinal Richelieu enabled him to become Foreign Minister . In this role he mainly led the negotiations with the principalities in northern Italy before he led the diplomatic intervention of France in the Thirty Years War (1618-1648). Even after his dismissal as foreign minister, he was responsible for French secret diplomacy in the German Empire until 1640 . The alliance signed under Bouthillier with Duke Bernhard von Weimar , whose troops finally fought for French interests against the German Emperor from 1635, proved to be particularly successful .

Bouthillier was already previously in 1632 by King Louis XIII. appointed Minister of Finance. He initially shared this office with Claude de Bullion . When he died in 1640, Bouthillier remained the only person responsible for the state finances, where he distinguished himself as a reformer. King Louis XIII He valued him so much that he named him one of the regents councils of France in his will. Since Cardinal Richelieu had also died in the meantime, Bouthillier lacked political support. In 1643 he fell out of favor with the regent Anna of Austria , lost his offices and retired to his estate near Pont-sur-Seine . There he died in 1652 at the age of 71.

literature

• Bouthillier (Claude Le). In: J. Fr. Michaud (Ed.): Biographie Universelle. Volume 5, Graz 1966, p. 347 (reprint of the 1854 edition).
• Bouthillier, Claude . In: Encyclopædia Britannica . 11th edition. tape 4 : Bishārīn - Calgary . London 1910, p. 335 (English, full text [ Wikisource ]).

predecessor	Office	successor
Raymond Phélypeaux, seigneur d'Herbault	Foreign Minister of France May 2, 1629 - March 18, 1632	Léon Bouthillier
Antoine Coëffier de Ruzé	Finance Minister of France July 1632 - June 10, 1643	Claude de Mesme