Armand Emmanuel de Vignerot du Plessis, 5th Duke of Richelieu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Most High and Most Potent Lord
The Duke of Richelieu
KOHS, KOSG
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Portrait of the Duke of Richelieu by Thomas Lawrence, 1818
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| Prime Minister of France | |
| In office 20 February 1820 – 14 December 1821 |
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| Monarch | Louis XVIII |
| Preceded by | Comte Decazes |
| Succeeded by | Comte de Villèle |
| In office 26 September 1815 – 29 December 1818 |
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| Monarch | Louis XVIII |
| Preceded by | Charles Maurice de Talleyrand |
| Succeeded by | Marquis Dessolles |
| Member of the Académie française | |
| In office 23 March 1816 – 17 May 1822 |
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| Preceded by | Antoine-Vincent Arnault |
| Succeeded by | Bon-Joseph Dacier |
| Governor of Odesa | |
| In office 8 October 1803 – 27 August 1814 |
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| Monarch | Alexander I |
| Preceded by | Paul Pustoshkin |
| Succeeded by | Thomas A. Cobley |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Armand Emmanuel Sophie Septimanie Vignerot du Plessis
25 September 1766 Paris, France |
| Died | 17 May 1822 (aged 55) Paris, France |
| Political party | Doctrinaires |
| Spouse |
Rosalie de Rochechouart
(m. 1781) |
| Profession | Diplomat, military officer |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Kingdom of France Russian Empire |
| Branch/service | French Royal Army Army of Condé Imperial Russian Army |
| Years of service | 1785–1814 |
| Rank | Captain Major general |
| Unit | Dragoon 3rd Hussar Regiment |
| Battles/wars | |
Armand Emmanuel Sophie Septimanie de Vignerot du Plessis, 5th Duke of Richelieu (born September 25, 1766 – died May 17, 1822), was an important French leader. He was known by different titles throughout his life, becoming the Duke of Richelieu in 1791.
During the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars, he was a loyal supporter of the French king. He served as a high-ranking officer in the Imperial Russian Army. After the French monarchy was restored, he returned to France. He then served as Prime Minister of France two times.
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Early Life in France
Armand Emmanuel was born in Paris, France. His father was Antoine de Vignerot du Plessis, the 4th Duke of Richelieu. His grandfather was a favorite of King Louis XV of France.
When he was fifteen, in 1782, he married Alexandrine Rosalie Sabine de Rochechouart-Faudoas. After their wedding, he traveled around Europe with his teacher. He visited cities like Geneva, Florence, and Vienna.
After three years of travel, he joined the Queen's Dragoons, a type of cavalry. The next year, he took his grandfather's place at court. He became a "premier gentilhomme de la chambre" for King Louis XVI. This meant he had to attend the King during daily ceremonies at the Palace of Versailles. Even though he was young, he was known for being very proper and serious.
By 1789, he was a captain in the Esterhazy Regiment of Hussars. On October 5, 1789, he was in Paris when a large crowd marched towards Versailles. He was worried about the King and Queen. He dressed like a common person and walked to Versailles to warn them. He managed to reach the Queen and convinced her to go to the King's rooms, which may have saved her life.
Life in Exile
In 1790, Queen Marie Antoinette asked him to go to Vienna. He was to talk about the French Revolution with her brother, Emperor Joseph II. However, Joseph died before he arrived. Richelieu then attended the crowning of the new Emperor, Leopold II.
In Vienna, he became friends with Prince Charles de Ligne. They decided to join the Imperial Russian Army as volunteers. They traveled to Bender, Moldavia. They were present when the city of Izmail was captured. For his bravery, the Russian Empress Catherine the Great gave him the Order of St. George and a golden sword.
When his father died in 1791, he became the Duke of Richelieu. King Louis XVI called him back to Paris to serve in the royal household again. However, he felt he could not help the King much with the revolution happening in Paris.
In July, he got permission to return to Vienna as a diplomat. After a short time in Austria, Richelieu joined the army of French nobles who were against the revolution. This army was led by the Prince of Condé. Later, Empress Catherine the Great offered positions in her army to these officers, and Richelieu accepted.
In the Russian army, he became a Major General. He later left the army for a short time. But his luck changed when Alexander I became the new Russian emperor in 1801, as they were friends. In 1803, Alexander appointed him Governor of Odesa.
Two years later, he became the Governor-General of a large area called New Russia. This land had recently been won from the Ottoman Empire. He also led a division in the Russo-Turkish War, 1806-1812. During his eleven years in charge, Odesa grew a lot and became a very important city. The people of Odesa were so thankful that they built a bronze statue of him in 1828. This statue stands at the top of the famous Odesa Steps.
Return to France and Political Career
Richelieu came back to France in 1814. When Napoleon Bonaparte returned from Elba, Richelieu went with King Louis XVIII to Lille. From there, he decided to go back to Vienna to join the Russian army again. He believed he could best help the King and France by being close to Tsar Alexander.
Richelieu was a valuable person for the French monarchy when it was restored. He did not hold grudges like many other nobles who returned from exile. He also understood that the changes from the French Revolution could not be undone. Because he was a personal friend of the Russian emperor, he had a lot of influence with the other European leaders.
Even so, he first refused a job in the government led by Charles Maurice de Talleyrand. He said he had been away from France for too long and didn't know its current situation. However, after Talleyrand resigned, Richelieu was asked to become the Prime Minister of France. He accepted, even though he said he didn't know any of his new colleagues. He became Prime Minister on September 26, 1815, and held the position until December 29, 1818. During this time, he was also the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
He worked hard to get the Allied armies to leave France quickly. He attended the Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1818. There, he learned that the Allies promised to help France if revolutionary troubles started again. This knowledge helped him feel more secure when he left office in December of that year. He resigned because his colleagues would not support changes to the election laws.
After the King's nephew, the Duke of Berry, was murdered, Richelieu was asked to be Prime Minister again on February 21, 1821. But his position was difficult because he was attacked by both the "Ultras" (who wanted the monarchy to have more power) and the Liberals (who wanted more freedom). He resigned again on December 12, 1821.
He died from a stroke on May 17, 1822.
Images for kids
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Ivan Martos's statue of the Duke of Richelieu in Odesa
See also
In Spanish: Armand Emmanuel du Plessis para niños
