Richelieu And Olivares

Term Paper Title	Richelieu And Olivares
# of Words	778
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	3.11

Richelieu and Olivares

HIST 121-02

Richelieu and Olivares-The Quest for European Domination
Elliott, J.H., Richelieu and Olivares, (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1984).

Richelieu and Olivares was written as an account of the lives of the two great rulers of rivaling nations which struggled for the domination of Europe and the idea of a Universal monarchy in the early seventeenth century. The beginning of the book discusses the childhood/adolescent years of Richelieu and Olivares, the similarities and differences of their distinctive personalities and the places and events that shaped them. They were similar in the fact that they were great visionaries and were both relentless in their constant pursuit of discipline and order. They were different in the manner that they rose to power and how they controlled their countries when they were at the helm. After they rose to power it was a matter of gaining the support of the monarch and strengthening central power. It tries to demonstrate not only how the leaders of nascent nations brought about change, but to also show a side of Richelieu that few other books have depicted. �In undertaking this attempt at comparative history, I should make clear that I hold no special brief for the deference of Olivares, whose record of defeat is plain for all to read. My only anxiety is to ensure that he should be given equal time.�(6). This book attempts to demonstrate the chess match between Richelieu and Olivares in which there was to be only one winner. The book compared the two leaders to show what conflicts the two men had, how they dealt with them, what they thought of each other and why one came out on top of the other. �They shared many of the same problems; they came up with many of the same answers; and in the end they reached the conclusion that the world was too small to contain them both.� (6).

The first time that the book notes an unfriendly atmosphere between Richelieu and Olivares came after the War of Mantuan Succession. The two men blamed each other for the problems incurred as a result of the conflict. �Richelieu�s journal for the early months of 1631 shows him receiving reports to the effect that Olivares held him responsible for all Spain�s misfortunes and would shrink from no �crime or artiface� to destroy him� (114). ...

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