Cardinal Mazarin

Cardinal Jules Raymond Mazarin, 1st Duke of Rethel, Mayenne and Nevers (French: [ʒyl mazaʁɛ̃]; 14 July 1602 – 9 March 1661), born Giulio Raimondo Mazzarini [ˈdʒuːljo raiˈmondo madːzaˈriːno] or Mazarini, was an Italian cardinal, diplomat, and politician, who served as the Chief Minister to the kings of France Louis XIII and Louis XIV from 1642 until his death. As the de facto ruler of France, Mazarin played a crucial role in establishing the Westphalian principles that would guide European states' foreign policy and the prevailing world order. Some of these principles, such as the nation state's sovereignty over its territory and domestic affairs and the legal equality among states, remain the basis of international law to this day. …more