Character discussion

giani:

Richelieu was a formidable intellect and servant of the Crown, but also a great gambler.  The intervention in Italy in 1629 against Habsburg moves in Mantua, and the declaration of war against Spain in 1635 were risky adventures as the French army was both poorly prepared and supplied, and also only experienced against Huguenot fortifications and against an English force badly handled off La Rochelle.

In order to have a substantial military force that had experience in the field, France hired the services of Duke Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar from the Swedish service in 1635.  Richelieu knew of the problems of the French armies, and gambled that this experienced force would be able to cover for the inexperience of the French and for the egos of the Marechals of France who specialized in quaralling with each other over precedence and matters of honor.  Noble rebellions also caused problems such as the affair of Cinq Mars in the 1630s.  (The french have always been the French.)   

Anyway, the French army was not really reformed until after the first two wars under Louis XIV...the "War of Devolution" in the late 1660s, and the Dutch War of 1672.  Richelieu was undoubtedly a great statesman, but Cardinal Mazarini had more impact on the rise of France after Richelieu's death in 1642.  Still, his reputation is deserved....a realistic politician who combined the legitimacy of Church and King, and who did "what had to be done" to preserve and empower France. 

He was a gambler, but some people are lucky, and sometimes it IS better to be lucky than good.