Power and war. The principles of state management

Cardinal de Richelieu is widely known thanks to the "three musketeers" Alexander Dumas. In this novel, it is represented as an insidious and unprincipled politician who thinks primarily about personal benefit. In fact, Richelieu was an outstanding statesman in which France became the leading power of Europe. Conducting the post of chief minister, Richelieu delved into all issues of power and summarized his vast experience in the principles of state governance.
His notes were written during the Civil War in France, when the problem of preserving state power was especially acute. Richelieu writes about defense and safety, strengthening borders, the fight against poverty, eradicating corruption and theft, the search for national ideology. These notes have not lost their relevance today