Cardinal Richelieu

During the 30 Years War, Catholic France pursued alliances with the Protestant Dutch Republic and Sweden. Richelieu, himself a Catholic cardinal, arranged these alliances to balance against the Habsburg Empire. In doing so, Richelieu championed "raison d'etat", detaching the state from religious ideologies and providing it with its own interests. In strengthening the "raison d'etat", Richelieu increased the power and freedom of the ruler, facilitating absolutism.