Claude Bouthillier

Claude Bouthillier, Sieur de Fouilletourte (* 1581, † March 13, 1652 ) was a French politician and diplomat. Of 2 May 1629 to 18 March in 1632 was Secretary of State, and from July 1632 to June 10, 1643 Finance Minister of France.

Claude Bouthillier came from an old noble family from Brittany and worked as a lawyer. Through a friend of his father, an Inspector General, he was introduced to the royal court. He was appointed in 1613 to the Council, the Parliament of Paris and secured in the same period the goodwill of Cardinal Richelieu. Thanks to the mediation gained Bouthillier 1619 also the site of a State Council and became secretary to the Queen Mother Marie de Medici. Ten years later, in 1629, allowed him a good living with Cardinal Richelieu the ascent to the Secretary of State. In this role, he led the negotiations, especially with the principalities in northern Italy before he headed the diplomatic intervention of France in the Thirty Years' War ( 1618-1648). Even after his dismissal as Foreign Minister, he took care to 1640 by the French secret diplomacy in the German Reich. To be particularly successful proved the signed under Bouthillier alliance with Duke Bernhard of Weimar, whose troops eventually fought in 1635 for the French interests against the German Kaiser.

Previously was Bouthillier in 1632 by King Louis XIII. appointed Minister of Finance. This office he shared first with Claude de Bullion. When he died in 1640, Bouthillier was the only person responsible for the public finances, where he distinguished himself as a reformer. King Louis XIII. liked him so much that he named him in his will to one of the regent councils of France. As Cardinal Richelieu had now passed away, too, lacked the political backing Bouthillier. In 1643, he fell at the regent Anne of Austria in disgrace, lost his offices and retired to his estate at Pont -sur -Seine. There he died on March 13, 1652 at the age of 71 years.