8 Hidden Figures Who Quietly Shaped Nations (4 of 5)

3. Cardinal Richelieu

Cardinal Richelieu was more than just an influential religious leader and advisor to King Louis XIII, he was very much calling the shots when he served as France’s chief minister from 1624 to 1642. Not above using coercive tactics to get what he wanted, he put rebellious aristocrats in their place, consolidated royal power, and had a huge impact on the country’s foreign policy. For instance, he put aside religious differences and aligned Catholic France with Protestant allies in order to weaken the rival Habsburgs and alter Europe’s balance of power.

2. Anne Boleyn

There aren’t a lot of world leaders from five centuries ago whose decisions still have an impact on the daily lives of its current citizens, much less one who had no official leadership role. This is why Anne Boelyn, the Queen Consort who was famously beheaded for not producing King Henry VIII a male heir, holds a unique place in history. It was she who convinced the King to sever ties with the Catholic Church, paving the way for the English Reformation that gave us the Church of England today.