History of the French Navy - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Although the History of the French Navy goes back to the Middle Ages, its history can be said to effectively begin with Richelieu

Armand Jean du Plessis, Cardinal Richelieu

Armand Jean du Plessis, Cardinal-Duc de Richelieu et de Fronsac was a French clergyman, noble, and statesman.Consecrated as a bishop in 1608, he later entered politics, becoming a Secretary of State in 1616. Richelieu soon rose in both the Catholic Church and the French government, becoming a...

under Louis XIII

Louis XIII of France

Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority...

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Since the establishment of her present territory, France had to face three major challenges on the naval level:

Geographically France had two large sections of coastline separated by Spain, so she had to keep two naval forces and divide resources between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
Politically and strategically France's main threats came from central Europe which required a strong army rather than a strong navy.
Inconsistent support for her navy.