“The state is me”… These words belong to one of the most famous European monarchs, Louis XIV. They quite accurately determine the period of his reign, which is characterized by the highest flowering of absolutism in France.
General information
Louis XIV carefully delved into all the details of government and quite firmly held all the levers of power in his hands. Whatever his entourage offered, always the last decisive word remained with the monarch. Nevertheless, there was one man, without whose opinion the French king never made important decisions. It was his finance minister, Jean Baptiste Colbert. A brief biography of this statesman, his political and economic views, as well as his main works are presented in this article.
At the beginning of his public service, he was considered the protégé of Giulio Mazarin, the Italian prelate, who called him his confidant. The young king Louis XIV appointed Colbert as court intendant of finance. It must be said that in this post he distinguished himself both by his hard work andimplementation of numerous reforms.
Colbert Jean Baptiste: biography
This famous statesman was born on August 26, 1619 in France. His childhood and adolescence were spent in the north-east of the country in the city-commune of Reims. Jean Baptiste Colbert grew up in a fairly we althy family. His father is a we althy merchant who owned numerous shopping arcades. At the age of thirty, Colbert already held the position of financial intendant, and eleven years later he became the successor of Fouquet himself. His career developed rapidly. In 1669, Jean-Baptiste Colbert was already minister of state. He was able to combine this high position with the duties of the chief quartermaster of all royal buildings, factories and fine arts. The working day of this statesman lasted more than fifteen hours. Jean Baptiste Colbert, whose economic views later formed the basis of his numerous works, always thoroughly understood all the problems and carefully studied the situation.
Activities
Being a supporter of the policy of mercantilism, this statesman contributed a lot to the development of trade, the national fleet and industry. It was Jean Baptiste Colbert who laid the economic prerequisites for the further formation of France as a colonial empire.
He was a very stubborn and cruel man. Colbert always tried to expose dishonest officials, as well as those who avoided paying taxes. Criminals were subjected to incredible fines, and sometimesthey were even punished with the death pen alty. And although Colbert did not have any obvious hobbies, he nevertheless had a fairly broad outlook. Accustomed to setting high goals for himself, this figure was at the same time stubborn, severe to the point of cruelty and completely imbued with the political and economic worldviews of that time.
He first of all drew attention to any abuses in financial matters. The special judicial chamber he created investigated these cases and de alt with the guilty very strictly, without the slightest leniency. Tax farmers, fiscal officials, etc. were subjected to huge fines. In 1662 and 1663, about seventy million livres were taken from some financiers. When the chamber was dissolved in 1669, it had already managed to deliver one hundred and ten million livres, confiscated from more than five hundred people, to the treasury.
Financial policy
The cruelty of Jean Baptiste Colbert (1619-1683) was balanced to some extent by the reduction in the direct tax that lay on the lower class of the population. His other achievement was the reduction of the public debt of France. Some loans taken by the country simply ceased to be paid on the pretext that the monarch had been deceived in obtaining them. At the same time, on his orders, many state lands, which had been sold or given away centuries ago, were forcibly returned. They were simply purchased at the purchase price, regardless of the changed value of money.
Jean Baptiste Colbert: essentialsworks
In the development of economic thought in Europe from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries, mercantilism held the lead. This doctrine was based on the idea that we alth consists only in the possession and accumulation of money. Adherents of this theory believed that the more gold "comes" into the state treasury and the less "leaves", the richer it will be. One of the most prominent representatives of this doctrine in France was Jean Baptiste Colbert. Mercantilism was later even renamed after him.
The main merit of the adherents of this doctrine - European thinkers - was that it was they who made the first attempt to comprehend general economic problems from the point of view of the interests of the national economy. In Germany, these ideas survived until the beginning of the nineteenth century, taking the form of the so-called cameralistics. French mercantilism had its own characteristics. It was in the era of Colbert that a completely new direction appeared - physiocracy. Its representatives considered only what is produced in agriculture as the main resource. Colbert believed that free trade is not relevant, since goods are produced only for the domestic market, and this, in turn, holds back the economic development of the state. This figure did not leave any more or less fundamental works to his descendants. Nevertheless, the history of economic thought highlights his effective policies. Colbert Jean Baptiste, whose works were mainly aimed at reducing imports, was striving with might and main to strengthen the central government. It must be said that hesucceeded.
Colbertism
Jean Baptiste Colbert was an ardent supporter of mercantilism and a major political figure in France of the seventeenth century. His policies were even named "Colbertism" after him. The Minister of Finance under the monarch Louis XIV strengthened the central government with might and main. To this end, he transferred administrative power in the field to the quartermasters - state officials, at the same time, the rights of regional parliaments were significantly narrowed. Colbertism also penetrated the cultural policy of the country. During the reign of Colbert, the Academy of Sciences was founded, the Small Academy of Inscriptions and Literature, Construction, etc.
Reformist ideas
Ease the burdens of the poor at the expense of the rich - this is the rule that Jean Baptiste Colbert always adhered to. The main ideas of this financier in this area were the introduction of indirect taxes that would be payable by all citizens of the country, since at that time direct taxation extended only to the unprivileged.
In 1664, Colbert achieved the abolition of internal customs between the southern and northern provinces. Another of his ideas was the active planting of manufactories. He advocated inviting foreign craftsmen to work in the country, issuing government loans to industrialists in need, as well as providing all kinds of benefits to citizens, for example, exemptions from recruitment or the right to any religion.
Promotion of colonization
WhenColbert began to prosper maritime trade, which before him was completely insignificant. Harbors were improved, and a bonus was even awarded for the construction of new ships. Foreign ships entering and leaving French harbors paid a toll.
Another important idea of Colbert was to encourage colonization. In his opinion, only foreign trade could provide abundance for French subjects, giving satisfaction to sovereigns. He said that "trade is a constant war", and the amount of money money will determine the power and size of the state. The colonization of Madagascar was his main idea. At the same time, he founded other directions for the north. And although the illiterate leadership of the metropolis led to the failure of many of these undertakings, by the end of Colbert's career, France owned, if not the most flourishing, then certainly the most extensive territories of European colonies.
Improving communication lines
Colbert did a lot of new things for his country. It was under him that the construction of the huge Languedoc Canal was completed. Every year, about 650 thousand livres were allocated from the treasury for the maintenance and creation of new roads. Their excellent condition, according to Colbert, was one of the most powerful means for the complete centralization of the state.
Mistakes
The growth of industry at that time was at the expense of agriculture. Namely, Jean-Baptiste Colbert considered it as a source for the state's financial resources. The most important shortcoming in the policy of the Minister of Finance wasthe fact that it still left intact the feudal type of relations, and yet they strongly fettered any economic and social development of France. It is quite possible that Colbert's efforts would have been crowned with great success, but the royal authorities set him one main task: to squeeze money at any cost for the wars that King Louis XIV waged endlessly, as well as for the needs of his court.
Discontent
The tyranny and pedantic regulation of the government in all matters greatly embittered the French against Jean Baptiste Colbert. Massive pamphlets were even published against him in Holland, but they were not able to interfere with the direction of his policy. Acting on behalf of the monarch, Colbert, despite his non-aristocratic origin, could easily oppose the nobility where it was needed. With the clergy, the Minister of Finance also constantly fought for the rights of the state. And although he tried in vain to reduce the number of clergy, he managed to reduce the number of important church holidays.
Recent years
Due to financial stabilization, a surge in business activity began. For 1664-1668. the lion's share of manufactories was founded. But the war with Holland that began soon, which later developed into a confrontation with the European coalition, led to severe trials for French trading companies. She also put an end to the Colbert program. The finance quartermaster himself lived for another eleven years after that. However, this was no longer the same reformer, confident in his plans.and influence on the sovereign. Colbert, tired and exhausted by illness, was engaged in a routine and thankless extraction of money for military expenses. He died on September 6, 1683. Devastating wars destroyed his long-term works. Colbert, towards the end of his life, became convinced of the incompatibility of the economic line pursued by him and the foreign policy of Louis. When he, completely broken by failure, died, the people answered him for all their trials. Fierce with heavy taxes, the French attacked the funeral procession. Military guards even had to protect Colbert's coffin from the people's malice.
