French Mercantilism
Mercantilism, the collection of governmental policies that regulated economic- mainly
commercial - activities, by and for the state, that spread throughout Europe, especially in France,
during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This theory held that a nation's international
power was based upon it's wealth, specifically it's gold and silver supply. The mercantilist theory,
also known as Colbertism or Bullionism, that swept though France had a major impact upon its
changing domestic and foreign policies throughout the seventeenth and early eighteenth
centuries, and was geared toward strengthening the economic vitality of the state at the expense
of one's real or potential enemies. The three main architects of French mercantile policies, the
economic side of absolutism, were Maximillian de Bethune, Duke of Sully ( 1560-1641), Armand
du Plessis, Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642), and Jean-Baptist Colbert (1619-1683).
Henry IV's great economic advisor, the Duke of Sully, laid the foundation for mercantilism in
the French economy by recognizing the importance of commercial activities and overseas trade, as
well as state encouraged economic growth and expansion. Sully, during his lifetime, proved
himself as a financial genius within the court of Henry IV of France, and in the twelve short years
before Henry's death in 1610, Sully had restored the public order in France and defined the basis
for economic prosperity, with the government growing into one that was progressive and
promising by standards of the time. Sully was able to reduce the royal debt by reviving the
paulette tax on people who purchased financial and judicial ...
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...dustries that they established, and
the prosperity that developed under their control of France's finances helped shape a progressive
and industrious nation, for a time. Sully was able to crush France's royal debt and increase it's
treasury, while also dreaming of international peace. Richelieu was able to set the cornerstone for
French absolutism and meanwhile trying to destroy the Hapsburg holdings. And under Colbert,
French industry flourished from his support, until 1685, when peasants began to emigrate
because of taxes, poor harvests, and fluctuation in the price of grain. With the decline in the
number of the taxable population from that point on, the state's resources fell. Thus, a total lack
of a tax base and heavy expenditure for war during this time made Colbert's, Sully's, and
Richelieu's goals useless and unattainable.
Louis had a controller of general finances named Colbert, and he “reduced the annual treasury deficit by economies and more equitable, efficient taxation, although tax exemptions for the nobility, clergy, and some members of the bourgeoisie continued. Louis led many military attacks and wars to expand his territory and build up his economy. He started to tax the people and use this money to build palaces and other architectural structures. Louis added nobles to his army so they would not think that their power was declining. This also helped to strengthen his army and thus he led several military attacks to build his state. In the War of “Devolution (1667-1668) he claimed that those provinces had "devolved" by succession to his Spanish wife rather than to her half brother Charles II, who had inherited the Spanish crown.” By doing this, he received some valuable towns, and this helped to expand his territory. But Louis did not always win battles, there were a few times where his army was defeated. In 1683, Colbert died and several disasters happened thereafter. After several defeats, Louis XIV decided to settle down to a more “sedate
The Edict of Nantes had given Protestants, or Huguenots, in France the ability to practice their religion without fear of violence or persecution. Enacted in the late 1500s in an effort to resemble France after the destruction of the French Wars of Religion, the Edict of Nantes served as a means to unite the French population and end the violence that often accompanied religious persecution. Louis’ decision to revoke such a peace-promoting edict, in an effort to homogenize his country and align his subjects with his own beliefs, clearly illustrates his giving of priority to his own agenda, as opposed to that which would best benefit his country. However, while the claim that the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes was detrimental to French society, seems to be disproven by Doc 6, which essentially asserts that the king’s revocation has resulted in the rapid conversion of “whole towns” and describes the king as “the invincible hero destined to… destroy the terrible monster of heresy”, the author’s inherently biased point of view must be addressed. This description, which could be used as evidence to support the fact that Louis did act in interest of the state, must be taken with a grain of salt as the author himself, a member of the Assembly of the Clergy, does not even have the best interest of the state in mind; rather, he is
It was expected to result in a favorable balance of trade, with imports not exceeding exports. The significance of this term is that this system allowed gold and silver to flow into England, bringing economic expansion. As a result, these mercantile policies laid the ground for overseas colonization and allowed England to rise as a challenge to Spanish power in the New World.
After the civil war, America found itself with a high production rate, resulting in overproduction and falling of prices, as well as an increase on economic stress and the beginning of panic and prosperity cycles. The wars demand for products had called for a more efficient production system; therefore new machinery had come into place. New tools, such as the reaper, shown in document D, the wheat harvest of 1880, were introduced and facilitated production for farmers, making overproduction more probable. Variation on prices than begun to occur as shown in document A, Agriculture prices in 1865-1900, where a greater amount of goods became available for a more convenient price. This had farmers in distress, for they were losing more money than they were making.
I side with Loades on this as despite resentment from the nobles, after the Perkin Warbeck imposture there were no more serious uprisings which strongly support the success of Henry’s policies. Whilst most nobles would see his methods as unjust (especially the wide of use bonds and recognisances) Henry succeeded in increasing the crown’s standing at the expense of the nobility, securing his position whilst weakening the nobles. Through most of his policies Henry was successful in limiting the powers of nobility. Henry sought to restrict the noble’s power and yet at the same time needed them to keep order and represent him at local levels, therefore Henry sought not to destroy the nobles but to weaken them enough that they did not pose a threat, he needed a balance of control over the nobles and strong nobility.
Much like Britain and their need for money, King Louis XVI needed money due to causing France to become bankrupt with his costly
Of all the absolute rulers in Europe, by far the best example of one, and the most powerful, was Louis XIV of France. Although Louis had some failures, he also had many successes. He controlled France’s money and had many different ways to get, as well as keep his power, and he knew how to delegate jobs to smart, but loyal people.
the situation as Congress found itself powerless to levy taxes to pay off the war
that contributed to the rise and fall of the French Monarchy. The ideas of the
One more long-lasting effect from the French Revolution is nationalism. They called fraternity at the time, but both words share the same meaning. The French people fighting for their right to survive and later to protect their borders from foreign powers seeking to restore tyrannical order, produced a sense of pride and brotherhood. No longer being forced to front lines by an unseen monarch hundreds of miles away, the French people started to find, close to heart and empowering reasons, to defend their
debts to pay, and thought he could extract the necessary money from the colonies. King
King Louis the XVI had made the French people mad when he had put the country in debt so much because he donated so much money to the Americans.
With his fathers death he inherited a stable realm with a wealthy monarch. At that time parliament had not been summoned for supplies in 5 years. Henry’s different interests and lack of application of government business increased the influence of Thomas Wolsey, a son of a butcher, who became the Lord Chancellor in 1515. Wolsey ended up becoming one of the most powerful ministers in all of British history. He was also appointed Cardinal that year and given papal legate powers that allowed him to counter any decision made by archbishop of Canterbury. It allowed him to “govern” t...
...search for a way to relieve the national debt, however policies by financial ministers like Jacques Neckler and Charles Alexandre de Calonne increased the debt even more. Louis would attempt to evoke the Assembly of Notables, which consisted of nobles, and later the Estates-General, which consisted of peasants, to ease the economic burden. However, both assemblies were shocked and disgruntled with the poor economy, and revoked the power of the King, leading to the French Revolution and forever abolishing absolutism from France.
States not only to achieve financial prosperity, but to get out of the chaotic environment that