Jean Baptiste Colbert: biography, works, merits. Jean-Baptiste Colbert. Biography Colbert short biography

COLBERT, Jean Baptiste (Colbert, Jean-Baptist, 1619–1683), Comptroller General (Minister of Finance) of France since 1665 162a [I serve] the king often; to the fatherland - always. //Pro rege saepe; pro patria semper (Latin). Colbert's motto. ? fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Baptiste_Colbert.163If I had done for God all that I have done for this

Jean-Baptiste Colbert (French: Jean-Baptiste Colbert). Born August 29, 1619 in Reims - died September 6, 1683 in Paris. French statesman, de facto head of the government of Louis XIV after 1665. The main position was controller of finance, but also held many other management positions. A supporter of the policy of mercantilism, he contributed to the development of the national fleet, trade and industry. Laid the economic prerequisites for the formation of the French colonial empire.

Under his patronage, the Academy of Inscriptions and Literature (1663), the Royal Academy of Sciences (1666), the Royal Academy of Music (1669) and the Royal Academy of Architecture (1671) were founded.

Jean-Baptiste Colbert was the son of a wealthy merchant from Reims. Having gained access to the public service, he soon attracted the attention of Mazarin, who appointed him as his manager. In this post, Colbert defended the interests of his patron with such zeal and ingenuity that he zealously recommended him. The young king appointed Colbert as intendant of finance.

In this position, Colbert discovered a number of abuses by the chief intendant Fouquet and became his de facto, although not nominal, successor in 1661 (only eight years later he became minister of state). At the same time he was the chief intendant of the royal buildings, fine arts and factories. He worked up to fifteen hours every day, did not pay attention to the court world and the opinions of the world, went on foot to the king, etc.

Having no hobbies, he, however, had a broad outlook, was accustomed to setting high goals for himself, but at the same time he was stubborn, harsh to the point of cruelty and, in general, imbued with the political and economic views of his time. First of all, he drew attention to abuses in financial matters.

A special judicial chamber investigated them and dealt with the perpetrators without the slightest leniency. Tax farmers, fiscal officials, etc. were subject to enormous fines; lesser criminals were sentenced to death. In 1662 and 1663, more than 70 million livres were taken from these financiers; when the aforementioned judicial chamber was dissolved in 1669, it managed to deliver 110 million livres to the treasury from 500 people.

Colbert's cruelty was to some extent counterbalanced by the reduction of the direct tax (taille) that fell on the lower classes of the population. Another measure was to reduce public debt. Some loans, under the pretext that the king was deceived during their conclusion, simply ceased to be repaid. At the same time, state lands, sometimes sold or given away centuries ago, were forcibly taken back - at their purchase price, without paying attention to the changed value of money.

Of the noble titles that had significant financial value in France, since their owners did not pay taxes, all acquired over the past 30 years were simply cashed out. Colbert's rule was to ease the duties of the poor at the expense of the rich. As a result, he stood for indirect taxes, payable by all subjects, while direct taxation concerned only the unprivileged. In 1664, Colbert managed to abolish internal customs between the northern and southern provinces.

In relation to industry and trade, from the very beginning he was a protectionist, a supporter of a system of patronage and control over industry and trade by the state. Colbert did not invent the system later named after him colbertism, but he consistently pursued it in all his endeavors. Its main goal was to increase exports, reduce imports, and as a result, increase the flow of money into the country.

All types of industry were organized into strict corporations, in which the type of preparation of goods was established by strict regulations with strict penalties for those who disobeyed. Foreign manufacturers and workers were attracted to the country at great expense, and although agriculture and cattle breeding suffered at first, the growth of industrial activity was undoubted.

Colbert is considered the creator of the French navy, since, on the one hand, he introduced sailor conscription, on the other, he increased the number of military ships to 300, and, moreover, issued exemplary instructions for the fleet for that time. Recruitment for the fleet was carried out, however, using very cruel measures, which greatly contributed to the displeasure of the people; Due to the need for crews for the galleys, for some time all offenses were punished by exile to the galleys. Colbert's financial measures owed their harsh character to Louis's expensive wars, which required enormous expenses.

Because of these wars, France had to borrow up to 260 million livres, and only thanks to Colbert's skill and frequent conversions, at the end of his career the amount of interest paid to state creditors was no more than at the beginning of the wars. Indirect taxes were greatly increased, despite the fact that they were made less profitable for farmers. The state needed large sums for bonuses to manufacturers and to encourage domestic industry. In 1667, a new customs tariff was issued, increasing the duties levied on foreign goods to such an extent that they almost amounted to prohibition.

In 1670, the pope was forced by force of arms to abolish the protective duties he had introduced, following the example of Colbert. The regulation of production in France itself was increasing. The export of raw products from France was prohibited, which dealt the final blow to agriculture. The introduction of silkworm culture and the introduction of improved breeds of livestock were unable to help improve agriculture. New branches of factory labor often turned out to be unprofitable and led to bankruptcies.

The Edict of 1673 imposed the death penalty for malicious bankrupts. But the French maritime trade flourished, which was completely insignificant before Colbert. Harbors were repaired and improved, and a bonus was awarded for the construction of new ships or for the purchase of ships abroad. Foreign ships were subject to duties when entering and leaving French harbors. These measures especially increased the trade of Marseille with the Levant, exports from France ceased to be a monopoly of the Dutch, the undivided ownership of Portuguese trade was taken away from the British, and the French merchant fleet became the third in the world. Colbert patronized various trading and maritime companies.

Founded in 1664 with a capital of 6 million livres, the West India Company acquired a monopoly on trade with New France, but it was not financially successful. The East India Company was also founded, the court chambers and city magistrates were almost forcibly forced to join it, and the government gave it an interest-free loan of three million and a number of privileges (1664).

Colonization of Madagascar was to be the main goal of this society. At the same time, other colonies were founded for the north, the Levant, Senegal, and the Pyrenees. The inept leadership of the metropolis led to the failure of many of these undertakings, but still, by the end of Colbert’s career, France owned, if not the most prosperous, then the most extensive part of the European colonies: Canada, Louisiana (that is, the entire Mississippi basin), from the West. Indian Islands: Holy Cross, St. Bartholomew, Guadeloupe, S. Domingo, etc., Tobago Island and part of Haiti; in South America - Guiana, part of the coast in northwestern Africa, in the East Indies: Pondicherry and Chandernagore. All these possessions were exploited exclusively in favor of the metropolis.

Colbert did a lot to improve communications. Under him, the construction of the huge Languedoc Canal was completed (engineer Riquet), begun in 1664 and completed in 1681. 650,000 livres were allocated annually for the maintenance and construction of new highways. The excellent condition of these roads was one of the most powerful means of complete state centralization.

In order to achieve the latter, Colbert transferred the main administrative power to the intendants, leaving only representation to the previous governors from the highest nobility. Parliaments were also greatly constrained. On February 24, 1673, an ordinance was issued that once and for all prohibited parliaments from making any changes or restrictions, etc., when recording the king’s orders. At the same time, all legislation and the administration of taxation passed entirely into the hands of the king and Colbert.

The pedantic regulation and tyranny of the government in every detail of life greatly embittered the population against Colbert. In Holland, pamphlets against him were printed en masse, but they were unable to interfere with the direction of his policy. Acting on behalf of the king, Colbert, despite his plebeian origin, could easily break the opposition of the aristocracy where it still made itself felt. Colbert waged a constant struggle with the clergy for the rights of the state. He tried in vain to reduce the number of the clergy; but he managed to achieve the abolition of 17 out of 44 less important church holidays.

Colbert zealously tried to promote the advancement of the arts and sciences, and in 1667 he was elected a member of the French Academy. In 1663 he founded the Academy of Inscriptions and Fine Literature. He also encouraged scientific research and, at his suggestion, the king opened the French Academy of Sciences (1666), the Paris Observatory (1667), where Huygens and Cassini were invited, as well as the Academy of Architecture (1671). He enlarged the royal library, the botanical garden, established and equipped an observatory, introduced land demarcation and equipped expeditions of scientists, especially naturalists.

Devastating wars destroyed the fruits of his many years of labor, and at the end of his life he had to become convinced of the incompatibility of the economic system he had built with the foreign policy of Louis.

When he, broken by this failure, the fight with Louvois and being out of favor with the king, died on September 6, 1683, the people, embittered by heavy taxes, attacked the funeral procession, and the military guard had to protect his coffin from the people’s anger.

Statesman.

Biography

Jean-Baptiste Colbert was the son of a wealthy merchant from Reims. Having gained access to the public service, he soon attracted the attention of Mazarin, who appointed him as his manager. In this post, Colbert defended the interests of his patron with such zeal and ingenuity that he zealously recommended him to Louis XIV. The young king appointed Colbert as intendant of finance.

In this position, Colbert discovered a number of abuses by the chief intendant Fouquet and became his de facto, although not nominal, successor in 1661 (only eight years later he became minister of state). At the same time he was the chief intendant of the royal buildings, fine arts and factories. He worked up to fifteen hours every day, did not pay attention to the court world and the opinions of the world, went on foot to the king, etc.

Having no hobbies, he, however, had a broad outlook, was accustomed to setting high goals for himself, but at the same time he was stubborn, harsh to the point of cruelty and, in general, imbued with the political and economic views of his time. First of all, he drew attention to abuses in financial matters.

A special judicial chamber investigated them and dealt with the perpetrators without the slightest leniency. Tax farmers, fiscal officials, etc. were subject to enormous fines; lesser criminals were sentenced to death. In 1663, more than 70 million livres were taken from these financiers; when the aforementioned judicial chamber was dissolved in 1669, it managed to deliver 110 million livres to the treasury from 500 people.

Colbert's cruelty was to some extent counterbalanced by the reduction of the direct tax (taille) that fell on the lower classes of the population. Another measure was to reduce public debt. Some loans, under the pretext that the king was deceived during their conclusion, simply stopped being repaid. At the same time, state lands, sometimes sold or given away centuries ago, were forcibly taken back - at their purchase price, without paying attention to the changed value of money.

Of the noble titles that had significant financial value in France, since their owners did not pay taxes, all acquired over the past 30 years were simply cashed. Colbert's rule was to ease the duties of the poor at the expense of the rich. As a result, he stood for indirect taxes, payable by all subjects, while direct taxation concerned only the unprivileged. In 1664, Colbert managed to abolish internal customs between the northern and southern provinces.

In relation to industry and trade, he was from the very beginning a protectionist, a supporter of a system of patronage and control of industry and trade by the state. Colbert did not invent the system, which was later named after him Colbertism (see Mercantilism), but he consistently pursued it in all his endeavors. Its main goal was to increase exports, reduce imports, and as a result, increase the flow of money into the country.

All types of industry were organized into strict corporations, in which the type of preparation of goods was established by strict regulations with strict penalties for those who disobeyed. Foreign manufacturers and workers were attracted to the country at great expense, and although agriculture and cattle breeding suffered at first, the growth of industrial activity was undoubted.

Colbert is considered the creator of the French navy, since, on the one hand, he introduced sailor conscription, on the other, he increased the number of military ships to 300, and, moreover, issued exemplary instructions for the fleet for that time. Recruitment for the fleet was carried out, however, using very cruel measures, which greatly contributed to the displeasure of the people; Due to the need for crews for the galleys, for some time all offenses were punished by exile to the galleys. Colbert's financial measures owed their harsh character to Louis's expensive wars, which required enormous expenses.

Because of these wars, France had to borrow up to 260 million livres, and only thanks to Colbert's skill and frequent conversions, at the end of his career the amount of interest paid to state creditors was no more than at the beginning of the wars. Indirect taxes were greatly increased, despite the fact that they were made less profitable for farmers. The state needed large sums for bonuses to manufacturers and to encourage domestic industry. In 1667, a new customs tariff was issued, increasing the duties levied on foreign goods to such an extent that they almost amounted to prohibition.

Colbert did a lot to improve communications. Under him, the construction of the huge Languedoc Canal was completed (engineer Riquet), begun in 1664 and completed in 1681. 650,000 livres were allocated annually for the maintenance and construction of new highways. The excellent condition of these roads was one of the most powerful means of complete state centralization.

Colbert in 1683

In order to achieve the latter, Colbert transferred the main administrative power to the intendants (q.v.), leaving only representation for the former governors (q.v.) from the highest nobility. Parliaments were also greatly constrained. On February 24, 1673, an ordinance was issued that once and for all prohibited parliaments from making any changes or restrictions, etc., when recording the king’s orders. At the same time, all legislation and the administration of taxation passed entirely into the hands of the king and Colbert.

The pedantic regulation and tyranny of the government in every detail of life greatly embittered the population against Colbert. In Holland, pamphlets against him were printed en masse, but they were unable to interfere with the direction of his policy. Acting on behalf of the king, Colbert, despite his plebeian origin, could easily break the opposition of the aristocracy where it still made itself felt. Colbert waged a constant struggle with the clergy for the rights of the state. He tried in vain to reduce the number of the clergy; but he managed to achieve the abolition of 17 out of 44 less important church holidays.

Colbert zealously tried to promote the advancement of the arts and sciences. In 1663, he founded the Academy of Inscriptions, three years later - the Academy of Sciences, and in the years - the Academy of Plastic Arts and Music. He enlarged the royal library, the botanical garden, established and equipped an observatory, introduced land demarcation and equipped expeditions of scientists, especially naturalists.

Devastating wars destroyed the fruits of his many years of labor, and at the end of his life he had to become convinced of the incompatibility of the economic system he had built with the foreign policy of Louis.

When he, broken by this failure, the fight with Louvois and being out of favor with the king, died on September 6, 1683, the people, embittered by heavy taxes, attacked the funeral procession, and the military guard had to protect his coffin from the people’s anger.

Literature

• Clément, “Histoire de Colbert et de son administration” (P., 1874);
• Jourbleau, “Etude sur Colbert” (P., 1856);
• Neymarck, “Colbert et son temps” (P., 1877);
• Farnam, “Die innere franz. Gewerbepolitik von Colbert bis Turgot" (Leipzig, 1879);
• Dussièux, “Étude biographique sur Colbert” (P., 1886);
• De Cosnac, “Mazarin et Colbert” (P., 1892);
• Pigeonneau, “La Politique coloniale de Colbert” (“Annales de l"École des sciences politiques”, 1866);
• Pauliat, "La politique coloniale de l'ancien régime" (1887).

Categories:

• Personalities in alphabetical order
• Born on August 29
• Born in 1619
• Born in Reims
• Died on September 6
• Died in 1683
• Died in Paris
• Prime Ministers of France
• French finance ministers
• Ministers of the Royal Household of France
• Ministers of Louis XIV
• French statesmen
• Members of the French Academy

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(Jean-Baptiste Colbert) (1619-1683)

Jean-Baptiste Colbert was born in 1619 in Reims into a wealthy family of hereditary merchants. Having been educated at a Jesuit college, Colbert worked for a number of years as a military commissar, accompanying military units and solving their economic problems. On the recommendation of one of his relatives, who worked as Secretary of State for Military Affairs, in 1651 Colbert became the manager of the household of the first minister, Cardinal Mazarin. In 1661, the cardinal recommended him to the young king Louis XIV and Colbert took the position of first intendant of finances, and in 1665, comptroller general of finances (as the minister of finance was called in France, who was actually the prime minister).

Contemporaries characterized Colbert as a man of exceptional ability to work, with a broad outlook, but stubborn and stern to the point of cruelty. While pursuing a very strict financial policy, Colbert simultaneously tried to promote the advancement of the arts and sciences. The Academy of Sciences was founded in 1666, the Academy of Music in 1669, and the Academy of Architecture in 1671. In 1667, Colbert became a member of the French Academy. However, the devastating wars that Louis XIV constantly waged with his neighbors destroyed the financial system of France and destroyed the fruits of Colbert's long labors.

Colbert died in 1683. At the end of his life, he was already out of favor with the king, he was hated by the aristocrats, whose privileges he fought, and was not loved by the people, embittered by high taxes. During his funeral, a crowd of people attacked the funeral procession and military force had to be used to guard the coffin.

In order to rid France of imports and, conversely, provide it with an influx of gold and silver from abroad through exports, Colbert encouraged the creation of large manufactories, primarily for the production of luxury goods (mirrors, fine cloth, silk, lace, earthenware). However, these manufactories were often created at public expense (“royal manufactories”) and the income from their activities went to the treasury. The competitiveness of royal manufactories was ensured through government orders, subsidies and the provision of various kinds of privileges, which placed a heavy burden on public finances. In addition, the development of industry came to the detriment of agriculture, which Colbert viewed mainly as a source of tax revenues for the state treasury. To provide industry with cheap raw materials, the import of agricultural products was exempt from duties, and export, on the contrary, was subject to high taxes, which negatively affected the development of agriculture.

In the last years of Colbert's tenure as Comptroller General of Finance and especially after his death, the economic situation of France began to deteriorate, which was facilitated by the decline of agriculture and the wars that Louis XIV waged for several decades from 1672, claiming dominance in Europe.

Consideration of the features of mercantilism in England and France reveals a kind of paradox: the policy of protectionism, based in general on the same principles of mercantilism and aimed at attracting money to the country, the policy of stimulating exports, restricting imports, supporting domestic industrialists and merchants led in these two countries to different results. By the beginning of the 18th century. England became the most developed country in Western Europe, and France found itself in a situation of severe economic crisis.

The solution to this paradox obviously lies in the internal inconsistency of the mercantilist doctrine. On the one hand, mercantilism contributed to the initial accumulation of capital and, consequently, to the formation of a market economy and a system of private enterprise. On the other hand, mercantilist policies presupposed active state intervention in economic life, strict regulation of trade and economic activity in general. In other words, the effectiveness of mercantilism depended on the nature of state power and the purposes for which the money extracted through foreign trade was used. When in England the policy of protectionism was aimed at the formation of national capital and the destruction of feudal relations, this led to economic development and prosperity of the country. If the state pumped money out of the economy for the sake of waging wars and maintaining a magnificent royal court, leaving the feudal system intact, then the inevitable consequence of such a policy was economic decline, and France became a clear example of this.

“He [Colbert] was an honest, intelligent and energetic administrator, knowing how to borrow money, appease creditors, improve methods of management and accounting, encourage industry, build palaces and ports, develop a fleet, etc. At the same time, he failed in carrying out his far-reaching colonial plans; This story clearly shows that the waste associated with government planning can far exceed any waste that can be blamed on private enterprise.”

Schumpeter J. History of economic analysis. T. 1. P. 187.

“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 held all the levers of power quite tightly in his hands. No matter what his entourage proposed, the final decisive word always remained with the monarch. Nevertheless, there was one person, 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 a protégé of Giulio Mazarin, the Italian prelate, who called him his confidant. The young king Louis XIV appointed Colbert court intendant of finance. It must be said that in this post he distinguished himself both through his hard work and the introduction of numerous reforms.

Colbert Jean Baptiste: biography

This famous statesman was born on the twenty-sixth of August 1619 in France. His childhood and adolescence were spent in the northeast of the country in the city-commune of Reims. Jean Baptiste Colbert grew up in a fairly wealthy family. His father was a wealthy merchant who owned numerous shopping malls. 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 chief intendant 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 that arose.

Activity

Being a supporter of the policy of mercantilism, this statesman contributed greatly to the development of trade, the national fleet and industry. It was Jean Baptiste Colbert who laid the economic preconditions for the further formation of France as

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 subject to incredible fines, and sometimes they were even punished with death. 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, stern to the point of cruelty, and completely imbued with the political and economic worldviews of the time.

He primarily paid attention to any abuses in financial matters. The special judicial chamber he created investigated these cases and dealt with the guilty very strictly, without the slightest leniency. Tax farmers, fiscal officials, etc. were subject to huge fines. In 1662 and 1663, some seventy million livres were taken from some financiers. When the chamber was dissolved in 1669, it had already managed to deliver to the treasury one hundred and ten million livres, confiscated from more than five hundred people.

Financial policy

The cruelty possessed by Jean Baptiste Colbert (1619-1683) was to a certain extent balanced by the reduction of direct tax, which fell on the lower class of the population. His other achievement was the reduction of France's national debt. Some loans taken by the country simply ceased to be repaid, under the pretext that the monarch had been deceived in receiving them. At the same time, on his orders, many state lands that had been sold or given away centuries ago were forcibly returned. They were simply purchased at the purchase price, without paying attention to the changed value of money.

Jean Baptiste Colbert: major works

In the development of economic thought in Europe from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries, mercantilism held primacy. This teaching was based on the idea that wealth consists only in the possession and accumulation of money. Adherents of this theory believed that the more gold “comes” to the state treasury and the less it “goes out,” the richer it will be. One of the most prominent representatives of this teaching in France was Jean Baptiste Colbert. Mercantilism was later even renamed in his honor.

The main merit of the adherents of this teaching - European thinkers - was that it was they who made the first attempt to understand general economic problems from the point of view of the interests of the national economy. In Germany, these ideas lasted until the beginning of the nineteenth century, taking the form of so-called cameralistics. French mercantilism had its own characteristics. It was during Colbert's era that a completely new direction appeared - physiocracy. Its representatives considered the main resource only what was produced in agriculture. Colbert believed that free trade was not relevant because goods were produced only for the domestic market, and this in turn held 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 specifically notes his effective policies. Colbert Jean Baptiste, whose works were aimed mainly at reducing imports, strove with all his might to strengthen the central government. It must be said that he succeeded.

Colbertism

Jean Baptiste Colbert was an ardent supporter of mercantilism and a major political figure in seventeenth-century France. The policy he pursued was even named “Colbertism” in his honor. The Minister of Finance under the monarch Louis XIV strengthened central power with all his might. To this end, he transferred local administrative power to intendants - government officials, while at the same time the rights of regional parliaments were significantly narrowed. Colbertism also penetrated into the country's cultural policy. During Colbert's reign, the Academy of Sciences, the Small Academy of Inscriptions and Literature, Construction, etc. were founded.

Reformist ideas

To ease the duties of the poor at the expense of the rich - this is precisely the rule that Jean Baptiste Colbert always adhered to. The main ideas of this financier in this area were to introduce indirect taxes that would be payable by all subjects of the country, since at that time direct taxation applied 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 manufactures. 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, exemption from recruitment or the right to any religion.

Encouraging colonization

Under Colbert, maritime trade began to flourish, which before him was completely insignificant. The harbors were improved, and bonuses were even awarded for the construction of new ships. Foreign ships paid a toll when entering and leaving French harbors.

Colbert's other important idea was to encourage colonization. In his opinion, only foreign trade could provide abundance to French subjects, giving satisfaction to the sovereigns as well. He said that “trade is a constant war,” and the amount of money will determine the power and size of the state. 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 the European colonies.

Improving communications

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.

Errors

The growth of industry at that time was to the detriment of agriculture. Namely, Jean Baptiste Colbert considered it as a source of state funds. The most important drawback in the policy of the Minister of Finance was that it still left intact the feudal type of relations, and yet they greatly constrained 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 power set before him one main task: to squeeze out money at any cost for the wars that King Louis XIV endlessly waged, 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 unable to interfere with the direction of his policy. Acting on behalf of the monarch, Colbert, even despite his non-aristocratic origins, could easily oppose the nobility where necessary. The Minister of Finance also constantly fought with the clergy 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 were founded. But the war with Holland that soon began, which subsequently escalated into confrontation with the European coalition, led to difficult trials for French trading companies. She also put an end to Colbert's program. The intendant for finance himself lived for another eleven years after that. However, this was no longer the reformer who was confident in his plans and influence on the sovereign. Colbert, tired and exhausted by illness, was engaged in the routine and thankless process of obtaining money for military expenses. He died on September 6, 1683. His long-term works were destroyed by devastating wars. At the end of his life, Colbert became convinced of the incompatibility of the economic line he was pursuing and Louis’s foreign policy. When he died, completely broken by failure, the people answered him for all their trials. Enraged by heavy taxes, the French attacked the funeral procession. Military guards even had to protect Colbert’s coffin from popular anger.