Financiers and tax farmers had made enormous profits from loans and advances to the state treasury, and Colbert established tribunals to make them give back some of their gains. The surgeons who examined him found that he had been suffering from kidney stones. Thenceforth Colbert dedicated his enormous capacity for work to serving the king both in his private affairs and in the general administration of the kingdom. This necessitated not only the production of high-quality goods that could compete with foreign products abroad but also the building up of a merchant fleet to carry them. Unable to abolish the duties on the passage of goods from province to province, he did what he could to induce the provinces to equalise them. Of his children, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Marquis de Seignelay, followed his father as Secretary of State of the Navy while Jacques-Nicolas Colbert was Archbishop of Rouen. Colbert's father and grandfather were merchants in his birthplace of Reims, France. Motivée par la jalousie et la convoitise, cette intrigue a pour enjeu les faveurs de Louis XIV. Colbert, without any rightful standing in the case, interfered in the trial and made it his personal affair because he wanted to succeed Fouquet as finance minister. This was a striking coup and caused a sensation because Bernini, the most famous artist in all of Europe, had never before (or after) consented to travel any significant distance to meet a patron, however highly ranked, but had to agree in this case for reasons of diplomacy between France and the Holy See. The protection of national industry demanded tariffs against foreign produce, and other countries replied with tariffs against French goods. These reforms and the close supervision of the officials concerned brought large sums into the treasury. Colbert had a simple method of operation. Colbert played a subordinate role in the struggle between the king and the papacy as to the royal rights over vacant bishoprics, and he seems to have sympathised with the proposal that suggested seizing part of the wealth of the clergy. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). In his hatred of idleness he ventured to suppress no less than seventeen fêtes, and he had a project for reducing the number of persons devoted to clerical and monastic life, by increasing the age for taking the vows. Colbert founded a number of institutions: He reorganised the Academy of Painting and Sculpture which Mazarin had established. a political minister. Le 5 septembre 1661, le surintendant des Finances, Nicolas Fouquet, est arrêté sur ordre de Louis XIV. The sovereign functioned as its president; but Colbert, though for four years he possessed the title only of intendant, operated as its ruling spirit, having had great personal authority conferred upon him by the king. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. In 1648, he and his wife Marie Charron, received 40,000 crowns from an unknown source; and in 1649 Colbert became the councillor of state, i.e. He believed that in order to increase French power it would be essential to increase France’s share of international trade and in particular to reduce the commercial hegemony of the Dutch. [2] The Académie des sciences was founded in 1666 at his suggestion; he was a member of the Académie française from 1 March 1667 to his death, where he occupied the 24th seat, to which Jean de La Fontaine would be elected after his passing. Celui de Colbert est le roi. En effet, si le « système Colbert » est dévoué au roi, Fouquet est favorable aux intérêts de la chrétienté. He possessed a remarkably fine private library, which he delighted to fill with valuable manuscripts from every part of Europe and the Near East where France had placed a consul. Dans Le Roi, l'Écureuil et la Couleuvre, Thierry Frémont campe un Colbert envieux et arrogant et Lorant Deutsch un Fouquet charmeur et inventif. He carried out the program of economic reconstruction that helped make France the dominant power in Europe. Colbert en grande tenue. In some districts the taille was apportioned and collected by royal officials; in others it was voted by the representatives of the province. Pierre Paul Riquet (1604–1680) planned and constructed the Canal du Midi under Colbert's patronage. Colbert took much interest in art and literature. His ruthlessness in this case, dangerous precedent though it gave, seemed perhaps necessary; the council could not respect individual interests. In 1652 Colbert was asked to manage the affairs of the Cardinal while he was away. He reduced the total amount of it but insisted on payment in full over a reasonable period of time. Colbert himself became a member of the Académie française; and proposed one very characteristic rule with the intention of expediting the great Dictionary, in which he had a great interest: no one could count as present at any meeting unless he arrived before the hour of commencement and remained till the hour for leaving. Wishing to increase the prestige of the image of France and the French royal family, Colbert played an active role in bringing the great Italian architect-sculptor, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, to Paris (June–October 1665), in order to design the new East Facade of the Louvre. Currency exchange rates still remained between these provinces despite a policy focusing on the unification of French trade. Many persons, including clergy and nobles, were exempt from it altogether. Colbert spent some time as an inspector of troops, eventually becoming the personal secretary of Le Tellier. The king derived the major part of his revenue from a tax called the taille, levied in some districts on individuals and in other districts on land and businesses. Colbert devoted endless energy to the reorganization of industry and commerce. Colbert et le roi lui font donc miroiter le poste plus prestigieux de chancelier, l'incitant à vendre sa charge de procureur. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jean-Baptiste-Colbert, Web Gallery of Art - Biography of Jean Baptiste Colbert, The Catholic Encyclopedia - Biography of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Jean-Baptiste Colbert - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). By his firm maintenance of the corporation system, each industry remained in the hands of certain privileged bourgeois; while the lower classes found opportunities of advancement closed. The special dues that existed in the various provinces could not be swept away, but a measure of uniformity was obtained in central France. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Supported by the young king Louis XIV, Colbert aimed the first blow at the man accused of being the greatest of the royal embezzlers, the superintendent Nicolas Fouquet. Economic reform. He concluded that rising early and retiring late would be the ideal combination. Work was his religion; he once pondered whether it was better to rise early and work or retire very late and work. With the abolition of the office of superintendent and of many other offices dependent upon it, the supreme control of the finances became vested in a royal council. He acted to create a favourable balance of trade and increase colonial holdings. His son Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Marquis de Seignelay (1651–1690) succeeded him as Navy Secretary. The period, too, was one of generally falling prices throughout the world. In January 1664 Colbert became the Superintendent of buildings; in 1665 he became Controller-General of Finances; in 1669, he became Secretary of State of the Navy; he also gained appointments as minister of commerce, of the colonies and of the palace. To diminish the number of the privileged proved impossible, but Colbert firmly resisted false claims for exemption, and lightened the unjust direct taxation by increasing the indirect taxes, from which the privileged could not escape. l'utilisation des cookies permettant de vous proposer des services et contenus personnalisés. Colbert encouraged foreign workers to bring their trade skills to France. He repudiated some of the public loans and cut off from others a percentage, which varied, at first according to his own decision, and afterwards according to that of the council that he established to examine all claims against the state. A general (but unconfirmed) belief exists that he spent his early youth at a Jesuit college, working for a Parisian banker; as well as working for the father of Jean Chapelain. Private fortunes suffered, but no disturbances ensued, and the king’s credit was restored. He issued more than 150 edicts to regulate the guilds. He encouraged the formation of companies to build ships and tried to obtain monopolies for French commerce abroad through the formation of trading companies. The first necessity was to bring order into the chaotic methods of financial administration that were then under the direction of Nicolas Fouquet, the immensely powerful surintendant des finances. When Mazarin returned to power, he made Colbert his personal assistant and helped him purchase profitable appointments for both himself and his family. A great financial and fiscal reform at once claimed all his energies. To encourage overseas trade with the Levant, Senegal, Guinea and other places, Colbert granted privileges to companies, but, like the noted French East India Company, all proved unsuccessful. Colbert was recommended to King Louis XIV by Mazarin. This new responsibility would detach Colbert from his other responsibility as commissaire des guerres. To maintain the character of French goods in foreign markets, as well as to afford a guarantee to the home consumer, Colbert had the quality and measure of each article fixed by law, punishing breaches of the regulations by public exposure of the delinquent and by destruction of the goods concerned, and, on the third offense, by the pillory. Mais ce combat trop manichéen entre deux des hommes les plus brillants de la cour du Roi-Soleil cache en réalité une question plus complexe : l'impossible cohabitation de deux conceptions politiques de l'État royal. As there was slavery in the colonies, Colbert also drafted the Code Noir which was to be promulgated two years after his death. (...), Le dernier film de Lucas Belvaux sera projeté au cinéma Le Champo le 24 novembre 2020. Author of. On his deathbed, Mazarin recommended him to Louis XIV, who soon gave Colbert his confidence. He showed himself at first unwilling to interfere with heresy, for he realised the commercial value of the Huguenots (French Protestants), who were well represented among the merchant classes; but when the king resolved to make all France Roman Catholic, he followed him and urged his subordinates to do all that they could to promote conversions. His lasting impact on the organisation of the country's politics and markets, known as Colbertism, a doctrine often characterised as a variant of mercantilism, earned him the nickname le Grand Colbert ([lə ɡʁɑ̃ kɔl.bɛʁ]; "the Great Colbert"). Colbert took over as Controller-General of Finances, a newly-elevated position, in the aftermath of the arrest of Nicolas Fouquet for embezzlement, an event that led to the abolishment of the office of Superintendent of Finances. Cautious and thrifty people, moreover, still preferred the old outlets for their money (land, annuities, moneylending) to investing in industry. Motivée par la jalousie et la convoitise, cette intrigue a pour enjeu les faveurs de Louis XIV. He took care to suppress many abuses of collection (confiscation of defaulters’ property, seizure of peasants’ livestock or bedding, imprisonment of collectors who had not been able to produce the due sums in time). He worked to develop the domestic economy by raising tariffs and encouraging major public works projects, as well as to ensure that the French East India Company had access to foreign markets, so that they could always obtain coffee, cotton, dyewoods, fur, pepper and sugar. While Cardinal Mazarin was in exile, Louis' trust in Colbert grew. Other parts of Colbert's schemes have met with less equivocal condemnation. Professor of Modern History, University of Paris IV, 1949–70. He gave privileges to a number of private industries and founded state manufactures. Omissions? Colbert’s next efforts were directed to reforming the chaotic system of taxation, a heritage of medieval times. Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. Towards the end of his life he suffered from stomach aches, which caused him much distress. Colbert prohibited the production of qualities which would have suited many purposes of consumption, and the odious supervision which became necessary involved great waste of time and a stereotyped regularity which resisted all improvements. He did, however, wisely consult the interests of internal commerce. He employed Pierre de Carcavi and Étienne Baluze as librarians. (...). The paper also contained an attack upon the Superintendent Fouquet. Although Colbert was not a supporter of Mazarin in principle, he would defend the cardinal's interests with unflagging devotion. Jean-Baptiste Colbert (French: [ʒɑ̃.ba.tist kɔl.bɛʁ]; 29 August 1619 – 6 September 1683) was a French statesman who served as First Minister of State from 1661 until his death in 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Fouquet's fall simultaneously secured Colbert's own advancement. Ce que l'historien Michel Vergé-Franceschi a résumé d'une phrase : « Le maître de Fouquet est Dieu. His relentless hard work and thrift made him an esteemed minister. Much more serious difficulties met his attempts to introduce equality in the pressure of the taxes on the various classes. This was well received by public opinion, which held the financiers responsible for all difficulties; it also lightened the public debt, which was further reduced by the repudiation of some government bonds and the repayment of others without interest. Jean-Baptiste Colbert (francez: [ʒɑ̃.ba.tist kɔl.bɛʁ] ; 29 august 1619 - 6 septembrie 1683) a fost un om de stat francez care a servit ca prim ministru de stat din 1661 până la moartea sa în 1683 sub conducerea regelui Louis XIV. He claimed to have Scottish ancestry. Also encouraging the technical expertise of Flemish cloth manufacturing in France, he founded royal tapestry works at Gobelins and supported those at Beauvais. In 1661, Mazarin died and Colbert "made sure of the King's favour" by revealing the location of some of Mazarin's hidden wealth. Colbert destroyed Fouquet’s reputation with the king, revealing irregularities in his accounts and denouncing the financial operations by which Fouquet had enriched himself. Colbert became Mazarin’s agent in Paris, keeping him abreast of the news and looking after his personal affairs. In 1647, through unknown means, Colbert acquired the confiscated goods of an uncle, Pussort. Nicolas Fouquet, marquis de Belle-Île, vicomte de Melun et Vaux (23 February 1615 – 23 March 1680) was the Superintendent of Finances in France from 1653 until 1661 under King Louis XIV.He had a glittering career, and acquired enormous wealth. Colbert worked incessantly hard until his final hours. Dès lors, comme l'explique Joël Cornette : « Peut-être conviendrait-il de déplacer le débat en br ... Expositions / Cinéma / Compte rendus de livres / Bande dessinées / Portraits / Les Classiques / Carte Blanche, Tous nos articles en partenariat avec Retronews, Une journée d'étude sur le thème de la préhistoire est organisée le 20 novembre 2020 de 14h à 18h15. En poursuivant votre navigation sur les sites du groupe Sophia Publications, vous acceptez Nicolas Fouquet, marquis de Belle-Île, vicomte de Melun et Vaux (23 February 1615 – 23 March 1680) was the Superintendent of Finances in France from 1653 until 1661 under King Louis XIV. The Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte (English: Palace of Vaux-le-Vicomte) is a Baroque French château located in Maincy, near Melun, 55 kilometres (34 mi) southeast … With the abolition of the office of superintendent and of many other offices dependent upon it, the supreme control of the finances became vested in a royal council. Colbert undertook to levy the taille on all who were properly liable for it and so initiated a review of titles of nobility in order to expose those who were claiming exemption falsely; he also tried to make the tax less oppressive by a fairer distribution. Colbert became wealthy; he also acquired the barony of Seignelay. At the same time he immensely improved the mode of collection on his own. By 64 he was bedridden and died shortly after his birthday. After holding various administrative posts, his great opportunity came in 1651, when Cardinal Mazarin, the dominant political figure in France, was forced to leave Paris and take refuge in a provincial city—an episode in the Fronde, a period (1648–53) of struggle between the crown and the French parlement. In 1657, he purchased the Barony of Seignelay. Fouquet's fall simultaneously secured Colbert's own advancement. Bernini's Louvre design was ultimately rejected.[5]. He was reduced to eating moist bread dipped in chicken broth for his meals. Jean-Baptiste Colbert a organisé la chute de son rival. The criminal proceedings against him lasted three years and excited great public interest. The French East India and West India companies, founded in 1664, were followed by others for trade with the eastern Mediterranean and with northern Europe; but Colbert’s propaganda for them, though cleverly conducted, failed to attract sufficient capital, and their existence was precarious. A native of Reims, he was appointed Intendant of Finances on 4 May 1661. Other taxes were increased, and the tariff system was revised in 1664 as part of a system of protection. Colbert was born of a merchant family. Our latest podcast episode features popular TED speaker Mara Mintzer. He had a glittering career, and acquired enormous wealth. His régime improved roads and canals. The latter’s fate was sealed when he made the mistake of receiving the king at his magnificent chateau at Vaux-le-Vicomte; the Lucullan festivities, displaying how much wealth Fouquet had amassed at the expense of the state, infuriated Louis. Dumas paints Colbert as an uncouth and ruthless schemer who stops at little, in contrast to the more refined Fouquet, counselled by Aramis, but also as a visionary patriot. https://vaux-le-vicomte.com/en/decouvrir/the-history/nicolas-fouquet Please select which sections you would like to print: Corrections? Colbert’s success, therefore, fell short of his expectation, but what he did achieve seems all the greater in view of the obstacles in his way: he raised the output of manufactures, expanded trade, set up new permanent industries, and developed communications by road and water across France (Canal du Midi, 1666–81). For Colbert and Bernini in Paris in 1665, see Franco Mormando, The tomb, commissioned by Colbert's widow in 1685, was designed by, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Marquis de Seignelay, Colbert, Mercantilism, and the French Quest for Asian Trade, Face aux Colbert : les Le Tellier, Vauban, Turgot ... et l'avènement du libéralisme, The Information Master: Jean-Baptiste Colbert's Secret State Intelligence System, Constantin François de Chassebœuf, comte de Volney, Louis de Beaupoil, Comte de Sainte-Aulaire, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jean-Baptiste_Colbert&oldid=988384755, Articles with dead external links from May 2018, Pages using infobox economist as a module, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers, Wikipedia articles with CANTIC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with RKDartists identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with Trove identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, "It is simply, and solely, the abundance of money within a, This page was last edited on 12 November 2020, at 21:11. His effective market reforms included the foundation of the Manufacture royale de glaces de miroirs in 1665 to supplant the importation of Venetian glass, which was forbidden in 1672 as soon as the national glass manufacturing industry was on sound footing. ». The state, through Colbert's dirigiste policies, fostered manufacturing enterprises in a wide variety of fields. The authorities established new industries, protected inventors, invited in workmen from foreign countries, and prohibited French workmen from emigrating. However the relations between the two strong-willed men, Colbert and Bernini, proved melodramatically stormy. Le 5 septembre 1661, le surintendant des Finances, Nicolas Fouquet, est arrêté sur ordre de Louis XIV. Colbert’s system of control was resented by traders and contractors, who wanted to preserve their freedom of action and to be responsible to themselves alone. Colbert's earliest recorded attempt at tax reform came in the form of a mémoire to Mazarin, showing that of the taxes paid by the people, not one-half reached the King. The trial itself was a parody of justice. This tariff warfare was one of the chief causes of the Dutch War of 1672–78. Fouquet's plans were, however, brought to naught; for in the first place Louis himself took the reins of power into his own hands when they slipped froth the grasp the dead cardinal, and in the second place, instigated thereto by Colbert, he suddenly arrested Fouquet in September 1661. Member, Academy of Moral and Political Sciences, Institute of France, Paris, 1963–74. The surintendance was replaced by a council of finance, of which Colbert became the dominant member with the title of intendant until, in 1665, he became comptroller general. While in France, Bernini also sculpted a marble portrait bust of Louis XIV (Versailles palace). https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53163714. In short, Colbert acquired power in every department except that of war. Six ships of the French Navy bore his name: In literature, the power struggle between Colbert and Fouquet is one of the main plotlines of Alexandre Dumas, père's novel The Vicomte of Bragelonne, the second sequel to The Three Musketeers. Historians note that, despite Colbert's efforts, France actually became increasingly impoverished because of the King's excessive spending on wars.[3]. Updates? The king subsequently had him arrested. His policies inspired those of Alexander Hamilton, the first treasury secretary of the United States.[7]. The postmaster of Paris, a spy of Fouquet's, read the letter, leading to a dispute which Mazarin attempted to suppress. Jean-Baptiste Colbert, (born August 29, 1619, Reims, France—died September 6, 1683, Paris), French statesman who served as comptroller general of finance (1665–83) and secretary of state for the navy (1668–83) under King Louis XIV of France. For 25 years Colbert was to be concerned with the economic reconstruction of France. Jean-Baptiste Colbert a organisé la chute de son rival. In 1673 Colbert presided over the first exhibition of the works of living painters; and he enriched the Louvre with hundreds of pictures and statues. He achieved a reputation for his work of improving the state of French manufacturing and bringing the economy back from the brink of bankruptcy. To guarantee the standard of workmanship, he made regulations for every sort of manufacture and imposed severe punishments (fines and the pillory) for counterfeiting and shortcomings. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Not only the nobility, but many others who had no legal claim to exemption, paid no taxes; the bulk of the burden fell on the wretched country-folk. [1] In addition, he founded France's merchant navy (marine marchande) becoming Secretary of State of the Navy in 1669. Fouquet was sent to prison, where he spent the remaining 15 years of his life. When he had severely punished guilty officials, he turned his attention to the fraudulent creditors of the government. Having thus introduced a measure of order and economy into the workings of the government, Colbert now called for the enrichment of the country by commerce. A huge stone was found in his urinary tract, which would explain his pain. Evidence exists to show that by this munificence he hoped to draw out praises of his sovereign and himself; but this motive certainly does not account for all the splendid, if in some cases specious, services that he rendered to literature, science and art. Before the age of 20, Colbert had a post in the war office, a position generally attributed to the marriage of an uncle to the sister of Secretary of War Michel le Tellier. Colbert's grandson sold the manuscript collection in 1732 to the Bibliothèque Royale.[4]. He gave many pensions to men of letters, among whom we find Molière, Corneille, Racine, Boileau, P D Huet (1630–1721) and Antoine Varillas (1626–1696); and even foreigners, as Huygens, Carlo Roberto Dati the Dellacruscan. Jean-Baptiste Colbert, (born August 29, 1619, Reims, France—died September 6, 1683, Paris), French statesman who served as comptroller general of finance (1665–83) and secretary of state for the navy (1668–83) under King Louis XIV of France.
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