“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 peak of absolutism in France.
general information
Louis XIV carefully scrutinized all the details of state administration and firmly held in his hands all the levers of power. No matter what his close associates suggest, the last decisive word always remains 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 the main works are presented in this article.
At the beginning of his civil service, he was considered the protege of Giulio Mazarin, an Italian prelate who called him his confidant. The young king Louis XIV appointed Colbert the court quartermaster of finance. I must say that in this post he distinguished himself both with 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 passed in the north-east of the country in the commune city of Reims. Jean Baptiste Colbert grew up in a fairly wealthy family. His father, a wealthy merchant, owned numerous trading rows. At the age of thirty, Colbert already held the position of financial quartermaster, and after eleven years he became the successor to 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 the royal buildings, factories and fine arts. The working day of this statesman lasted more than fifteen hours. Jean Baptiste Colbert, whose economic views subsequently formed the basis of his many 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 preconditions 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. The criminals were fined incredibly, and sometimes they were even punished with the death penalty. And although Colbert did not have any obvious hobbies, he, nevertheless, possessed a fairly broad outlook. Accustomed to set himself high goals, this figure was at the same time stubborn, severe to cruelty and completely imbued with the political and economic worldviews of that time.
First of all, he paid attention to any abuses in financial matters. The special court of justice created by him investigated these cases and dealt with the perpetrators very strictly, without the slightest leniency. Tax payers, fiscal officials, etc., were imposed 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 one hundred and ten million livres confiscated from more than five hundred people to the treasury.
Financial policy
The cruelty that Jean Baptiste Colbert (1619-1683) had was balanced to a certain extent by a reduction in the direct tax that lay on the lower class of the population. His other achievement was the reduction of public debt in France. Some loans taken by the country simply stopped being paid under the pretext that the monarch was deceived when they were received. At the same time, on his orders, many state lands that were sold or given away centuries ago were forcibly returned. They were simply purchased at the purchase price, not paying attention to the changed value of money.
Jean Baptiste Colbert: main works
In the development of economic thought in Europe from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, mercantilism held primacy. This teaching was based on the idea that wealth consists only in the possession of money and in their accumulation. Adherents of this theory believed that the more gold will “come” to the treasury of the state and the less “leave”, 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 followers of this doctrine - European thinkers - was that they 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 existed until the beginning of the nineteenth century, having received 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 the main resource only what is produced in agriculture. 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 separately marks its effective policy. Colbert Jean Baptiste, whose work was mainly aimed at reducing imports, with might and main sought to strengthen the central government. I must say that he succeeded.
Colbertism
Jean Baptiste Colbert was an ardent supporter of mercantilism and a major politician in France of the seventeenth century. His policies were even called “Colbertism” in his honor. The Minister of Finance under the monarch Louis XIV strengthened the central authority with might and main. To this end, he transferred the administrative power on the ground to the quartermaster - state officials, while at the same time the rights of regional parliaments were significantly reduced. Colbertism penetrated into the cultural policy of the country. During the reign of Colbert, the Academy of Sciences, the Small Academy of Inscriptions and Literature, Construction, etc. were founded.
Reformist ideas
To ease the obligations of the poor at the expense of the rich - this is the rule that Jean Baptiste Colbert has always adhered to. The main ideas of this financier in this area were to introduce indirect taxes that would be payable by all citizens 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. His other idea was the active planting of manufactories. He advocated inviting foreign masters to work in the country, issuing state loans to industrialists in need, and providing all kinds of benefits to citizens, for example, exemption from recruitment or the right to any religion.
Colonization Promotion
Under Colbert, maritime trade began to flourish, which before it was completely insignificant. The harbors were improved, for the construction of new ships even a prize was assigned. Foreign ships at the entrance and exit of the French harbors paid a fee.
Another important idea of Colbert was to encourage colonization. In his opinion, only foreign trade could provide an abundance of French subjects, giving satisfaction to the sovereigns. He said that “trade is a constant war”, and the amount of money 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. Although the illiterate leadership of the metropolis led to the failure of many of these undertakings, towards the end of Colbert's career, France owned, if not the most flourishing, then precisely the most extensive territories of the European colonies.
Improving the ways of communication
Colbert has done a lot of new things for his country. It was with him that the construction of the huge Languedoc Canal was completed. About 650 thousand livres were allocated annually 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
Industrial growth at that time was at the expense of agriculture. Namely, Jean Baptiste Colbert considered him as a source for the financial resources of the state. The most important shortcoming in the policy of the Minister of Finance was that it still left the feudal type of relations intact, and in fact they greatly constrained any economic and social development of France. It is possible that Colbert’s efforts would have been a great success, but the monarchy’s power set him one main task: to squeeze money for the wars waged endlessly by King Louis XIV, as well as for the needs of his court.
Discontent
The tyranny and pedantic regulation of the government in all matters greatly hardened the French against Jean Baptiste Colbert. Mass pamphlets were even printed against him in Holland, but they were not able to prevent the direction of his policy. Acting on behalf of the monarch, Colbert, even despite his non-aristocratic origin, could easily oppose the nobility where it was needed. The minister of finance also constantly fought with the clergy for state rights. And although he tried in vain to reduce the number of clergy, he managed to reduce the number of important church holidays.
Last 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 that soon began with Holland, which later grew into a confrontation with the European coalition, led to difficult trials of French trading companies. She put an end to the Kolber program. The finance quartermaster himself then lived another eleven years. However, this was not the same reformer, confident in his plans and influence on the sovereign. Colbert, tired and exhausted by diseases, was engaged in the routine and ungrateful raising of money for military expenses. He died on the sixth of September 1683. Devastating wars destroyed his long-standing labors. Colbert at the end of his life became convinced of the incompatibility of his economic line and the foreign policy of Louis. When he, completely broken by failure, passed away, the people answered him for all their trials. Fiercely taxed, the French attacked the funeral procession. The military guard even had to defend Colbert’s coffin from popular malice.