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Presented By
Sunil
Amaan
Introduction
Jean-Baptiste Colbert (29 August 1619 – 6 September 1683)
served as the French minister of finance from 1665 to 1683
under the rule of King Louis XIV.
He achieved a reputation for his work of improving the state
of French manufacturing and bringing the economy back from
the brink of bankruptcy.
France actually became increasingly improverished because of
the King's excessive spending on wars. Colbert worked to
create a favourable balance of trade and increase colonial
holdings.
Historians of mercantilism consider Colbert a key figure.
Wrote many letters to Mazarin about his wasteful and messy
finances.
In 1661 the death of Mazarin allowed Colbert to take the first place
in the administration, acquired power in every department except that
of war.
The paper also contained an attack upon the corrupt financial
minister Nicholas Fouquet( 1,20,000 livres)
French Govt. 90 million livers outstanding loans &20 million livers
fine(debts)
Within four years he balanced the budget
History of Globalisation- ESC Pau IMBA 3
How
come so
expensive
??
ARREST
HIM!!
Invited
• His famous tariff of 1664 reformed the customs collected in
the north-central portion of the country known as the Five
Great Farms, and came close to making this region a free-
trade area.
• Colbert, in 1664, substituted for this complicated system a
single import and export duty, making at the same time a
considerable reduction.
• Diversify of duties and uniform jurisdiction to deal with them.
For example, By 1661, under Mazarin, of the 84 million livres exacted in
taxation, only 23 million actually made it to the royal Treasury.
Colbert using the biding method to reforms the tax collection.( taking the
highest bidder) and minimize the tax burden on people
In 1670, Even though the amount of taxes paid by the French people were
only 12 million livres more than in 1661, the government pulled in almost
40 million livres more.
The salt-tax was up to 28 times higher in the around Paris, compared
well as region farther south.
The varying prices of salt made conditions ripe for smuggling.
In 1663,cobert had the salt tax reduce by 6 livres per minot and later he
reduce it even more.
The King derived the major part of his revenue from a tax
called the taille,(The taille was a direct land tax on the French
peasantry and non-nobles in France. The tax was imposed on
each household and based on how much land it held.
According to Colbert, resulting from the suppression of
useless offices, was that the holders, on losing their position,
became liable to the payment of the taille.
This meant forming a fighting fleet, building and
equipping the king's ships, fortifying ports, and encouraging the merchant navy.
The number of French sailors increased from 36,000 in 1670 to almost
78,000 in 1683.
In the years 1689-97, the English estimated that they had lost a total of 4,000
ships due to attacks by the French
A representative of the navy could go through a forest that was about to be
cut, and mark certain trees for future naval use.
Creates of monoploy growth(meaning that only one species of tree would be
growing),
• Protect French industry by making foreign goods to expensive for
French consumers to afford.
• Colbert levied moderate tariffs on Dutch goods; in 1667, he made it
prohibitive, by doubling and even tripling tariffs.
• The tariffs of 1667 brought on a war with the Dutch; the result, as
established by the Treaty of Nimwegen (1678), was a reduction of
tariffs against Dutch goods to the lower levels of 1664.
• Tariff of 1667 My idea was not to attempt too much, but to impose a
duty sufficient to encourage our manufactures, and to gradually and
gently oust foreigners;
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Effects of the Tariffs
The Dutch, decided to prohibit French products entirely,
although this was against treaty. And war happened b/w them
in 1972.
In 1683, we find Colbert writing that the people of France,
after twenty years of his mercantilist policies, were still
struggling with poverty and famines that would visit France
from time to time.
In 1698, the industry report of the France as much same and
that employment in the various industries had plummeted
At Lyons, some 18,000 looms were employed in silk
manufacture, but now, only 6,000 were.
History of Globalisation- ESC Pau IMBA 11
Cont..
In 1700, a council of commerce was assembled
The representative from Dunkirk stated that the tariffs had
indeed benefitted some, but hurt the country as a whole. That
from Nantes said that “Liberty is the life of commerce.”
Other Improvements
• These companies all failed, because Dutch are more
skilled at hauling wine abroad, the Dutch were closer to
the markets in northern Europe.
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Conclusion
• Colbert was another great
minister of the period. As
Louis’ finance minister, he
sought to:
• Encourage French industry
• Create a strong merchant
marine
• Enforce protective tariffs
• Develop Canada as part of
the French Empire.