Jacques Necker

Jacques Necker (September 30, 1732 – April 9, 1804) was a French statesman and finance minister of Louis XVI.

Finance Minister of France

In October 1776 Necker was made finance minister of France, though with the title only of director of the treasury, which, however, he changed in 1777 for that of director-general of the finances. He did great good in regulating the finances by attempting to divide the taille or poll tax more equally, by abolishing the vingtième d'industrie, and establishing monts de piété (establishments for loaning money on security). But his greatest financial measures were his attempt to fund the French debt and his establishment of annuities under the guarantee of the state. The operation of funding was too difficult to be suddenly accomplished, and Necker rather pointed out the right line to be followed than completed the operation. In all this he treated French finance rather as a banker than as a profound political economist, and thus fell far short of Turgot, who was the very greatest economist of his day.

Related Topics:
1776 - 1777 - Taille - Poll tax - Monts de piété

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Politically he did not do much to stave off the coming French Revolution, and his establishment of provincial assemblies was only a timid application of Turgot's great scheme for the administrative reorganization of France. In 1781 he published his famous Compte rendu, in which he drew the balance sheet of France, and was dismissed from his office. Yet his dismissal was not really due to his book, but to the influence of Marie Antoinette, whose schemes for benefiting the duc de Guines he had thwarted.

Related Topics:
French Revolution - 1781 - Balance sheet - Marie Antoinette - Duc de Guines

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In retirement he occupied himself with literature, and with his only child, his daughter, who in 1786 married the ambassador of Sweden and became Madame de Staël. But neither Necker nor his wife cared to remain out of office, and in 1787 Necker was banished by lettre de cachet 40 leagues from Paris for attacking Calonne. In 1788 the country, which had at the bidding of the literary guests of Madame Necker come to believe that Necker was the only minister who could "stop the deficit," as they said, demanded Necker's recall, and he became once more director-general of finance.

Related Topics:
1786 - Sweden - 1787 - Lettre de cachet - Calonne - 1788

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Throughout the momentous months which followed, the biography of Necker is part of the history of the French Revolution. Necker put a stop to the rebellion in Dauphiné by legalizing its assembly, and then set to work to arrange for the summons of the Estates-General of 1789. He was regarded as the saviour of France, but his conduct at the meeting of the states general showed that he regarded it as an assembly which should merely grant money, not organize reforms. But as he had advised the calling of the states general and the double representation of the third estate, and then permitted the orders to deliberate and vote in common, he was regarded as the cause of the Revolution by the court, and on July 11 was ordered to leave France at once. He had earned the enmity of many members of the royal circle - including the king's youngest brother the Comte d'Artois and a well-connected diplomat, baron de Breteuil (who replaced him as minister.)

Related Topics:
Dauphiné - Estates-General of 1789 - Third estate - July 11 - The Comte d'Artois - Baron de Breteuil

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Necker's dismissal on July 11, 1789 brought about the storming of the Bastille, which induced the king to recall him. He was received with joy in every city he traversed, but at Paris he again proved to be no statesman. Believing that he could save France alone, he refused to act with Mirabeau or Lafayette. He caused the king's acceptance of the suspensive veto, by which he sacrificed his chief prerogative in September, and destroyed all chance of a strong executive by contriving the decree of November 7, by which the ministry might not be chosen from the assembly. Financially he proved equally incapable for a time of crisis, and could not understand the need of such extreme measures as the establishment of assignats in order to keep the country quiet.

Related Topics:
July 11 - 1789 - Storming of the Bastille - Mirabeau - Lafayette - November 7 - Assignat

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His popularity vanished when his only idea was to ask the assembly for new loans, and in September 1790 he resigned his office, unregretted by a single Frenchman.

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