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Sully's financial reforms
In 1598 Henry IV appointed Maximilien de Béthune (Duke of Sully) superintendent of finances, who reformed royal finances, cut debt, and promoted merc…
Timeline
- 1598Paris · Île-de-FranceAs the Wars of Religion drew to a close, Henry IV relied on his long-time follower Sully to restore the near-bankrupt royal finances, granting him full authority over taxation, expenditure, and debt negotiations.
- 1599–1605France · FranceSully reformed the farming of indirect taxes such as the gabelle, cut redundant posts and wasteful expenditure, negotiated debt reductions with creditors, and established a more transparent system of royal accounts to restore fiscal credit.
- 1600–1610France · FranceSully promoted transport projects such as the Briare Canal, encouraged manufacturing and exports, and restricted luxury imports, taking "plowing, grazing, and manufacturing" as the program for enriching the nation and laying the groundwork for France's early modern fiscal state.
Sources
- Sully and the Growth of Centralized Government in France, 1598-1610 — David Buisseret (1966)
- Henry IV and the Edict of Nantes — Mack P. Holt (1995)