the costs of war
what did the bad harvests of 1693-4 in Lorraine weaken?
the taxation yields from the gabelle and etapes
by 1714 which accounts had still not been checked?
those from 1700 onwards
what did France face in 1702?
a huge enemy coalition in a war that demanded France send forces well beyond its frontiers, which stretched the country's military logistics and resource capacity
what was the etapes?
a military tax for passing troops
what caused royal debts to quadruple between 1672-4 and 1680?
as a result of the dutch war office sales and tax exemptions rose, and rentes were at 7-10%, which exceeded Colbert's 5% limit
what was the crown unable to do by 1695?
borrow more money, forcing a failed attempt to make all people pay capitation tax on their social or office-based status
what did mounting war costs from 1710 highlight?
continuing royal failure to make the elites contribute fairly in taxation
what wrecked Chamillart's ability to maintain confidence in mint bills?
defeats at Ramilles and Turin in 1706
what did France's Italian campaign require?
expensive money and credit transfers through Lyon and Italian centers
what did the Dutch war do through the chain reaction?
further increased costs
what were incurred by France having to move money to armies and allies abroad on a far greater than 1688-97 (war of Spanish succession)?
heavy exchange costs
between 1688 and 1697 (during Pontchartrain's time in financial ministerial governance) what happened to royal debt?
it increased fivefold
how much did income from enemy territory provide of total military spending from 1700?
just 10%
how much did forcing the capitation tax in 1695 raise?
only 59 million livres before abolition in 1698
what did the Spanish Succession war break completely?
royal financial stability
what did Colbert warn?
that France could only stand a 35 million livres annual deficit
what were the costs of strategic overextension compounded by?
the costs of failure
how much higher was the total debt reached in 1715 (of 1.8-2.3 bn livres) than disposable income?
35-45 times higher
what was the % increase in government expenditure from 1670 in 1700?
42%
what was the % of the total expenditure devoted to warfare in 1662-9?
42%
what was the % increase in government expenditure from 1670 in 1690?
47%
how much heavier were the proposed direct taxes for Savoy than the burdens on pays d'elections and pays d'etats?
50% and 350%
what was the % of the total expenditure devoted to warfare in 80-9?
54%
how much was the deficit between expenses and tax revenues by 1705?
58,000 livres
what was the % increase in government expenditure from 1670 in 1685?
61%
what was the % increase in government expenditure from 1670 in 1714?
61%
how much of revenue did the Dutch war consume?
66%
what was the % of the total expenditure devoted to warfare in 1670-9?
66%
how much had Colbert's limit of 35 million livres annual deficit being the maximum that France could stand been exceed by, by 1697?
68%
what was the % increase in government expenditure from 1670 in 1711?
71%
how much higher than Colbert's deficit limit warning was the average royal debt of 118 million livres between 1702 and 1713?
71% higher
how many of Rouen's sugar refineries ceased operations by 1709 due to hostilities?
77%
by 1706 how much of annual royal finances did borrowing constitute?
85%
what did Touraine see during war years?
86% less involvement in tanning and leather-making
how much did the 59 million livres raised by the capitation tax from 1695-98 represent?
<14% of cumulative state expenditure for 1697-8
how much were annual war costs from 1704?
> 3 times more than the total amount spent from 1662-71
what was a political price of the costs of war?
Louis and the crown lost all control and discipline over revenue and expenditure
what did Louis' desperation for allies see?
>1.85 million livres paid to Hanover and 2 million livres to Denmark and Muenster in failed attempts to woo them into supporting French armies
how much greater did war cost than the paltry 22.5 million livres raised from Desmaretz's dixieme?
>10 times more from 1710
how much money was lost after France's crushing defeat at Blenheim in 1704?
>200,000 livres
who became recipients of French subsidies in Louis' desperate failed attempts to woo them into supporting French armies?
- Hanover - Denmark - Muenster - Savoy
what did fighting a range of enemies cause?
- increased demands for pay, food and equipment - suspension of budgetary controls - increase in venality - open and high borrowing at hyper inflationary interest rates - increasingly desperate subsidies to try and gain allies
what are some other costs of war?
- manufacturing demands were depressed - economic stagnation - political prices
why did Louis XIV fail to make Savoy pay the heavier tax burdens than the pays d'elections and d'etats?
- pre-existing poverty and embezzlement negated taille returns - heavy raiding from local bandits drained further capital - violent storms in 1706 meant the taille had to be lowered by 50,000 livres
what had total debt reached by 1715?
1.8-2.3 bn livres
what was the average royal debt between 1702 and 1713?
118 million livres
when was the capitation tax abolished?
1698
what was the % increase in government expenditure from 1670 in 1680?
20%
what was the % of the total expenditure devoted to warfare in 1650-6?
20%
how many of the last 30 years of Louis XIV's reign did war dominate?
22
how many livres were stolen from local bandits in Feb 1705 in Lorraine hampering Louis XIV's ability to maximise direct taxes?
33,000 livres
what was the % of the total expenditure devoted to warfare in 1630-49?
35%
after 1700 what further burdened rather than boosted war revenue?
France's occupation