Article: Colbert, Jean-Baptiste (16191683)

COLBERT, JEAN-BAPTISTE (1619 1683)

COLBERT, JEAN-BAPTISTE (1619 1683), French statesman. Colbert, the leading minister during the initial decades of Louis XIV's (ruled 1643 1715) personal reign, was born at Reims, the son of a drapery merchant, on 29 August 1619. Exploiting familial ties with Michel le Tellier, Colbert obtained a royal appointment at a relatively young age in 1643. During the chaos of the Fronde (1648 1653), he served as agent for Jules Mazarin's (1602 1661) affairs while the cardinal was exiled from Paris (1651). Colbert's diligence and business acumen resulted in hefty rewards upon Mazarin's return. On his deathbed (1661), the ...

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