Choiseul, Étienne-François, duke de

(1719-1785)

   statesman

   Born in Lorraine, Étienne-François, duke of Choiseul rose to power during the reign of louis XV through the influence of Mme de pompadour. He served as ambassador to Rome (1754) and secretary of state for foreign affairs (1758). In that capacity, combined with his authority over the naval and war ministries (his reform and buildup of the army and navy contributed later to French success in the American War of Independence), Choiseul controlled France's foreign policy for several years. His power increased during the Seven Years' War (1756-63). Although it was a disastrous conflict for France, he softened the defeats by negotiating the "Family Compact" alliance with Spain (1761) and directing the peace talks (1763). After the war, he restored France's power through an ambitious reform of the army and navy. In 1768, he acquired Corsica for France and strengthened ties with Austria in 1770 by arranging the marriage of the dauphin (later louis XVI) and Princess marie Antoinette. But Choiseul's foreign policy did have some weaknesses, as in his failure to prevent Russian expansion into Poland. After 1764, with the death of Mme de Pompadour and the rise of Mme du barry, whose enmity he incurred, Choiseul's position was weakened. In 1770, when his policies threatened to provoke another war with England, louis XV dismissed him. He did not play an active political role after this.