author
Jacques Necker
1732–1804
A banker turned royal finance minister, he stood at the center of France’s mounting crisis on the eve of the Revolution. His attempts to steady the monarchy’s finances made him famous in his own time and tied his name forever to the dramatic opening of 1789.
1 Audiobook
Of the importance of religious opinions
by Jacques Necker
About the author
Born in Geneva in 1732, Jacques Necker built his early career in banking before rising to become one of the best-known financial officials in the kingdom of France. He served Louis XVI as director-general of finance and became widely discussed for his efforts to manage state debt and reform royal finances during a period of deep strain.
Necker’s public image was unusual for a minister of the old regime: he attracted broad popular attention, published on political and financial questions, and was seen by many as a reform-minded figure. His dismissal in July 1789 became one of the sparks that helped inflame Paris just before the storming of the Bastille.
He later returned to office but struggled to control events as the French Revolution gathered force. Necker spent his final years away from power and died in 1804, leaving behind a reputation shaped by both high hopes and the enormous financial and political pressures of his age.