François le Tellier Marquis of Louvois
François le Tellier, Marquis of Louvois (1639 - 1691)
François le Tellier was born in 1639 in Paris. His father Michel Le Tellier (1603-1685), Secretary of State for War, bequeathed his office to him in 1677 when he himself became chancellor. Louvois has also served as superintendent of posts since 1668. He will be superintendent of the king's buildings in 1683 upon the death of Colbert, who was one of his great rivals and bookstore master in 1684.
He set about reorganizing the army, whose numbers increased considerably (50,000 men in the 1660s to 400,000 thirty years later). He made private housing for soldiers obsolete by building barracks. He is at the origin of the food depots which should ensure greater autonomy for the army. He equips the soldiers with rifled carbines and rifles with bayonets. He created new bodies of troops, the power of the artillery was reinforced, the cavalry was organized into regiments and the horsemen now charged with sabers and no longer with swords. It allows commoners to access ranks previously reserved only for nobles. He was behind the founding of the Hôtel des Invalides, intended for war disabled people.
This bulimic minister who is at the origin of the warlike policy of Louis XIV will end up by his ambition and his desire to govern everything by seriously annoying the king. His death in 1691 allowed him to escape the disgrace that was coming. Not having become poorer during the exercise of his functions as head of state, he purchased the lordship of Louvois in the Marne. Hence his title of Marquis of Louvois.
François le Tellier was born in 1639 in Paris. His father Michel Le Tellier (1603-1685), Secretary of State for War, bequeathed his office to him in 1677 when he himself became chancellor. Louvois has also served as superintendent of posts since 1668. He will be superintendent of the king's buildings in 1683 upon the death of Colbert, who was one of his great rivals and bookstore master in 1684.
He set about reorganizing the army, whose numbers increased considerably (50,000 men in the 1660s to 400,000 thirty years later). He made private housing for soldiers obsolete by building barracks. He is at the origin of the food depots which should ensure greater autonomy for the army. He equips the soldiers with rifled carbines and rifles with bayonets. He created new bodies of troops, the power of the artillery was reinforced, the cavalry was organized into regiments and the horsemen now charged with sabers and no longer with swords. It allows commoners to access ranks previously reserved only for nobles. He was behind the founding of the Hôtel des Invalides, intended for war disabled people.
This bulimic minister who is at the origin of the warlike policy of Louis XIV will end up by his ambition and his desire to govern everything by seriously annoying the king. His death in 1691 allowed him to escape the disgrace that was coming. Not having become poorer during the exercise of his functions as head of state, he purchased the lordship of Louvois in the Marne. Hence his title of Marquis of Louvois.