elverno Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 1789 Jacques Necker, France. 70mm - Details - RR A huge rare cliché featuring Jacques Necker, minister of finance to Louis XVI. The cause of the French Revolution was the collapse of the monarchy's (and therefore France's) financial viability. He was a highly successful businessman and had a reputation in France of turning everything he touched to gold. His great idea for fixing the economy was to reduce the monarchy's household costs and borrow a ton of money from foreign banks. Eventually the debt service exceeded income and he could no longer get loans. Of course he tried other approaches but he was convinced he could manage the debt well enough to turn things around before meltdown. He headed back home to Switzerland in 1790, basically just ahead of the disappointed mob. One of Necker's financial solutions was to call for the Estates-General to be convened for the first time in hundreds of years. What was anticipated by him to be a rubber stamp to the demand for new taxes turned into the National Assembly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
constanius Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 I have got goosebumps from just looking at the pics. That trial-strike/cliché is just my cuppa tea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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