Secret du roi

Secret du roi (French secret of the king) was the secret correspondence of the French monarch Louis XV. and Louis XVI. called, which took advantage of this parallel to their regular diplomatic channels to obtain sensitive political information from neighboring European countries. It was a spy and Information Service avant la lettre.

Objective of the network was over the expansion of French influence, especially in eastern and northern Europe and the negotiation explosive issues to the official, oriented on established rules and strict etiquette courtly diplomacy. It was created in the 1740s, probably around 1743, and goes to the then French ambassador in Warsaw back Louis -Adrien Duperron de Castera ( 1705-1752 ). In the 1740s and 1750s it was run by the cousin of Louis XV., The Prince de Conti, and was succeeded by his ambassador at the court of Augustus III. in Poland, Charles- François Comte de Broglie ( 1719-1781 ).

The diplomatic objectives of the secret network

Especially since the Aachen Peace from 1748, the "lost peace " after the victory in the war, expressed Louis XV. greater interest in his diplomatic service and foreign policy of the country. Conti could say in the foreign policy of the king since that moment. He publicly criticized the minister responsible if their failure in the negotiations for the conclusion of peace and developed his own French foreign policy. The aim of his policy was to stabilize the European order the Peace of Westphalia, ie directed against Austria, England and the rising Russia policy. An alliance with Turkey, Poland, Sweden and Prussia should form the balance of these three powers. Especially the rising great power Russia, which had occupied parts of Poland, and the eastern part of Europe between the Baltic Sea, Austria and the Balkans under Turkish control interested him. Poland played a special role in his strategy. There should be a kind of defense community, be a " confédération defensive", forged against the always expansive occurring Russia should play the role of a shielding block in Poland. If Russia could not be mounted in the French interest policy, it had to be held by an alliance within limits. To Sweden, Poland and Turkey to move towards an alliance to curb Russia, but without declaring it as official policy, waved Louis XV. on the path of secret diplomacy.

Literature (selection )

  • Boutaric, Edgar ( Ed. ). Correspondance secrète inédite de Louis XV -sur-la politique avec le comte de Broglie étrangère, Tercier etc., Paris: Plon, 1866.
  • Broglie, Charles- François, duc de. Le Secret du Roi. Correspondance de Louis XV secrète avec ses agents diplomatiques. 1752-1774, Paris 1878, online at , the 10 October 2005.
  • Trans. Correspondance secrète à Louis XV. (1756-1774), hrg. Didier Ozanam and Michel Antoine, Paris: Klincksieck 1956, online at , the 10 October 2005.
  • Perrault, Gilles. Le secret du roi, Paris: Fayard 1996 ( novel).
  • History of France in the early modern period
  • Louis XV.
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