Sully was such a successful administrator, he even managed to persuade financiers to buy back the Royal lands that the Valois kings had sold throughout the past century. This meant that France had guaranteed income after 16 years, after 16 years the financiers would return the lands to the monarchy. Unlike the Valois kings who only looked for a short-term gain, Sully importantly looked into a long-term solution.
Sully’s tactics were important, he ran the risk of war again if he angered the people whom Henri owed money too. However, due to a distinct feeling of war-weariness Sully was lucky in that respect. Royal debt to the army was ignored; they were dismissed without being paid. The army who were tired and simply did not have the energy to revolt accepted this move that would previously have spelled disaster. Sully was again lucky with the Tuscan debt, he simply claimed it was part of Marie’s dowry and so it was ignored. Sully’s important tactical persuasion worked with England and the United Provences, whose debt was only partly paid and renegotiated. Sully simply explained that the king was penniless and there was no other way they could get their money and luckily in this case it paid to be honest. Debt to the German Princes was also largely ignored. Sully’s luck with war-weariness attitudes of the people again helped him with the Rentes that Henri owed, some were paid interest, for some he reduced people’s interest and some Sully did not pay at all!
Sully was important in taking measures to stop the embezzlement of royal treasurers. He defined the functions of provincial treasurers, partly through introduction of elus, new officials, sent to the pays d’elections. He also held several enquiries into the activities of tax farmers and financiers.
Sully cleverly thought of keeping money aside, something that no other financial administrator had thought of before, he built up royal savings using the Bastille to keep the cash in, if there was ever war.
However, it was Sully’s tax reforms that were the most important. He investigated the French tax system and gathered important information from it. He realised that the tax burden was on the wrong people and so reduced the Taille and raised the Gabelle. By doing so he shifted the tax burden from the peasants and towns to the more privileged. In this investigation he also discovered and abolished over 40,000 wrongful exemptions from the Taille.
Sully’s most contentious change was the introduction of the Paulette in 1604. Previously, seen especially in the reign of Henry II, to raise quick funds the king would sell offices (more often than not that had been created solely for the purpose of being sold). The Paulette put a stop to this, in return for an annual payment of 1/60th of an office’s assessed value (which were usually over assessed) the office would become hereditary. Meaning a regular income for the monarchy and on the whole looked to be a long-term solution to a problem.
Another of Sully’s important reforms was restoring the confidence of the people in the currency. A weakness of currency meant a weakness in the monarchy and so this strengthened not only people’s attitudes to money, but the monarchy as well. Sully withdrew all debased coins and reformed the corruption in the royal mints. The export of bullion was reduced and he restored the Livre Tournais as the basic unit of accounting in 1602.
Sully was an important and intelligent servant for Henri, but the credit for France’s recovery cannot be given entirely to Sully. One cannot forget that France herself had the basis for a strong recovery, France was, and still is a large country and has a range of climates and resources. Arable and dairy farming are as successful as viticulture; there are significant areas of forest and mountains; the country is traversed by four major rivers, the Seine the Loire the Rhone and the Saône; she also has coastlines on both the Atlantic and Mediterranean. All France needed was the right man to develop her strengths, which came in the form of Sully.
Sully’s luck can also not be forgotten, if Henri had not have been such a politique in nature, Sully may not have even got the positions he did as he was a Huguenot. The Edict of Nantes meant that he had this opportunity and without Henri he wouldn’t have. Henri and Sully’s strengths complimented each other. Henri was a powerful war leader and this struck a great deal of caution into the hearts of potential rebels, Sully’s importance, intelligence and financial ability meant that the pair of them restored France together. Henri made emotive speeches to the Parlement of Paris, and Sully was in the background, restoring France onto a stronger financial footing.
Sully contributed to France’s recovery immensely, helped with the growing reputation of Henri IV. Sully’s considerable power, bureaucratic habit, drive and determination meant that he was an “eminently practical man” (Briggs). He played a great part in placing the French monarchy on a sound financial footing. In conclusion, Sully was very important to the recovery of France under Henri IV.
