Person
Charles Gravier, Count of Vergennes
French statesman and diplomat
Charles Gravier, Count of Vergennes (December 29, 1719 – February 13, 1787) is a French statesman and diplomat.
He serves as Foreign Minister from 1774 during the reign of Louis XVI, notably during the American War of Independence.
Vergennes rises through the ranks of the diplomatic service during postings in Portugal and Germany before receiving the important post of Envoy to the Ottoman Empire in 1755.
While there he oversees complex negotiations that result from the Diplomatic Revolution before being recalled in 1768.
After assisting a pro-French faction to take power in Sweden, he returns home and is promoted to foreign minister.
Vergennes hopes that by giving French aid to the American rebels, he will be able to weaken Britain's dominance of the international stage in the wake of their victory in the Seven Years' War.
This produces mixed results as in spite of securing American independence France is able to extract little material gain from the war, while the costs of fighting damage French national finances in the run up to the Revolution.
He goes on to be a dominant figure in French politics during the 1780s.