François-Michel le Tellier, Marquis de Louvois
Secretary of State for War under Louis XIV / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about François-Michel le Tellier, Marquis de Louvois?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
François Michel Le Tellier, Marquis de Louvois (18 January 1641 – 16 July 1691) was the French Secretary of State for War during a significant part of the reign of Louis XIV. He is commonly referred to as "Louvois". Together with his father, Michel le Tellier, he oversaw an increase in the numbers of the French Army, eventually reaching 340,000 soldiers[1] – an army that would fight four wars between 1667 and 1713. Louvois was a key military and strategic advisor to Louis XIV, who transformed the French Army into an instrument of royal authority and foreign policy.
François Michel Le Tellier | |
---|---|
First Minister of State | |
In office 7 September 1683 – 16 July 1691 | |
Monarch | Louis XIV |
Preceded by | Jean-Baptiste Colbert |
Succeeded by | Vacant (1691–1715) Guillaume Dubois |
Secretary of State of the Maison du Roi | |
In office 6 September 1683 – 16 July 1691 | |
Monarch | Louis XIV |
Preceded by | Jean-Baptiste Colbert |
Succeeded by | Édouard Colbert de Villacerf |
Secretary of State of War | |
In office 24 February 1662 – 16 July 1691 | |
Monarch | Louis XIV |
Preceded by | Michel Le Tellier |
Succeeded by | Louis François Marie Le Tellier |
Personal details | |
Born | (1641-01-18)18 January 1641 Paris, France |
Died | 16 July 1691(1691-07-16) (aged 50) Versailles, France |
Spouse |
Anne de Souvré (m. 1662–1691) |
Children | Michel-François Madeleine Charlotte Louis-Nicolas Louis François Camille Marguerite |
Parent(s) | Michel Le Tellier Élisabeth Turpin |
Signature | |
According to Cathal Nolan, he created the Régiment du Roi in 1663 and founded the Royal-Artillerie regiment in 1673. These innovations influenced military planners beyond France. Louvois sought out new wars as a means of concentrating more power and wealth in his own hands. He reorganized the French Army and exercised strict control over officers--but that resulted in slower tactical and operational response times. He had more success upgrading logistics for armies on the move. He improved the magazine system left by his father and introduced portable ovens to bake bread during halt days. He accumulated enough grain and wagons to provide his armies with 200,000 rations per day for up to six months during the Dutch War (1672-1678). This helped ensure the French king's early victories. Despite his flaws, Louvois is appreciated by historians for creating the role of civilian "minister of war."[2]