Jacques Laffitte
Jacques Laffitte (born October 24, 1767 in Bayonne , † May 26, 1844 in Paris ) was a French banker and politician.
Laffitte was one of ten children of a carpenter. He became an employee of the Perregaux banking house in Paris . In 1800 he became a partner there, and in 1804 he followed Perregeux as head of the house. Perregaux, Laffitte et Cie. became one of the largest financial institutions in Europe. Laffitte became a member of the board of directors in 1809, then president of the Bank of France and president of the Chamber of Commerce in 1814 . In 1814 he provided large amounts of money for the transitional government and for King Louis XVIII. during the " hundred days ". Napoleon Bonaparte deposited five million francs with him before he left France for the last time.
Instead of granting the government money from the bank, Laffitte made two million available out of pocket to cover the debts of the empire's troops after the battle of Waterloo . In 1816 he returned to the House of Representatives and took a seat there in the left spectrum. He spoke mainly on financial matters; although he was known for his liberal views, Louis XVIII took. put him on a public finance commission.
In 1818, Laffitte saved Paris from a financial crisis by buying a large number of shares. The following year he lost the presidency of the bank for having vigorously defended freedom of the press and the electoral law. One of the staunchest supporters of the constitutional monarchy, he became a deputy for Bayonne under the Duc d'Orleans in July 1830 , when his house in Paris became the headquarters of the revolutionary party. When Charles X , having withdrawn the hated ordinances, sent the Comte d'Argout to Laffitte to reject a change in the ministry, the banker replied: “It is too late. There is no longer any Charles X, ”and it was he who secured Louis Philippe's nomination as Lieutenant General of the Kingdom. On August 3, he became President of the House of Representatives, and in that position he took Louis Philippe's oath to the new constitution.
The reputation of the mob in Paris after the deaths of the captured ministers of Charles X culminated in the October riots, which also included more moderate members of the government - including François Guizot , the Duc de Broglie and Casimir Pierre Périers - around one To demand the handover of government to ministers who had the confidence of the revolutionary partisans. On November 5, Jacques Laffitte became prime minister of a government promoting the movement; at the same time he ran the Treasury. The government was torn between the need to maintain order and the need to reconcile the partisan mob; there was no success in any direction. The indicted ministers were saved by the courage of the House of Lords and the National Guard, but their safety came at the expense of Laffitte's popularity.
His policy of French intervention in favor of the Italian revolutionaries, through which he could have regained his popularity, was thwarted by the diplomatic actions of Louis Philippe. The resignations of Lafayette and Dupont de l'Eure further undermined his government. Failing to keep the streets of Paris calm, they were ultimately completely discredited. Finally, Louis Philippe, intending to free himself from those who would determine his fate, thought it would be safe to withdraw his trust from those who made him. In March 1831 Laffitte resigned; he prayed for forgiveness to God and to the people for the role he had played in putting Louis Philippe on the throne. He was politically and financially ruined. His affairs were settled in 1836, the following year he built a credit bank that was a success in his lifetime but closed in 1848.
literature
- Jacques Laffitte . In: Meyers Konversations-Lexikon . 4th edition. Volume 10, Verlag des Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig / Vienna 1885–1892, pp. 399–400.
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Joseph Dominique, baron Louis |
Minister of Finance of France November 2, 1830 - March 13, 1831 |
Joseph Dominique, baron Louis |
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
|
Casimir Pierre Périer |
President of the French Chamber of Deputies August 21, 1830 - November 11, 1830 |
Casimir Pierre Périer |
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Laffitte, Jacques |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French banker and politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 24, 1767 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Bayonne |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 26, 1844 |
| Place of death | Paris |