Choiseul correspondence, 1777-1781

Summary

Creator:

Choiseul, Louis Marie Gabriel César de, 1734-1796

Abstract:

This collection contains 15 letters, in French, mostly to Choiseul to the Marquis de Monteil, during his time in Turin, Sardinia. These document a strong interest in the American Revolution, particularly in naval matters.

Extent:

15 items

Language:

French

Authors:

Collection processed and finding aid created by Robert S. Cox, November 1990 and Philip Heslip, February 2010

Background

Scope and Content:

The Choiseul correspondence consists of 13 letters from Choiseul to the Marquis de Monteil, one from Choiseul to "monsieur le comte,” and one letter from [Nicolas François Tricot] de Lalande. All letters are addressed from Turin, Sardinia. More than half of these letters were written between September 1777 and October 1778, with the remainder dated from late 1780 to early 1781. All letters are in French. Typed transcripts are available for 9 letters between Choiseul and the Marquis de Monteil.

Choiseul's letters document a strong interest in the American Revolution, particularly in naval matters. Beginning as early as 1778, Choiseul was pessimistic about British chances for retaining the American colonies, and his pessimism increased after French Admiral Charles-Henri d'Estaing's fleet was sent to aid the Americans' fight against the British at sea. He was opposed to plans circulating among members of the French military command to continue the war with the English. The letters also contain discussions of Choiseul's and Monteil's diplomatic efforts in Sardinia, Genoa, and Piedmont, as well as commentary on the Bavarian Succession.

Biographical / Historical:

Louis Marie Gabriel César de Choiseul, baron d'Esguilly, was born in 1734 at Autun, France. His father was César Gabriel de Choiseul, duc de Praslin (1712-1785), French diplomat and statesman. Louis Choiseul entered into armed service as a musketeer in the second company, 1747, and served successively in the King's Regiment (sous-lieutenant, 1750; lieutenant, 1755) and the Gendarmes-Dauphin (capitaine-lieutenant, 1761). From 1757 to 1762 he served in the Seven Years' War, but thereafter his political ambitions took him away from his military career.

In 1765, Choiseul was named ambassador to Turin, then capital of the Kingdom of Sardinia. He is remembered in his diplomatic career for arranging several marriages with political ramifications: the princess of Carignan with the prince of Lamballe (1766); the comte de Provence with Marie-Josephe Louise and the the comte d'Artois with Marie-Thérèse de Savoie (1771-1773), daughters of the Sardinian King; and the Prince of Piémont with Marie Adélaïde Clotilde Xavière (1775). During the course of his long mission, Choiseul was charged with monitoring the situation between Austria and Prussia, until the question of the Bavarian Succession was resolved (1778-1779), and he played an important role in monitoring Sardinian maneuvers relative to French-held Corsica. The French government recognized this service by promoting him to brigadier (1770) and ultimately to maréchal de camp (1780). Between 1778 and 1791, during absences from his post at Turin, Choiseul was replaced by the chargé d'affaires, Nicolas-François Tricot de Lalande.

Choiseul held fairly strong pro-British opinions during the American Revolution, but in the first years of the French Revolution, even while accepting the émigré princes, he appears to have expressed pro-Republican, pro-Democratic views. Choiseul's mission at Turin came to an end in either late 1791 or early 1792. He returned to France to find his property sequestered by the republican government. Choiseul died in 1796.

The Marquis de Monteil (b. 1718) was selected as ambassador to the Republic of Genoa in 1777. He was charged with obtaining a definitive interpretation of the Treaty of Versailles (1768) with respect to French intentions to annex Corsica. During the American Revolution, the Genoese maintained a neutral stance, but allowed the French and Spanish navies to use their ports.

Acquisition Information:

1948, 1985. M-717, M-2202 .

Processing information:

Cataloging funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the "We the People" project.

Arrangement:

This collection is organized chronologically.

Rules or Conventions:

Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Related

Additional Descriptive Data:

Partial Subject Index

Anglo-Dutch War, 1780-1784.	13
Belle-Polue (frigate)	4
Brandywine, Battle of, Pa., 1777.	1
Burgoyne, John, 1722-1792.	2
Byron, John, 1723-1786.	6, 9
Chabot, Louis-Antoine-Auguste, duc de Rohan, 1733-1807.	7
Corsica (France)--History--French Domination, 1768-1794.	8
Darby, George. [d. 1790].	12
Diplomatic and consular service, French.	6, 9, 13-15
Dorchester, Guy Carleton, Baron, 1724-1808.	2
Estaing, Charles Henri, comte d', 1729-1794.	3, 5-7, 9, 12, 13
France--Colonies.	2
France--Foreign relations.	14
France--Foreign relations--Great Britain.	1-5, 7, 8, 11
France--Foreign relations--Prussia.	8
France--Foreign relations--Spain.	11
France. Marine.	6, 7, 9
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786.	3
Genoa--Foreign relations--Sardinia.	10-12
Gibraltar.	10, 11, 14
Grasse, François Joseph Paul de Grasse, comte de, 1722-1788.	14, 15
Great Britain--Foreign relations--France.	2-5, 7, 8
Great Britain. Royal Navy.	6, 7
Guichen, Luc Urbain de Bouecix, comte de, 1712-1790.	11
Howe, Richard Howe, Earl, 1726-1799.	5
Howe, William Howe, Viscount, 1729-1814.	1, 2
Keppel, Augustus Keppel, Viscount, 1725-1786.	5-7
Knights of Malta.	15
Lennox, George Henry, 1737-1805.	3
Malta--Foreign relations--Sardinia.	15
Malta--Politics and government.	15
Maltese language.	15
Monmouth, Battle of, Freehold, N.J., 1778.	8
[Murio, Jerome].	7-9
Philadelphia Campaign, 1777-1778.	1
Prussia--Foreign relations--France.	8
Rochambeau, Donatien Marie Joseph de Vimeur, vicomte de, 1750-1813.	10, 11
Rodney, George Brydges Rodney, Baron, 1719-1792.	10, 12, 13, 15
Russo-Turkish War, 1787-1792.	2, 3
Sardinia (Italy)--Diplomatic and consular service.	1, 10
Sardinia (Italy)--Foreign relations--Genoa.	10-12
Sardinia (Italy)--Foreign relations--Malta.	15
Sardinia (Italy)--Politics and government--1708-1861.	4, 12, 15
Ségur, Louis-Philippe, comte de, 1753-1830.	13
Suffren de Saint-Tropez, Pierre André de, 1729-1788.	14
Ternay, Charles Henry Louis d'Arsac, chevalier de, 1723-1780.	11
United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783.	2, 3, 6, 7
United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783--Participation, French.	4, 5, 8-11, 15
Valperga di Caluso, Tommaso, 1737-1815.	13
Vergennes, Charles Gravier, comte de, 1719-1787.	1, 8-11, 13
Washington, George, 1732-1799.	2, 9

Subjects

Click on terms below to find any related finding aids on this site.

Subjects:

Anglo-Dutch War, 1780-1784.
Brandywine, Battle of, Pa., 1777.
Diplomatic and consular service, French.
Maltese language.
Monmouth, Battle of, Freehold, N.J., 1778.
Philadelphia Campaign, 1777-1778.
Russo-Turkish War, 1787-1792.

Formats:

Letters (correspondence)

Names:

Belle-Polue (frigate)
France. Marine.
Great Britain. Royal Navy.
Knights of Malta.
Burgoyne, John, 1722-1792.
Byron, John, 1723-1786.
Chabot, Louis-Antoine-Auguste, duc de Rohan, 1733-1807.
Darby, George, d. 1790.
Dorchester, Guy Carleton, Baron, 1724-1808.
Estaing, Charles Henri, comte d', 1729-1794.
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786.
Grasse, François Joseph Paul de Grasse, comte de, 1722-1788.
Guichen, Luc Urbain de Bouecix, comte de, 1712-1790.
Howe, Richard Howe, Earl, 1726-1799.
Howe, William Howe, Viscount, 1729-1814.
Keppel, Augustus Keppel, Viscount, 1725-1786.
Latouche-Tréville, Louis-René de, 1745-1804.
Lennox, George Henry, 1737-1805.
Murio, Jerome.
Rochambeau, Donatien Marie Joseph de Vimeur, vicomte de, 1750-1813.
Rodney, George Brydges Rodney, Baron, 1719-1792.
Ségur, Louis-Philippe, comte de, 1753-1830.
Suffren de Saint-Tropez, Pierre André de, 1729-1788.
Ternay, Charles Henry Louis d'Arsac, chevalier de, 1723-1780.
Valperga di Caluso, Tommaso, 1737-1815.
Vergennes, Charles Gravier, comte de, 1719-1787.
Washington, George, 1732-1799.

Places:

Corsica (France)--History--French Domination, 1768-1794.
France--Colonies.
France--Foreign relations.
France--Foreign relations--Great Britain.
France--Foreign relations--Prussia.
France--Foreign relations--Spain.
Genoa--Foreign relations--Sardinia.
Gibraltar.
Great Britain--Foreign relations--France.
Malta--Foreign relations--Sardinia.
Malta--Politics and government.
Prussia--Foreign relations--France.
Sardinia (Italy)--Diplomatic and consular service.
Sardinia (Italy)--Foreign relations--Genoa.
Sardinia (Italy)--Foreign relations--Malta.
Sardinia (Italy)--Politics and government--1708-1861.
United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783.
United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783--Participation, French.