Louis XV of France - Later Life

Later Life

After the assassination attempt, and at the marquise de Pompadour's instigation, the king dismissed two ministers: the comte d'Argenson, secretary of state for war, and Machault d'Arnouville, keeper of the seals (justice minister) and before that controller-general of finances; and he called Choiseul to the government. Reforms would resume only with Maupeou in 1771.

Louis and his ministers were unhappy about Great Britain's victory in the Seven Years War and in the years following the Treaty of Paris they began drawing up a long-term plan that would involve construction of a larger navy, building an anti-British coalition of states that would lead to an eventual war of revenge and see France regain its former colonies from Britain. Choiseul was the leading advocate of this scheme, and was prepared to go to war with Britain over the Falklands Crisis in 1770. Louis, however, did not believe France was ready and instead dismissed Choiseul.