Bir Fransız Elçisinin Çıraklık Dönemi: İstanbul Elçiliği Öncesinde Charles Gravier de Vergennes

Abstract

Charles Gravier de Vergennes is one of the most important French diplomats of the 18th century. The first steps of his diplomatic life were formed in the French embassies in Lisbon and Frankfurt, where he served as conseiller d’ambassade alongside his uncle Chavigny. Vergennes was later assigned as ambassador to Koblenz, Hanover, İstanbul and Stockholm. He was also appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs by Louis 16, the King France (1774-1792) as a result of his achievements such as being the defender of the French monarchy, his successful diplomatic activities and having influential people around him. Vergennes, one of the last great ministers of the Ancien Régime, was sent to İstanbul in 1755 after the sudden death of the present ambassador in İstanbul, Roland des Alleurs. The embassy of France in İstanbul where he served for thirteen years, constitutes an important part of his diplomatic career. It is clear that the diplomatic activities he carried out in the important centers of Europe and the experiences he gained were decisive in his election to this task. In this study, what Vergennes learned about European diplomacy and being a diplomat in Lisbon and Frankfurt where he accompanied his uncle Chavigny, was evaluated within the framework of the political events of the period. Moreover, the responsibilities he took in financial matters, his efforts to manage financial aids and secret funds to influence the German princes in favor of France and the correspondences he carried out occasionally show that Vergennes has a role beyond being a conseiller d’ambassade.