Étienne François de Choiseul was born into an elite Lorraine family and transferred his allegiance to France after the Duke of Lorraine surrendered the duchy and moved to Tuscany. He gained military experience in the Austro-Turkish War and the War of the Austrian Succession, serving in Bohemia, Italy, Germany, and the Low Countries. Marriage brought wealth, while favor from Madame de Pompadour helped open a diplomatic career that included Rome. By 1758 he had become Louis XV’s leading minister and foreign secretary, placing the later invasion scheme in the career of a soldier-diplomat who had risen through war, patronage, and court politics.
Chapter · 2:57:48-3:01:00
How Choiseul rose to become Louis XV’s chief minister
Choiseul’s path from Lorraine soldier and diplomat to Louis XV’s leading minister explains how he gained the authority to make invasion of Britain French strategy in 1759.