The French East India Company claimed wide influence but lacked the durable resources and control that made the British company effective. It repeatedly required Crown support and was dissolved after bankruptcy, unlike the more resilient British commercial-military system. The Secret du Roi adds a second weakness, because private diplomatic activity could cut across the policy of ministers responsible for France's external relations. The problem was institutional as much as personal: strategy fails when the state pursues incompatible objectives through unconnected channels.
Notable Point · 36:34-45:19
French strategy, company weakness, and secret diplomacy
French overseas ambitions suffered from a weaker company base and from policy divided between official ministers and Louis XV's secret channels.