Jacques Necker Finance
Jacques Necker: A Tumultuous Tenure as French Finance Minister
Jacques Necker, a Swiss banker turned statesman, remains a controversial figure in French history, inextricably linked to the events leading to the French Revolution. Serving intermittently as Director-General of Finance under King Louis XVI from 1776 to 1781, and again briefly in 1788-1789 and 1789-1790, Necker attempted to reform the French financial system, but his efforts were ultimately overwhelmed by the deep-seated structural problems and political resistance of the time.