CHOISEUL-STAINVILLE, ETIENNE-FRANÇOIS, de. — French ambassador and politician, born on June 28, 1719, died in Paris on May 8, 1785.
CHOISEUL-STAINVILLE ETIENNE-FRANÇOIS — CHOUCHIH
Having initially taken up a military career, he fought valiantly in the War of the Austrian Succession. By supporting the intrigues of the favorite, Madame de Pompadour, he secured her favor, and in 1754 he was appointed ambassador to Rome, where he remained until 1757. In this office he succeeded in reaching an agreement with Benedict XIV on the thorny question that had agitated part of the French clergy concerning the denial of sacramental absolution to those among the appellants against the bull Unigenitus who refused to submit to acknowledging their disobedience. Benedict XIV’s bull Ex omnibus was published on 16 October 1756, and with it the political importance of the Jansenists in France came to an end.
In 1757–58 C. was ambassador to Vienna and worked to strengthen the Franco-Austrian alliance that overturned the previous policy, directing it against Prussia. In November 1758 he replaced Abbé de Bernis as Minister of Foreign Affairs; in 1761 he also took charge of the War portfolio, and the following year that of the Navy. For twelve years he was the true governor of France and worked to forge that “family pact” among the Bourbon dynasties whose purpose was the suppression of the Jesuits, in which he played a major role. A friend of Voltaire, he was among those who considered religion good only for the people. He deemed it sound policy to lead France toward establishing an extensive colonial possession in competition with England, and he succeeded; he also annexed Corsica and Lorraine.
Having incurred the enmity of the new favorite, du Barry, he was exiled by Louis XV to his estate at Chanteloup, where he remained from 1770 to 1774, a victim of court intrigues. He died financially ruined as a result of his extravagant manner of living.