List of Finance Ministers of France



         


This page is a list of French finance ministers.

Under the ancien régime, finance was in the charge of the Controller-General of Finance, one of the most important positions in the French government. Occasionally, the de facto Minister of Finance served instead as President of the Royal Council of Finance, who was superior to a mere Controller-General, or, in the case of Jacques Necker, who, as a Protestant, could not serve as Controller-General, as General Director of Finances, a less prominent position. In 1791, this complexity was removed by the French revolutionary government, which established the position of Minister of Finance. The position, along with all other ministerial positions, was abolished in 1794, but restored with the advent of the Directory in 1795.

[Top]

Controllers-General of Finances, 1661-1791

Controller-General Began Ended
Jean-Baptiste Colbert 1661 1683
Michel de Chamillart 5 September 1699 20 February 1708
Nicolas Desmarets 20 February 1708 15 September 1715
Adrien Maurice, duc de Noailles (President of the Finances Council) 1 October 1715 28 January 1718
Henri Jacques Nompar de Caumont, duc de La Force (President of the Finances Council) 28 January 1718 5 January 1720
John Law 5 January 1720 28 May 1720
Michel Robert Le Peletier des Forts (Commissioner of Finance) 28 May 1720 11 December 1720
Félix Le Pelletier de La Houssaye 11 December 1720 21 April 1722
Charles Gaspard Dodun 21 April 1722 14 June 1726
Michel Robert Le Peletier des Forts 14 June 1726 19 March 1730
Philibert Orry 19 March 1730 5 December 1745
Jean-Baptiste de Machault d'Arnouville 6 December 1745 30 July 1754
Jean Moreau de Séchelles 30 July 1754 24 April 1756
François Marie Peyrenc de Moras 24 April 1756 25 August 1757
Jean de Boullonges 25 August 1757 4 March 1759
Étienne de Silhouette 4 March 1759 21 November 1759
Henri Léonard Jean Baptiste Bertin 23 November 1759 14 December 1763
Clément Charles François de Laverdy 14 December 1763 20 September 1768
Étienne Maynon d'Invault 22 September 1768 19 December 1769
Joseph Marie Terray 22 December 1769 24 August 1774
Anne Robert Jacques Turgot 24 August 1774 12 May 1776
Jean Étienne Bernard Ogier de Clugny 21 May 1776 18 October 1776
Louis-Gabriel Taboureau des Réaux 21 October 1776 29 June 1777
Jacques Necker (Director-General of Finances) 29 June 1777 19 May 1781
Jean-François Joly de Fleury 21 May 1781 29 March 1783
Henri François de Paule Lefèvre d'Ormesson 29 March 1783 1 November 1783
Charles Alexandre de Calonne 3 November 1783 9 April 1787
Michel Bouvard de Fourqueux 10 April 1787 1 May 1787
Étienne Charles de Loménie de Brienne (President of the Royal Council of Finances) 1 May 1787 25 August 1788
Jacques Necker (Director-General of Finances) 26 August 1788 13 July 1789
Louis Charles Auguste Le Tonnelier, baron de Breteuil (President of the Royal Council of Finances) 13 July 1789 16 July 1789
Jacques Necker (Director-General of Finances) 16 July 1789 4 September 1790
Charles Claude Guillaume Lambert 4 September 1790 4 December 1790
Claude Antoine Valdec de Lessart 4 December 1790 27 April 1791


[Top]

Ministers of Finance, 1791-1944

Minister Began Ended
Claude Antoine Valdec de Lessart 27 April 1791 29 May 1791
Louis Hardouin Tarbé 29 May 1791 24 March 1792
Étienne Clavière 24 March 1792 13 June 1792
Antoine Duranthon 13 June 1792 18 June 1792
Jules Émile François Hervé de Beaulieu 18 June 1792 29 July 1792
Joseph Delaville-Leroulx 29 July 1792 10 August 1792
Étienne Clavière 10 August 1792 13 June 1793
Louis Grégoire Des Champs des Tournelles 13 June 1793 20 April 1794
none 20 April 1794 8 November 1795
Guillaume-Charles Faipoult 8 November 1795 14 February 1796
Jacques Ramel de Nogaret 14 February 1796 20 July 1799
Robert Lindet 20 July 1799 10 November 1799
Martin Michel Charles Gaudin, duc de Gaète 10 November 1799 1 April 1814
Joseph Dominique, baron Louis 3 April 1814 20 March 1815
Martin Michel Charles Gaudin, duc de Gaète 20 March 1815 7 July 1815
Joseph Dominique, baron Louis 9 July 1815 26 September 1815
Louis Emmanuel, comte Corvetto 26 September 1815 7 December 1818
Antoine Roy 7 December 1818 29 December 1818
Joseph Dominique, baron Louis 29 December 1818 19 November 1819
Antoine Roy 19 November 1819 14 December 1821
Jean-Baptiste Guillaume Joseph, comte de Villèle 14 December 1821 4 January 1828
Antoine, comte Roy 4 January 1828 8 August 1829
Christophe, comte de Chabrol de Crouzol 8 August 1829 19 May 1830
Guillaume Isidore, comte de Montbel 19 May 1830 31 July 1830
Joseph Dominique, baron Louis 31 July 1830 2 November 1830
Jacques Laffitte 2 November 1830 13 March 1831
Joseph Dominique, baron Louis 13 March 1831 11 October 1832
Jean-Georges Humann 11 October 1832 10 November 1834
Hippolyte Passy 10 November 1834 18 November 1834
Jean-Georges Humann 18 November 1834 18 January 1836
Antoine, comte d'Argout 18 January 1836 6 September 1836
Charles Marie Tanneguy Duchâtel 6 September 1836 15 April 1837
Jean Pierre Joseph Lacave-Laplagne 15 April 1837 31 March 1839
Jean-Élie Gautier 31 March 1839 12 May 1839
Hippolyte Passy 12 May 1839 1 March 1840
Privat Joseph Claramont, comte Pelet de la Lozère 1 March 1840 29 October 1840
Jean-Georges Humann 29 October 1840 25 April 1842
Jean Pierre Joseph Lacave-Laplagne 25 April 1842 9 May 1847
Pierre Sylvain Dumon 9 May 1847 24 February 1848
Michel Goudchaux 24 February 1848 5 March 1848
Louis Antoine Garnier-Pagès 5 March 1848 11 May 1848
Charles Duclerc 11 May 1848 28 June 1848
Michel Gouchaux 28 June 1848 25 October 1848
Ariste Jacques Trouvé-Chauvel 25 October1848 20 December 1848
Hippolyte Passy 20 December 1848 31 October 1849
Achille Fould 31 October 1849 24 January 1851
Charles Lebègue, comte de Germiny 24 January 1851 10 April 1851
Achille Fould 10 April 1851 26 October 1851
Antoine Blondel 26 October 1851 23 November 1851
François, comte de Casabianca 23 November 1851 3 December 1851
Achille Fould 3 December 1851 22 January 1852
Jean Bineau 22 January 1852 3 February 1855
Pierre Magne 3 February 1855 26 November 1860
Adolphe Forcade La Roquette 26 November 1860 14 November 1861
Achille Fould 14 November 1861 20 January 1867
Eugène Rouher 20 January 1867 13 November 1867
Pierre Magne 13 November 1867 2 January 1870
Louis Buffet 2 January 1870 14 April 1870
Émile Alexis Segris 14 April 1870 10 August 1870
Pierre Magne 10 August 1870 4 September 1870
Ernest Picard 4 September 1870 19 February 1871
Louis Buffet 19 February 1871 25 February 1871
Augustin Pouver-Quertier 25 February 1871 23 April 1872
Eugène de Goulard 23 April 1872 7 December 1872
Léon Say 7 December 1872 25 May 1873
Pierre Magne 25 May 1873 20 July 1874
Pierre Mathieu-Bodet 20 July 1874 10 March 1875
Léon Say 10 March 1875 17 May 1877
Eugène Caillaux 17 May 1877 23 November 1877
François Dutilleul 23 November 1877 13 December 1877
Léon Say 13 December 1877 28 December 1879
Pierre Magnin 28 December 1879 14 November 1881
François Allain-Targé 14 November 1881 30 January 1882
Léon Say 30 January 1882 7 August 1882
Pierre Tirard 7 August 1882 6 April 1885
Jean Clamageran 6 April 1885 16 April 1885
Marie François Sadi Carnot 16 April 1885 11 December 1886
Albert Dauphin 11 December 1886 30 May 1887
Maurice Rouvier 30 May 1887 12 December 1887
Pierre Tirard 12 December 1887 3 April 1888
Paul Peytral 3 April 1888 22 February 1889
Maurice Rouvier 22 February 1889 12 December 1892
Pierre Tirard 13 December 1892 4 April 1893
Paul Peytral 4 April 1893 3 December 1893
Auguste Burdeau 3 December 1893 30 May 1894
Raymond Poincaré 30 May 1894 26 January 1895
Alexandre Ribot 26 January 1895 1 November 1895
Paul Doumer 1 November 1895 29 April 1896
Georges Cochery 29 April 1896 28 June 1898
Paul Peytral 28 June 1898 22 June 1899
Joseph Caillaux 22 June 1899 7 June 1902
Maurice Rouvier 7 June 1902 17 June 1905
Pierre Merlou 17 June 1905 14 March 1906
Raymond Poincaré 14 March 1906 25 October 1906
Joseph Caillaux 25 October 1906 24 July 1909
Georges Cochery 24 July 1909 3 November 1910
Louis Lucien Klotz 3 November 1910 2 March 1911
Joseph Caillaux 2 March 1911 27 June 1911
Louis Lucien Klotz 27 June 1911 22 March 1913
Charles Dumont 22 March 1913 9 December 1913
Joseph Caillaux 9 December 1913 17 March 1914
René Renoult 17 March 1914 9 June 1914
Étienne Clémentel 9 June 1914 13 June 1914
Joseph Noullens 13 June 1914 26 August 1914
Alexandre Ribot 26 August 1914 20 March 1917
Joseph Thierry 20 March 1917 12 September 1917
Louis Lucien Klotz 12 September 1917 20 January 1920
Frédéric François-Marsal 20 January 1920 16 January 1921
Paul Doumer 16 January 1921 15 January 1922
Charles de Lasteyrie 15 January 1922 29 March 1924
Frédéric François-Marsal 29 March 1924 14 June 1924
Étienne Clementel 14 June 1924 3 April 1925
Anatole de Monzie 3 April 1925 17 April 1925
Joseph Caillaux 17 April 1925 29 October 1925
Paul Painlevé 29 October 1925 28 November 1925
Louis Loucheur 28 November 1925 16 December 1925
Paul Doumer 16 December 1925 9 March 1926
Raoul Péret 9 March 1926 23 June 1926
Joseph Caillaux 23 June 1926 19 July 1926
Anatole de Monzie 19 July 1926 23 July 1926
Raymond Poincaré 23 July 1926 11 November 1928
Henry Chéron 11 November 1928 21 February 1930
Charles Dumont 21 February 1930 2 March 1930
Paul Reynaud 2 March 1930 13 December 1930
Louis Germain-Martin 13 December 1930 27 January 1931
Pierre Étienne Flandin 27 January 1931 3 June 1932
Louis Germain-Martin 3 June 1932 18 December 1932
Henry Chéron 18 December 1932 31 January 1933
Georges Bonnet 31 January 1933 30 January 1934
François Piétri 30 January 1934 4 February 1934
Paul Marchandeau 4 February 1934 9 February 1934
Louis Germain-Martin 9 February 1934 1 June 1935
Joseph Caillaux 1 June 1935 7 June 1935
Marcel Régnier 7 June 1935 4 June 1936
Vincent Auriol 4 June 1936 22 June 1937
Georges Bonnet 22 June 1937 18 January 1938
Paul Marchandeau 18 January 1938 13 March 1938
Léon Blum 13 March 1938 10 April 1938
Paul Marchandeau 10 April 1938 1 November 1938
Paul Reynaud 1 November 1938 21 March 1940