Person

Charles Alexandre de Calonne

1734–1802 · 18th century

Charles Alexandre de Calonne was a French statesman who served as Louis XVI's controller-general of finances from 1783 to 1787. Faced with a growing deficit, he proposed a general land tax paid by all landowners, including the privileged, and summoned an Assembly of Notables in 1787 to approve it. The notables refused, he was dismissed, and the crisis led to the calling of the Estates-General in 1789.

Charles Alexandre de Calonne
Image: Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
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APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Charles Alexandre de Calonne. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/charles-alexandre-de-calonne
MLA
“Charles Alexandre de Calonne.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/charles-alexandre-de-calonne. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Charles Alexandre de Calonne.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/charles-alexandre-de-calonne.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Charles Alexandre de Calonne’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/charles-alexandre-de-calonne (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻