Anne Robert Turgot

Turgot implemented the free trade of grain within France, removing internal tariffs and restrictions. This policy aimed to stabilize grain prices and prevent famines, but it led to price spikes and the 'Flour War' riots in 1775, forcing its temporary suspension.

Turgot was appointed Controller-General of Finances by King Louis XVI, tasked with reforming the French economy. A leading Physiocrat, he advocated for free trade and the removal of feudal restrictions, aiming to modernize the ancien r

Turgot issued the Edict of 1776, which abolished the system of trade guilds and corporations in France. This reform aimed to promote economic freedom and competition but faced fierce opposition from vested interests, leading to its eventual repeal.

Facing opposition from the Parlements, the court, and Queen Marie Antoinette, Turgot was dismissed by Louis XVI. His reforms were reversed, and the opportunity for peaceful fiscal reform was lost, contributing to the later financial crisis that led to the Revolution.

Turgot died in Paris, having retired from public life after his dismissal. His ideas on economic liberalism and reform influenced later thinkers, but his failure to implement lasting change highlighted the structural resistance to modernization in pre-revolutionary France.