Don des vaisseaux explained

The don des vaisseaux (lit. "gift of ships of the line") was a subscription effort launched by Étienne François de Choiseul, Duke of Choiseul and secretary of State to the Navy in 1761 as an effort to rebuild French naval power, diminished at the end of the Seven Years' War and in need for modernisation. Through this subscription, French provinces, cities, institutions or individuals contributed funds for the building of ships of the line, which were then named in their honour. The scheme raised 13 millions French livres and provided 18 ships, including two three-deckers, Ville de Paris and Bretagne.

The names of the ships were chosen to honour their patrons, either directly or by stating qualities with which the patrons wished to be associated. Some of the names became politically incompatible with the policies of the Convention nationale and were therefore changed in 1794; some of the new names became in turn politically unacceptable after the Thermidorian Reaction, yielding new renamings in 1795.

The success of the operation encouraged the French state to renew it on several dire occasions: from 1782 to 1790, and later again under the Revolution and the Empire.

Background

By the end of the Seven Years' War, the French Navy had sustained heavy casualties and lost thirty-two ships of the line: thirteen in isolated incidents, two at Cartegena, five during the siege of Louisbourg, five at the Battle of Lagos and seven at Quiberon Bay. As the State was already in debt, it was impossible to fund the reconstruction of the Navy by conventional means. Choiseul, secretary of State to the Navy, consequently devised a scheme to have shipbuilding sponsored by French society directly.

In 1762, Choiseul suggested to Charles Antoine de La Roche-Aymon, then Archbishop of Narbonne, who presided over the Estates of Languedoc, to encourage the delegates of Languedoc to fund a 74-gun ship for the Crown, in the hope that this would set an example and encourage emulation in other provinces.

Fundraising

On 26 November 1761, the archbishop gave a speech before the Estates of Langdoc, to the effect that they should

Langdoc obliged, and the example was followed the next year by the Estates of the provinces of Brittany, Burgundy, Artois, Flanders; the cities of Paris, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Marseille; some particular institutions such as the Posts, the Six Corps (corporations of the merchants of Paris), the Ferme générale, the Chambers of commerce; and even individuals.

Ships built through donations

Of the 30 ships of the line built between 1760 and 1769, 18 were funded through donations totalling 13 million pounds. It is notably the case of the two three-deckers used during the Naval operations in the American Revolutionary War, Ville de Paris and Bretagne.

Ships funded through fundraising
width=15%; align= center Ship width=5%; align= center Guns width=35%; align= center Patron width=35%; align= center Notes
align= left Six Corpsalign= center 74align= left the six Corps of the merchants of Parisalign= left
align= left Provencealign= center 64align= left Estates of Provencealign= left
align= left Unionalign= center 64align= left Individualsalign= left
align= left Diligentalign= center 74align= left Head of Postsalign= left
align= left Bordeloisalign= center 56align= left City of Bordeauxalign= left
align= left Fermealign= center 56align= left Ferme généralealign= left
align= left Fermealign= center 74align= left Ferme généralealign= left
align= left Utilealign= center 56align= left Ferme généralealign= left
align= left Flamandalign= center 56align= left Estates of Flandersalign= left
align= left Citoyenalign= center 74align= left Treasurers of the Extraordinaire des Guerresalign= left
align= left Zéléalign= center 74align= left General Director of Financealign= left
align= left Ville de Parisalign= center 90align= left City of Parisalign= left Later upgraded to 104 guns
align= left Saint-Espritalign= center 80align= left Order of the Holy Spiritalign= left Renamed Scipion in 1794
align= left Artésienalign= center 64align= left Estates of Artoisalign= left
align= left Languedocalign= center 80align= left Estates of Languedocalign= left Renamed Antifédéraliste in 1794 and Victoire in 1795; she was the flagship at the Battle of Grenada in 1779.
align= left Bretagnealign= center 110align= left Estates of Brittanyalign= left Renamed Révolutionnaire in 1793. Flagship at the Battle of Ushant in 1778.
align= left Marseilloisalign= center 74align= left Chamber of commerce of Marseillealign= left Renamed to Vengeur du Peuple in 1794
align= left Bourgognealign= center 74align= left Estates of Burgundyalign= left

Renewal of the fundraising

After a costly French defeat at the Battle of the Saintes, a new fundraising drive was organised, yielding five new ships. Another ship was later built from such funding during the Empire.

Ships funded through fundraising
width=15%; align= center Ship width=5%; align= center Guns width=35%; align= center Patron width=35%; align= center Notes
Second fundraising (1782-1790)
align= left Deux Frèresalign= center 80align= left Louis Stanislas Xavier, comte de Provence and Charles Philippe, comte d'Artois, brothers of Louis XVIalign= left Renamed Juste in 1792
align= left Commerce de Bordeauxalign= center 74align= left Chamber of Commerce of Bordeauxalign= left Renamed Bonnet Rouge on 7 February 1794, then Timoléon later the same month
align= left Commerce de Marseillealign= center 74align= left Chamber of Commerce of Marseillealign= left Renamed Lys on 19 July 1786, then Tricolore on 6 October 1792
align= left Commerce de Marseillealign= center 120align= left Chamber of Commerce of Marseillealign= left Lead ship of the Océan class
align= left États de Bourgognealign= center 120align= left The States (Government) of Burgundyalign= left Renamed Côte d'Or on 27 January 1793, then Montagne on 22 October 1793, briefly Peuple on 25 May 1795 and then Océan five days later
Third fundraising (1793-1794)
Fourth fundraising (27 May 1803)
align= left Commerce de Parisalign= center 110align= left align= left

Notes and references

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Don des vaisseaux".

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