For a global history of maritime policies. The exemple of France in the 18th century between reform and modernization.
Résumé
The aim of this communication is therefore to reflect on the conceptual frameworks used by historians to define and analyse maritime policies in Europe in the modern era. From the example of France in the 18th century, we will see that it is possible and even necessary to conceive the idea of a comprehensive policy implemented by the secretariat of state of the Navy which acts as a large ministry of the sea and which connects all maritime activity. At the heart of the modernization and adaptation processes there is the royal state, which collects information to think about its political action and whose reform objective then becomes systemic.