L’Etat, la marine de guerre et les réseaux économiques en France au XVIIIe siècle

In the context of marine wood and sail to the modern era, it was necessary to collect many different materials in the dockyards (wood, hemp, sails, iron, guns ...). In the eighteenth century, the French navy decided to delegate the purchase of naval equipment to private economic partners. However, they organized themselves into networks of all kinds and of all sizes. To complete its construction programs, France has relied on small networks composed of local merchants but also on larger organizations with the great financiers of the country. This article aims to give a first overview of the global dynamics of these networks and to present evidence indicating their composition. The study of commercial and financial networks of the Navy will permit understand the French naval policy and compare it to other naval powers of the time.