Banking and politics in the age of democratic revolution

Abstract

This book uncovers the complex interconnections between politics and finance in the midst of the French Revolution. Charting the trajectories of members of the financial elite between London, Paris and Amsterdam, this study reveals the ever-shifting relationship between market actors and the political world.The French Revolution paved the way for bankers, especially those working in international finance, to occupy a new position not only within the economic framework of the time but also on the political stage. The profession of banker went through a series of transitions in its relationship with the political authorities. These changes affecting the social, economic and political status of bankers led to increasingly active exchanges between politics and finance, which have become a feature of our modern societies.Using a transnational and interdisciplinary approach, this book highlights how, during the age of Revolution, there emerged a dynamic which is still present today: the financial world and the sphere of politics became strongly intermixed while actors from both sides made efforts to overpower their counterparts. In this way, the volume provides an ideal perspective for bridging the gap that has long separated economic from cultural history in the study of the French Revolution.