Charles Alexandre de Calonne was born on January 20, 1734 to an upper class family in Douai, France. Today, Calonne is best known for his direct influence on the course of the French Revolution and, ultimately, modern society. His impact on the French Revolution started on November 3, 1783 when he assumed the position of Controller-General of Finances under King Louis XVI. Upon entering his new, prestigious role in the French government, Calonne faced a substantial challenge: repaying the 112 million livre debt that France owed (Louis XVI 8). Calonne soon put his mind to work and devised a three-part plan to generate revenue by cutting spending and increasing major taxes. As it turns out, Calonne’s plan was primarily built to achieve long-term financial stability, and in order to execute it additional short-term loans were needed. Given France’s enormously high debt, Louis XVI feared the political repercussions of assuming additional debt in the short-term. Calonne knew he would need the persuasive strength of the most powerful men in France to get his plan approved—so he called together “The Council of French Notables”. This council would ultimately not only decide the fate of Calonne, but also of the entire French Revolution. Throughout this paper I will discuss Calonne’s attempted reformation of France’s policy and the impact the “Council of French Notables” had on France and the French Revolution.…