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Talleyrand — betrayer and saviour of France. What can we learn from him?
A cunning diplomat who reshaped international relations.
Financiers flourish only when nations decline — Charles-Maurice De Talleyrand
Talleyrand is one of the most famous diplomats in world history, for many reasons, some more noble than others. He was a notorious pleasure seeker and immoral in many of his actions. Yet his genius rested on being able to forsee, act and manipulate events and people to his and France’s benefit. Besides these political skills and his adept social nature, he was also a thinker who rethought how international relations should be arranged.
His conception of international relations was fundamentally peaceful, noting how free trade and free markets foster prosperity and peace among the nations. In hindsight and with some knowledge on the matter, it is difficult to always affirm such a view, as nations can enter a period of protectionism once they recognise an imbalance in their export-import coefficient. But the sentiment is sound.
Besides free trade and open markets, the Prince based his view on the conduct of foreign affairs through legitimacy, the rule of law and restraint. With this in mind, we can, therefore, understand why he betrayed Napoleon in later years, recognising his…
