born Dec. 28, 1719, Dijon, France
died Feb. 13, 1787, Versailles
French statesman.
As ambassador to Ottoman Turkey (1754–68), he ably defended French policies during the Seven Years' War . As Louis XVI 's minister of foreign affairs (1774–87), he advocated French financial and military support for the colonists in the American Revolution, concluded an alliance with them (1778), and helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris (1783). He also worked to establish a stable balance of power in Europe by mediating the peace in the War of the Bavarian Succession .