CHOISEUL, ETIENNE FRANC OIS, Duc DE (1719 1785), French statesman, was the eldest son of Francois Joseph de Choiseul, marquis de Stainville (17oo-177o), and bore in early life the title of comte de Stainville. Born on June 28, 1719, he entered the army, and during the War of the Austrian Succession served in Bohemia in 1741 and in Italy, where he distinguished himself at the battle of Coni, in 1744. From 1745 until 1748 he was with the army in the Low Countries, being present at the sieges of Mons, Charleroi, and Maestricht. He acquired a large fortune by his marriage in 175o with a daughter of the marquis de Chatel.
Choiseul gained the favour of Madame de Pompadour, and was given the appointment of ambassador to Rome in 1753, where he was entrusted with the negotiations concerning the disturb ances called forth by the bull Unigenitus. In 1757 his patroness obtained his transfer to Vienna, where he was instructed to ce ment the new alliance between France and Austria. He then re placed Antoine Louis Rouille (1689-1761) as minister for foreign affairs, and therefore had the direction of French foreign policy during the Seven Years' War. At this time he was made a peer of France and created duc de Choiseul. Although from until 1766 his cousin Cesar, duc de Choiseul-Praslin, was minister for foreign affairs, yet Choiseul continued to control the policy of France until 177o, and during this period held most of the other important offices of state. As the author of the "Family Com pact" he sought to retrieve by an alliance with the Bourbon house of Spain the disastrous results of the alliance with Austria, but his action came too late. He reformed both the army and navy, and although too late to prevent the loss of Canada and India, he developed French colonies in the Antilles and San Domingo, and added Corsica and Lorraine to the crown of France. His management of home affairs in general satisfied the philosophes. He allowed the publication of the Encyclopedie and procured the banishment of the Jesuits and the temporary abolition of the order by Pope Clement XIV.
Choiseul's fall was caused by his action towards the Jesuits, and by his support of their opponent La Chalotais, and of the provincial parlements. After the death of Madame de Pompadour in 1764, his enemies, led by Madame du Barry and the chancellor Maupeou, were too strong for him, and in 1770 he was ordered to retire to his estate at Chanteloupe. Greatly to his disappointment Louis XVI. did not restore him to his former position, although the king recalled him to Paris in 1774, where he died on May 8, 1785.