France and the great maritime discoveries — opportunities for a new ocean geopolicy

Abstract

Iberian great maritime discoveries had been a good opportunity for some other European countries to try to build a new maritime geopolicy. In the French kingdom, traders and merchant adventurers worked strongly to carry home gold, spices and other riches from newly discovered lands. But during the 16th century, French kings, thoroughly engaged in the Italian wars, had no real ocean policy, no maritime geostrategy. They came late in 17th century to build a new colonial empire, too late perhaps to give new directions or new impulses to some large trends of history.