Working from his house on the rue Vivienne, just a block from the Royal Library, Colbert built a massive archive that could be drawn on to help both the king and himself make key policy decisions.
Colbert had dominion over every area of royal administration except the military-a restriction that would eventually cause much infighting between Colbert and the marquis de Louvois, the minister of war. A year later, in 1665, his portfolio expanded to include the Ministry of Finance. Not long after, the king appointed the financially cautious Colbert superintendent of buildings, giving him responsibility for all construction efforts in Paris and at Versailles. Nicknamed “le Nord” (the North) for his icy demeanor, Colbert had proved his unwavering dedication to the king when he uncovered a large stash of hidden assets that his predecessor, Cardinal Jules Mazarin, had left behind following his death.
He charged Jean-Baptiste Colbert, his trusted minister and controller-general of finance, with the gargantuan task of reforming the police. The king knew that a ruler who was unable to control his capital could be perceived as inefficient or, worse, weak. The criminal lieutenant of the police Jacques Tardieu had been murdered, and Civil Lieutenant François Dreux d’Aubray lay dead under suspicious circumstances as well.
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