AHC have Louis XVI reform france to rival napoleons franc

as Louis XVI what would you do accomplish the following points this to transform France into the unrivaled power of Europe like with Napoleon in land and in the sea?
  • reform France finances so there no large debt problem and across-the-board taxation.
  • build up the French navy/merchant marine to outstrip England
  • encourage colonist to move to France colonies in Caribbean and Pacific.
  • build up the French army to the level of the French empire of Napoleon I.
  • expand French sphere of influence in a way that keeps England out of mainland Europe,
  • start colonies in Africa to replace losses in seven years war maybe even try an invasion of Levant or Egypt.
ps: let me know if I need to make any edits to the points or the grammar.
 
as Louis XVI what would you do accomplish the following points this to transform France into the unrivaled power of Europe like with Napoleon in land and in the sea?
  • reform France finances so there no large debt problem and across-the-board taxation.
  • build up the French navy/merchant marine to outstrip England
  • encourage colonist to move to France colonies in Caribbean and Pacific.
  • build up the French army to the level of the French empire of Napoleon I.
  • expand French sphere of influence in a way that keeps England out of mainland Europe,
  • start colonies in Africa to replace losses in seven years war maybe even try an invasion of Levant or Egypt.
ps: let me know if I need to make any edits to the points or the grammar.

The finances issue is the lack of fiscal participation from the clergy and the aristocracy. A reform-minded king need to crack the nut on one or both of these groups. As these groups are the ones legitimizing the royal power and in which the civil servants are recruited, it is a complicated task to do. You need to break the local balances of power, first of them the parliaments. As Louis XVI's first move was to reinstate them, there is a good start : don't.

Building a navy needs funding, so budget choice over the army. Plus, you need to reform the officer training and selection system. But the gerontocratic admiralty and the dynastic dominance of the officers' corps would not be undone until some decades.

Most of the strengths of the napoleonic military (mass armies, merit based promotion system) existed only because of the Revolution. Even if Louis XVI is divinely inspired to go against his own aristocracy at every turn, the results would take years to appear. Without the Revolution, the marshalls of Napoléon would end up as tanners, NCO or at best captains.

A willing Louis XVI - meaning an alt-Louis XVI, as the OTL man was incapable of committed reform - could manage one of these things, with very careful choosing of his ministers, cautious external policy and tactical politics at home, but all three ? Hardly so.

The colonies issue is not manageable by some map exchanges : colonies are not cheap, return is expected. The Guyana expedition was a costly mess everybody had in mind. Starting a colonial administration in Africa makes no sense if there is not a project behind. Until then, a trade port is enough. Same goes for Pacific.
 
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