Contenu du sommaire : Au cœur des mutations du négoce en Méditerranée

‪During the 1780s, the volume of Languedoc cloth exports to Smyrna diminished drastically. However, as suggested by Charles Carrière and Michel Morineau, the crisis had in fact been latent since 1750. The archives of the Roux family in Marseilles confirm this fact. Studying the family's commercial correspondence sheds new light on this decline. Although the drop in quality of French cloth and the difficulty of realizing profits have already been documented, the case of the Roux family shows that the distribution chain eventually came to constrain supply. The overstocking of the Levantine market after the Seven Years' War was decisive. It succeeded in throwing off balance the relationships between the merchants in Marseilles and the manufacturers in Languedoc and initiated a gradual downward trend in their activities.‪

‪The Dutch company Thomas De Vogel & Co., one of the major merchant houses in Amsterdam, collaborated with the Greek Ottoman enterprise Bartholo Cardamici & Co., in Izmir. The two commercial houses had an ongoing association from 1760 to 1771, with De Vogel acting as an intermediary for the Cardamicis in the Amsterdam market. The letters addressed by Thomas De Vogel to Bartholo in Izmir and his nephew Rafael in Istanbul shed light on the course of their business transactions and the development of their personal relationship. They thus allow us an insight into the operation of Levantine trade conducted between Amsterdam and Izmir. The letters also reveal the flexible and efficient strategies and practices used by the companies, in the context of the structure and customs of international trade. ‪

‪Based on British archives, this study examines the role of relationship and friendship networks in the British community of Smyrna between the 1860s and the 1920s, offering insights into how the city's business world functioned. Close relationships between British families in Smyrna were reinforced by friendships with other European and Ottoman communities. Such networks underpinned the business activities of those involved, such as their anonymous limited liability companies, and strengthened their capital resources and access to technology, to ensure success in highly competitive markets including London and Alexandria. These networks simultaneously allowed them entry into various sectors of the regional Ottoman economy and the acquisition of a portfolio of multiple investments.

‪This study is based on 478 cargo manifests of Dutch ships, originating from or bound for Smyrna. Despite the difficulties experienced by Dutch commercial houses, ships flying the flag of the Dutch Republic always played an important role in trade at the Anatolian port. Mindful of the advantages of secure transport and freedom of trade with the Dutch Republic, Ottoman merchants gave favorable exchange rates for the provisioning of Dutch ships. The captains from Amsterdam and Rotterdam, in a climate alternating between cooperation and competition, also sought to benefit from the opportunities presented by the Mediterranean flow. During the period of commercial restructuring that separated two major conflicts, the increase in the offer of Dutch merchandise met with a growth in demand. ‪

‪Originating from Venice and the island of Chio, the Baltazzi family settled in Izmir in the mid-eighteenth century. They are mostly known for their role in commercial and financial business. Their economic activity, however, changed with the Tanzimat and reached its peak in the Ottoman Empire in the 1840s. In this phase, which lasted until the 1870s, the Baltazzi family's agricultural investments gained momentum in the hinterland of Izmir. In spite of the administrative difficulties faced by foreigners in becoming owners in urban and rural spaces, they managed to escape the usual frustrations due to their close ties with the masters of Tanzimat.‪

‪By focusing on the sales of red coral beads made by the Marseilles merchant François Garnier and his commission agent François Tiran in Smyrna around 1680, this paper provides an insight into Eurasian trade during the early modern period. Moreover, it helps us to understand the specific mechanisms of commercial activity in the main Levant port towards the end of the seventeenth century and to identify the roles and actions of the men in charge of this trade. Using Smyrna as a “laboratory,” this paper seeks to hone in on traders' practices and the intricate workings of exchange, and more specifically on the work of the Marseilles and Armenian traders in a difficult but profitable commercial niche.‪