France, 1715–1723
Autocracy · Monarchy · Western Europe · Age of Absolutism era
The Regency: weakening centralization, financial experiments, and elite fragmentation.
The Regency loosened Louis XIV’s system: the parlements regained remonstrance, censorship eased and elite sociability expanded. John Law’s bank-and-company scheme converted state debt into a speculative bubble that collapsed in 1720. The crash discredited financial innovation in France for decades. Absolutist routine resumed as the young king came of age.
Dominant patterns
- Economic Crisis
- Succession Crisis
- Democratization
- Imperial Decline
- Institutional Decay
Political-science factor profile
Each factor 0–100; higher = stronger authoritarian / crisis pole (except institutional stability, where higher = stronger institutions).
| Centralization of Power | 60 |
| Media Control | 28 |
| Repression | 44 |
| Nationalism | 46 |
| Militarization | 52 |
| Economic Stress | 76 |
| External Conflict | 40 |
| Cult of Personality | 38 |
| Elite Fragmentation | 78 |
| Institutions | 50 |
| Social Polarization | 54 |
| Corruption & Patrimonialism | 65 |
| Ideological Mobilization | 25 |
| External Sovereignty | 100 |
Economy & society
| GDP per capita | $1150 (intl-$) |
| GDP growth | +0.2%/yr |
| Population | 21.0M people |
| Share of world population | 3.3% |
| Life expectancy | 27 years |
Closest historical twins
The country-eras whose structural profile most resembles France 1715–1723, by similarity score (0–100).
- Indonesia, 1998–2004 – similarity 73/100 · shared: Economic Crisis, Institutional Decay
- France, 1815–1848 – similarity 73/100 · shared: Succession Crisis, Democratization, Imperial Decline
- Tunisia, 2011–2019 – similarity 72/100 · shared: Economic Crisis, Democratization, Institutional Decay
- Russian Empire, 1725–1762 – similarity 67/100 · shared: Succession Crisis, Imperial Decline, Institutional Decay
- Brazil, 2011–2016 – similarity 67/100 · shared: Economic Crisis, Democratization
- Brazil, 1822–1850 – similarity 66/100 · shared: Democratization, Imperial Decline
- France, 1919–1932 – similarity 65/100 · shared: Economic Crisis, Democratization
- Russia, 1991–1999 – similarity 62/100 · shared: Economic Crisis, Imperial Decline, Institutional Decay
What followed
- The collapse of John Law's system.
- A return to the absolutist norm.