France, 1789–1799

Hybrid Regime · Republic · Western Europe · Age of Revolutions era

The Great Revolution: the breaking of the old regime, terror, radical polarization, and foreign wars.

Fiscal crisis forced the convocation of the Estates-General, which became a National Assembly and dismantled feudal privilege. The monarchy’s failed flight and war with the European coalition radicalized politics toward the republic and the Terror of 1793–94. Thermidor ended the Terror; the Directory cycled between coups amid war and inflation. Bonaparte’s 1799 coup closed the revolutionary decade.

Open France 1789–1799 in the interactive 3D atlas →

Dominant patterns

  • External Expansion
  • Militarization
  • Democratization
  • Revolutionary Risk

Political-science factor profile

Each factor 0–100; higher = stronger authoritarian / crisis pole (except institutional stability, where higher = stronger institutions).

Centralization of Power37
Media Control26
Repression38
Nationalism84
Militarization80
Economic Stress62
External Conflict84
Cult of Personality36
Elite Fragmentation88
Institutions71
Social Polarization96
Corruption & Patrimonialism26
Ideological Mobilization90
External Sovereignty68

Economy & society

GDP per capita$1300 (intl-$)
GDP growth-0.5%/yr
Population28.0M people
Share of world population3.1%
Life expectancy28 years

Closest historical twins

The country-eras whose structural profile most resembles France 1789–1799, by similarity score (0–100).

  1. Austria-Hungary, 1900–1918 – similarity 81/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Revolutionary Risk
  2. United States, 2008–2024 – similarity 77/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Democratization
  3. United States, 1860–1865 – similarity 76/100 · shared: Militarization, Democratization, Revolutionary Risk
  4. Roman Republic, 450–390 BCE – similarity 68/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Democratization
  5. Novgorod Republic, 1200–1300 CE – similarity 67/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Democratization
  6. United States, 1981–1989 – similarity 67/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Democratization
  7. United States, 1968–1980 – similarity 65/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Democratization
  8. Germany, 1918–1923 – similarity 64/100 · shared: Democratization, Revolutionary Risk

What followed

  • Destruction of the monarchy and the estates.
  • Napoleon's rise to power.