France, 1799–1815

Autocracy · Empire · Western Europe · Age of Revolutions era

Napoleon centralized the revolutionary state, codified its law, and waged continental war until defeat restored the monarchy.

The 1799 coup established a consulate that Napoleon converted into a hereditary empire in 1804. Administrative centralization through prefects, the Civil Code and a concordat with the Church reorganized the state, alongside censorship and a political police. Near-continuous war extended French control across much of Europe through conscription and coalition warfare. The Russian campaign of 1812 and the coalitions of 1813–14 reversed these gains, and defeat at Waterloo in 1815 restored the Bourbon monarchy.

Open France 1799–1815 in the interactive 3D atlas →

Dominant patterns

  • External Expansion
  • Militarization
  • Authoritarian Shift
  • Regime Stabilization
  • Personalist Rule

Political-science factor profile

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

Centralization of Power82
Media Control70
Repression55
Nationalism80
Militarization92
Economic Stress52
External Conflict95
Cult of Personality85
Elite Fragmentation32
Institutions58
Social Polarization45
Corruption & Patrimonialism38
Ideological Mobilization58
External Sovereignty98

Economy & society

GDP per capita$1400 (intl-$)
GDP growth+0.5%/yr
Population30.0M people
Share of world population3%
Life expectancy30 years

Closest historical twins

The country-eras whose structural profile most resembles France 1799–1815, by similarity score (0–100).

  1. Egypt, 1952–1970 – similarity 92/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Authoritarian Shift, Regime Stabilization, Personalist Rule
  2. Italy, 1936–1943 – similarity 92/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Authoritarian Shift, Regime Stabilization, Personalist Rule
  3. Neo-Assyrian Empire, 883–824 BCE – similarity 91/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Authoritarian Shift, Regime Stabilization, Personalist Rule
  4. Urartu, 850–800 BCE – similarity 89/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Authoritarian Shift, Regime Stabilization
  5. Sasanian Empire, 309–379 CE – similarity 87/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Authoritarian Shift, Regime Stabilization
  6. Syracuse, 405–367 BCE – similarity 87/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Authoritarian Shift, Personalist Rule
  7. Russia, 1682–1725 CE – similarity 86/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Authoritarian Shift, Regime Stabilization
  8. State of Qin, 361–338 BCE – similarity 85/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Authoritarian Shift, Regime Stabilization

What followed

  • Conquest of much of continental Europe.
  • Invasion, abdication and the Bourbon restoration.