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In Ascending Republic, Patrick Luiz Sullivan De Oliveira explores how the French transformed the balloon into a potent symbol of modernity in the late nineteenth century and how this reinvention laid the cultural groundwork for the airplane’s later acceptance. Although initial excitement over ballooning in the late 1700s faded by the mid-1800s, France’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian War sparked a resurgence of interest. The balloon was reimagined as a national symbol of progress and resilience, aligning with the ideals of the emerging Third Republic. Drawing on rich archival research from France, the U.S., and Brazil, De Oliveira reveals how French society nurtured a deep enthusiasm for flight—what he calls “airmindedness”—long before airplanes arrived. From scientific explorations of the atmosphere to elite balloon races, flight became a way for France to assert its identity on the global stage, positioning the sky as its new geopolitical frontier. Paris thus became the epicenter of a vibrant aeronautical culture marked by a mix of patriotism, aristocratic ambition, colonial tension, and faith in technological advancement.

Patrick Luiz Sullivan De Oliveira is an Assistant Professor of History at IE University. His main field of research is the history of modern France (1700 to the present), and he works on topics including the history of technology, urban history, and exchanges between France and Latin America. He is currently writing a cultural history of the intesne ballooning revival that France experienced in the late nineteenth century, which is under advanced contract with The MIT Press. His work has been recognized by the Royal Society’s Notes and Records Essay Prize and the Western Society for French History’s Millstone Prize, and he has held research fellowships at the Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum, the Huntington Library, the Linda Hall Library, and Sciences Po. De Oliveira was born and raised in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, received his training at the University of Kansas and Princeton University, and has taught at Princeton and Singapore Management University. In addition to his academic work, he has published in outlets like The Washington Post, Slate, The Age of Revolutions, and Observatório da Imprensa.

Patrick Luiz Sullivan De Oliveira