Patrick Luiz Sullivan De Oliveira is an assistant professor of history at IE University in Madrid and author of Ascending Republic. He discusses the surprising revival of ballooning in 19th-century France, illustrating how this once-novelty became a symbol of national identity post-Franco-Prussian War. The conversation dives into the balloon's cultural symbolism, its association with social status, and the significant yet overlooked contributions of women in the field. De Oliveira also ties ballooning to French colonial ambitions and the evolution of flight into modern warfare.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Research Sparked by Brazilian Aviator
Patrick Luiz Sullivan De Oliveira found his research interest from a Brazilian biography of aviator Alberto Santos Dumont.
This led him to investigate why Paris was the place for aeronautical experiments instead of Brazil.
insights INSIGHT
Balloon's Early Rise and Fall
The balloon was invented in 1783 with hot air and hydrogen models sparking massive public interest.
Its initial hype faded as scientists doubted its practical utility, reducing it to entertainment.
insights INSIGHT
Siege of Paris Revived Balloon Use
During the Franco-Prussian War siege of Paris, balloons were crucial for maintaining communication with the outside.
This transformed the balloon into a symbol of resistance and hope for the French Republic.
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Jules Verne's 'Five Weeks in a Balloon' follows Dr. Samuel Fergusson, his servant Joe, and his friend Richard Kennedy as they journey across Africa in a specially designed balloon named the 'Victoria'. The novel combines adventure, exploration, and scientific speculation. The trio encounters various landscapes, cultures, and dangers as they navigate the uncharted territories. Verne's detailed descriptions of geography, meteorology, and ethnography make the story educational and engaging. The narrative reflects the spirit of exploration and scientific curiosity prevalent during the 19th century.
Ascending Republic
Ascending Republic
Patrick Luiz Sullivan De Oliveira
The book investigates the resurgence of interest in ballooning during 19th-century France, examining its links to the Franco-Prussian War and the rise of the Third Republic. It explores how the French civil society cultivated enthusiasm for flight, appropriating it as a symbol of national pride. The narrative encompasses the roles of republican savants, aristocrats, and the anxieties of colonial expansion. This study reveals Paris as the global center of aeronautical culture, blending visions of patriotism, modernity, and technological cosmopolitanism. It sheds light on the cultural and societal impacts of flight before the advent of airplanes.
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Ray Dalio
In this book, Ray Dalio provides a groundbreaking analysis of the Big Debt Cycle, addressing critical questions about debt growth, the potential for a major reserve currency country like the US to go broke, and how to identify and mitigate debt-related risks. Dalio draws on his experience as a global macro investor and his study of 35 historical cases of governments facing financial crises over the past 100 years. He offers a template for identifying and managing debt problems, which he has discussed with treasury secretaries and central bankers worldwide. The book explains the mechanics of debt sustainability, potential government debt reduction strategies, and the role of central bank interventions in managing debt crises.
Securing Peace in Angola and Mozambique
Securing Peace in Angola and Mozambique
Miranda Melcher
On August 27, 1783, a large crowd gathered in Paris to watch the first ascent of a hydrogen balloon. Despite the initial feverish enthusiasm, by the mid-nineteenth century the balloon remained relatively unchanged and was no longer seen as the harbinger of a new era. Yet that all changed in the last third of the century, when following the traumatic Franco-Prussian War defeat, the balloon reemerged to become the modern artifact that captured the attention of many. Through this process, the balloon became an important symbol of the fledgling Third Republic, and France established itself as the world leader in flight. In Ascending Republic: The Ballooning Revival in Nineteenth-Century France(MIT Press, 2025), Dr. Patrick Luiz Sullivan De Oliveira tells for the first time the story of this surprising revival. Through extensive research in the press and archives in France, the United States, and Brazil, De Oliveira argues that French civil society cultivated popular enthusiasm for flight (what historians call “airmindedness”) decades before the advent of the airplane. Champions of French ballooning made the case that if the British Royal Navy controlled the seas and the Imperial German Army dominated the continent, then France needed to take ownership of the skies. The French appropriated this newly imagined geopolitical space through a variety of practices, from republican savants who studied the atmosphere at high altitudes to aristocrats who organized transcontinental long-distance competitions. All of this made Paris into the global capital of a thriving aeronautical culture that incorporated seemingly contradictory visions of sacrificial patriotism, aristocratic modernity, colonial anxiety, and technological cosmopolitanism.
This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda’s interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.
New Books in Science, Technology, and Society 