# Encyclopédie begins publication (1751)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/1751-encyclopedie-begins-publication
Location: Paris

Diderot and d’Alembert launched a landmark Enlightenment publishing project. Within the broader Bourbon & Ancien Régime period, Bourbon France became a leading European power through stronger royal government, global expansion, war and court culture. Fiscal strain, social privilege and Enlightenment criticism accumulated beneath the apparent strength of the Ancien Régime. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Louis XV (King of France). Encyclopédie begins publication mattered because cultural and intellectual institutions helped shape French identity and France’s influence beyond its borders. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
Encyclopédie begins publication mattered because cultural and intellectual institutions helped shape French identity and France’s influence beyond its borders.

Ruler at the time: [Louis XV](https://history-france.com/rulers/louis-xv)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Encyclopédie begins publication](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Encyclop%C3%A9die+begins+publication&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Encyclopédie begins publication](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Encyclop%C3%A9die+begins+publication)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of French history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_French_history)