French historian of the early modern period in France and of the comparative studies of different civilizations. His most notable claim to fame was his argument that early modern France was a “society of orders”. In Mousnier’s view, people in the period from the 15th century to the 18th century regarded honor, status and social prestige as far more important than wealth. As such, society was split vertically via social ranks rather than being split horizontally via class. Mousnier made it his life work to study how the relationships between different orders operated through networks of patronage.
Between 1932 and 1947, Mousnier worked as a school teacher in Rouen and Paris. During the Second World War, Mousnier was a member of the French Resistance. After 1945, Mousnier served as a professor at Strasbourg University (1947–1955) and at the Sorbonne (1955–1977). Keenly interested in social history, Mousnier went to the United States to learn sociology and anthropology.
He died on 8 February 1993 in Paris, aged 85.

Link to Wikipedia biography