All Crises are Unhappy in Their Own Way: The Role of Societal Instability in Shaping the Past

This article introduces the Crisis Database, a comprehensive resource that systematically documents 168 historical societal crises across different time periods, regions, and levels of complexity. Aiming to overcome small-sample bias in previous studies, the database captures a wide range of political, economic, cultural, and institutional factors associated with crises, as well as their consequences—such as warfare, epidemics, or reforms. Through exploratory analyses, the authors find that the outcomes of crises are highly variable and largely uncorrelated, suggesting there is no “typical” pattern of societal crisis. The study emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary approaches to better understand the diverse trajectories and drivers of crisis dynamics throughout history.