The Estates General was called at the discretion of the king. For 175 years, no monarch had chosen to call a meeting. Louis XVI was flummoxed over what to do about France's economic problems, as well as how voting should be done. The Third Estate was at a disadvantage when the vote went by estate, since the First and Second Estates tended to vote together.
He wanted to find a way to solve the financial crisis issue
He needed help to resolve the French financial crisis.
The Estates General had existed for centuries, while the National Assembly was formed in 1789. - Apex
There were two. The first was the storming of the Bastille on July 14th 1789. The second was the Tennis Court Oath. When Louis XVI had to convoke the Estates General, the third estate (the bourgeoisie) ordered to double their numbers in the Estates General, because the majority of France existed of Bourgeoisie. The others 2 estates (the nobility and the clergy) did not agree with this, but the King gave in to the third estate. When the Estates General met, they had on one occasion locked out the third estates members. They went to a nearby tennis court at Versailles and swore they would not dissemble until a constitution for France would be drawn up and accepted. Both occasions were significant for the beginning of the French Revolution.
The French Revolution began in 1789. The traditional legislature of France before the Revolution was the Estates-General, although this body had not met in over 100 years.
1789
The Estates General met on May 5th, 1789, in Versailles, France.
Voting Procedure.
The Third Estate.
when the estates-general met under Louis XIV, they met under a disagreement on whether King Louis should pass a law to tax the Second Estate so that he would be able to help pay off France's debt.
The National Assembly - l'Assemblée Nationale
He wanted to find a way to solve the financial crisis issue
They were locked out and excluded from the meeting . Resulting in the tennis court oath
The estates general had 3 estates, commoners, clergy, and nobility. Parliament had 2, commoners and nobility. More important, the estates general had given the king the ability to levy taxes. Parliament never gave the king that authority. As a result the British Parliament met constantly because the king always needed money. The estates general stopped meeting after it gave the king the power to levy taxes. When things became a total mess and the laws needed to be changed, then King Louis xvi had to call a meeting of the Estates General. At that point things got out of hand and the French Revolution started.
He needed help to resolve the French financial crisis.
Because the Third Estate refused to abide by the rules in use 150 years ago when that institution last met. The Third Estate believed that a more democratic and representative government was essential. They began meeting as a separate entity entitled the National Assembly which did not set well with the Clergy or the Nobles. They were insistent and persistent and they were resolved to abandon the rules of the Estates General.
On May 5, 1789, in France, the Estates-General met for an elaborate voting of the government.