By the late 18th century, France was a society divided by the rigid system. While the First Estate (clergy) and Second Estate (nobility) enjoyed vast privileges and tax exemptions, the Third Estate —comprising 98% of the population, from wealthy merchants to starving peasants—bore the entire financial burden of the nation. Several critical factors ignited the revolution:
King Louis XVI's inability to manage the financial crisis led to the calling of the Estates-General in 1789, where the Third Estate broke away to form the National Assembly . Key Turning Points French-Revolution.pptx
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen | Élysée By the late 18th century, France was a
Philosophers like Voltaire and Rousseau challenged the "divine right" of kings, advocating for reason, natural rights, and government by the people. Key Turning Points The Declaration of the Rights