Napoleon: Revolution to Empire

The Three Estates

King Louis XVI ruled France from the palace at Versailles, where the court had been established to keep the nobility close and to discourage subversive plotting. The France of King Louis XVI was a country divided. French society comprised three Estates, the aristocracy, the clergy and the bourgeoisie and working classes, over which the King had absolute sovereignty. The First and Second Estates were exempted from most taxes. The Third Estate retained the burden of producing the wealth for the two privileged Estates and also the responsibility of paying nearly all of the taxes. The First and Second Estates had direct representation in the Parlements – the chief judicial body of the regime – while the voice of the Third Estate often remained unheard.

Tension and Conflict

In the 1780s ongoing crop failures caused famine and deprivation throughout the country. Spending to support wars such as the American War of Independence crippled the economy further.

Tensions intensified with growing pressure on the populace. Between 1787 and 1788 the price of bread almost doubled due to grain shortages. Accusations that the nobility were hoarding grain aggravated the resentment between the classes. This situation was compounded in 1789 with a famine nicknamed la disette, which claimed hundreds of lives.

Estates General

In response to the grave economic predicament of the French government, a meeting of the Estates-General was called for in May 1789, including delegates from each of the Estates. The strict social protocols set out at the last general assembly in 1614 meant that each Estate would have a collective single vote.

Whereas the King sought tax reform, the First and Second Estates sought to protect their power and privilege. The Third Estate wanted greater representation and greater political power to address issues of inequality. After weeks of dissent, no agreement was reached and the meeting of the Estates-General was disbanded.