events leading up to estates general- French revolution?
Hi, i’m doing a timeline of events that contributed or led to the Estates General in the French revolution.
any thoughts or input will help
thanks in advance!
During the 1770s and 1780s, France’s government sank deeply into debt. Part of the problem was the extravagant spending of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Louis also inherited a considerable debt from previous kings. And he borrowed heavily in order to help the American revolutionaries in their war against Great Britain, France’s chief rival. This nearly doubled the government’s debt. In 1786, when bankers refused to lend the government any more money, Louis faced serious problems.
Louis XVI was indecisive and allowed matters to drift. The queen only added to his problems, as she often interfered in the government, and frequently offered Louis poor advice. As queen, she spent so much money on gownns, jewels, gambling, and gifts that she became known as “Madame Deficit.”
Rather than cutting expenses, Louis put off dealing with the emergency until he practically had no money left. His solution was to impose taxes on the nobility. However, the Second Estate forced him to call a meeting of the Estates-General to approve this new tax. The meeting, the first in 175 years, was held on May 5, 1789, at Versailles.
Egyptian unrest and US media bias
