Decisions The Members Of The Estates General example essay topic

361 words
the estates general, was a body, or an assembly that was called on during an emergency, to make decisions. the members of the estates general consisted of people from each of the three classes, the clergy, the nobility and the bourgeoisie. this body had the power to make decisions, and these decisions had legitimacy, and real authority. in 1789, a meeting of the estates general, the first meeting of this assembly since 1614, was called, as a result of the financial crisis present in france at that time. the purpose of the meeting of the estates general was to come to a final decision, referring to the removal of privileges of the first two estates, and equality for all. the main event leading up to the calling of the estates general was the financial crisis in france. lome nie de brienne failed to propose lasting measures to resolve this crisis, so as a result the peasantry fell furthur and furthur into poverty. louis then turned to necker, who also could not come up with anything. he then went to the paris parlement, who said that they would approve the king's tax system, if he got the vote from the estates general. a problem faced by the estates general though, was how they were to meet, and where they were to meet. it was proposed that they meet under the same conditions and vote under the same conditions that they did last time, but the members of the third estate believed that they should have more members because they represented the majority of the french population. derrick murphy states that the king gave the impression of being one of the most uninterested and uninteresting spectators of his own reign. he had a keen sens eof duty to serve god and his people, but he seemed to be lacking in will to introduce reforms or to support his reforming ministers. he believed in divine right at a time where everyone was in favour of the enlightenment. he lacked self belief which hampered the government in making decisions. in 1614, the three estates met separately, but this time they were all to meet together.