In 1789, a desperate French king summoned a parliament that triggered a revolution
Facing a crippling national debt and social unrest, King Louis XVI took a gamble by reviving a long-dormant legislative assembly, accidentally setting the stage for the fall of the French monarchy.
In 1789, King Louis XVI convened the Estates-General for the first time in 175 years to address France's financial crisis. The assembly brought together the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners, but the lopsided voting system quickly sparked outrage among the lower classes.
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