Louis XVI Agrees to Convene the Estates-General
- When
- 1787–1789
- Where
- Royal decision by the French monarchy; Parlement of Paris; Versailles
- Episodes
- 3
On 8 August 1788, King Louis XVI of France agreed to convoke the Estates-General as a last-ditch effort to secure new monetary reforms, setting its opening for 1 May 1789. The decision followed years of failed fiscal reform attempts, including the Assembly of Notables of 1787 and the Parlement of Paris's refusal to ratify Calonne's financial program.
Episodes
- Failed reform attempts preceding the decision
After the Assembly of Notables and the Parlement of Paris blocked fiscal reforms, and the Parlement was dissolved on 8 May 1788, Louis XVI turned to the Estates-General.
- Louis XVI agrees to convene the Estates-General
Louis XVI convoked the Estates-General on 8 August 1788 as a last-ditch attempt to approve new monetary reforms, setting its opening for 1 May 1789.
- Formal summons and opening of the Estates-General
The Estates-General were summoned by royal edict dated 24 January 1789 and convened on 5 May 1789 in Versailles, in a temporary structure near the royal château.
Background and detail
Background. Louis XVI had struggled to pass fiscal reforms. He convoked the Assembly of Notables in 1787 to discuss Calonne's proposed reforms, but the Parlement of Paris refused to ratify Calonne's financial program in 1787. After further failures, including the dissolution of the Parlement on 8 May 1788, the king turned to the Estates-General as a last resort.
The Royal Decision of 8 August 1788. As a last-ditch attempt to get new monetary reforms approved, Louis XVI convoked the Estates-General on 8 August 1788, setting the date of their opening on 1 May 1789. The Estates-General was a general assembly representing the three estates of the realm: clergy, nobility, and commoners. The suggestion to summon it had originally come from the Assembly of Notables installed by the king on 22 February 1787.
Formal Summons and Opening. The Estates-General were formally summoned by a royal edict dated to 24 January 1789. The issue was widely discussed in the press during the autumn of 1788. On 5 May 1789, the Estates General convened in Versailles, in a temporary structure set up in the courtyard of the Hôtel des Menus Plaisirs near the royal château.
People involved
- Louis XVI · King of France who convoked the Estates-General
- Charles Alexandre de Calonne · Proposer of the fiscal reforms whose failure prompted recourse to the Estates-General
Sources
- Louis XVI Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-26
- Estates General of 1789 Wikipedia
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