The French social structure was based on their heredity or whether or not they were of nobility. This system of government did not treat the people as individuals, but rather part of a class or corporate group. By doing this, it demeans the very existence of a person, and as such, the French Government had failed. French participation on the rebel's side in the American Revolution increased government debts and fueled demands for liberty; at home the stage was set for the Revolution. Louis' XVI financial minister, Charles De Calonne, tried to institute a number of reforms to keep France from complete financial ruin. These reforms required new taxes, but the only way they can initiate new taxes is if the Parliaments grant the authority. The Parliaments wanted something in return. They petitioned the regions to have more independence. Louis himself then tried to institute these reforms but was flat denied by the aristocrats. The aristocrats said that the Estates General had to approve in order for the reforms to be made into law. The Estates General has not been called since 1614.Louis was between a rock and a hard place and had no choice but to call the Estates General without anybody knowing. Louis was faced with a difficult problem: the third estate. The third estate wanted equal voting rights in comparison with the first two estates. In order to do this, the third estates representatives would have to be doubled. Louis had tried to ignore this, but finally because of the great pressure put upon him he gave in. His decision had come too late though. His indecisiveness and his lack to institute any kind of royal reform, had cost him any support that he had with the wealthy members of the third estate.Angry at the king and sickened by the efforts of the aristocracy to control the Assembly, all the members of the third estate and some of the clergy of the first estate walked out of the Assembly of the Estates General, in Ver...
