Ancien Regime [No Survey]

This group held the highest positions in government, the military, and the courts. They owned about 25% of the land and enjoyed significant tax exemptions and the right to collect feudal dues from peasants.

Making up 98% of the population, this group included wealthy bourgeois merchants, urban workers, and rural peasants. Despite their numbers and economic contribution, they bore the brunt of the nation's taxation and had virtually no political voice. Political Absolute Monarchy ancien regime

By the late 18th century, several factors converged to destabilize the regime: This group held the highest positions in government,