1789
He needed help to resolve the French financial crisis.
Monsieur Lomenie de Brienne was the finance minister of Louis XVI at the time. He wanted to introduce a series of economizations, but the notables did not approve of his plans. He begged the King to take a stand, but Louis XVI hesitated. La Fayette was the one that advised Louis XVI to call for the Estates General. Eventually, Louis XVI took this advice, but realized that this was a very serious blow to the monarchy. Though he was forced to, because if he would have objected to summon them, the whole country would have been in a huge uprising. The bourgeoisie believed the only way to overthrow the monarchy was to summon the Estates General. They were right.
By calling the Estates-General Louis the XIV would be at a disadvantage because it would give more power to the 1st Estate and the 2nd Estate. He would be losing power and he had no reason to call on the Estates-General. Louis the XVIII had to call on the Estates-General because the country was about to go bankrupt and he had no other choice but to call on the Estates-General and ask them for a loan.
King Louis XVI.
Louis XIV never summoned the Estates General during his reign; it was his successor, Louis XVI, who did in 1789. This decision proved disastrous because it opened the door for widespread discontent and political discourse among the Third Estate, leading to the French Revolution. The assembly of the Estates General highlighted the deep social and economic inequalities in France, ultimately culminating in the loss of royal power and the establishment of a republic. This miscalculation reflected the monarchy's failure to address the nation's pressing issues, leading to its downfall.
Oh, dude, Louis XVI finally agreed to summon the Estates-General because, like, France was in a bit of a pickle with all the financial issues and the whole French Revolution looming over his head. It was basically like hitting the panic button - "Oh no, things are getting messy, better call in the big guns." So, he was like, "Fine, let's bring in the Estates-General and see if they can help sort this mess out."
The Estates General met on May 5th, 1789, in Versailles, France.
Louis wanted an absolute monarchy. They wanted a constitution.
1789
King Louis XVI of France
In preparation for the Estates General, Louis XVI had the three estates compile cahiers that stated their grievances against the government. There was also the formation of the National Assembly, which in turn started the Tennis Court Oaths.
In preparation for the Estates General, Louis XVI had the three estates compile cahiers that stated their grievances against the government. There was also the formation of the National Assembly, which in turn started the Tennis Court Oaths.