Why did the French Monarchy collapse in 1792? To begin to answer this question it is necessary to first return to the Estates General of 1789. Although the body had not convened since 1641, over 150 years earlier, Louis XVI was unwilling to allow any significant change in procedure; in November 1788, the king had granted dual representation to the Third Estate, but had also confirmed the vote by order. With such a system, the first and second estates had the happy fortune of always being in the majority, since most of the leaders of the Catholic Church were made up of nobles. As such, despite their overwhelming majority, both in the meeting rooms of the Estates General and across the country, the commons had little power. Historians Mora Ozouf and Keith Baker have both discussed the significance of the emergence of the public sphere during this period which gave rise to hundreds of political satires, pamphlets and cartoons which were used to devastating effect to decry the lack of influence the Third Estate was able to exercise. Through these means, the commons began to question the legitimacy of a strictly hierarchical society and, even more worryingly as far as the upper strata were concerned, began to suggest that the Third Estate, by virtue of their work, were the only true citizens of the French nation, as articulated in Father Sieyes' pamphlet "What is the Third Estate". It seems that instead of engaging on these issues, the king "surrendered to the reactionary elements of the court", in particular to the Princes of the Blood who, in December 1788, had issued a memorandum denouncing the various reform proposals advanced by the Third Estate in anticipation of the States General.On June 17th the r...... middle of the sheet ......to, Gail. Society. In Old Regime France edited by W. Doyle, pp.43-77. Oxford, 2001 Gail Bossenga, "Society". in the France of the Old Regime, ed. W. Doyle, p.Hampson, Norman. A social history of the French Revolution. London, 1963Norman Hampson. A Social History of the French Revolution (London, 1963) p.Gardiner, BM The French Revolution 1789-1795. London, 1905.BM Gardiner. The French Revolution 1789-1795 (London 1905) p. 95Chateau de Versailles Web http://en.chateauversailles.fr/history/the-great-days/most-important-dates/1789-the-departure-of-the-king, accessed 11/16/13Freedom, equality, fraternity : Exploring the French Revolution http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/d/309/, accessed 11/16/13Catholic Encyclopediahttp://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13009a.htm, accessed 11/22 /13Alpha Historyhttp ://alphahistory.com/frenchrevolution/emigres/, accessible 22/11/13