States General
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The meeting of the States General at Orleans in 1561. The States General, the former French parliament, was first summoned in 1302, and was made up of nobles, clergy, and commoners.
Former French parliament that consisted of three estates: nobility, clergy, and commons. First summoned in 1302, it declined in importance as the power of the crown grew. It was not called at all between 1614 and 1789 when the crown needed to institute fiscal reforms to avoid financial collapse. Once called, the demands made by the States General formed the first phase in the French Revolution. States General is also the name of the Dutch parliament.
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