The general States, composed of more than 1100 deputies, 291 for the clergy, 270 for the nobility, 578 for the third state, met in large pump in Versailles, May 5, 1789. Everyone understood that large things were close: thus the ambassador of Sweden in France, the baron de Staël, writing with its king, May 10, that the opening of the States General is one of the great events of the French history: "Nothing more imposing, adds it, than the majestic apparatus of a powerful nation assembled by its king to work with him with the regeneration of their common fatherland"

The king, frightened attitude of the third state, made close the room of the assembly, but the deputies went in the room of the Play of Palm, and there they swore not to separate before to have given a constitution to France (June 20).

The 23 took place the royal meeting: the king, after having meant with the deputies to separate, withdrew himself with the nobility and the clergy, but the third state remained during the meeting, and like the large-Master of the ceremonies summoned it to disperse, "will say to your Master, exclaimed Mirabeau, which we are here by the will of the nation, and which we will leave only by the force the bayonets"

Since the opening of the States General, and especially since the meeting of June 23, Paris anxious and was agitated; the gatherings of troops to the Field of Mars, the insolence of some officers, the reference of the Necker minister, in a word the threats of coup d'etat produced an angry outburst there: the people raised themselves (July 12); the French guards, almost all children of Paris, made common cause with him, and when the dragons were on the point of charging crowd with Tileries, they found uniforms in front of them; the 13, Paris were held on the defensive, manufactured spades, and organized a national guard of 48 000 men; the 14, the people removed deposit of the Invalids 28 000 rifles and 20 guns, then it seized the Bastille.

The king, renonçant with the fight, moved away his troops and pointed out Necker.

After July 14, the partisans of the coups d'etat, such as the count d' Artois, Condé, Polignac, of Broglie, gave up overcoming the Revolution with French, and crossed the border; but a great part of noble and clergy, giving a short example of patriotism, undertook to bring back the harmony by a splendid sacrifice.

In the night of August 4, 1789, the Viscount of Noailles proposed the abolition of all the feudal rights and all the preferences, in a word the complete destruction of the feudalism.

The duke of Rochefoucauld, the count of Clermont-Thunder, the count de Montmorency, the duke of Pivot and much of other gentlemen voted on of enthusiasm the proposal: thus the privileges were removed assent of privileged themselves; the social revolution was accomplished.