The Estates-General was a legislative assembly in France that represented the three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and the common people. It had not been convened since 1614. In 1789, faced with a severe financial crisis, King Louis XVI summoned the Estates-General to propose solutions. However, the convocation of the Estates-General exposed the deep-seated political and social tensions in French society. The Third Estate's demand for more equitable representation and the refusal of the privileged classes to compromise ultimately led to the formation of the National Assembly and the outbreak of the Revolution.