Estates General of 1789 in the context of "French Revolution"

Qu'est-ce que le Tiers-État? (transl. What Is the Third Estate?) is an influential political pamphlet published in January 1789, shortly before the outbreak of the French Revolution, by the French writer and clergyman Abbé Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès (1748–1836). Written during the Assembly of Notables between 6 November and 12 December 1788, it was sent to the printer by 27 December 1788 for publication in the early days of 1789. There were eventually four editions of the text; initially published anonymously as a 127 page pamphlet, Sieyès revealed himself as the author after its third edition in May 1789.

The pamphlet was Sieyès' reply to finance minister Jacques Necker's invitation for writers to state how they thought the Estates-General should be organised. It was one of the most influential pamphlets of the early revolution: some 300,000 copies were printed, reaching around one million readers, establishing Sieyès as one of the principal leaders of the Estates-General upon its opening in May.

Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, Count of Mirabeau (French: [miʁabo]; 9 March 1749 – 2 April 1791) was a French writer, orator, and statesman, and a prominent figure of the early stages of the French Revolution.

A member of the nobility, Mirabeau had been involved in numerous scandals that had left his reputation in ruins. Well-known for his oratory skills, Mirabeau quickly rose to the top of the French political hierarchy following his election to the Estates-General in 1789, and was recognized as a leader of the newly organized National Assembly. Among the revolutionaries, Mirabeau was an advocate of the moderate position of constitutional monarchy modelled after that of Great Britain. He was also a leading member of the Jacobin Club.