Define belligerent. belligerent synonyms, belligerent pronunciation, belligerent translation, English dictionary definition of belligerent. adj. 1. Inclined or eager to fight; hostile or aggressive. 2. Of, pertaining to, or engaged in warfare. n. One that is hostile or aggressive, especially one...
The Third Estate. A common depiction of the Third Estate, carrying the burden of the other Estates. Before the revolution, French society was divided into three estates or orders. The Third Estate was by far the largest of these, containing around 27 million people or 98 per cent of the nation.easants were at the bottom of the Third Estateâs social hierarchy. Peasant farmers comprised between 82 and 88 per cent of the population and were the nationâs poorest social class. Though levels of wealth varied, even within the peasantry, it is reasonable to suggest that most French peasants were poor.
âAfter a six-week deadlock, the third estate proclaimed itself a National Assembly with sole power to legislate taxation.â âAnd still, all major branches of the French government outside the Third Estate rejected these reforms.â âThe barriers between the privileged sections of the Third Estate and the nobility were especially problematical.â âFrom the initial meeting in May until the July seizure of the Bastille, the Third Estate, which metamorphosed into the National Assembly, sought to overcome the political advantages of the clergy and nobility.â âJune 17: The Third Estate declares itself the National Assemblyâ âThe Estates General lasted only a little over a month before the leaders of the Third Estate (the bourgeoisie, artisans, and peasantry) transformed it into a National Assembly and took political power from the monarchy.â