The First Estate was the clergy. The Second Estate was the nobility. The Third Estate was everyone else.
In the days leading up to the French Revolution, Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyes published a pamphlet that had a huge impact in France. The pamphlet was titled, "What is the Third Estate?" Here's how Sieyes started that pamphlet:
<em>The plan of this book is fairly simple. We must ask ourselves three questions.</em>
<em>What is the Third Estate? Everything.</em>
<em>What has it been in the political order until now? Nothing.</em>
<em>What does it want to be? Something.</em>
The clergy (1st Estate) and nobility (2nd Estate) amounted to about 2% of the population of France in the days before the French Revolution -- but all political power was in their hands in everything. The rest of the nation -- from lawyers and merchants down to peasants and street sweepers -- all counted as the 3rd Estate. That body of the people made up 98% of the population. The time had come for them to take hold of their power in deciding how their country was going to operate.
The battle of Poitiers---better known as the battle of Tours 732 CE. The franks obviously prepared to resist the muslims so their victory indicates they viewed muslim expansion into europe as a threat.
