What Was Going on at the Top in France?

Until the revolution, everything in french life was dictated by social position within the old feudal hierarchy. Only nobles could attend the best educational institutions or d high ranks in the army, navy or politics. Commoners were even legally required to bow and doff their caps if they encountered a nobleman in public. But that world of the court was only accessible to a tiny elite within an elite. For the rest of the episode, i'd like to talk about what was going on in the rest of french society.