On July 14, 1789, a Paris crowd seeking weapons and gunpowder stormed the Bastille fortress, a former prison that by then held only a handful of inmates but stood as a powerful symbol of royal authority.
Background
Rising bread prices, an ongoing financial crisis, and political tension following the convening of the Estates-General had already pushed Paris toward unrest in the weeks leading up to the assault.
“A fortress holding almost no prisoners became the spark for a revolution anyway.”
The Key Events
After a tense standoff and exchange of gunfire, the fortress's governor surrendered, and the crowd took control of the building, an event that spread quickly through Paris and beyond as news of royal authority visibly cracking.
Legacy and Lasting Impact
July 14 is now celebrated annually in France as Bastille Day, and the event is conventionally marked as the symbolic beginning of the French Revolution, which would go on to fundamentally reshape French government over the following years.
- The Bastille held only seven prisoners at the time of the storming.
- July 14 is celebrated annually in France as Bastille Day.
- The event is conventionally treated as marking the start of the French Revolution.
References & Further Reading
- William Doyle, *The Oxford History of the French Revolution*
- Britannica, entry on the Storming of the Bastille
- Musée Carnavalet, Paris, French Revolution collection notes
- Simon Schama, *Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution*
