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Cassandra Overdorf Rachel LaMance French 111, Section 003 3 December 2013

504 Words

Tired of the feudalist system, the heavy taxes on the poor, Louis XVIs dismissal of financial reform, and inspired by the American Revolution and the writings of enlightenment thinkers like Voltaire, more than three hundred French citizens took to the streets on July 14, 1789 to storm the Bastille. The Bastille, a sign of the kings ab solute and arbitrary power, was a prison for political prisoners in Paris. At the time of the attack, it only held seven prisoners. It wasnt the first stop for the mob that was storming it. The group of craftsmen and salesmen stormed the Invalides, where they stole 28,000 rifles. However, there was no gunpowder to be found. Knowing that some powder was stocked at the Bastille, the mob headed that way. Having heard rumors that this very thing might happen, the Bastille had been reinforced and extra supplies had been stored inside. Guarding the Bastille were 30 Swiss soldiers and 80 wounded veterans. The guards were prepared to deal with a small, unruly crowd, not a bloodthirsty mob. Over three hundred guards abandoned their post because of the rumors, leaving the Bastille almost defenseless. At three in the afternoon, the mob broke into the arsenal and the first courtyard. They then cut the drawbridge down. They then demanded that the bridges be lowered to allow

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them inside. The man in charge, Marquis de Launay, refused. De Launay told the leader of the mob, Hulin, that he would surrender, on the condition that his troops would be able to leave peacefully. When de Launay was refused his request, he sent a note to the mob claiming that he had 20,000 pounds of gunpowder and would blow up the Bastille with everyone in it if they did not let them go. The mob still refused. When a rescue team arrived, they helped the revolutionaries fight instead of aiding de Launay as they were supposed to do. De Launay eventually gave the order for the bridges to be lowered and the mob stormed inside, freeing the prisoners and stealing the gun powder. The mob then paraded through the streets of Paris with the guards as prisoners and with some of their heads on sticks. All of the guards, including de Launay, were killed. When the Duc de Liancourt informed the King of what happened at the Bastille, King Louis XVI, who was residing in Versailles, asked his advisor "is this a revolt?" and he was answered, "No Majesty, this is a revolution". Little did Louis know, the mob's next plan was to march to Versailles and take him away with them as well. This march on the Bastille, a symbol of the hypocrisy and corruption of France's political system, marked the beginning of the French Revolution. The lasting significance of this event was the recognition that power was not held by the King or the peoples God, but by the people. Bastille Day became the French national holiday one year later, during the "Fete de la Federation", on July 14th, 1790.

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References Cited History of Bastille Day. Bastille Day and the French Revolution. AFNaples, 1 July 2012. Web. 25 November 2013. <http://bastille-day.com/history/Storming-Of-The-Bastille-July-141789>. Storming of the Bastille. Think Quest. ThinkQuest. Web. 25 November 2013. <http://library.thinkquest.org/C006257/revolution/storming_of_bastille.shtml>.