Storming of the Bastille

Long ago, people in France were unhappy.

They needed more food. They also felt the king was not fair.

A large group of people went to a stone building. This building was a prison called the Bastille.

The people wanted to find guns and powder.

There was fighting at the building for four hours. After that, the people went inside. The prison only had seven people in it.

This big event helped start a change in France. Today, people have a holiday to remember it. It is a very important day.

In 1789, France faced many big problems. The country had a money crisis. There were also poor harvests. This meant food was hard to find. People were very angry with King Louis XVI.

Many people felt the king was unfair. They wanted a new set of rules called a constitution. A group called the National Assembly formed to help.

On July 14, a crowd went to the Bastille. This was a large stone prison in Paris. The people wanted to take guns and gunpowder.

The fighting lasted for four hours. In the end, the crowd took control. The governor, Bernard-René de Launay, was killed. There were only seven prisoners inside the building.

This event helped start the French Revolution. Now, France celebrates this day every year. It is called Bastille Day. It is a national holiday for the country.

The Storming of the Bastille was a major event in Paris, France. It happened on 14 July 1789. This event was a moment of political violence. A group of people called insurgents tried to take over a famous building. This building was the Bastille. It was a medieval fortress and a political prison. For many people, the Bastille was a symbol of the king's power. They felt the monarchy used it to treat people unfairly.

Before the storming, France was in a very hard spot. King Louis XVI ruled the country during a big money crisis. The cost of helping in the American Revolution was very high. Also, poor harvests in the late 1780s made food scarce. To make things worse, the Finance Minister Calonne spent a lot of money. He wanted the monarchy to look wealthy to get more loans. This choice only made the king's money problems worse.

Things changed when a group called the Third Estate formed. They wanted to create a new set of rules called a constitution. They called themselves the National Assembly. On 11 July 1789, the king dismissed Jacques Necker. Necker was a minister who many people liked. This news made the people of Paris very angry. They feared the king was using his army to stop them. Crowds began to gather in the streets to protest.

On the morning of 14 July, the people moved toward the Bastille. They had already taken weapons from another place called the Hôtel des Invalides. However, the gunpowder was stored inside the Bastille. The fortress had 18 large guns on its walls. The governor of the prison was Bernard-René de Launay. At that time, the prison was almost empty. It only held seven prisoners. The fighting lasted for about four hours. During the battle, 94 people died.

After the crowd took the Bastille, history changed forever. This event was the flashpoint of the French Revolution. Today, France celebrates this day every year. It is a national holiday called Fête nationale française. Many people call it Bastille Day in English. The holiday also remembers a big meeting from the next year. It is a way to remember the start of a new era for France.

The Storming of the Bastille was a pivotal act of political violence in Paris, France. It occurred on 14 July 1789. A group of revolutionary insurgents attempted to seize control of a medieval fortress. This building served as an armoury and a political prison. It was known as the Bastille. To the people of Paris, the fortress represented royal authority. It stood as a symbol of the monarchy's power to act unfairly.

Before the uprising, France faced a massive economic crisis. King Louis XVI ruled during a time of great financial struggle. The cost of intervening in the American Revolution was a major factor. Additionally, poor harvests in the late 1780s made food scarce. Finance Minister Calonne tried to fix this by spending lavishly. He hoped to make the monarchy look wealthy to secure loans. This strategy failed and only worsened the king's financial problems.

Political tension grew when the Third Estate formed the National Assembly. This group represented the commoners of France. They wanted to create a new French constitution. The king initially opposed them but eventually acknowledged their authority. On 11 July 1789, Louis XVI dismissed Jacques Necker. Necker was a Finance Minister who was sympathetic to the Third Estate.

His removal caused panic and anger among Parisians. They feared the king was planning a coup to shut down the Assembly.

As unrest spread, the people of Paris began to take action. Crowds gathered at the Palais-Royal to discuss their fears. Camille Desmoulins rallied the crowd by urging them to take up arms. People also began plundering places for food and supplies. They attacked customs posts to protest high food and wine prices. Some groups even seized 52 wagons of wheat from the Saint-Lazare property.

On the morning of 14 July, the situation reached a breaking point. Insurgents had already stormed the Hôtel des Invalides to collect muskets. However, they lacked gunpowder and shot. They knew that 250 barrels of gunpowder had been moved to the Bastille. The fortress was defended by a garrison of 82 invalides. These were veteran soldiers no longer fit for active field service. The garrison was reinforced by 32 grenadiers from the Swiss Salis-Samade Regiment.

The Bastille was heavily armed for a prison. Its walls were mounted with 18 eight-pound guns. There were also 12 smaller pieces of artillery. The governor of the fortress was Bernard-René de Launay. At the time of the attack, the prison was nearly empty. It held only seven inmates, including four forgers and one aristocrat. Despite the low number of prisoners, the building remained a powerful symbol of tyranny.

The battle lasted for approximately four hours. During this period of fighting, 94 people died. The insurgents eventually succeeded in entering the fortress. After the surrender, the governor, de Launay, and several garrison members were killed. The fall of the Bastille became the flashpoint of the French Revolution. This event changed the course of French history forever.

Today, the event is remembered through a national holiday. In France, 14 July is called Fête nationale française. This holiday commemorates the storming of the Bastille. It also honors the Fête de la Fédération from 1790. In English-speaking countries, it is commonly called Bastille Day. The event remains a symbol of the shift toward a new era for the nation.