On July 14, 1789, the citizens of Paris stormed the Bastille. This intimidating medieval structure was the symbol of monarchical tyranny. The attack on the prison was triggered by the dismissal of the popular finance minister Necker. The bourgeois revolutionaries in Paris, especially Camille Desmoulins, called on the population to actively resist, which then materialized in the capture of the prison. Nearly 100 people were killed on July 14. But the bourgeoisie felt strengthened by this popular uprising. It was now clear that a revolution was taking place in France.
Chronology of the day
10:00 · More and more people gather in front of the Bastille. They are armed with muskets seized from the Hôtel des Invalides.
12:00 · The negotiations between the representatives of the Parisian citizens and the commander of the Bastille, Bernard-René de Launay, end without result.
13:30 · The crowd pushes into the outer courtyard. Royal troops inside the Bastille open fire. About 80 people are killed.
15:00 · Soldiers of the French Guards join the insurgents. They aim cannons at the Bastille.
17:00 · The Bastille capitulates. The Parisians storm the fortress and free the few prisoners.
18:00 · Commander de Launay is killed in front of the Hôtel de Ville. The crowd carries his head through the city on a pike like a trophy.
Quotes
Ah, my friends, kill me, kill me at once, do not make me linger. Last words of Bernard-René de Launay, commander of the Bastille
I heard the cries of joy of the raging crowd, joking with scraps of human flesh while shouting: Long live liberty! Long live the king! Saint-Just
The victors of the Bastille were the greatest scoundrels in Paris. Mirabeau
On July 14, 1789, the citizens of Paris stormed the Bastille. This intimidating medieval structure was the symbol of monarchical tyranny. The attack on the prison was triggered by the dismissal of the popular finance minister Necker. The bourgeois revolutionaries in Paris, especially Camille Desmoulins, called on the population to actively resist, which then materialized in the capture of the prison. Nearly 100 people were killed on July 14. But the bourgeoisie felt strengthened by this popular uprising. It was now clear that a revolution was taking place in France.
