Storming of the Bastille
1789 AD · Early Modern
On July 14, 1789, revolutionary insurgents in Paris attacked and seized the Bastille, a medieval fortress and state prison that symbolized royal authority. This action followed the convening of the Estates-General at Versailles on May 5 and the Tennis Court Oath on June 20. The fall of the Bastille became the defining moment that marked the beginning of the French Revolution, which would transform France politically and socially, ultimately leading to the abolition of the monarchy and establishment of a republic.
Key Figures
Marquis de LafayetteLouis XVIJacques NeckerBernard-René de Launay
Locations
Palace of VersaillesThe BastilleRoyal Tennis Court (Jeu de Paume)
Topics
political changefrench revolutionFrancenapoleon bonaparteEnlightenment
Connected Events — 3 Connections
The French Revolution failure to establish stable democracy motivated Tocqueville to study why American democracy succeeded where France had not Democracy in America
French Revolution destruction of the Ancien Regime created nostalgic interest in pre-revolutionary France that Dumas exploited by setting The Three Musketeers in the court of Louis XIII The Three Musketeers Published
French Revolution and the Storming of the Bastille in 1789 provided the political context of revolutionary optimism during which Godwin began composing Political Justice Godwin Publishes An Enquiry Concerning Political Justice
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