Storming of the Bastille

The storming of the Bastille is an event of the French revolution which has occurred the July 14th 1789. The rendering of the fortress, symbol of the despotism, made the effect of a seism, in France as in Europe, until in the distance worsens of Russia. “Fortress of the secrecy, and place without justice, the Bastille was the first go of the Revolution.” The July 14th 1789, day when the Bastille is taken by storm by the Paris iens, by tradition, is regarded as marking the end of Old Mode and the beginning of the French revolution.

The Fête of the Federation was organized at the same date the following year, to celebrate the first birthday of the event.

Historiography and legend

The storming of the Bastille is not an act so glorious that it appears to with it. The people had placed with the Bastille much of victims of the arbitrary one, but one had to go obviously during his fall, the July 14th 1789, which it counted only one handle of forgers, an young man become insane, Auguste Tavernier, noble incestueux and an accomplice of Robert-François Damiens, author of an attempted murder on Louis XV. “Quasi vacuum undoubtedly, but overloaded: overloaded long story maintained between monarchy and its justice”. The revolutionary image largely contributed to maintain the myth of a Bastille sheltering the dungeons where the victims of monarchy pourrissaient. In fact, the Bastille had lost to some extent its function of prison of State. Louis XVI had made the decision to demolish it. To bring the proof that one was present at the time of the storming of the Bastille played a great part in the career of those which were said patriotic. 863 patents of victorious of the Bastille were delivered like proof of good citizenship. The Bastille was the symbol of tyranny monarchique.
The importance of the storming of the Bastille was exaggerated by the romantic historians, like Jules Michelet, who wanted to make of it a symbol founder of the République. In fact, according to the texts of the time (of the letters of a participant in the events, mainly), the catch of the building was done almost without clashes and in an environment good child. Thousand people at most composed a band of rioters which wanted to invade the building to acquire weapons there. This one was defended only by one handle of men and only deaths which the history retained are those of the governor Mr. de Launay and of the provost of the Flesselles merchants. However, as of the following year, the event is celebrated in France and even whole Europe, the importance of the event not being in the event itself but in its value symbolic system.

First steps of the storming of the Bastille

The people of Paris had been anxious for several days, fearing that the foreign troops stationing around Paris do not end up being used to repress the revolution. A militia of 48.000 men had been made up, but without weapons.

Sunday, July 12, 1789

The morning of Sunday July 12th 1789, the Parisian ones are informed of the Renvoi of Necker, the news is spread in Paris. At Midi, to the Palais Royal, a lawyer and journalist then little known, Camille Desmoulins, goes up on a table and harangue the crowd of the walkers and invites it to take the weapons against the government of the king. In the streets of Paris and the garden of the Palais Royal of many demonstrations take place, the busts of Jacques Necker and of Philippe of Orleans are carried at the head processions. The regiment of cavalry, Royal-German charges the crowd piled up with the Tuileries. One counts several casualties, perhaps one killed among the rioters. At the beginning of evening, Pierre-Victor de Besenval with the head of the troops installed in Paris, gives the order to the Suisses regiments confined with the Field-of-March to intervene.

Monday, July 13, 1789

At one o'clock in the morning, forty of the fifty barriers (stations of granting) which allow the entry in Paris are burnt. The crowd of the rioters requires the fall in the price of the grains and the bread - price which they had never reached during the century. A rumor circulates in Paris: with the Saint-Lazare convent would be stored the grains; the convent is plundered at six hours. Two hours later, a meeting of the " électeurs" capital is held with the Town hall (those which, with the second degree, elected the deputies of the General states). At their head the provost of the merchants is, Jacques de Flesselles. In the middle of an unchained crowd, they decide to form a “Standing Committee” and make the decision to create a “middle-class militia” of 48.000 men, in order to limit the disorders. Each man will carry like marks distinctive a rosette with the colors of Paris, red and blue. To arm this militia, the rioters put at bag the Furniture depository where weapons are stored, but also old collections. On order of Jacques de Flesselles 50.000 spades were forged. Crowd obeying the orders which seemed to come from the Palais Royal, spoke to take the Bastille.
At 5 p.m., a delegation of the Parisian voters goes to the Invalids to claim the weapons of war which are stored there. The governor refuses. The Court does not react. The voters do not obtain the weapons.

Detailed chronology of the storming of the Bastille on July 14th, 1789

10 hours: The rioters seize the 30 to 40.000 rifles stored with the Invalids

In front of the refusal of the governor of the Invalids, an enormous crowd (40 to 50.000 people) presents itself in front of the Invalids to seize some force. To defend the Hôtel of the Invalids there exist guns been useful by invalids, but those do not appear not laid out to open fire on the Parisian ones. To a few hundred meters from there, several regiments of cavalry of infantry and artillery camp on the esplanade of the Field-of-March, under the command of Pierre-Victor de Besenval. This one brings together the chiefs of the bodies to know if their soldiers would walk on the rioters. Unanimously, they answer not . It is the capital event of the day. Crowd, that nothing from now on can stop, climbing the ditches of the Invalids, smashes the grids, goes down in the cellars and seizes the 30.000 to 40.000 rifles which are stored there like 12 parts of guns and a mortar. The Parisian ones from now on are armed. They miss them only powder and balls. The noise runs that there is with the castle of the Bastille.

10 hours 30: A delegation goes to the Bastille to ask balls and for powder

Pressed by the crowd of the rioters, the voters of the town of Paris in meeting to the Town hall, send a delegation to the governor of the Bastille, Mr. de Launay, with for mission of requesting the distribution of the powder and the balls from Parisian which must train a “middle-class militia”. This delegation is received with kindness, it is even invited to lunch, but sets out again bredouille.

11 hours 30: A second delegation sets out again for the Bastille

At 11 a.m. 30 one second delegation led by Jacques Alexis Hamard Thuriot and Louis Ethis de Corny goes to the castle of the Bastille. She can nothing obtain. The crowd of the rioters armed with the rifles taken to the Invalids binds itself in front of the Bastille.

13 hours 30: The defenders of the Bastille open fire on besieging

The eighty-two invalids defenders of the Bastille and thirty two detached Swiss soldiers of the regiment of Dirtied-Samade obeying the orders of Rene-Bernard Jordan de Launay open fire on the rioters.

14 hours: A third delegation goes to the Bastille

A third delegation goes to the Bastille, in this delegation is the abbot Claude Fauchet.

15 hours: A fourth delegation goes to the Bastille

A fourth delegation goes to the Bastille with again Louis Ethis de Corny, it introduces in front of the marquis de Launay but always does not obtain anything. The soldiers of the garrison of the Bastille and besieging them draw the ones on the others.

15 hours 30: 61 French Guards arise in front of the Bastille with five guns

A detachment of sixty and a soldier of the gardes-fran1caises under the command of Pierre-Augustin Hulin, former sergeant with the Guard-Swiss presents himself in front of the fortress of the Bastille. They took along with them five guns coming from the Invalids. These guns are put out of battery against the doors and the drawbridge of the castle.

17 hours: Capitulation of the Bastille

The garrison of the Bastille returns the weapons, on promise of besieging that no execution will take place if there is rendering. The rioters invade the fortress, release the seven prisoners who were imprisoned there, seize the powder and the balls. The garrison of the Bastille, captive, is taken along to the Town hall. On the way, Mr. de Launay is massacred, its head will be says one, cut out with the knife. Several of the invalids find also death during the way. Jacques de Flesselles is assassinated on the charge of treachery. Besieging had a hundred killed and soixante-treize wounded.

In addition to the prisoners, the fortress lodges the files of the lieutenant of police force of Paris which are subjected to a systematic plundering. It is only at the end of two days that measurements are taken by the authorities in order to preserve these traces of the history. Even Beaumarchais, whose house is located just opposite, had not hesitated to draw from papers. Denounced, it must restore them besides.

18 hours: Louis XVI orders with the troops to evacuate Paris

Being unaware of the fall of the Bastille, Louis XVI gives the order to the troops stationed in Paris to evacuate the capital. This order will be brought to the Town hall at two o'clock in the morning.

The decapitated heads are walked in Paris

The decapitated heads of Mr. de Launay and Jacques de Flesselles and others were walked at the end of a spade in the streets of Paris, and this to the Palais Royal.

July 15th, 1789, 8 hours

With Versailles, at the time of his alarm clock, the duke of Rochefoucauld-Liancourt informs Louis XVI of the storming of the Bastille. The following dialog would have taken place:

“It is a revolt? ” request Louis XVI.

“Not lord, it is not a revolt, it is a revolution. ” the duke of Rochefoucauld answers.

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