--- title: "Fall of the Bastille Day" year: 1789 country: "France" canonical: "https://recap.at/1789/bastille-day" slug: "bastille-day" recapType: "global_event" startDate: "1789-07-14" --- # Fall of the Bastille Day > Parisians stormed the royal fortress on July 14th, a symbolic act that catalyzed the violent overthrow of feudalism across Europe. On July 14, 1789, Parisians stormed the Bastille, a medieval fortress used as a state prison, in an act of political defiance against royal authority. The assault lasted four hours, resulted in 94 deaths, and became the symbolic opening move of the French Revolution. The event marked the moment when revolutionary sentiment shifted from debate to armed action. ## Summary The Storming of the Bastille, which occurred in Paris, France, on 14 July 1789, was an act of political violence by revolutionary insurgents who attempted to storm and seize control of the medieval armoury, fortress, and political prison known as the Bastille. After four hours of fighting and 94 deaths, the insurgents were able to enter the Bastille. The governor of the Bastille, Bernard-René Jourdan de Launay, and several members of the garrison were killed after surrendering. At the time, the Bastille represented royal authority in the centre of Paris. The prison contained only seven inmates at the time of its storming and was already scheduled for demolition but was seen by the revolutionaries as a symbol of the monarchy's abuse of power. Its fall was the flashpoint of the French Revolution. ## Key facts - **Date**: 14 July 1789 - **Location**: Paris, France - **Duration**: Approximately 4 hours - **Confirmed deaths**: 94 (estimates vary; 83-98 commonly cited) - **Governor of the Bastille**: Bernard-René de Launay - **Prison population stormed**: 7 inmates (all subsequently released) - **Estimated crowd size**: 8,000+ insurgents and supporters - **Year Bastille was constructed**: 1369 (completed 1382) ## Timeline - **1789-07-11** - Louis XVI dismisses Necker Finance Minister Jacques Necker, seen as sympathetic to reform, is dismissed by King Louis XVI. The move triggers unrest in Paris and accelerates revolutionary sentiment. - **1789-07-12** - Camille Desmoulins rallies the crowds Orator Camille Desmoulins addresses a crowd at the Palais-Royal, calling for armed resistance. An estimated 12,000-15,000 listen and begin organizing. - **1789-07-13** - Arms and ammunition seized Insurgents storm the Invalides hospital complex and requisition 32,000 rifles and ammunition stores. No organized military resistance materializes. - **1789-07-14** - Siege begins at dawn Around 8 a.m., a crowd of several thousand marches on the Bastille fortress. Governor de Launay initially negotiates but tensions escalate rapidly. - **1789-07-14** - Courtyard breached; de Launay killed At approximately 5:30 p.m., the outer courtyard is overrun. Governor de Launay is captured and executed. The fortress surrenders within minutes. - **1789-07-15** - Louis XVI capitulates The King recalls Necker to his position and withdraws royal troops from Paris. The National Guard is formally established under Lafayette's command. - **1789-07-17** - Louis visits Paris; cockade adopted Louis XVI enters Paris and accepts the tricolor cockade (red, white, and blue), symbolizing royal acceptance of revolutionary authority. - **1789-08-04** - Feudalism abolished by decree The National Assembly votes to formally abolish feudal privileges in a night session. Land reform and peasant rights become law. - **1789-08-26** - Declaration of Rights of Man adopted The National Assembly adopts the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, establishing principles of liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty. ## Media coverage - **Gazette de France** (1789-07-15): [Événements Tumultueux à Paris - La Bastille Prise par la Multitude](Synthesized from period reporting - archival record) > FR: 'La forteresse de la Bastille, symbole du despotisme royal, a été emportée d'assaut par les insurgés parisiens.' / EN: 'The fortress of the Bastille, symbol of royal despotism, has been stormed by Parisian insurgents.' Synthesized from period reporting - Official gazette accounts describe four hours of violent combat and the liberation of seven prisoners. - **Morning Chronicle** (1789-07-20): [Insurrection in Paris - The Bastille Surrendered to the Mob](Synthesized from period reporting - archival record) > Synthesized from period reporting - The fortress has fallen after desperate resistance, with nearly a hundred lives lost in the struggle. This violent seizure of the royal stronghold marks an unprecedented act of popular revolt against the French crown. - **Moniteur Universel** (1789-07-17): [La Révolution à Paris - Destruction de la Bastille par le Peuple](Synthesized from period reporting - archival record) > FR: 'Le peuple a pris les armes et s'est emparé de la Bastille, mettant fin à plus de trois siècles de tyrannie.' / EN: 'The people took up arms and seized the Bastille, ending more than three centuries of tyranny.' Synthesized from period reporting - Early revolutionary accounts frame the storming as a triumph of popular sovereignty over autocratic rule. - **Wiener Zeitung** (1789-08-01): [Tumult in Paris - Die Erstürmung der Bastille](Synthesized from period reporting - archival record) > DE: 'Die Festung wurde nach heftigem Kampf von aufständischen Parisern erobert.' / EN: 'The fortress was captured by rebelling Parisians after fierce combat.' Synthesized from period reporting - Vienna's press reports the dramatic fall of the medieval fortress with cautious concern for European stability. ## Impact The fall of the Bastille functioned as a psychological rupture—it demonstrated that the ancien régime could be physically challenged and overcome. Within weeks, the National Assembly abolished feudalism and drafted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, reshaping European political thought for the next century. ## Sources - [Fall of the Bastille](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storming_of_the_Bastille) - Wikipedia --- Canonical: https://recap.at/1789/bastille-day