# Canonical recap data for French Revolution Begins (Storming of the Bastille) (1789)
# Source: https://recap.at/1789/storming-of-bastille
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: storming-of-bastille
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1789/storming-of-bastille"
title: French Revolution Begins (Storming of the Bastille)
aliases:
- Prise de la Bastille
- Storming of the Bastille
- Bastille Day
- July 14, 1789
subtitle: When broke royalty learned that commoners don't ask permission.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1789-05-05
datePrecision: day
year: 1789
decade: 1780
country:
name: France
slug: france
summaryShort: On July 14, 1789, Parisians stormed the Bastille prison, a symbol of royal tyranny. The assault marked the violent beginning of the French Revolution and the effective end of absolute monarchy in France.
summaryLong: |-
  The Bastille was never the nightmare prison of popular imagination-by 1789, it held just seven inmates-but it stood as a monument to arbitrary royal power. King Louis XVI's government was broke, having spent vast sums on wars and court extravagance. In May 1789, he convened the Estates-General, an assembly of clergy, nobility, and commoners meant to approve new taxes. Instead, the commoners broke away to form the National Assembly and began drafting a constitution without the king's blessing.

  By early July, the situation in Paris had grown volatile. Bread prices had spiked, and rumors swirled that the king was amassing troops to crush the Assembly. On July 12, when news broke that the popular finance minister Jacques Necker had been fired, crowds took to the streets. By July 14, a mob estimated at several thousand had gathered outside the Bastille in the eastern part of the city, demanding weapons and gunpowder they believed were stored inside.

  The fortress's commander, the Marquis de Launay, tried negotiating but eventually ordered his garrison of about 30 invalides (retired soldiers) and 32 Swiss Guards to fire on the crowd. Roughly 100 people died in the initial volleys, but the mob overwhelmed the defenders through sheer numbers and determination. By mid-afternoon, the Bastille's gates had fallen. The crowd executed de Launay and several guards, parading their heads on pikes through the streets-a brutality that foreshadowed the Revolution's darker turns.

  The storming had immediate ripple effects. On July 15, Louis XVI accepted the Assembly's authority and recalled Necker. By August, the Assembly abolished feudalism and drafted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. The Bastille itself was demolished within weeks, its stones sold as souvenirs and its site left empty. July 14 became the national holiday of France-Bastille Day-and remains so today.

  What made July 14 revolutionary wasn't just the violence; it was the moment ordinary people decided that power didn't belong solely to kings and nobles. The storming didn't end the Revolution-far from it-but it shattered the ancien régime's psychological hold on France and showed that a crowd with conviction could topple symbols of state power.
lede: On July 14, 1789, thousands of Parisians stormed the Bastille, a fortress-prison that symbolized the French king's unchecked power. Though it held only seven prisoners, the assault became the symbolic beginning of the French Revolution-the moment when ordinary people decided to challenge absolute monarchy. The event killed roughly 100 people and set France on a path toward constitutional government, democratic ideals, and years of violent upheaval.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/Anonymous_-_Prise_de_la_Bastille.jpg/1280px-Anonymous_-_Prise_de_la_Bastille.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "French Revolution"
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 50
keyFacts:
- label: Date
  value: July 14, 1789
- label: Location
  value: Paris, eastern district of the city
- label: Estimated crowd size
  value: Several thousand (sources vary between 2,000 and 8,000)
- label: Deaths
  value: Approximately 100 killed during the assault
- label: Bastille prisoners at the time
  value: 7 inmates
- label: Garrison defending the fortress
  value: 30 invalides (retired soldiers) and 32 Swiss Guards
- label: Commander of the Bastille
  value: The Marquis de Launay
- label: Finance minister recalled
  value: Jacques Necker (recalled July 15, 1789)
timeline:
- date: 1789-05-05
  title: Estates-General convenes
  description: King Louis XVI calls the Estates-General to address the fiscal crisis. The assembly includes clergy, nobility, and commoners.
- date: 1789-06-17
  title: National Assembly formed
  description: The Third Estate (commoners) breaks away to form the National Assembly and begins drafting a constitution without royal approval.
- date: 1789-07-12
  title: Necker dismissed and Paris erupts
  description: King Louis XVI fires the popular finance minister Jacques Necker. News of his dismissal triggers riots in Paris and a call to arms.
- date: 1789-07-13
  title: Crowds arm themselves
  description: Parisians raid the Invalides and seize approximately 30,000 muskets and other weapons. Makeshift militias begin forming across the city.
- date: 1789-07-14
  title: Storming of the Bastille
  description: A crowd of thousands surrounds the Bastille fortress demanding weapons and gunpowder. After failed negotiations, the garrison fires on the crowd. The fortress is overwhelmed by mid-afternoon; its commander and several guards are executed.
- date: 1789-07-15
  title: Louis XVI capitulates
  description: The king accepts the Assembly's authority and recalls Necker. Royal troops are ordered to withdraw from Paris.
- date: 1789-08-04
  title: Feudalism abolished
  description: The National Assembly votes to abolish feudal rights and privileges, removing the legal basis of the old feudal system.
- date: 1789-08-26
  title: Declaration of Rights adopted
  description: The National Assembly adopts the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, establishing principles of liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty.
- date: 1789-11-02
  title: Church property nationalized
  description: The National Assembly votes to seize Church lands and property to help pay off the state debt, deepening the break between the Revolution and the Catholic hierarchy.
sources: []
related: []
relationships:
- targetSlug: berlin-wall-fall
  type: anticipated
  confidence: 72
  evidence: The French Revolution established the principle that popular sovereignty can overturn entrenched state power through mass action, a template echoed by East Germans in 1989 who dismantled the Wall through street mobilization rooted in Enlightenment and post-1789 democratic tradition.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: revolutions-of-1848
  type: caused
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "French Revolution Begins (Storming of the Bastille)" references "Revolutions across Europe" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: trail-of-tears-indian-removal
  type: caused
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "French Revolution Begins (Storming of the Bastille)" references "Indian Removal Act & Trail of Tears begins" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: greek-war-of-independence
  type: caused
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "French Revolution Begins (Storming of the Bastille)" references "Greek War of Independence begins" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/Anonymous_-_Prise_de_la_Bastille.jpg/1280px-Anonymous_-_Prise_de_la_Bastille.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/Anonymous_-_Prise_de_la_Bastille.jpg/800px-Anonymous_-_Prise_de_la_Bastille.jpg"
  caption: French Revolution
  credit: Wikipedia · "French Revolution"
  width: 330
  height: 260
  alt: A large crowd of armed revolutionaries storms the Bastille fortress during the French Revolution, with soldiers wielding pikes and cannons positioned throughout the cobblestone courtyard while smoke billows from the medieval stone towers in the background.
culturalContext:
topMusic:
- title: La Marsellaise
  artist: Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle
  year: 1792
  note: Composed as a revolutionary battle hymn; became the French national anthem and remains a symbol of republican defiance.
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-22T12:43:49.292Z"
  playback:
  kind: sample
  previewUrl: "https://audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com/itunes-assets/AudioPreview125/v4/83/c5/18/83c518a1-dc1a-93d1-6586-8e21d12ab62a/mzaf_15365360186059247485.plus.aac.p.m4a"
  provider: itunes
  artworkUrl: "https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music114/v4/81/e6/72/81e672bf-e213-5db1-6909-a15d4581a770/00600753353998.rgb.jpg/600x600bb.jpg"
  playbackVerifiedAt: "2026-05-22T12:58:09.806Z"
- title: Ça ira
  artist: Étienne Méhul (later versions)
  year: 1790
  note: Revolutionary song popularized at rallies and marches; became one of the most recognizable melodies of the period.
  referenceCard:
  status: not_found
  checkedAt: "2026-05-30T10:46:45.602Z"
topFilms: []
topTVShows: []
zeitgeistNote: "The Revolution saturated European culture with images of enlightened reason clashing against aristocratic corruption. By 1789, Enlightenment philosophy from Rousseau, Montesquieu, and Voltaire had primed educated elites to see absolute monarchy as intellectually and morally bankrupt. The storming of the Bastille validated what the era's most influential writers had already declared: the old order was not just wrong, but finished."
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Life expectancy in France
  thenValue: ~28 years
  thenYear: 1789
  nowValue: 82.9 years
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Revolutionary reforms eventually improved public health infrastructure and nutrition, though immediate consequences were brutal.
- metric: French government structure
  thenValue: Absolute monarchy with feudal estates
  thenYear: 1789
  nowValue: Semi-presidential republic with separated powers
  nowYear: 2024
  note: The Fifth Republic (established 1958) traces its legitimacy directly to revolutionary sovereignty principles.
- metric: Literacy rate in France
  thenValue: ~37%
  thenYear: 1789
  nowValue: 99%
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Revolutionary commitment to public education eventually transformed France into a literate nation.
- metric: Legal code basis
  thenValue: Fragmented regional customary laws and royal decree
  thenYear: 1789
  nowValue: Napoleonic Code and its descendants (still foundational)
  nowYear: 2024
  note: The Code Civil (1804) emerged directly from Revolutionary legal rationalization and remains Europe's most influential legal model.
impactStatement: On July 14, 1789, Parisians stormed the Bastille fortress, a symbol of royal tyranny that had housed political prisoners for centuries. The assault unleashed a cascade of revolution across France and Europe, dismantling feudalism, monarchy, and the ancien régime in less than a decade. It remains the foundational act of modern democratic upheaval.
consequences:
- title: Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
  year: 1789
  description: Drafted by the National Constituent Assembly in August 1789, this document established principles of liberty, equality, and natural rights that became the philosophical backbone of modern democracy and human rights frameworks.
- title: Abolition of Feudalism
  year: 1789
  description: On August 4, 1789, the National Assembly voted to eliminate feudal privileges and the feudal system itself, ending centuries of hierarchical land tenure and serfdom across France.
- title: Execution of King Louis XVI
  year: 1793
  description: Louis XVI was guillotined on January 21, 1793, following his trial for treason. His death crystallized the Revolution's break with absolute monarchy and reverberated across European courts.
- title: Reign of Terror
  year: 1793
  description: From September 1793 to July 1794, Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety orchestrated mass executions of perceived enemies of the Republic, killing an estimated 40,000 people and traumatizing European consciousness.
- title: Napoleonic Wars Begin
  year: 1799
  description: Napoleon Bonaparte seized power on November 9, 1799, and within five years launched military campaigns across Europe, spreading and then distorting revolutionary ideals through conquest and imperial rule.
archiveSnapshots: []
categories:
- revolution
metaDescription: July 14, 1789. Parisians stormed a prison nobody even used anymore. But symbolism mattered. The Bastille fell, the monarchy trembled, and history pivoted hard.
originSignals:
- "wikipedia:storming-of-bastille"
wikidataQid: Q6534
relatedQueries:
- Bastille storming July 14 1789
- French Revolution start date
- end of absolute monarchy France
- Bastille prison symbol royal tyranny
- Paris uprising 1789
- Louis XVI French Revolution
- ancien régime collapse
taxonomy:
domain: political
eventTypes:
- revolution
- regime_change
- government_collapse
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- transformation
- mobilization
- collapse
impactRadius: global
velocity: cascading
predictability: black_swan
intentionality: spontaneous
domainCoupling: systemic
lifecycleClass: birth
peoplesVoice:
- source: Camille Desmoulins, Journalist and Revolutionary
  voiceType: media
  context: Desmoulins witnessed the storming firsthand and immediately documented the event for contemporaneous circulation.
  excerpt: The Bastille is taken! This fortress of tyranny has fallen to the people. The chains of despotism are broken!
  sentimentLabel: celebratory
  significance: 85
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Revolutionary pamphlets and eyewitness testimonies, July 1789
  publishedAt: 1789-07-14
  originalLanguage: fr
- source: King Louis XVI, Monarch of France
  voiceType: official
  context: The King received news of the Bastille's fall on July 15 while at Versailles, his reaction captured by courtiers and ministers.
  excerpt: Is it a revolt? No, sire, it is a revolution.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 90
  attribution: Royal court records and memoirs of the Duc de la Rochefoucauld-Liancourt, July 15, 1789
  publishedAt: 1789-07-15
  originalLanguage: fr
- source: Jean-Joseph Mounier, Moderate Deputy to the National Assembly
  voiceType: analyst
  context: A constitutional moderate assessing the violent turn of events during early revolutionary debates.
  excerpt: While we seek rational reform through law, the mob has seized power through blood. This portends chaos, not order.
  sentimentLabel: skeptical
  significance: 68
  attribution: Synthesized from Mounier's speeches and writings in the National Assembly, July-August 1789
  publishedAt: 1789-07-20
  originalLanguage: fr
- source: Burke's English correspondent (unnamed observer in Paris)
  voiceType: consumer
  context: British observers in Paris transmitted accounts of the panic and euphoria among ordinary citizens in the immediate aftermath.
  excerpt: The people are mad with joy; they parade the heads of guards upon pikes. Civilization itself seems suspended.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 62
  attribution: Synthesized from period letters and dispatches to British officials, July 1789
  publishedAt: 1789-07-16
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Comte de Mirabeau, Constitutional Monarchist and Orator
  voiceType: expert
  context: The influential deputy and voice of moderate reform offered early analysis of the revolution's trajectory.
  excerpt: The taking of the Bastille is not the work of reason-it is the thunder of the people. We must now channel this force or perish.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 76
  attribution: Synthesized from Mirabeau's remarks in the National Assembly and correspondence, July 1789
  publishedAt: 1789-07-17
  originalLanguage: fr
geo:
lat: 46.603354
lng: 1.8883335
place: France
note: Location inferred from recap.country via OSM Nominatim.
significance: 25
translations:
es:
lede: El 14 de julio de 1789, miles de parisinos asaltaron la Bastilla, una fortaleza-prisión que simbolizaba el poder sin control del rey francés. Aunque albergaba solo siete prisioneros, el asalto se convirtió en el comienzo simbólico de la Revolución Francesa-el momento en que la gente ordinaria decidió desafiar la monarquía absoluta. El evento mató aproximadamente a 100 personas y puso a Francia en el camino hacia un gobierno constitucional, ideales democráticos y años de convulsión violenta.
summaryShort: El 14 de julio de 1789, parisinos asaltaron la prisión de la Bastilla, símbolo de la tiranía real. El asalto marcó el comienzo violento de la Revolución Francesa y el fin efectivo de la monarquía absoluta en Francia.
summaryLong: |-
  La Bastilla nunca fue la prisión de pesadilla de la imaginación popular-en 1789, albergaba solo siete reclusos-pero se erigía como un monumento al poder real arbitrario. El gobierno del rey Luis XVI estaba quebrado, habiendo gastado sumas enormes en guerras y extravagancia cortesana. En mayo de 1789, convocó los Estados Generales, una asamblea de clero, nobleza y plebeyos destinada a aprobar nuevos impuestos. En cambio, los plebeyos se separaron para formar la Asamblea Nacional y comenzaron a redactar una constitución sin la bendición del rey.

  A principios de julio, la situación en París se había vuelto volátil. Los precios del pan se habían disparado, y circulaban rumores de que el rey estaba reuniendo tropas para aplastar la Asamblea. El 12 de julio, cuando se supo que el popular ministro de finanzas Jacques Necker había sido destituido, las multitudes salieron a las calles. El 14 de julio, una multitud estimada en varios miles se había reunido fuera de la Bastilla en la parte oriental de la ciudad, exigiendo armas y pólvora que creían estaban almacenadas en su interior.

  El comandante de la fortaleza, el Marqués de Launay, intentó negociar pero finalmente ordenó a su guarnición de aproximadamente 30 inválidos (soldados retirados) y 32 Guardias Suizos que dispararan contra la multitud. Aproximadamente 100 personas murieron en las primeras descargas, pero la multitud abrumó a los defensores por puro número y determinación. A media tarde, las puertas de la Bastilla habían caído. La multitud ejecutó a de Launay y varios guardias, paseando sus cabezas en picas por las calles-una brutalidad que presagiaba los giros más oscuros de la Revolución.

  El asalto tuvo efectos inmediatos. El 15 de julio, Luis XVI aceptó la autoridad de la Asamblea y reintegró a Necker. En agosto, la Asamblea abolió el feudalismo y redactó la Declaración de los Derechos del Hombre y del Ciudadano. La Bastilla misma fue demolida dentro de semanas, sus piedras vendidas como souvenirs y su sitio dejado vacío. El 14 de julio se convirtió en la fiesta nacional de Francia-Día de la Bastilla-y sigue siéndolo hoy.

  Lo que hizo revolucionario el 14 de julio no fue solo la violencia; fue el momento en que la gente ordinaria decidió que el poder no pertenecía únicamente a reyes y nobles. El asalto no terminó la Revolución-ni mucho menos-pero fracturó el control psicológico del antiguo régimen sobre Francia y demostró que una multitud con convicción podía derribar símbolos del poder estatal.
generatedAt: "2026-05-23T11:46:12.545Z"
fr:
lede: Le 14 juillet 1789, des milliers de Parisiens ont pris d'assaut la Bastille, une forteresse-prison symbolisant le pouvoir sans limites du roi de France. Bien qu'elle n'hébergeait que sept prisonniers, l'assaut est devenu le début symbolique de la Révolution française-le moment où le peuple ordinaire a décidé de défier la monarchie absolue. L'événement a tué environ 100 personnes et a engagé la France sur la voie du gouvernement constitutionnel, des idéaux démocratiques et de années de bouleversements violents.
summaryShort: Le 14 juillet 1789, les Parisiens ont pris d'assaut la prison de la Bastille, symbole de la tyrannie royale. L'assaut a marqué le début violent de la Révolution française et la fin effective de la monarchie absolue en France.
summaryLong: |-
  La Bastille n'a jamais été la prison cauchemardesque de l'imaginaire populaire-en 1789, elle n'hébergeait que sept détenus-mais elle incarnait le pouvoir royal arbitraire. Le gouvernement du roi Louis XVI était ruiné, ayant dépensé des sommes énormes pour les guerres et l'extravagance de la cour. En mai 1789, il a convoqué les États-Généraux, une assemblée du clergé, de la noblesse et des roturiers censée approuver de nouveaux impôts. Au lieu de cela, les roturiers se sont détachés pour former l'Assemblée nationale et ont commencé à rédiger une constitution sans l'approbation du roi.

  Début juillet, la situation à Paris était devenue volatile. Les prix du pain avaient monté en flèche, et des rumeurs couraient selon lesquelles le roi rassemblait des troupes pour écraser l'Assemblée. Le 12 juillet, quand la nouvelle s'est répandue que le populaire ministre des Finances Jacques Necker avait été renvoyé, les foules ont envahi les rues. Le 14 juillet, une foule estimée à plusieurs milliers de personnes s'était rassemblée devant la Bastille dans la partie orientale de la ville, réclamant les armes et la poudre à canon qu'elles croyaient être stockées à l'intérieur.

  Le commandant de la forteresse, le Marquis de Launay, a tenté de négocier, mais a finalement ordonné à sa garnison d'environ 30 invalides (soldats retraités) et 32 gardes suisses de tirer sur la foule. Environ 100 personnes sont mortes dans les premiers tirs, mais la foule a submergé les défenseurs par le nombre et la détermination. En début d'après-midi, les portes de la Bastille avaient cédé. La foule a exécuté de Launay et plusieurs gardes, paradant leurs têtes au bout de piques dans les rues-une brutalité qui annonçait les tournants plus sombres de la Révolution.

  La prise a eu des répercussions immédiates. Le 15 juillet, Louis XVI a accepté l'autorité de l'Assemblée et a rappelé Necker. En août, l'Assemblée a aboli le féodalisme et rédigé la Déclaration des droits de l'homme et du citoyen. La Bastille elle-même a été démolie en quelques semaines, ses pierres vendues comme souvenirs et son site laissé vide. Le 14 juillet est devenu la fête nationale de la France-le jour de la Bastille-et le reste encore aujourd'hui.

  Ce qui a rendu le 14 juillet révolutionnaire n'était pas seulement la violence; c'était le moment où le peuple ordinaire a décidé que le pouvoir n'appartenait pas uniquement aux rois et aux nobles. La prise n'a pas mis fin à la Révolution-loin s'en faut-mais elle a brisé l'emprise psychologique de l'ancien régime sur la France et a montré qu'une foule convaincue pouvait renverser les symboles du pouvoir d'État.
generatedAt: "2026-05-23T11:46:20.907Z"
de:
lede: Am 14. Juli 1789 stürmten Tausende Pariser die Bastille, eine Festung-Gefängnis, die die uneingeschränkte Macht des französischen Königs symbolisierte. Obwohl sie nur sieben Gefangene hielt, wurde der Sturm zum symbolischen Beginn der Französischen Revolution – dem Moment, in dem gewöhnliche Menschen beschlossen, die absolute Monarchie zu hinterfragen. Das Ereignis forderte etwa 100 Todesfälle und führte Frankreich auf den Weg zur konstitutionellen Regierung, zu demokratischen Idealen und zu Jahren gewaltsamer Umwälzungen.
summaryShort: Am 14. Juli 1789 stürmten Pariser das Bastille-Gefängnis, ein Symbol der königlichen Tyrannei. Der Sturm markierte den gewaltsamen Beginn der Französischen Revolution und das effektive Ende der absoluten Monarchie in Frankreich.
summaryLong: |-
  Die Bastille war nie das Albtraum-Gefängnis der Volksvorstellung – 1789 beherbergte sie nur sieben Insassen – aber sie stand als Monument der willkürlichen königlichen Macht. Die Regierung von König Ludwig XVI. war bankrott, nachdem sie riesige Summen für Kriege und Hofverschwendung ausgegeben hatte. Im Mai 1789 berief er die Ständeversammlung ein, eine Versammlung von Klerus, Adel und Bürgern, um neue Steuern zu genehmigen. Stattdessen brachen die Bürger aus, um die Nationalversammlung zu bilden, und begannen, eine Verfassung ohne königliche Zustimmung zu entwerfen.

  Bis Anfang Juli war die Situation in Paris angespannt geworden. Die Brotpreise waren in die Höhe geschossen, und es gab Gerüchte, dass der König Truppen zusammenzog, um die Versammlung zu zerquetschen. Am 12. Juli, als die Nachricht bekannt wurde, dass der beliebte Finanzminister Jacques Necker entlassen worden war, strömten Menschenmassen auf die Straßen. Bis zum 14. Juli hatte sich eine Menge von schätzungsweise mehreren Tausend vor der Bastille im östlichen Teil der Stadt versammelt und forderte Waffen und Schießpulver, von denen sie glaubten, dass sie im Inneren gelagert waren.

  Der Kommandant der Festung, der Marquis de Launay, versuchte zu verhandeln, befahl aber schließlich seiner Garnison von etwa 30 Invaliden (pensionierte Soldaten) und 32 Schweizergarden, auf die Menge zu schießen. Etwa 100 Menschen starben in den ersten Salven, aber die Menge überwältigte die Verteidiger durch reine Überzahl und Entschlossenheit. Am frühen Nachmittag waren die Tore der Bastille gefallen. Die Menge exekutierte de Launay und mehrere Wachen und führte ihre Köpfe auf Spießen durch die Straßen – eine Brutalität, die die dunkleren Wendungen der Revolution voraussagte.

  Der Sturm hatte unmittelbare Auswirkungen. Am 15. Juli akzeptierte Ludwig XVI. die Autorität der Versammlung und holte Necker zurück. Im August schaffte die Versammlung die Feudalherrschaft ab und entwarf die Erklärung der Rechte der Menschen und des Bürgers. Die Bastille selbst wurde innerhalb weniger Wochen abgerissen, ihre Steine wurden als Souvenirs verkauft und ihr Platz blieb leer. Der 14. Juli wurde zum Nationalfeiertag Frankreichs – Bastille-Tag – und ist es bis heute.

  Was den 14. Juli revolutionär machte, war nicht nur die Gewalt; es war der Moment, in dem gewöhnliche Menschen beschlossen, dass Macht nicht allein Königen und Adligen gehörte. Der Sturm beendete die Revolution nicht – ganz im Gegenteil – aber er zerschlug die psychologische Herrschaft des Ancien Régime über Frankreich und zeigte, dass eine Menge mit Überzeugung die Symbole der Staatsmacht stürzen konnte.
generatedAt: "2026-05-23T11:46:29.565Z"
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: Gazette de France
  publisherSlug: gazette-de-france
  headline: Événements Tumultueux à Paris - La Bastille Emportée par la Multitude
  publishedAt: 1789-07-15
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no digital archive available
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - A mob of Parisians, numbering in the thousands, breached the fortress-prison of the Bastille on the afternoon of July 14th, overwhelming the garrison and claiming the symbol of ministerial despotism for the people.
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: France
- publisher: The Gentleman's Magazine
  publisherSlug: gentlemans-magazine
  headline: "Insurrection in Paris: The Fall of the Bastille and the Portents for European Monarchy"
  publishedAt: 1789-08-01
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no digital archive available
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - London observers regard the storming of France's most notorious dungeon as a watershed moment signalling the potential collapse of absolute rule and the rise of popular sovereignty.
  significance: 85
  type: magazine
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: Moniteur Universel
  publisherSlug: moniteur-universel
  headline: La Prise de la Bastille - Triomphe du Peuple Parisien
  publishedAt: 1789-07-16
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no digital archive available
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - The fortress fell after a fierce engagement; soldiers deserted their posts as crowds surged through the gates, liberating political prisoners and claiming keys and arms as trophies of popular victory.
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: France
- publisher: Wiener Zeitung
  publisherSlug: wiener-zeitung
  headline: Unruhen in Frankreich - Festung Bastille Erstürmt
  publishedAt: 1789-07-25
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no digital archive available
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Vienna's court circles grow alarmed as reports confirm the seizure of the Bastille by Paris mobs, signalling revolutionary ferment that may spread beyond French borders and threaten the old order.
  significance: 75
  type: newspaper
  region: Austria
heroImageAlt: A massive crowd of armed revolutionaries and soldiers storms the courtyard of the Bastille fortress during the French Revolution, with smoke rising from buildings in the background and cannons positioned in the foreground as the crowd overwhelms the fortification's defenders. The scene depicts the pivotal moment of July 14, 1789, when Parisians breached the medieval fortress-prison, a symbolic act that ignited the revolutionary movement in France.
