Fall Of The Bastille Research Paper

Throughout history there are crucial and defining moments. These moments turn tides of wars, cause wars, change ideas and ideals, and decide the fate of whole countries and peoples. One of these moments is the storming and fall of the Bastille. The fall of the Bastille marked the beginning of the French Revolution, forced the king to pay attention to the revolutionaries and brought about a spirit of triumph for the commoners of France.
The Bastille was constructed in 1370 and was known originally as the bastide, meaning “fortification” in French. Its primary purpose was to protect against English attacks. Eventually it was transformed into a state prison in the 17th century, mainly occupied by high class felons, spies and political troublemakers.
He did not but promised he would not open fire. He showed the revolutionaries that his cannons were not loaded. This made them realize there was nothing to fear and caused them to attack. Men easily crawled into the courtyard and lowered the bridges. A soldier remembered hearing the general cry: “Lower the bridges!” Seeing revolutionaries approaching Launay orders his men to open fire killing or injuring over one hundred men. Deserters from the French army arrived and hidden in the smoke positioned cannons at the Bastille. “The King’s troops refusing obedience to the commands of their offices, and some even joining themselves to the insurgents.” This event single handedly changed the tide of the battle, causing the revolutionaries to storm and capture the Bastille. Launay soon surrendered and him and his men were violently executed, Launay is beheaded while his guards were murdered. The victorious revolutionaries marched around Paris with the general's head on a steak as a sign of victory.After victory seven prisoners were set free, the gunpowder was seized, and later that day, eight hundred men began destroying the Bastille. Historians later found the King’s diary and discovered that on the day of July 14, 1789 the only word written was:
It also caused a massive swing of momentum for the revolutionaries which was almost unstoppable. The revolutionaries were eventually joined by four fifths of the French army, who helped gain control of Paris and the countryside. This forced King Louis to accept the new government, which abolished the monarchy in 1792.
The storming and fall of the Bastille, one building seems as if it would have minimal effect on a whole country but in reality it fundamentally changed it. This battle united the people of France and created an irresistible momentum. “The "bravery of the citizens united against" the royal army, as the text suggests, enabled them to conquer in four hours a fortress that had defeated invasions since