Bastille

The Storming of the Bastille

The Storming of the Bastille occurred in the summer of 1789. Due to the tension of hunger, unease and rumor, peasants and civilians formed a mob to conquer the symbol of Parisian power – the Bastille. Though in the Bastille itself, there were no more than seven prisoners, the prison was a representation of power in those days. On the 14^th of July, 30000 muskets were seized from a war hospital and used to attack the building. As defense against the assault, more than two dozen Swiss soldiers and eighty army pensioners were administered.

The peasant assault itself was a lost case, if not for a soldier who “accidentally got the key and used it to open the drawbridge to the prison”. This action turned the table and the peasants, in all their numbers, stormed the Bastille and overcome its guard.

There were many causes for such an uprising – hunger, riot and disloyalty to the king. Also, a rumor spread that the king is ordering his troops to surround Paris. This all together was too much for the people living in the city and this “siege” took place. Many people died in this battle and some of the heads were put on poles for the opposition to see.