What happened at the Bastille in 1789?

On 14 July 1789, a state prison on the east side of Paris, known as the Bastille, was attacked by an angry and aggressive mob. When the prison governor refused to comply, the mob charged and, after a violent battle, eventually took hold of the building.

Why did French citizens storm the Bastille in 1789?

On July 14, 1789 a Paris mob stormed the Bastille, in search of large quantities of arms and ammunition that they believed was stored at the fortress. Also, they hoped to free prisoners at the Bastille, as it was traditionally a fortress in which political prisoners were held.

What was the Bastille before 1789?

This violent attack on the government by the people of France signaled the start of the French Revolution. What was the Bastille? The Bastille was a fortress built in the late 1300s to protect Paris during the Hundred Years’ War. By the late 1700s, the Bastille was mostly used as a state prison by King Louis XVI.

What was the function of the Bastille until 1789?

From 1659 onwards, the Bastille functioned primarily as a state penitentiary; by 1789, 5,279 prisoners had passed through its gates.

Why did Bastille Day happen?

Bastille Day, in France and its overseas départements and territories, holiday marking the anniversary of the fall on July 14, 1789, of the Bastille, in Paris. The taking of the Bastille signaled the beginning of the French Revolution, and it thus became a symbol of the end of the ancien régime.

What did Bastille symbolize in French Revolution?

The Bastille, stormed by an armed mob of Parisians in the opening days of the French Revolution, was a symbol of the despotism of the ruling Bourbon monarchy and held an important place in the ideology of the Revolution.

Why was Bastille hated by French?

Bastille was a fortress prison in France. It was a symbol of despotic powers of King Louis XVI. Hence it was hated all in France. The fortress was demolished and its stone fragments were sold in the markets.

Who was the king of France before the Revolution?

Louis XVI
Louis XVI, also called (until 1774) Louis-Auguste, duc de Berry, (born August 23, 1754, Versailles, France—died January 21, 1793, Paris), the last king of France (1774–92) in the line of Bourbon monarchs preceding the French Revolution of 1789.