What is the history of bastille?
The
French Independence Day is called Bastille Day, July 14 celebrates the storming
of the Bastille. It was originally built as a medieval
fortress, the Bastille eventually came to be used as a state prison. Some
prisoners were held on the direct order of the king. But by the late 18th
century it wasn't used often and was scheduled to be demolished, the Bastille
had come to symbolize the harsh rule of the Bourbon monarchy.
France was ruled by King Louis XVI at the time and Marie Antoinette, his wife. It was an absolute monarchy, meaning that whatever the king and queen wanted they would acquire it even though the people, mostly peasants were starving in the streets.
France had the very rich, meaning the King, Queen and the privileged 1st and 2nd estate and the very poor meaning the 3rd estate. The French people who sided with the poor soon found it very difficult to criticise the king's handling of the growing unrest. The more they spoke out, the more they tended to get thrown in prison.
Bastille was one of the more famous prisons. At one time, it had a sizable number of political prisoners, including the great writer Voltaire, who were there for no other reason than that they had spoken out against the government.
It also happened that the Bastille had a good number of guns and other weapons. This was the real reason for the storming of the Bastille. The mob had finally had enough of the king's ignoring their pleas and the queen's empty promises. And on July 14, they attacked the prison.
The mob seized the weapons they were looking for and released the prisoners inside. Ironically, only 7 prisoners were inside at the time. But the Revolution had begun.
Before its end, the Revolution and the Reign of Terror would claim hundreds of lives, including those of the king and queen. France would never be the same.
The French had good reason to rebel. The corrupt king and queen's actions were causing the poor to go hungry and the wealthy, middle-class merchants and businessmen were tired of not having their concerns heard. By the late 1780s, people in France were fed up and so they began speaking out and met in groups to demand that new laws be made. King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette tried to quiet everyone, but the citizens eventually rebelled.
France was ruled by King Louis XVI at the time and Marie Antoinette, his wife. It was an absolute monarchy, meaning that whatever the king and queen wanted they would acquire it even though the people, mostly peasants were starving in the streets.
France had the very rich, meaning the King, Queen and the privileged 1st and 2nd estate and the very poor meaning the 3rd estate. The French people who sided with the poor soon found it very difficult to criticise the king's handling of the growing unrest. The more they spoke out, the more they tended to get thrown in prison.
Bastille was one of the more famous prisons. At one time, it had a sizable number of political prisoners, including the great writer Voltaire, who were there for no other reason than that they had spoken out against the government.
It also happened that the Bastille had a good number of guns and other weapons. This was the real reason for the storming of the Bastille. The mob had finally had enough of the king's ignoring their pleas and the queen's empty promises. And on July 14, they attacked the prison.
The mob seized the weapons they were looking for and released the prisoners inside. Ironically, only 7 prisoners were inside at the time. But the Revolution had begun.
Before its end, the Revolution and the Reign of Terror would claim hundreds of lives, including those of the king and queen. France would never be the same.
The French had good reason to rebel. The corrupt king and queen's actions were causing the poor to go hungry and the wealthy, middle-class merchants and businessmen were tired of not having their concerns heard. By the late 1780s, people in France were fed up and so they began speaking out and met in groups to demand that new laws be made. King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette tried to quiet everyone, but the citizens eventually rebelled.