Storming of the Bastille

BelligerentsCivilian insurgents
French Guards mutineers Royal governmentCommanders and leadersPierre Hulin
Stanislas Maillard
Jacob Job ÉlieBernard-René Jourdan de LaunayStrength 114 soldiers 30 cannonsCasualties and losses

The Storming of the Bastille (French: Prise de la Bastille), also known as Fall of the Bastille, which occurred in Paris, France, on 14 July 1789, was an act of political violence by revolutionary insurgents who attempted to storm and seize control of the medievalarmoury, fortress, and political prison known as the Bastille. After four hours of fighting and 94 deaths, the insurgents were able to enter the Bastille. The governor of the Bastille, Bernard-René Jourdan de Launay, and several members of the garrison were killed after surrendering. At the time, the Bastille represented royal authority in the centre of Paris. The prison contained only seven inmates at the time of its storming and was already scheduled for demolition but was seen by the revolutionaries as a symbol of the monarchy's abuse of power. Its fall was the flashpoint of the French Revolution.

In France, 14 July is a national holiday called Fête nationale française which commemorates both the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille and the Fête de la Fédération which occurred on its first anniversary in 1790. In English this holiday is commonly referred to as Bastille Day.