The storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789 served as the flashpoint of the French Revolution and is now commemorated annually as France's national holiday.
Key Facts
- Date
- 14 July 1789
- Duration of fighting
- Four hours
- Total deaths
- 94 people
- Inmates held at the time
- 7 prisoners
- Governor killed
- Bernard-René Jourdan de Launay
- Annual commemoration
- Fête nationale française (Bastille Day)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
By mid-1789, mounting popular discontent with royal authority had reached a breaking point in Paris. The Bastille fortress was perceived as a symbol of the monarchy's arbitrary power and repression, even though it held only seven inmates and was already slated for demolition.
On 14 July 1789, revolutionary insurgents attacked and stormed the Bastille after four hours of fighting that resulted in 94 deaths. The fortress fell, its governor de Launay and several garrison members were killed after surrendering, and the insurgents seized control of the structure.
The fall of the Bastille became the defining flashpoint of the French Revolution, signalling the collapse of royal authority in Paris. France now commemorates 14 July each year as its national holiday, marking both the storming and the Fête de la Fédération held on the first anniversary in 1790.