The Extent to Which the Storming of the Bastille was the Most Significant Event of 1789

The Extent to Which the Storming of the Bastille was the Most Significant Event of 1789

It seems that with a concept such as significance, one must judge an

event based on the role it plays in providing a major historical

turning point and more specifically to the question; to what extent it

was responsible for starting the official revolution. The storming of

the Bastille is the first and most famous of the ‘journees’, which

occurred at decisive moments during the course of the revolution. In

the lead up to the events in Paris on the 14th July, the King’s

General of finance and more importantly a very popular figure who was

viewed as the people’s chief supporter in government was sacked. It

can be said that it was this, which caused the Bastille in retrospect,

and hence is the fundamentally significant circumstance in causing the

event; however it seems fairer not to distinguish between the two

events, but rather regard them as one. Taking this view suggests

similarly that many events are linked and thus while some may carry

more ‘historical weight’, they can nevertheless, play a part in the

course of the revolution.

The sacking of Necker led to a great deal of unrest among the

populace, firstly instilling a fear into the National Assembly that

the King, having surrounded himself with 30,000 troops intended to

dissolve the assembly. In immediate reaction to the sacking crowds

gathered around the Palais Royal and in a show of defiance, having

been incited by the electors of the Hotel de Ville to ‘take action’,

did so through the attacking and burning of customs posts. An effect

of this was the forming of a national guard to protect ...

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...nterconnected. It was the state of mind and mood of the masses, a

result of the starvation which was background to the course of events,

which forced them to take action and revolt, yet it was the action of

the higher status opposition to the monarchy on a political level

which fundamentally articulated the people’s sentiments. The Bastille,

in my opinion was a quintessential aspect in the lead up. While only

100 men were killed, it acts as a symbol on many levels and in many

ways was the single event, which roused the masses, and thus its

significance is substantial. In addition the immediate reaction of the

people is evident of this. Yet the events preceding it were of equal

importance in terms of their psychological effect, and the

constitutional changes following it, which are still present in French

society today.