The Storming of the Bastille and the Birth of Popular Revolution

In Episode 75 of The Story of France, Lucas and Luna revisit the iconic event that launched the French Revolution: the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. But they go beyond the familiar narrative to explore the complex political and social forces that made that day possible. Lucas explains the gathering crisis of the Estates-General, the formation of the National Assembly, the Tennis Court Oath, and the king's fateful decision to concentrate troops around Paris. He details the spontaneous uprising of the Parisian crowds, the search for weapons at the Invalides, and the siege of the Bastille itself — a fortress that had become a symbol of royal authority but held only seven prisoners. Lucas also discusses the aftermath: the fall of the Bastille as a signal of the Revolution's irreversible momentum, the appointment of the Marquis de Lafayette as commander of the National Guard, and the adoption of the tricolour cockade. Luna asks sharp questions about the role of the sans-culottes and the meaning of the event for ordinary Parisians. The episode ends with a reflection on how a single day transformed the relationship between the people and the monarchy, setting France on a path to republicanism. #Bastille #FrenchRevolution #July141789 #Paris #NationalAssembly #TennisCourtOath #MarquisDeLafayette #Tricolour #SansCulottes #Prisoners #EstatesGeneral #KingLouisXVI #Invalides #JacquesNecker #ReignOfTerror #History #FexingoHistory #EuropeanHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo