The Extent to Which the Storming of the Bastille was
the Most Significant Event of 1789
by Barry Wright
Essay: The Extent to Which the Storming of the Bastille was the Most Significant Event of 1789
Pages: 10
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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’,
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 ...