Why the capture of the Bastille is considered the beginning of the revolution in France

The events brought by the revolution in France had an impact on political processes throughout the world. One of the key moments of this revolution is the capture of the Bastille - a fortress that served as a political prison. Why is the capture of the Bastille considered the beginning of the revolution in France? To answer this question, it is worth considering the political situation in 1789 as a whole.

Prerequisites

The protracted economic crisis began even during the reign of Louis XIV. The root cause of this became the peculiarities of the political system of France - absolutism. Feudal orders made it impossible to develop trade, agriculture, industry. The bourgeoisie paid exorbitant taxes to the state, which was not concerned either with the creation of flexible economic laws or with the granting of political rights. Excessive sums were spent on the maintenance of the court, the treasury pinched, the national debt reached unprecedented proportions. Instead of streamlining the state of the economy, the authorities resorted to new, exorbitant taxes, which placed an unbearable burden on the shoulders of the young bourgeoisie. Meanwhile, industrialists and financiers did not have political rights that could affect the situation as a whole, so they became more and more angry with the nobles, who were only interested in their own well-being. One answer to the question "why exactly taking the Bastille is considered the beginning of the revolution" is considered to be the one that this prison was the place of confinement of aristocrats, whom so simple people hated.

General States

Economic chaos and a huge public debt forced Louis XVI to return to power the former finance minister, an active supporter of economic reforms, Necker. It was also decided to collect the General States, in which it was planned to double the number of seats for representatives of the third estate. The representatives of the bourgeoisie were headed by Count Mirabeau and Abbot Siyes. After numerous disagreements, the representatives of the third estate renamed themselves the National Assembly. Attempts by the king to declare this decision invalid did not have success. Louis XVI was forced to proclaim the legitimacy of the National Assembly, which soon announced its new goal - the creation of a new state system and the development of the Constitution.

The beginning of the uprising

At this time, Paris was boiling. Leaflets were distributed, numerous speakers spoke, different parties appeared. Meanwhile, in order to pacify the people, the king draws troops to Paris. On July 12, by a royal order, Necker was dismissed and exiled from France. The news of this was the beginning of the uprising. On the morning of July 13, the alarm sounded over the outskirts of Paris. Small traders and artisans, journalists, workers, women and old people armed themselves and went out into the streets of the city. Later on the same day, the townspeople captured the arsenal.

The capture of the Bastille

1789 year. The Bastille is not the same as before. Instead of eminent nobles, who spent decades of imprisonment here, the prison became a place of detention for ordinary criminals. The maintenance of such a huge fortress was very expensive, and Nekker already proposed to abolish the prison, and the land on which it stands, to sell in favor of the treasury. The paradox is that the day the Bastille was taken in France might not have been an official holiday if Nekker had been listened to earlier.

The cannons of the old fortress were deployed in the direction of the suburb of Saint-Antoine, where the urban poor lived. This fact particularly angered the townspeople on the day of the capture of the Bastille. The date of June 14, 1789 was the last day of the existence of an aristocratic prison. Learning that the government forces were being pulled to the fortress, Kamil Demulen called for the prison to be taken by storm. The crowd dared the detachment of defenders of the fortress and burst into the gates. The commandant was killed, the Bastille fell. The king was forced to return Necker and withdraw troops.

A little time passed, and the walls of the old fortress were destroyed. In place of the old fortress, a wasteland was formed on which a sign with the inscription "Place for dancing" was placed.

conclusions

Why is the capture of the Bastille considered the beginning of the revolution? From the above, you can draw such conclusions:

- Bastille was associated with aristocracy, royal power and at the same time was a symbol of oppression, imprisonment. The fall of the fortress became a symbol of the destruction of the old regime.

- After the fall of the Bastille, the king withdraws troops and for the first time in history he listens to the opinion of his own people.

July 14, 1789 the king retreated, aristocraticism fell, the people proved their ability to resist the royal power - that's why the capture of the Bastille is considered the beginning of the revolution. The opportunity to influence the existing state of things and change the life in our own country presented itself to citizens, and they took advantage of this chance.

The day of the Bastille in France is considered a national holiday. It is a holiday of freedom, independence and national unity for all the inhabitants of this country.