Why was the fall of Bastille a significant turning point in events of the Revolution?
The fall of Bastille was very important to the Revolution because the country saw this as a new era. It started on July 11,1789 when the Minister of Finance Jacques Necker was dismissed which angered the people because he was like a hero to the people through his economic strategies. Word had spread that foreign mercenaries were about to massacre the citizens. Fear had swept through Paris resulting in loss of order. Food stores were looted; gunsmiths and army depots were ransacked for guns and ammunition for defense.
On July 14, Royal Troops approached Paris. The citizens decided to fight back but they were loosing and hundreds of citizens were dying. Then the French guard joined in with cannons. The garrison surrendered on honorable terms resulting in riots of the citizens.
The fall of Bastille spread throughout Europe as a new era of liberty and is still celebrated on July 14 in Europe. It was obvious the King had lost control over Paris. The National Assembly stood behind Paris and the Bourgeoisie took hold of leadership. A new city government was established along with a people’s army. The National Guard had been placed under control of Lafayette.
Some Aristocrats fled the country. A rumor had spread that the Aristocrats were planning to blow up the Assembly. This created “The Great Fear” in France making peasants running out landlords and destroying terriers that were legal documents that recorded feudal obligations, each peasant had. Government officials everywhere were forced to take orders from the National Assembly. The National Guard and Royal Troops became united in some places. No taxes were longer paid and the King had noticeably lost all authority and power, which he deserved.
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On August 4th and 5th, The National Assembly abolished hundreds of feudal laws. All tithes and manorial dues were abolished. All men were to pay their fair share of taxes. This is when Feudalism ended. On August 26 the Assembly issued a historic “Declaration of the Rights of Man,” which proclaimed that ” all men, being born equal, should have equal rights”? The Assembly also declared its support for ” Liberty (right to do whatever does not harm another, property, security, and the right to resist oppression. All citizens shared in the making of laws either by person or his elected representative. Power of the government was to be separated.
On October 4, news had spread that troops reached Versailles and trampled a tricolor flag resulting in another outbreak of violence. The National Guard led by Lafayette and the citizens invaded the National Assembly chanting, “Bread” because bread and other foods were still scarce at this time. Louise XVI was forced to sign the decrees of August 4 and the Declaration of the Rights of Man. The next day the crowd got the Royal family and told them that they have the baker and his family and they still were demanding bread. The king lived in terror for the rest of his life. Ten days later the National Assembly moved to Paris and nobody ever dared to challenge the Paris mob again.
As you see there were many changes in the summer of1789. It went from a political and economic crisis, starvation, taxation, and no freedom for the common people and changed through violence, the actions of the King and the scarcity of bread. Feudalism had ended, every man had freedom and equal rights, the standard of living was better, equal and low taxation, and laws had changed drastically. Life in this era took a total 180-degree turn over the course of the summer making a better life for the people of France except for the King who had no more power or authority.
