“The Storming of the Bastille”, Visible in the center is the arrest of Bernard René Jourdan, marquis de Launay (1740-1789), Watercolor painting; 37,8 x 50,5 cm

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The storming of the Bastille occurred in Paris, France on the morning of 14 July 1789. The medieval fortress and prison in Paris known as the Bastille represented royal authority in the centre of Paris. While the prison only contained seven inmates at the time of its storming, its fall was the flashpoint of the French Revolution.

On the morning of 14 July 1789, the city of Paris was in a state of alarm. The demonstrators had earlier stormed the Hôtel des Invalides to gather arms (29,000 to 32,000 muskets, but without powder or shot), and were mainly seeking to acquire the large quantities of arms and ammunition stored at the Bastille. 

The crowd gathered outside around mid-morning, calling for the release of the arms and gunpowder. The negotiations dragged on while, and the crowd finally decided to take the prison down and surged into the undefended outer courtyard. About this time gunfire began.

The firing continued, and the attackers were reinforced by mutinous gardes françaises and other deserters from among the regular troops, along with two cannons. Governor de Launay capitulated and the vainqueurs swept in to liberate the fortress at.

Ninety-eight attackers and one defender had died in the actual fighting. De Launay was seized and dragged towards the Hôtel de Ville. He was then stabbed repeatedly and fell, and his head was sawn off and fixed on a pike to be carried through the streets.

Returning to the Hôtel de Ville, the mob accused the prévôt des marchands  Jacques de Flesselles of treachery, and he was assassinated en route to an ostensible trial at the Palais-Royal.