479. The French Revolution: The Storming of the Bastille (Part 5)

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode argues that the fall of the Bastille was both a symbolic victory over despotism and the start of revolutionary violence. It traces the July 1789 crisis in Paris—bread shortages, Necker’s dismissal, street mobilization, the arming of crowds, and the Bastille’s storming—while stressing that the event was later mythologized and commodified, and that the Revolution’s ideals and brutality were already intertwined from the outset.

Main Topics: The Bastille as symbol and myth (Priority: 5/5): The hosts explain how the Bastille became a global symbol of tyranny, even though the prison was less horrific in reality than revolutionary memory later claimed. They contrast the fortress’s actual conditions with the powerful anti-despotism mythology built around it. Paris in crisis: bread, fear, and political panic (Priority: 5/5): They detail the social and economic breakdown in early July 1789: bad harvests, soaring bread prices, rumors, and fear of troops entering Paris. This atmosphere made the city highly combustible and primed for revolt. Necker’s dismissal and popular mobilization (Priority: 4/5): The firing of finance minister Jacques Necker triggered outrage in Paris, especially at the Palais Royal. Camille Desmoulins’s speech and the improvised green cockades helped turn anger into organized street action. The arming of the crowd and collapse of royal authority (Priority: 5/5): The crowd, joined by unreliable French Guards, seized weapons from the Invalides and then targeted the Bastille for gunpowder. The episode shows how quickly royal control evaporated once soldiers and civilians aligned against the authorities. Storming of the Bastille and its aftermath (Priority: 5/5): The hosts narrate the siege, the surrender, the killing of Governor de Launay, and the lynching of officials like Flesselles. They emphasize the brutality of the crowd and the immediate post-event mythmaking and souvenir culture. Revolutionary violence versus revolutionary idealism (Priority: 5/5): A central debate runs through the episode: whether violence was an accidental byproduct or the engine of the Revolution. The hosts lean toward the view that violence was foundational, while acknowledging the enduring appeal of revolutionary ideals.

Key Arguments: The fall of the Bastille is not just a liberation story; it also marks the beginning of revolutionary violence and mob justice. The crisis of July 1789 was driven by a combination of economic hardship, political mistrust, and fear of military repression. Necker’s dismissal was a catalytic event because he was widely seen as a protector of the people and a symbol of financial credibility. The Bastille’s reputation as a dungeon of terror was exaggerated by writers and later revolutionaries, but that myth was politically useful. The crowd’s actions were shaped by rumor, symbolism, and escalating panic as much as by rational political calculation. The Revolution rapidly generated its own iconography, rituals, and commercial souvenirs, showing how quickly political events became cultural memory. The episode frames the French Revolution as a contest between Burkean skepticism about violence and a more celebratory view of liberation and universal rights.

Data Points: Bread price: about 15 sous - Reached its peak on 14 July 1789, roughly double the normal price of about 8 sous. Normal bread price: about 8 sous - Used as the baseline for the pre-crisis cost of bread in Paris. Troops moving toward Paris: 20,000 - Royal troops advanced toward the capital in early July, intensifying panic. Bastille defenders: 82 old soldiers and 32 Swiss guards - Governor de Launay’s garrison was small and poorly positioned to resist a mass crowd. Crowd at the Bastille: 954 people - The episode identifies the attackers as the officially remembered 'Vainqueurs' of the Bastille. Age range of attackers: 8 to 72 - Shows the broad and chaotic composition of the crowd attacking the fortress. Prisoners found in the Bastille: 7 - The revolutionaries expected many victims of despotism but found only seven prisoners. Customs wall length: 18 miles - The Paris customs wall built under the tax-farming system was demolished by the crowd. Customs wall height: 10 feet - Described as a substantial barrier and a symbol of fiscal oppression. Gunpowder stored in the Bastille: 250 barrels - This was the immediate practical reason the crowd targeted the fortress. Weapons seized at the Invalides: 5,000 muskets and about 20 cannons - The crowd armed itself before turning to the Bastille for gunpowder. Revolutionary administrative reform: 83 new departments - Palloy’s Bastille souvenir kits were distributed across the new administrative divisions.

Pivotal Quotes: "The terror was just 1789 with a higher body count." — Simon Sharma (quoted by the hosts): Used to summarize the argument that violence was intrinsic to the Revolution from the start. "Frenchmen, you are exterminating tyrants." — Élysée L'Eustelot: From Révolution de Paris, describing the lynching of Berthier de Sauvigny as righteous revolutionary justice. "Everything will now change. Morals, opinions, laws, customs, usages, government. In very little time, we will be new men." — Nicolas Rouault: A contemporary letter capturing the revolutionary sense of total transformation after the Bastille.

Implications: The episode suggests the French Revolution should be understood as both a liberation movement and a violence-generating political rupture. It warns listeners that revolutionary myths often sanitize brutality, even as they inspire lasting ideals and institutions.