Why did the Bastille day take place?
The people of Paris attacked the Bastille, a fortress on the edge of town, because a) they needed some guns and b) the Bastille was a prison where the King could send anybody, any time, without question or trial. The mob, armed with muskets and one or two cannon from Les Invalides, battered at the walls and told the Governor that his life would be spared if he surrendered. The Governor surrendered. His head was removed with a blunt knife. The mob then rushed to rescue the prisoners. It turned out there were only seven of them, as the King wasn’t using that prison any more. Bother. However, the main aim – securing guns and ammunition to defend the city against the King’s troops – was entirely achieved.
