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The French Revolution is considered to be one of the most significant events in the history of the humanity. It is a complex event with many precursors and repercussions, some of which are still palatable to people in the present times. The event that triggered the French Revolution is the Storming of the Bastille, which occurred on July 14, 1789. The date is a national holiday in modern France. Therefore, in this essay, the main focus will be on the long-term and short-term precursors of the event while its main consequences will also be highlighted.
The Storming of the Bastille was preceded by various events that made it possible for such a turn to happen. The year of 1788 was rather unfortunate for France as it was suffering from drought and storms (Popkin 119). In the past, the season of harvest could easily affect the course of history, especially if the general situation in a given country was already tumultuous. As Popkin states, One did not need to be an economic expert to foresee the consequences that would follow over the next twelve months (119). The crop failures made the discrepancies between the nobility and the commoners more evident. Thus, the tense situation escalated, and one year later the Storming happened.
What directly caused the Storming of the Bastille is connected to the long-term precursors. First, Jacques Necker, a pro-commoners minister, was dismissed from his post; second, the commoners began suspecting the nobility of looting stocks, and their trust in the royal forces deteriorated. They decided to arm themselves, and the Bastille happened to hold weapons and gunpowder (Toohey 20). Despite a number of skirmishes with the royal forces, the Storming was successful. According to Toohey, Within days, this event had come to be seen by some as an expression of the will of the French people& (13). The success of the Storming demonstrated that the commoners could defend themselves and fight, which determined the course of the Revolution.
What does the Storming of the Bastille mean to French people now? Perhaps, it is something that defines their nation, something that makes them proud of being French. On the one hand, the modern display of pride is different from the fight for survival that the actual Storming was. On the other hand, it is important to note that it is the Storming that is celebrated and not the Revolution which is infamous for its cruelty. It could mean that it is the courage, the uniformity, and the indignation which manifested during the Storming that makes it worthy of being celebrated by French people nowadays.
To conclude, the Storming of the Bastille is an important event in the history of France and arguably the world. Although its causes are intertwined with the causes of the French Revolution, the Storming provided an essential push to the subsequent events. The will of the people who participated in it determined the course of the Revolution, and it still reverberates with French people at present.
Works Cited
Popkin, Jeremy. A New World Begins The History of the French Revolution. Basic Books, 2019.
Toohey, Joanna Hope. Ce Jour Immortel : The Storming of the Bastille and the Formation of Cultural Memory, 17891794. 2017. Web.
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