The purpose of storming the Bastille on July 14, 1789, was to?

Question

A. enforce a new constitution for France.
B. get weapons to defend the National Assembly.
C. free political prisoners.
D. establish the power of the Directory.

Answer 1

C.

Answer 2

B: the only canons and muskets garrisoned in Paris were in the Bastille prison. The only prisoner freed this day was the marquis de Sade (who was catch again several weeks later and imprisoned in the sanitarium of Charenton). The Directory started in 1795 after the elimination of Robespierre. And the first constitution of France was written in 1791 (creation of the french republic on the 22/9/1791).

Answer 3

because the reformatory citadel of the Bastille develop right into a hated image of the guideline of the royal authorities and the Aristocracy (aristocrats). especially, kings might want to provide lettres de cachet to their favorites. those were virtually sparkling sheets of paper with the king's signature on the bottom. someone might want to fill in the call of an enemy, commanding that the enemy be confined in the Bastille. to teach the symbolism, after July 14, 1789, the Marquis de Lafayette despatched the large iron key to the Bastille to George Washington, and also you would possibly want to work out it at Mt. Vernon, Virginia, in the present day.

Answer 4

a. enforce a new constitution in france.

The insurgents invaded the Hôtel des Invalides to gather arms, and then attacked the Bastille. At this point, the prison was nearly empty of prisoners, housing only seven inmates: four forgers, two "lunatics" and one "deviant" aristocrat, the Comte de Solages (the Marquis de Sade had been transferred out ten days earlier). The cost of maintaining a medieval fortress and garrison for so limited a purpose had led to a decision being taken to close it, shortly before the disturbances began. It was however a symbol of Royal tyranny.

The attackers were mainly seeking to acquire the large quantities of arms and ammunition stored there - on the 14th there were over 13,600 kg (30,000 lb) of gunpowder stored at the Bastille. The regular garrison consisted of 82 invalides (veteran soldiers no longer suitable for service in the field). It had however been reinforced on the 7th by 32 grenadiers of the Swiss Salis-Samade Regiment from the troops on the Champ de Mars. The walls mounted eighteen eight-pound guns and twelve smaller pieces. The governor was Bernard-René de Launay, son of the previous governor and actually born within the Bastille.

The list of vainqueurs de la Bastille has around 600 names and the total of the crowd was probably less than a thousand. The crowd gathered outside around mid-morning, calling for the surrender of the prison, the removal of the guns and the release of the arms and gunpowder. Two representatives of the crowd outside were invited into the fortress and negotiations began, and another was admitted around noon with definite demands. The negotiations dragged on while the crowd grew and became impatient.

Around 13:30 (1:30) the crowd surged into the undefended outer courtyard and the chains on the drawbridge to the inner courtyard were cut - crushing one unfortunate vainqueur. About this time gunfire began, though which side actually fired first will never be conclusively decided. The crowd seemed to have felt it had been drawn into a trap and the fighting became more violent and intense and attempts by deputies to organise a cease-fire were ignored by the attackers.

The firing continued and at 15:00 (3:00 PM) the attackers were reinforced by mutinous gardes françaises and other deserters from among the regular troops, carrying weapons taken from the Invalides building earlier in the day and also two cannons. With the possibility of a mutual massacre suddenly apparent Governor de Launay ordered a cease fire at 17:00 (5:00 PM). A letter offering his terms was stuck through a gap in the inner gates and acrobatically retrieved by the besiegers. The demands were refused but de Launay capitulated because he realized that his troops could not hold out much longer and opened gates to the inner courtyard and the vainqueurs swept in to liberate the fortress at 17:30 (5:30 PM).

Ninety-eight attackers had died in the actual fighting and just one defender. De Launay was seized and dragged towards the Hôtel de Ville in a storm of abuse. Outside the Hôtel a discussion as to his fate began. The tormented de Launay who had been badly beaten shouted "Enough! Let me die!" and kicked a pastry cook named Desnot in the groin. De Launay was then stabbed repeatedly and fell to the street, his head was sawn off and fixed on a pike to be carried through the streets. The three officers of the permanent Bastille garrison were also killed by the crowd and police reports have survived detailing their wounds and clothing. Two of the invalides of the garrison were lynched but all but two of the Swiss regulars of the Salis-Samade Regiment were protected by the French Guards and eventually released to return to their regiment. Their officer, Lieutenant Louis de Flue, wrote a detailed report on the defence of the Bastille which was incorporated in the log book of the Salis-Samade and has survived. It is (perhaps unfairly) critical of the dead Marquis de Launay, whom de Flue accuses of weak and indecisive leadership. The blame for the fall of the Bastille would rather appear to lie with the inertia of the commanders of the substantial force of Royal Army troops encamped on the Champs de Mars, who made no effort to intervene when the nearby Hotel des Invalides or the Bastille itself came under attack.

Returning to the Hôtel de Ville, the mob accused the 'prévôt es marchands' (roughly, mayor) Jacques de Flesselles of treachery; 'en route' to an ostensible trial at the Palais Royal, he was assassinated.

Answer 5

it was to get weapons
and to free prisoners, but there were actually very few prisoners inside

Answer 6

c

Answer 7

e : WHO CARES... Do your own homework..

Answer 8

C, duh