French Revolution, The | Violence at the Bastille Was Caused by French Troops

In the following viewpoint a French citizen named Keversau explains his role in the taking of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. A large crowd stormed the Bastille, the site of a large fortress and prison, in order to search for weapons to use against King Louis XVI, should he renege on proposed economic and political reforms and instruct his troops to attack Paris. More than one hundred people, including the governor of the Bastille, died in the attack. Keversau argues that the crowd behaved bravely despite being fired upon by the Bastille’s soldiers and praises the freeing of seven...

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