The Bastille is important because it:
abolished the French republic
was the day that Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself king
represented the victory of the Directory over the National Convention
was a symbolic and strategic location and is celebrated as a national holiday today since it fell
The correct answer and explanation is :
The correct answer is: “was a symbolic and strategic location and is celebrated as a national holiday today since it fell.”
The fall of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, marked a pivotal moment in the French Revolution and remains one of the most significant events in world history. The Bastille, a medieval fortress located in Paris, was originally built as a symbol of royal authority. Over the centuries, however, it became notorious as a state prison where political prisoners were held, many of whom were seen as opponents to the monarchy and its policies. By the late 18th century, the Bastille was symbolically linked to the tyranny and oppression of the Bourbon monarchy.
On July 14, 1789, as unrest and dissatisfaction with King Louis XVI’s rule grew, the citizens of Paris stormed the Bastille. They were motivated by a desire for freedom, justice, and the end of absolute monarchy. While the physical presence of the Bastille was not a major military stronghold, it was symbolic of the power the monarchy held over the people. The fall of the Bastille represented the first significant victory of the French Revolutionaries over the monarchy, sparking widespread revolutionary fervor throughout France.
The fall of the Bastille is now celebrated annually in France as Bastille Day, a national holiday that honors the beginning of the French Revolution. It represents the triumph of the people over tyranny and is a symbol of liberty, equality, and fraternity—the core values of the French Republic.
The event did not abolish the French Republic, nor was it connected to Napoleon’s rise to power, which occurred years later, or the Directory’s victory over the National Convention. Instead, it marked the beginning of a major societal shift toward republicanism and the dismantling of the old feudal structures that had ruled France for centuries. The fall of the Bastille remains a powerful symbol of the fight for freedom and the power of the people to change their government.