On this day in 1789, a crowd of nearly one thousand protesters stormed the Bastille in Paris, France, a major event in the French Revolution, commemorated annually as “Bastille Day”.

In the months running up to the uprising, the people of France were facing a dire economic crisis, food shortage, and increased militarization of Paris on orders of King Louis XVI. The Bastille was an armory and prison, perceived by many as a symbol of royal authority in the city.

On the morning of July 14th, a crowd of approximately one thousand people surrounded the Bastille, calling for the surrender of the prison, the removal of its cannon, and the release of the arms and gunpowder stored there.

After negotiations stalled, the crowd surged into the courtyard of the Bastille and were fired upon by troops in the garrison. In the carnage that followed, ninety-eight protesters and one defender of the Bastille were killed.

Governor Marquis de Launay, fearing his troops could not hold out, capitulated to the crowd and opened up the Bastille doors. He was captured and dragged towards the Hôtel de Ville in a storm of abuse. While the crowd debated his fate, the badly beaten Launay shouted “Enough! Let me die!”, kicked a pastry cook in the groin, and was then promptly stabbed to death.

As news of the successful seizure of the Bastille spread throughout the country, revolutionaries established parallel structures of power for government and militias for civic protection, burned deeds of property, and in some cases attacked wealthy landlords.

King Louis XVI first learned of the storming the next morning through the Duke of La Rochefoucauld. “Is it a revolt?” asked the King. The duke replied: “No sire, it’s not a revolt; it’s a revolution.”

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          • GalaxyBrain [they/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
            5·
            11 days ago

            From my understanding the Falklands were an odd case in colonialism where there genuinely wasnt anyome living there when the British showed up. There was evidence people had lived there a long time ago but it was a Penguin Zone mostly. Part of growing up for me was finding out all the British anarcho punk bands from the 80s were wrong about the Falkland war. British people and the Argentinian military under Galtieri fighting over a useless scrap of land is cool and good. The Argentinian military was getting killed by British people instead of killing its own populace and while all the tuff British lads were off to war the ones who remained got to make really gay ass music like The Smiths.

            • XiaCobolt [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
              7·
              11 days ago

              Weirdly we’ve had a couple of struggle sessions here about the Falklands. I personally think it’s bad the UK gets basically an airbase off South America and the Antarctic but also Argentina being a settler colonial state doesn’t really have a decent claim either. It probably should be demilitarized and turned into a nature habitat that the people living there help maintain.

              • SevenSkalls [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
                2·
                10 days ago

                It’s like that galaxy brain meme where there is escalating understanding.

                I started off on Argentina’s side out of a reflexive hate of English colonialism, but then when I learned more became on England’s side, and now I’m neither side. Which is different than being neutral, btw, I really think neither side should have it.

                I don’t want England to have an outpost right next to South America, but there’s also no real reason for Argentina to have it, either.

              • GalaxyBrain [they/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
                6·
                11 days ago

                Okay, so my friend and I debated this until we could look it up cause of the Cocksparrer song cause I figured was stupid British bullshit meaning a barge headed to Argentinian and he figured it was just stupid British bullshit that predates the Falkland war. He was right. Still a sick tune. Shock Troops is so good I assumed it was a singles collection.

        • GalaxyBrain [they/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
          5·
          11 days ago

          This scene shows that Krusty could read prior to the robbery of the Kwik E Mart by Sideshow Bob, the foot size thing is evidence he was framed, but he still lied in court about being illiterate.