Which event immediately followed thestorming of the Bastille is a question that often intrigues students of the French Revolution. On July 14, 1789, Parisian insurgents seized the medieval fortress‑prison, a symbolic blow to royal authority that ignited a cascade of political and social transformations. While the storming itself is celebrated as Bastille Day, the hours and days that followed were equally decisive, shaping the direction of the revolution and forcing the monarchy to react. This article examines the immediate aftermath of the Bastille’s fall, focusing on the key events that unfolded in the short term, explains why they mattered, and shows how they set the stage for later developments such as the August Decrees and the March on Versailles.
The Immediate Aftermath: A City in Turmoil
When the Bastille fell, the streets of Paris erupted in a mixture of jubilation, fear, and uncertainty. The crowd had not only captured a prison but also seized a store of gunpowder and weapons, dramatically shifting the balance of power between the populace and the royal troops stationed in the city. In the wake of this victory, three interlocking developments occurred almost simultaneously:
- The recall and reinstatement of Jacques Necker as finance minister.
- The creation of a civilian militia, the National Guard, placed under the command of the Marquis de Lafayette. 3. The outbreak of the Great Fear (la Grande Peur) in the rural provinces, sparked by rumors of aristocratic plots.
Each of these events can be argued as the “immediate” follow‑up to the storming, but historians generally point to the king’s decision to recall Necker on July 16 as the first concrete governmental response that directly addressed the revolutionary pressure generated by the Bastille’s capture.
The Reinstatement of Jacques Necker (July 16, 1789)
Why Necker Mattered
Jacques Necker, a Swiss‑born banker, had served as Director-General of Finances before his dismissal on July 11, 1789. His removal was widely interpreted as a sign that King Louis XVI intended to resist the reformist demands of the Third Estate. Necker’s reputation for advocating fiscal transparency and his popularity among the bourgeoisie made him a rallying point for moderates who feared a violent backlash.
The King’s Decision
Faced with an armed populace that had just demonstrated its ability to overthrow a royal stronghold, Louis XVI chose to appease the capital rather than escalate confrontation. On the morning of July 16, the king announced Necker’s reinstatement, accompanied by a promise to convene the Estates‑General (which had already transformed into the National Assembly) and to address the nation’s financial crisis openly.
Impact of the Reinstatement
- Political Signal: The move demonstrated that the monarchy could be forced to concede to popular pressure, weakening the perception of absolute royal authority. - Stabilizing Influence: Necker’s return calmed many moderate deputies and bourgeois leaders, who feared that continued unrest might lead to a more radical turn.
- Precedent for Future Concessions: The episode established a pattern whereby the crown would respond to major popular actions with ministerial reshuffles or policy announcements—a tactic that would be repeated during later crises such as the October Days.
While the reinstatement of Necker was a significant governmental reaction, it did not address the immediate need for urban security. That gap was filled by the creation of a new civic force.
The Formation of the National Guard (July 15, 1789)
Origins of the Militia
Even before the Bastille fell, Parisian electors had begun discussing the need for a civilian militia to maintain order and protect the city from royal troops. The success of the insurgents on July 14 provided both the motivation and the means to act. On July 15, the newly formed Paris Commune voted to establish a citizen militia, drawing its members from the local militias (gardes françaises) and the bourgeoisie.
Lafayette’s LeadershipThe Marquis de Lafayette, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War and a respected liberal aristocrat, was appointed commander‑in‑chief of the National Guard. His dual reputation—as a noble sympathetic to reform and as a military expert—made him an ideal figure to bridge the gap between the aristocracy and the revolutionary populace.
Structure and Symbolism
- Uniform and Cockade: Guardsmen wore a blue and red uniform (the colors of Paris) with a white cockade added later, symbolizing the union of the king (white) and the city (blue and red).
- Mission: The Guard’s primary duties were to protect the National Assembly, maintain public order, and prevent a royalist counter‑attack.
- Legitimacy: By placing the militia under a respected noble while recruiting from the Third Estate, the National Guard embodied the revolutionary ideal of a “nation in arms” rather than a royal mercenary force.
Immediate Effects
The presence of a disciplined, locally loyal force deterred any immediate attempt by the king to reassert military control over Paris. It also provided a mechanism through which the revolutionary government could enforce its decrees, laying the groundwork for future institutional developments such as the Committee of Public Safety.
The Great Fear: Rural Panic Spreads (Late July – Early August 1789)
While Paris was consolidating its gains, the news of the Bastille’s fall traveled rapidly to the countryside. Peasants, already burdened by feudal dues, bad harvests, and rumors of arist
...ocrats’ supposed plans to suppress them with foreign troops. Fueled by decades of oppression and now emboldened by the Parisian example, peasants across the provinces rose in a wave of panic and rebellion.
The Panic Unfolds
Starting in the Île-de-France and spreading to Normandy, Picardy, and beyond, villagers formed armed bands. They targeted the symbolic and material centers of feudal power: manor houses (châteaux) were stormed, and records of manorial dues and obligations—the terriers and censiers—were seized and publicly burned. The goal was not merely loot but the destruction of the legal documents that enforced seigneurial rights. In many areas, peasants forced their lords to renounce traditional dues on the spot. The movement was decentralized and often leaderless, driven by collective anxiety and a sudden sense of empowerment.
Revolutionary Response: The August Decrees
The National Assembly, meeting in Versailles, was initially paralyzed by alarm. Fearing the complete collapse of rural order and property rights, it dispatched circulars condemning the violence. However, the sheer scale of the uprising made repression impossible. Recognizing that the old regime was burning in the countryside, the Assembly pivoted dramatically. In a historic session from August 4 to 11, dominated by speeches from nobles like the Vicomte de Noailles and the Duke of Aiguillon who renounced their privileges, the Assembly voted to abolish feudalism. The August Decrees eliminated tithes, suppressed seigneurial courts, and canceled personal and labor dues, effectively dismantling the legal framework of the ancien régime in the countryside.
Significance and Link to the National Guard
The Great Fear and the August Decrees were two sides of the same coin: the revolutionary energy from Paris had ignited a nationwide social explosion. The National Guard, established to secure the capital, had inadvertently provided a model of popular sovereignty in arms. Its existence demonstrated that political power could be derived from the citizenry, not the crown—a lesson that resonated in every French village. Conversely, the rural revolt created a powerful imperative for the Assembly to legislate radical change, proving that the Revolution could not be confined to Parisian political clubs but was now a mass movement with profound social and economic dimensions.
Conclusion
The period from July 15 to mid-August 1789 marked a decisive and irreversible transformation. The creation of the National Guard institutionalized revolutionary force under bourgeois leadership, ensuring Paris would remain the revolution’s engine. Simultaneously, the Great Fear swept away the last vestiges of feudal legitimacy from the countryside, compelling the National Assembly to enact the August Decrees. Together, these events shifted the Revolution’s character from a constitutional struggle against royal absolutism to a full-fledged social and political upheaval. The crown’s concessions were now moot; sovereignty had demonstrably passed from the king to the nation, first embodied in the armed citizenry of Paris and then in the liberated peasants of France. The stage was set for the next, even more radical, phase of the Revolution.
