By 1789, years of financial crisis, poor harvests, and rising food prices had left much of France in turmoil. Public anger grew as people struggled to survive while the monarchy maintained its lavish lifestyle. In the midst of this reality, the Bastille, though holding only seven prisoners at the time, had come to symbolize royal tyranny.
On July 14, nearly 1,000 Parisians stormed the fortress, marking the beginning of the French Revolution, a decade-long period of radical change that would reshape France and influence revolutions around the world.
Intrigued? Click through and step inside the turning point that shattered a monarchy.