Bloody Beginning of the French Revolution

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The Storming of the Bastille in 1789 marked the beginning of the French Revolution... the day a Parisian crowd stormed the royal fortress-prison that had come to embody absolutist power. This is the story of how mounting unrest erupted into full-scale revolution, and how one looming stone fortress became a lasting symbol of freedom, violence, and the power of the people. Today’s guest is Michael Rapport, a Reader in Modern European History at the University of Glasgow. His works include ‘ The Napoleonic Wars: A Very Short Introduction’, ‘1848: Year of Revolution’ and most recently ‘City of Light, City of Shadows: Paris in the Belle Epoque’. This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. Produced…