After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal

Episode Summary: Bloody Beginning of the French Revolution

History Hit — February 9, 2026
Hosts: Anthony Delaney, Maddy Pelling
Guest: Dr. Michael Rapport, Reader in Modern European History, University of Glasgow

Episode Overview

This special episode dives into the chaotic and transformative opening phase of the French Revolution, focusing on the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. Historian Dr. Michael Rapport joins Anthony and Maddy to unravel the economic, political, and ideological circumstances that set France ablaze, explore the symbolism and reality of the Bastille, and recount the violence, myth, and lasting legacy of 1789’s radical moment.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Scene: Pre-Revolutionary France (04:05–11:17)

• Unexpected Revolution:
  Dr. Rapport emphasizes that “nobody expected a revolution in France in the 1780s…almost right up to 1789” (04:05). Despite being an affluent kingdom, France suffered from deep structural imbalances.
• Social Structure:
  France was predominantly rural, with a prosperous peasantry (by European standards), a growing middle class, and a mercantile elite rooted in colonial trade.
• Financial Strain:
  Ambitions for imperial grandeur outpaced resources, with burdensome wars leaving chronic deficits. The tax system unfairly loaded the burden onto the lower orders, with privilege pervading nobles, cities, and provinces, making effective state reform nearly impossible.
• Limits of Monarchy:
  Despite the theory of absolute monarchy, royal authority was checked by 13 sovereign courts (parlement), which could block royal edicts.

  “France was not really a united kingdom in the sense of the law applied equally to everybody, everywhere.” — Dr. Rapport (04:05)

Absolutism and the Peasant Perspective (08:03–11:17)

• Views from Below:
  Many peasants saw the king as a paternal protector against exploitative landlords, conditional upon the monarch defending their interests. While supportive, this relationship was “conditional” and sometimes led to rebellion.

  “On the whole, I think it’s fairly safe to say the peasants see the King as their protector… that support was conditional…” — Dr. Rapport (08:41)

• Enlightenment Influence:
  The Enlightenment’s ideas of liberty, equality, and reform were gaining widespread traction through pamphlets, cafés and the Palais Royal. Yet, the monarchy failed to harness public opinion in the way Britain managed, leading to a growing ferment of opposition, especially after the American Revolution.

Structure of Society: The Three Estates (13:38–15:31)

• Outdated Social Divisions:
  Under the “corporate” (not class-based) Ancien Régime, French society was divided into the clergy (First Estate), nobility (Second Estate), and all others (Third Estate)—the latter including impoverished peasants and wealthy bourgeois alike.

  “Old regime society wasn’t thought of in that sense. It was corporate, different bodies depending upon their privilege, and that’s what determines status.” — Dr. Rapport (14:07)

• Underrepresentation:
  The Third Estate, despite economic productivity and demographic weight, lacked real political power.

Rising Tension: Estates General and the Tennis Court Oath (15:31–19:41)

• Louis XVI’s Moves:
  King Louis XVI convened the Estates General in May 1789 (under pressure from public opinion and his reformist finance minister, Necker), hoping to resolve the crisis but fearful of unpredictable outcomes.
• Break with Monarchy:
  Deep divisions emerged over voting procedures—Third Estate delegates, joined by defectors from the clergy and nobility, declared themselves the National Assembly, swearing the Tennis Court Oath on June 20:

  “We wouldn’t separate until they had designed a constitution for the kingdom. And that is a revolutionary moment…the point at which they say the absolute monarchy is dead.” — Dr. Rapport (18:03)

Paris on Edge: The Summer of 1789 (21:21–24:08)

• Economic Desperation:
  Food prices soared after failed harvests and violent storms (hailstones “the size of tennis balls”). Mass hunger stoked tension and fear.
• Troop Movements:
  The king’s deployment of troops around Paris and Versailles intensified anxieties about a violent crackdown.

Bastille: Symbol, Prison, Fortress (24:08–29:05)

• Historical Role:
  The Bastille was a medieval fortress turned state prison, strategically and symbolically important—“a symbol of what the monarchy might do to you if things go horribly wrong.”
• Dark Reputation:
  Its black legend included the Man in the Iron Mask, arbitrary detentions via lettres de cachet, and an air of secrecy.

  “There’s a legend…there’s a ritual when a prisoner was brought into the Bastille…guards were meant to turn around…so they didn’t see the…prisoner inside.” — Dr. Rapport (24:08)

The Storming: July 14, 1789 (29:05–39:10)

• Triggering Events:
  The king fired Necker, sparking outrage and the search for arms; crucially, gunpowder was transferred to the Bastille just before the siege.

• Siege Mechanics:
  8,000 Parisians surrounded the Bastille, negotiating and demanding surrender.

  • A misunderstanding (moving cannons as a goodwill gesture) was misread as a sign of impending bombardment and instigated violence (32:47).
  • The Gardes Françaises' defection and artillery were crucial to breaching the fortress.

• Casualties:
  About 117 people died—93 attackers, 9 defenders, and 15 later of wounds.

  “It is by no means the bloodiest day…but…for 117 people to be killed in a day…these are people like joiners, cabinet makers…cobblers, clock makers, goldsmiths…It’s really very much a people’s revolt.”—Dr. Rapport (37:40)

• Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments:

  • “The Bastille was used in that way. Some of the stones were used to build the bridge across the Seine…Parisians would forever…tread on the symbol of despotism.” — Dr. Rapport (47:00)

Aftermath & Legacy (44:33–56:06)

• Collapse of Royal Power:
  The revolution spread rapidly—municipalities across France seized power; in the countryside, peasants destroyed the records of noble privilege rather than chateaux.

• New Order:
  The Paris Commune formed; Lafayette (of American Revolutionary fame) took command of the National Guard, blending revolution with organization.

• Abolishing Privilege & Rights Declaration:

  • On August 4, the National Assembly abolished feudal privileges in a fit of “altruism.”
  • On August 26, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was issued, laying out the principles of liberty and equality (though not yet for women or enslaved people).

• International & Personal Connections:

  • Lafayette sent a Bastille key to George Washington, underscoring Franco-American revolutionary ties (46:54).
  • The stones of the demolished Bastille became souvenirs, their re-use compared by Dr. Rapport to the later selling of Berlin Wall fragments.

• Bastille in Memory:
  Bastille Day became the French national holiday in 1880; the event serves as a rhetorical emblem for future struggles (e.g., feminists storming the “Bastille of women’s legal inequality”), with pieces of the Bastille embedded in Paris’s urban fabric.

“The term Bastille is often used as something like an injustice to be stormed…” — Dr. Rapport (53:18)
“14th of July and 1789 left its mark and is remembered in many, many different ways…” — Dr. Rapport (53:18)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Pre-revolutionary France & Social Crisis: 04:05–11:17
• Absolutism, Peasantry, and Enlightenment: 08:03–11:17
• Three Estates & Estates General: 13:38–19:41
• Rising Tension & Tennis Court Oath: 15:31–19:41
• Summer Crisis, Troops, Food Riots: 21:21–24:08
• Bastille: Symbolism & Function: 24:08–29:05
• Storming the Bastille: 29:05–39:10
• Casualties & Role of Gardes Françaises: 37:40–39:43
• Aftermath: Municipal Seizures & Constitutional Change: 44:33–49:22
• Abolition of Privileges & Declaration: 49:22–52:30
• Commemoration, Memory, and Modern Legacy: 53:18–56:06

Notable Quotes

• “France was not really a united kingdom…the law [did not apply] equally to everybody, everywhere.”
  — Dr. Michael Rapport (04:05)

• “We wouldn’t separate until they had designed a constitution for the kingdom. And that is a revolutionary moment.”
  — Dr. Michael Rapport (18:03)

• “It is by no means the bloodiest day…but…for 117 people to be killed in a day…It’s really very much a people’s revolt…”
  — Dr. Michael Rapport (37:40)

• “The term Bastille is often used as something like an injustice to be stormed…”
  — Dr. Michael Rapport (53:18)

Tone and Style

• Conversational, Inquisitive, and Focused:
  Maddy and Anthony ask probing, sometimes playful questions (“I love that they meet on the tennis courts. That’s so incredibly French…” 21:21), balancing the dark with human interest.
• Expert Perspective:
  Dr. Rapport brings scholarly clarity while weaving rich anecdotes and connecting the story to wider European and world history.

Memorable Moments

• The Legend of Louis XVI's Awakening:
  “Is it a revolt?’…‘No sire, it is a revolution.’”—The possibly apocryphal but famously dramatic exchange (43:40).
• Souvenir Stones & Bastille Keys:
  The dissemination of Bastille stones and keys highlights how symbolic acts can become physical mementos and landscape features (47:00).

Conclusion

This episode explores not only the explosive origins of the French Revolution but also complicates the legend with nuance: the structural fragility of privilege, the ambiguity of popular support for the monarchy, and the mix of joy and terror in those revolutionary days. The hosts and their expert guest promise further darkness—and deeper analysis—in a forthcoming episode on the Reign of Terror.

For further reading/listening:

• Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
• Musee Carnavalet, Paris
• Next episode: The Reign of Terror