The Fox of France

Chapter 48: Rumors and the National Self-Defense Militia (4)

For this suggestion, Charles couldn't find any reason to oppose it. Even though Joseph wasn't a military instructor, everyone could sense that the military expertise of an instructor from a military academy far exceeded that of an amateur like himself when guiding the construction of barricades.

"Of course, there's no problem at all, as long as Mr. Bonaparte is willing, we would welcome your assistance with open arms," Charles smiled. "I wonder if Mr. Bonaparte is willing to help us?"

"As a member of the community, it's my duty. However, you all know I'm an active-duty soldier. If I receive military orders from above, I must prioritize those. As long as it doesn't conflict with those orders, I'm willing to contribute," Joseph replied.

"Well then, let us all express our gratitude to Mr. Bonaparte!" Charles said.

And just like that, Joseph became the military advisor to the National Guard in the district. They also agreed to start reorganizing the neighborhood militia into the National Guard and commence military training the next day.

However, this plan was almost immediately shattered because, in the middle of the day, new rumors started spreading.

This rumor claimed that the cannons of Montmartre Heights and the Bastille were already aimed at the heart of Paris. The royalist forces, loyal to the king, were about to launch an attack on Paris.

Of course, this was just a rumor, but the vast majority of Parisians believed it. What made it even more dangerous was that this rumor couldn't be easily dispelled. Not only because "it's easier to create a lie than to refute it" but also because, at this moment in time, refuting such rumors was a political mistake. Anyone attempting to disprove them would be seen as "henchmen of the tyrant" by the angry populace, and they would face severe consequences.

Since no one dared to refute the rumors, they only gained more credibility. The existing flaws in these rumors went unmentioned, and any discrepancies were quietly patched up during their spread. In any case, this rumor was widely believed by almost all Parisians.

In the past few days, a significant number of Parisians had armed themselves, especially after taking the unguarded Hotel des Invalides, where they found over 30,000 rifles and over ten cannons. However, there wasn't enough gunpowder to go around.

This led to another rumor based on the previous one: that the Bastille contained a vast supply of gunpowder. This rumor seemed "plausible" since, if the king planned to use the Bastille's cannons to suppress Paris, it made sense for them to store ample gunpowder there.

For the untrained militia in Paris, attacking the heavily fortified Montmartre Heights was a daunting task, but the Bastille seemed much more manageable by comparison.

The Bastille was built as a fortress outside the city gates during the Hundred Years' War between England and France. It had eight towers, each around 30 meters high, connected by 30-meter-wide, 3-meter-thick walls, equipped with 15 large cannons. It was surrounded by a 26-meter-wide, 8-meter-deep moat that connected to the Seine River, with only one drawbridge for entry. It was an impenetrable castle.

However, with the expansion of Paris, this fortress, once located outside the city gates, became an internal structure. Its military role was diminished, and it transitioned from a military fortress to a royal stronghold.

By the late 14th century, the Bastille was converted into a royal prison, housing the most important "prisoners of state," many of whom were political prisoners. Therefore, in the minds of the French people, this prison became a symbol of the absolutist monarchy.

The Bastille garrison consisted of 82 men, but in early July, 32 Swiss mercenaries were deployed to reinforce its defenses. Still, when it came to the number of defenders, the Bastille couldn't compare to Montmartre Heights. Moreover, due to neglect, the moat surrounding the Bastille had dried up. This further reduced the fortress's defensive capabilities, making the militia feel confident about taking it.

So, the next morning, an uncountable number of armed, disorganized citizens began to approach the Bastille. This development forced Charles to postpone his plans for organizing the National Guard in the district.

The Bastille was surrounded by tens of thousands of armed Parisian citizens, but those armed only with rifles had limited means to breach it. The fortress walls were too high, and the dried moat was still too wide and deep to cross easily.

But the Bastille's commander, De Launay, saw things differently. The seemingly impregnable Bastille, although a 14th-century fortress, had design flaws and concepts that had become outdated. In 1453, the siege of Constantinople had demonstrated that tall, vertical fortress walls were highly susceptible to collapse under cannon fire. Consequently, modern fortifications featured lower, thicker walls that sloped inward to prevent widespread collapse due to cannon fire. However, the Bastille lacked these improvements.

The Bastille's walls were 30 meters high, completely vertical, and just 3 meters thick. Such walls couldn't withstand cannon fire. Moreover, the lack of clear lines of sight due to surrounding buildings hindered the guards' vision.

So, De Launay had no certainty about defending the ancient fortress.

When the citizens started to approach the Bastille, De Launay ordered his soldiers not to open fire on the approaching crowd and asked for negotiations.

The citizens took some time to select representatives to enter the Bastille for negotiations. However, during the negotiation process, a new rumor began to spread among the citizens due to communication difficulties and the prolonged negotiations.

This rumor claimed that the representatives who had entered the Bastille had been ruthlessly killed by the "henchmen of the tyrant" in a cruel and heartless manner. This rumor immediately inflamed the tens of thousands of armed citizens outside. The crowd began to chant:

"Take the Bastille, kill those evildoers!"

"Kill them! Kill them!"

"Charge! Charge!"

Someone even started singing the "Song of the Slaves," initially just one or two people, but soon, more voices joined in, forming a roaring river of song, as they surged toward the Bastille. Tens of thousands of militiamen, armed with rifles, chanted, "In the old world, we'll conquer everything; slaves, rise up!" They inched closer to the Bastille, and some quick-thinking militiamen even crossed the dried moat, climbed to the drawbridge, and attempted to sever the chains holding it.

In the chaos, a Swiss guard, in a panic, fired a shot at a militiaman wielding an axe. This action immediately ended any prospects of peaceful negotiations, and the militiamen opened fire in response, resulting in a chaotic gunfight.

The battle didn't favor the militiamen; the Bastille, originally built as a fortress, offered significant defensive advantages. Guarded by defenders who had the higher ground, cover, and experience with rifles, they easily picked off many militiamen. Those with no training, despite their vast numbers, struggled to aim and shoot, with many never having held a rifle before. Their gunfire was sporadic and rarely hit the mark. While the scene appeared intense, they achieved very little. In the actual historical account, only one guard was lightly wounded until the Bastille surrendered. However, the effectiveness of the defense was much greater.

The following period saw an intense standoff. De Launay, the Bastille's commander, raised a white flag on multiple occasions, hoping to negotiate a ceasefire with the besiegers, but the citizens outside unequivocally rejected his gestures. They believed De Launay's actions were deceptive, and after his men opened fire on their own people, he had forfeited any right to surrender.

But rejecting negotiations was one thing; breaking into the Bastille was another. The militiamen attempted various methods, including some imaginative ones. For instance, they proposed using flaming tarred cloth to start a fire, even to burn the cannons. However, they soon realized they couldn't get the burning tarred cloth past the 30-meter-high walls.

Some also considered using cannons, as they did have cannons, but they lacked gunners. Their initial artillery fire from a safe distance was largely ineffective. Although, theoretically, the Bastille was a large target, they struggled to hit it. However, the militiamen, inexperienced in handling cannons, managed to avoid hitting the massive fortress in their multiple attempts. They fired several rounds, but not a single cannonball found its target on the Bastille's walls.

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