75-640: National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards . National Guard may refer to: National Guard (France) The National Guard (French: Garde nationale ) is a French military, gendarmerie , and police reserve force , active in its current form since 2016 but originally founded in 1789 during
150-767: A legion . Districts might also provide companies of veterans and young citizens, respectively drawn from volunteers over 60 or under 18. Where possible, there was provision for mounted detachments and artillery batteries under the Guard. On 2 July 1792, the Assembly authorized the National Guard's attendance as part of the Festival of Federation on 14 July, thus circumventing a royal veto. Section assemblies were permitting "passive" citizens to join their National Guard companies without seeking formal permission. On 11 July,
225-619: A " Bourgeois Guard " ( "garde bourgeoise" ) for Paris was discussed by the National Assembly on 11 July 1789 in response to the King's sudden and alarming replacement of minister for finance and state, Jacques Necker , with the Baron de Breteuil on that day. The replacement caused rapidly spread anger and violence throughout Paris. The National Assembly declared the formation of a "Bourgeois Militia" ( "milice bourgeoise" ) on 13 July. In
300-671: A 'gathering of the mob ,' a walking and golf cart parade, and a mock beheading of the King and Queen . Portland, Oregon , has celebrated Bastille Day with crowds up to 8,000, in public festivals at various public parks, since 2001. The event is coordinated by the Alliance Française of Portland. Seattle 's Bastille Day celebration, held at the Seattle Center , involves performances, picnics, wine and shopping. Sacramento, California , conducts annual "waiter races" in
375-751: A celebration annually, hosted by the French Cultural Center for 40 years. The street festival occurs in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, near the Cultural Center's headquarters. The celebration includes francophone musical performers, dancing, and French cuisine . New York City has numerous Bastille Day celebrations each July, including Bastille Day on 60th Street hosted by the French Institute Alliance Française between Fifth and Lexington Avenues on
450-696: A competition for the "Best Baguette of the Twin Cities ." Montgomery, Ohio , has a celebration with wine, beer, local restaurants' fare, pastries, games and bands. St. Louis , Missouri , has annual festivals in the Soulard neighborhood, the former French village of Carondelet, Missouri , and in the Benton Park neighborhood. The Chatillon-DeMenil Mansion in the Benton Park neighborhood, holds an annual Bastille Day festival with reenactments of
525-630: A constitution for the kingdom. On 11 July, Jacques Necker , the finance minister of Louis XVI , who was sympathetic to the Third Estate, was dismissed by the King, provoking an angry reaction among Parisians. Crowds formed, fearful of an attack by the royal army or by foreign regiments of mercenaries in the King's service and seeking to arm themselves. Early on 14 July, a crowd besieged the Hôtel des Invalides for firearms, muskets, and cannons stored in its cellars. That same day, another crowd stormed
600-724: A family-friendly Bastille Day party at the French Legation , the home of the French representative to the Republic of Texas from 1841 to 1845. Chicago , Illinois , has hosted a variety of Bastille Day celebrations in a number of locations in the city, including Navy Pier and Oz Park . The recent incarnations have been sponsored in part by the Chicago branch of the French-American Chamber of Commerce and by
675-529: A huge four-day popular feast, and people celebrated with fireworks, as well as fine wine and running nude through the streets in order to display their freedom. On 30 June 1878, a feast was officially arranged in Paris to honour the French Republic (the event was commemorated in a painting by Claude Monet ). On 14 July 1879, there was another feast, with a semi-official aspect. The day's events included
750-491: A period of official dissolution from 1827 to 1830 but was reestablished. Soon after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the National Guard in Paris again became viewed as dangerously revolutionary, which contributed to its dissolution in 1871. In 2016, France announced the reestablishment of the National Guard for the second time, in response to a series of terrorist attacks in the country . The raising of
825-636: A reception in the Chamber of Deputies, organised and presided over by Léon Gambetta (a military reviewer at Longchamp), and a Republican Feast in the Pré Catelan . All throughout France, Le Figaro wrote, "people feasted much to honour the storming of the Bastille". In 1880, the government of the Third Republic wanted to revive the 14 July festival. The campaign for the reinstatement of
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#1732757854844900-559: A year: Bastille Day. The single day of celebration evolved into the major Heiva i Tahiti festival in Papeete Tahiti, where traditional events such as canoe races, tattooing, and fire walks are held. The singing and dancing competitions continue with music composed with traditional instruments such as the nasal flute and ukulele. Within the UK, London has a large French contingent, and celebrates Bastille Day at various locations across
975-623: Is a traditional festival dance of the French consul that draws large crowds, and many unofficial events over the city celebrate the relationship between France and the city of Liège. Vancouver , British Columbia holds a celebration featuring exhibits, food and entertainment. The Toronto Bastille Day festival is also celebrated in Toronto , Ontario . The festival is organized by the French-Canadian community in Toronto and sponsored by
1050-744: Is held annually in the Bishop Arts District of the North Oak Cliff neighborhood, southwest of downtown just across the Trinity River . Dallas' French roots are tied to the short lived socialist Utopian community La Réunion , formed in 1855 and incorporated into the City of Dallas in 1860. Miami 's celebration is organized by "French & Famous" in partnership with the French American Chamber of Commerce,
1125-502: Is live music, street performers, and traditional French games played. The United States has over 20 cities that conduct annual celebrations of Bastille Day. The different cities celebrate with many French staples such as food, music, games, and sometimes the recreation of famous French landmarks. Baltimore , Maryland , has a large Bastille Day celebration each year at Petit Louis in the Roland Park area of Baltimore. Boston has
1200-497: Is provided throughout the festival. The French Consulate in South Africa also celebrates their national holiday with a party for the French community. Activities also include dressing up in different items of French clothing. Following colonial rule, France annexed a large portion of what is now French Polynesia . Under French rule, Tahitians were permitted to participate in sport, singing, and dancing competitions one day
1275-847: Is sponsored by the Institut de France . The festival is hosted along the Danube River , with streets filled with music and dancing. There are also local markets dedicated to French foods and wine, mixed with some traditional Hungarian specialties. At the end of the celebration, a fireworks show is held on the river banks. Bastille Day is celebrated with great festivity in Pondicherry , a former French colony. The Embassy of France in Ireland organizes several events around Dublin , Cork and Limerick for Bastille Day; including evenings of French music and tasting of French food. Many members of
1350-677: Is the French military parade that has been held in the morning, every year in Paris, since 1880. While previously held elsewhere within or near the capital city, since 1918 it has been held on the Champs-Élysées , with the participation of the Allies as represented in the Versailles Peace Conference, and with the exception of the period of German occupation from 1940 to 1944 (when the ceremony took place in London under
1425-566: Is the anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, a major event of the French Revolution , as well as the Fête de la Fédération that celebrated the unity of the French people on 14 July 1790. Celebrations are held throughout France. One that has been reported as "the oldest and largest military parade in Europe" is held on 14 July on the Champs-Élysées in Paris in front of
1500-568: Is usually between 11 and 14 July. It acts as an event that marks the relinquish of the EU presidency from France to the Czech Republic. Traditional selections of French produce, including cheese, wine, meat, bread and pastries, are provided by the market. Throughout the event, live music is played in the evenings, with lanterns lighting up the square at night. The amusement park Tivoli celebrates Bastille Day. Budapest 's two-day celebration
1575-510: The Bastille , a fortress-prison in Paris that had historically held people jailed on the basis of lettres de cachet (literally "signet letters"), arbitrary royal indictments that could not be appealed and did not indicate the reason for the imprisonment, and was believed to hold a cache of ammunition and gunpowder. As it happened, at the time of the attack, the Bastille held only seven inmates, none of great political significance. The crowd
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#17327578548441650-485: The Battle of 13 Vendémiaire . The Paris National Guard thereafter ceased to play a significant political role. Napoleon did not believe that the middle-class National Guard would be able to maintain order and suppress riots. Therefore, he created a Municipal Guard of Paris , a full-time gendarmerie which was strongly militarized. However, he did not abolish the National Guard but was content to partially disarm it. He kept
1725-697: The French Consulate-General in Chicago. Milwaukee 's four-day street festival begins with a "Storming of the Bastille" with a 43-foot replica of the Eiffel Tower . Minneapolis , Minnesota , has a celebration with wine, French food, pastries, a flea market, circus performers and bands. Also in the Twin Cities area, the local chapter of the Alliance Française has hosted an annual event for years at varying locations with
1800-501: The French Revolution . For most of its history the National Guard, particularly its officers, has been widely viewed as loyal to middle-class interests. It was founded as separate from the French Army and existed both for policing and as a military reserve . However, in its original stages from 1792 to 1795, the National Guard was perceived as revolutionary and the lower ranks were identified with sans-culottes . It experienced
1875-745: The July Revolution . A new National Guard was established in 1831 following the July Revolution in 1830. It played a major role in suppressing the Paris June Rebellion of 1832 against the government of King Louis-Phillipe . However, the same National Guard fought in the Revolution of 1848 in favour of the republicans. This change in allegiance reflected a general erosion in the popularity of Louis-Phillipe and his "Bourgeois Monarchy", rather than any fundamental change in
1950-588: The National Gendarmerie and the National Police in securing major events nationwide while it would perform its historical responsibility as a national military and police reserve service. It was expected that the new Guard would grow to a 72,500-member force in 2017 and grow to an 86,000-member national reserve in 2018. The formation of the revived Guard would be assisted with a dedicated 311-million euro budget and its personnel come from
2025-727: The President of France , along with other French officials and foreign guests. In 1789, tensions rose in France between reformist and conservative factions as the country struggled to resolve an economic crisis. In May, the Estates General legislative assembly was revived, but members of the Third Estate broke ranks, declaring themselves to be the National Assembly of the country, and on 20 June, vowed to write
2100-600: The end of the feudal system ), 5 May (when the Estates-General first assembled), 27 July (the fall of Robespierre ), and 21 January (the date of Louis XVI 's execution). The government decided that the date of the holiday would be 14 July, but that was still somewhat problematic. The events of 14 July 1789 were illegal under the previous government, which contradicted the Third Republic's need to establish legal legitimacy. French politicians also did not want
2175-567: The insurrection of 10 August placed a radical revolutionary at the head of the Guard. After the abolition of the monarchy (21 September 1792), the National Guard fought for the Revolution and it had an important role in forcing the wishes of the capital on the French National Assembly which was obliged to give way in front of the force of the "patriotic" bayonets. The Insurrection of 31 May started after François Henriot
2250-661: The Bastille, late in the evening of 4 August, after a very stormy session of the Assemblée constituante , feudalism was abolished. On 26 August, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen ( Déclaration des Droits de l'Homme et du Citoyen ) was proclaimed. As early as 1789, the year of the storming of the Bastille, preliminary designs for a national festival were underway. These designs were intended to strengthen
2325-482: The Consulate General of France. The celebration includes music, performances, sport competitions, and a French Market. At the end of the festival, there is also a traditional French bal populaire. Since 2008, Prague has hosted a French market " Le marché du 14 juillet " ("Fourteenth of July Market") offering traditional French food and wine as well as music. The market takes place on Kampa Island , it
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2400-466: The French community in Ireland take part in the festivities. Events in Dublin include live entertainment, speciality menus on French cuisine, and screenings of popular French films. The Auckland suburb of Remuera hosts an annual French-themed Bastille Day street festival. Visitors enjoy mimes, dancers, music, as well as French foods and drinks. The budding relationship between the two countries, with
2475-505: The Jacobins won an emergency vote in the wavering Assembly, declaring the nation in danger and drafting all Parisians with pikes or pistols into the National Guard. On 17 July the municipality of Paris accepted all citizens armed with a pike for enlistment as part of the capital's own National Guard unit. The citizens kept their weapons and their uniforms at home and set forth with them when required. The initially multi-coloured uniforms of
2550-592: The Minister of the Armed Forces. Bastille Day Bastille Day is the common name given in English-speaking countries to the national day of France , which is celebrated on 14 July each year. It is referred to, both legally and commonly, as le 14 juillet ( French: [lə katɔʁz(ə) ʒɥijɛ] ) in French, though la fête nationale is also used in the press. French National Day
2625-456: The National Guard took over this role. In fact, the last commander of the Guet royal ( Chevalier du Guet ), de La Rothière, was elected to head the National Guard in 1791. In the summer of 1792, the fundamental character of the guard changed. The fédérés were admitted to the guard and the subsequent takeover of the guard by Antoine Joseph Santerre when Mandat was murdered in the first hours of
2700-517: The National Guard was expanded to 35,000 men and became the primary force for maintaining order within the city. Under the Restoration in 1814, the National Guard was maintained by Louis XVIII of France. Initially, the Guard, purged of its Napoleonic leadership, maintained good relations with the restored monarchy. The future Charles X served as its Colonel-General, reviewed the force regularly and intervened to veto its proposed disbandment on
2775-481: The National Guard. Clothing and equipment were often in short supply and even the Paris National Guard was obliged to provide pikes as substitute weapons for some of its new recruits. These field and regional units were disbanded in 1814 after the abdication of Napoleon I. Six thousand national guardsmen took part in the Battle of Paris in 1814. Following the occupation of Paris by the allied armies,
2850-467: The National Guard. Their role was the maintenance of law and order and, if necessary, territorial defense in wartime. Following a nationwide scheme decided on in September 1791, the National Guard was organised on the basis of district or canton companies. Five of these neighbourhood units (designated as fusiliers or grenadiers) made up a National Guard infantry battalion. Eight to ten battalions comprised
2925-491: The Paris units of the National Guard in the uprising of the Paris Commune led to a great degree of hostility towards the National Guard, especially from the army. Perceived as an embodiment of the revolutionary republican "nation in arms" at the time of the Revolution of 1789, the National Guard was formally disbanded on 14 March 1872 as a threat to the security and order of the new Third Republic . The National Guard
3000-509: The Parliament recruited 400,000 National volunteers from the entire French National Guard. On 17 July 1791 Champ de Mars massacre took place. At the end of September a law passed to reorganize the National Guard formations in cantons and districts; each year officers and non-commissioned officers could be elected on 14 July . Under the law of 14 October 1791, all active citizens and their children over 18 years were obliged to enlist in
3075-499: The Union des Français de l'Etranger and many French brands. The event gathers over 1,000 attendees to celebrate "La Fête Nationale". The location and theme change every year. In 2017, the theme was "Guinguette Party" and attracted 1,200 francophiles at The River Yacht Club. New Orleans , Louisiana , has multiple celebrations, the largest in the historic French Quarter . In Austin, Texas , the Alliance Française d’Austin usually conducts
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3150-662: The United States. In Washington D.C. , food, music, and auction events are sponsored by the Embassy of France . There is also a French Festival within the city, where families can meet period entertainment groups set during the time of the French Revolution. Restaurants host parties serving traditional French food. In Dallas , Texas , the Bastille Day celebration, "Bastille On Bishop", began in 2010 and
3225-480: The Upper East Side of Manhattan , Bastille Day on Smith Street in Brooklyn , and Bastille Day in Tribeca . There is also the annual Bastille Day Ball, taking place since 1924. Philadelphia 's Bastille Day, held at Eastern State Penitentiary , involves Marie Antoinette throwing locally manufactured Tastykakes at the Parisian militia , as well as a re-enactment of the storming of the Bastille. (This Philadelphia tradition ended in 2018. ) In Newport, Rhode Island,
3300-442: The annual Bastille Day celebration is organized by the local chapter of the Alliance Française. It takes place at King Park in Newport at the monument memorializing the accomplishments of the General Comte de Rochambeau whose 6,000 to 7,000 French forces landed in Newport on 11 July 1780. Their assistance in the defeat of the English in the War of Independence is well documented and is proof of the special relationship between France and
3375-453: The armed forces. Despite its major role in the Franco-Prussian War, the National Guard was disbanded soon after the establishment of the Third Republic. Having been converted from a volunteer reserve into a much larger force composed mainly of conscripts, the National Guard had lost its identity and raison d'être . It also faced opposition from the regular army which was opposed to such a large armed force outside its direct control. The role of
3450-403: The beheading of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI , traditional dancing, and artillery demonstrations. Carondelet also began hosting an annual saloon crawl to celebrate Bastille Day in 2017. The Soulard neighborhood in St. Louis , Missouri celebrates its unique French heritage with special events including a parade, which honors the peasants who rejected the monarchy . The parade includes
3525-411: The boulevard du Temple in the pouring rain, and were met by an estimated 260,000 Parisian citizens at the Champ de Mars. A mass was celebrated by Talleyrand , bishop of Autun . The popular General Lafayette , as captain of the National Guard of Paris and a confidant of the king, took his oath to the constitution, followed by King Louis XVI . After the end of the official celebration, the day ended in
3600-462: The campaigns in Germany in 1813 and the invasion of north-east France by Coalition forces in 1814. Existing National Guard units, such as those of Paris, were deployed as defence corps in their areas of recruitment. Mass conscription was extended to age groups previously exempt from military service, to provide more manpower for the expanded National Guard. Students and volunteers from gamekeepers and other professional groups formed separate units within
3675-407: The capitulation. However, possibly because of a misunderstanding, fighting resumed. In this second round of fighting, de Launay and seven other defenders were killed, as was Jacques de Flesselles , the prévôt des marchands ("provost of the merchants"), the elected head of the city's guilds, who under the French monarchy had the responsibilities of a present-day mayor. Shortly after the storming of
3750-426: The city including Battersea Park , Camden Town and Kentish Town . Live entertainment is performed at Canary Wharf , with weeklong performances of French theatre at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre in Kentish Town. Restaurants feature cabarets and special menus across the city, and other celebrations include garden parties and sports tournaments. There is also a large event at the Bankside and Borough Market, where there
3825-602: The command of General Charles de Gaulle ); and 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic forced its cancellation. The parade passes down the Champs-Élysées from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde , where the President of the French Republic , his government and foreign ambassadors to France stand. This is a popular event in France, broadcast on French TV, and is the oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe. Smaller military parades are held in French garrison towns, including Toulon and Belfort , with local troops. Liège celebrates Bastille Day each year since
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#17327578548443900-416: The country's national identity through the celebration of the events of 14 July 1789. One of the first designs was proposed by Clément Gonchon, a French textile worker, who presented his design for a festival celebrating the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille to the French city administration and the public on 9 December 1789. There were other proposals and unofficial celebrations of 14 July 1789, but
3975-424: The districts for not more than a year. They were united on 14 July 1790 under Lafayette, who was appointed "Commandant General of all the National Guards of the Kingdom" and was responsible to the King as commander-in-chief of the armed forces. On 5 December 1790 Robespierre held a speech on the urgent topic of the National Guard; envisaging an evolution from semi-organised militia to citizen-soldiers independent from
4050-408: The early morning of the next day, the search for weapons for this new militia led to the storming of the town hall, the Hotel des Invalides and then the storming of the Bastille . Lafayette was elected to the post of commander in chief of the Bourgeois Militia on 14 July, and it was renamed the " National Guard of Paris ". When the French Guards mutinied and were disbanded during the same month,
4125-404: The end of the First World War , as Liège was decorated by the Légion d'Honneur for its unexpected resistance during the Battle of Liège . The city also hosts a fireworks show outside of Congress Hall. Specifically in Liège, celebrations of Bastille Day have been known to be bigger than the celebrations of the Belgian National holiday. Around 35,000 people gather to celebrate Bastille Day. There
4200-478: The establishment of a Maori garden in France and exchange of their analyses of cave art, resulted in the creation of an official reception at the Residence of France. There is also an event in Wellington for the French community held at the Residence of France. Franschhoek 's weekend festival has been celebrated since 1993. (Franschhoek, or 'French Corner,' is situated in the Western Cape .) As South Africa's gourmet capital, French food, wine and other entertainment
4275-404: The establishment of a new third National Guard. By his words, the Guard would be formed using military reserve forces. On 12 October 2016, during a weekly meeting of the Cabinet, the National Guard was officially reconstituted after 145 years, as the fifth service branch of the French Armed Forces under the Ministry of the Armed Forces . The revitalized Guard would also reinforce elements of
4350-401: The festival was sponsored by the notable politician Léon Gambetta and scholar Henri Baudrillant . On 21 May 1880, Benjamin Raspail proposed a law, signed by sixty-four members of government, to have "the Republic adopt 14 July as the day of an annual national festival". There were many disputes over which date to be remembered as the national holiday, including 4 August (the commemoration of
4425-406: The force in reserve and mobilised it for the defence of French territory in 1809 and 1814. In Paris during this period the National Guard comprised twelve thousand bourgeois property owners, serving part-time and equipped at their own expense, whose prime function was to guard public buildings on a roster basis. Between 1811 and 1812 the National Guard was organized in "cohorts" to distinguish it from
4500-424: The grounds of economy by the Conseil . However, by 1827, the middle-class men who still composed the Guard had come to feel a degree of hostility towards the reactionary monarchy. Following hostile cries, at a review on 29 April Charles X dissolved the Guard the following day, on the grounds of offensive behaviour towards the crown. He neglected to disarm the disbanded force, and its muskets resurfaced in 1830 during
4575-541: The majority of this former royal regiment's rank and file became the full-time cadre of the Paris National Guard. Similar bodies of National Guards were spontaneously created in the towns and rural districts of France in response to widespread fears of chaos or counter-revolution. "Bourgeois Militia" changed its name to National Guard, like in Limoges in November 1789, where no other military bodies were allowed. Initially, each city, town and village maintained National Guard units operated by their respective local governments in
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#17327578548444650-399: The make-up of the National Guard, which remained a middle-class body. Napoleon III confined the National Guard during the Second Empire to subordinate tasks to reduce its liberal and republican influence. During the Franco-Prussian War the Government of National Defense of 1870 called on the Guard to undertake a major role in defending Paris against the invading Prussian army. During
4725-410: The official festival sponsored by the National Assembly was called the Fête de la Fédération. The Fête de la Fédération on 14 July 1790 was a celebration of the unity of the French nation during the French Revolution. The aim of this celebration, one year after the Storming of the Bastille , was to symbolize peace. The event took place on the Champ de Mars , which was located far outside of Paris at
4800-516: The regular army, and for home defence only . By a skilful appeal to patriotism, and judicious pressure applied through the prefects , it became a useful reservoir of half-trained men for new battalions of the active army. After the disastrous campaign in Russia in 1812, dozens of National Guard cohorts were called up for field duty the next year; four cohorts being combined to form one line infantry regiment. The 135ème to 156ème Régiments d'Infanterie de Ligne were thus formed. Many of these fought in
4875-458: The regular army. He repeated his ideas in the following year. On 18 December it was decreed to supply the National Guard with 50,000 fusils. In January 1791 Robespierre promoted the idea not only the National Guard but also the people had to be armed if necessary with pikes. On 27 April 1791, Robespierre again opposed the plans for reorganizing the National Guard and restricting its membership to active citizens . On 22 April and 15 June 1791,
4950-421: The reserves, members from the private sector and active personnel seconded to the service. Unlike the Guard of the Revolutionary Wars, its officers are now seconded from both the Army and the National Gendarmerie and are graduates of their respective academies. As of 2024, Division General François-Xavier Poisbeau serves as the Secretary-General for the National Guard, who reports to the Chief of Defence Staff and
5025-437: The sole foundation of their national holiday to be rooted in a day of bloodshed and class-hatred as the day of storming the Bastille was. Instead, they based the establishment of the holiday as both the celebration of the Fête de la Fédération, a festival celebrating the anniversary of the Republic of France on 14 July 1789, and the storming of the Bastille. The Assembly voted in favor of the proposal on 21 May, and 8 June. The law
5100-408: The time. The work needed to transform the Champ de Mars into a suitable location for the celebration was not on schedule to be completed in time. On the day recalled as the Journée des brouettes ("The Day of the Wheelbarrow"), thousands of Parisian citizens gathered together to finish the construction needed for the celebration. The day of the festival, the National Guard assembled and proceeded along
5175-505: The uprising of the Paris Commune , from March to May 1871, the National Guard in Paris was expanded to include all able-bodied citizens capable of carrying weapons. Following the Commune's defeat by the regular French Army, the National Guard was officially abolished and its units disbanded. Also disbanded was the Mobile National Guard ( Garde Nationale Mobile ) raised in 1866 to provide personnel and officers for rapid deployment operations nationwide, as well as to provide reserve personnel for
5250-452: The various provincial National Guard units were standardised in 1791, using as a model the dark blue coats with red collars, white lapels and cuffs worn by the Paris National Guard since its creation. This combination of colours matched those of the then young revolutionary tricolour flag. The uniform headdress was the tricorne. The former Guet royal had held responsibility for the maintenance of law and order in Paris from 1254 to 1791, when
5325-423: Was approved on 27 and 29 June. The celebration was made official on 6 July 1880. In the debate leading up to the adoption of the holiday, Senator Henri Martin , who wrote the National Day law, addressed the chamber on 29 June 1880: Do not forget that behind this 14 July, where victory of the new era over the Ancien Régime was bought by fighting, do not forget that after the day of 14 July 1789, there
5400-680: Was chosen by the Commune to lead the Paris Guards. After 9 Thermidor , year II (27 July 1794), the new government of the Thermidorian Reaction placed the National Guard under the control of more conservative leadership. Part of the National Guard then attempted to overthrow the Directory during the royalist insurrection on the 13 Vendémiaire, year IV (5 October 1795), but was defeated by forces led by Napoleon Bonaparte in
5475-415: Was eventually reinforced by the mutinous Régiment des Gardes Françaises ("Regiment of French Guards"), whose usual role was to protect public buildings. They proved a fair match for the fort's defenders, and Governor de Launay , the commander of the Bastille, capitulated and opened the gates to avoid a mutual massacre. According to the official documents, about 200 attackers and just one defender died before
5550-425: Was superseded by the creation of territorial regiments, made up of older men who had completed their period of full-time military service. These reserve units were embodied only in times of general mobilisation but remained an integral part of the regular army, distinguished only by details of insignia. After several terror attacks in France, which intensified in 2014–15 , French President François Hollande declared
5625-538: Was the day of 14 July 1790 (...) This [latter] day cannot be blamed for having shed a drop of blood, for having divided the country. It was the consecration of the unity of France (...) If some of you might have scruples against the first 14 July, they certainly hold none against the second. Whatever difference which might part us, something hovers over them, it is the great images of national unity, which we all desire, for which we would all stand, willing to die if necessary. The Bastille Day military parade
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