France had abolished its monarchy only to find itself under the rule of an emperor. Years later Thomas Jefferson would admit that his own support for the French Revolution was misguided ...

a long-time enemy of France. It might have the image of being a mighty revolt from the French commoners against the monarchy, but the French Revolution was lead by the bourgeoisie from the start.

It was here, on July 14, 1789, that revolutionaries stormed the infamous Bastille prison, a symbol of the tyranny of the Bourbon monarchy. Today, the fortress is no more, but the square remains a ...