The Bastille, originally known as Bastille Saint-Antoine, was first built on April 20, 1357 in Paris, France, by King Charles V to protect the city walls from the English army during the Hundred Years' War. However, it was not until the reign of Charles V and the Provost of Paris, Hugues Aubriot, that construction finally took place in 1370. The Bastille had an innovative design with eight towers as opposed to the initial two and protected the strategic port gate , Saint-Antoine, which was located at the eastern end of Paris. However, in 1417, with the end of the 100 Years' War, the Bastille was no longer considered a fortress and was soon declared a state prison. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The Bastille as a prison to hold mainly political prisoners or citizens held at the request of their families to ensure that no harm is inflicted on their family name. Louis XIV began using the Bastille to detain members of high society who opposed or irritated him. The prisoners included French Protestants after the Edict of Fontainebleau of October 1685 revoked the Edict of Nantes of April 1598, an edict that granted Huguenots the right to practice their religion without persecution from the state. In the mid-1600s many roads and even a moat were built around the Bastille. The entrance to the prison was designed on the right side and included a guardhouse where guards were stationed both day and night. Additionally, the Bastille contained drawbridges leading to a large gate and a smaller gate. These doors led to a building known as the court of the Hotel du Gouvernement which was separated from the great court by barriers. Furthermore, to reach the entrance to the great court, a person had to pass two drawbridges, five gates and three gatehouses which always had guards stationed. Louis XV, who came to power in 1722, and Louis XVI, who came to power in 1774, held prisoners of various backgrounds in the Bastille during their reigns. However, during the reign of Louis XVI, the Bastille became more than just a prison. Surrounding the prison were two areas, one filled with French nobles and aristocrats and the other housing the common working class. The Bastille served to separate these two groups. Nobles and aristocrats lived in the fashionable neighborhood frequented by tourists and the rich and on the opposite side was Saint-Antoine, a densely populated working-class neighborhood full of middle-class shops. Even as the treatment of the lower classes in France began to get worse and worse, the people sought justice from their king. And although an angry uprising had spread throughout Paris, the true beginning of the French Revolution was triggered by the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. For a long time, ordinary French citizens suffered from food shortages and the increased consumption of food. taxes imposed on them by King Louis XVI. Furthermore, many Parisians were also angered by the dismissal of their beloved minister, Jacques Necker, a few days earlier. But what really angered them was the fact that since June 1789 King Louis XVI had concentrated his troops around Paris. The huge amount of military in the area resulted in the march where French citizens stole over 3,000 firearms to fight against the king and his army. However, these weapons required gunpowder, which was known to be kept at the Bastille. After arriving at the prison, the protesters ran into an outside courtyard and a battle broke out. When no ammunition was found, the crowd demolished:.