<P> The Bastille ( French pronunciation : ​ ( bastij ) ) was a fortress in Paris , known formally as the Bastille Saint - Antoine . It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France . It was stormed by a crowd on 14 July 1789 , in the French Revolution , becoming an important symbol for the French Republican movement , and was later demolished and replaced by the Place de la Bastille . </P>
why was bastille regarded as the symbol of state oppression
It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France . It was stormed by a crowd on 14 July 1789 , in the French Revolution , becoming an important symbol for the French Republican movement , and was later demolished and replaced by the Place de la Bastille .