Bernard-René Jourdan de Launay Bernard-René Jourdan de Launay Bernard René Jourdan, marquis de Launay (1740–1789) was the French governor of the Bastille, the son of a previous governor, and commander of its garrison when the prison-fortress in Paris was stormed on 14 July 1789 ("see Storming of the Bastille"). The marquis Bernard-René Jordan de Launay was born on the night of 8/9 April 1740 in the Bastille where his father, René Jourdan de Launay, was governor. At the age of eight he was appointed to an honorary position in the King's Musketeers ("mousquetaires du roi"). He subsequently entered the French Guards ("gardes-françaises"), a regiment
Louis Le Provost de Launay au peuple group led by Paul de Cassagnac, and was active in opposition to the republicans led by Léon Gambetta. He supported the government of the 16th of May. After being reelected unopposed on 14 October 1877 he voted against the cabinet of Dufaure and against the left-wing cabinets that succeeded it. He was against the amnesty of the leaders of the Paris Commune. Le Provost de Launay was again reelected without competition on 21 August 1881. He was involved in discussions on the budget, public education, colonial policy and state railways. His 1883 proposal to drop the requirement for