The news of the storming of the Bastille was welcomed as this event announced the end of royal arbitrariness and, perhaps, more profound changes in the organization of France. Immediately after the arrival of the news a large collective fear seized France. Rumours of troops of several thousand armed men formed by the aristocrats and destroying everything in their path propagated at high speed and caused panic. On hearing the alarm people armed themselves and sent messages to the neighbouring villages which spread fear. This created unity and the militias formed at that time were the basis of the battalions of the National Guard. The Great Fear, coming from Digne and part of the "fear Mâconnais" reached Barrême and its region on 31 July 1789 before dying out in the end.