Eighty-two Invalides formed the Bastille’s regular garrison in July 1789. These were veteran soldiers, often called invalides, who were no longer considered suitable for active field service but still performed guard duties.
The fortress had recently been reinforced because Paris was becoming increasingly unstable. On 7 July, 32 Swiss grenadiers from the Salis-Samade Regiment joined the 82 Invalides, producing a listed total of 114 defenders.
The Bastille was therefore not defended solely by elderly pensioners, as simplified retellings sometimes suggest. Its garrison also included trained Swiss troops and crews for approximately 30 artillery pieces, although the fortress had limited food and no dependable water supply.
By the time of the attack on 14 July, the Bastille held only seven prisoners. Its symbolic importance as a royal fortress and its stores of gunpowder mattered more to the revolutionaries than the prison population itself.