The Guillotine: History and Resources

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The guillotine is a well known device that was used in France, mainly during the French Revolution. The guillotine was used for carrying out executions by decapitation, and is still widely considered as a symbol of terror. The device consisted of a tall, wooden upright frame from which an angled blade was suspended. The blade was raised with rope and then the victim’s head was pushed under the blade with their neck in the direct path of the blade. The rope was then released dropping the blade and ultimately separating the head from the body. The head was often caught in a basket the was on the other side of the device.

The Design of the Guillotine

The design was influenced by the Halifax Gibbet and the Scottish Maiden. The Halifax Gibbet was a decapitating machine used in Halifax, England, and the Scottish Maiden was a similar device used in Scotland. Unlike the guillotine both the Gibbet and the Maiden devices used a crescent shaped blade that crushed the neck and used blunt force to take of the head.

Resources About the Design of the Guillotine

The Scottish Maiden: information on the invention and the history of the Scottish Maiden
Guillotine Gallery: a gallery of guillotine pictures which shows how they were constructed and used

Why was the guillotine invented and who invented it?

The guillotine was developed when Louis XVI banned the use of the breaking wheel due to what he thought was a animalistic way of putting someone to death. The National Assembly was tasked with researching a method of execution of all condemned people regardless of their class. The idea was that the method should only serve to end one’s life and not inflict pain during the process. A German engineer named Tobias Schmidt was hired by the Strasburg criminal court to construct a prototype of the guillotine that had a blade that was set at a 45 degree angle that would help in its quick slicing.

Resources About the Invention of the Guillotine

Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin: information on the life of Dr. Guillotin, although he was part of the group researching the device he did not invent the guillotine
Use Of The Guillotine: a description of the uses of the guillotine by the Revolutionary Tribunal during the French Revolution
Exploring The French Revolution – a database of information on the French Revolution including essays, images, maps, glossaries, and more

When Was the Guillotine Used?

A major cause of the French Revolution was the large population in France that brought about epidemic disease and massive food shortages. The eighteenth century also brought a huge growth in capitalism and it seeped into the everyday lives of the French people. All of these frustrations eventually led to the start of the French Revolution and when the guillotine really started being used on a mass level for executions. Who was the first person put to death by the guillotine? The first official victim of the guillotine was a man names Nicolas-Jacques Pelletier and his execution took place on April 25, 1792. It is estimated that during the time referred to as the Reign of Terror that somewhere between sixteen thousand and forty thousand people were executed by way of the guillotine.

Resources about the Guillotine

Reign of Terror – information on Maximilien Rebespierre, the leader of the National Convention that justified the use of terror and execution by guillotine
Death by Decapitation – an article explaining how the brain still functions after the head is decapitated during the use of the guillotine, many witnesses to guillotine executions reported seeing the victims eyes blink up to thirty seconds after the head was removed from the body History Of The Guillotine: information on the history of the guillotine and machines that were used before its invention
People Related To The Guillotine: a list of people associated with the guillotine including the first person to be executed by the machine
Victims of The Guillotine – information on the number of people that fell victim to the guillotine during the French Revolution

Resource by k.Pearson

My name is Kim, I am a volunteer at a local Zoo in Chicago, IL. I have been a volunteer for about 5 years now and love it. My full time job is at a vet just outside of the city. I am intrigued by the nature of animals and how they interact with one another.

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