When most people think about the French Revolution, they think about the guillotine and the thousands killed by it. Invented by Dr. Guillotine, the guillotine was supposed to slice the head of the person being executed and result in a quick and painless (relatively speaking) death. As far as those who kept their heads can tell, it worked. However, despite the brisk death, those that were killed suffered. Many of them suffered despite being innocent. During the French Revolution, many people were killed. In 1794 alone, thousands were killed and imprisoned for being counter-revolutionary (5). Within the ten month period between September 1793 and July 1794, “as many as 300,000 Frenchmen and women [1/50th of the population] were arrested [and]
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This may be “...higher as the documented numbers [do not] include people killed by vigilantes and other self-proclaimed representatives of the Republic” (3). Imagine having to go to the multi-person killing event and see that many people killed. The deaths range from execution with trial, to execution without trial, and death in prison, which was where the majority of the deaths came from (http://necrometrics.com/wars18c.htm). One of these deaths was a math teacher/politician that committed suicide in jail (1). As one can see, many lives were lost during the French Revolution Not only were there many deaths during the French Revolution, but those who died suffered greatly despite the invention of the guillotine. One person that suffered during the French Revolution was mentioned in the book “Revolution” by Jennifer Donnelly. Louis-Charles was the son of Louis XIV and to prevent him from becoming the new king to replace his father, “Robespierre had him walled-up alive. He [had] no fire to warm himself and only rags for clothing. He [was] lonely and terrified. He [became] weak and sick. Eventually he [went] mad.” (4) He died at the age of ten. While “Revolution” is a piece of fiction, this part is fact. This much suffering should have never happened. Not only was the ten year old slowly killed from
This may be “...higher as the documented numbers [do not] include people killed by vigilantes and other self-proclaimed representatives of the Republic” (3). Imagine having to go to the multi-person killing event and see that many people killed. The deaths range from execution with trial, to execution without trial, and death in prison, which was where the majority of the deaths came from (http://necrometrics.com/wars18c.htm). One of these deaths was a math teacher/politician that committed suicide in jail (1). As one can see, many lives were lost during the French Revolution Not only were there many deaths during the French Revolution, but those who died suffered greatly despite the invention of the guillotine. One person that suffered during the French Revolution was mentioned in the book “Revolution” by Jennifer Donnelly. Louis-Charles was the son of Louis XIV and to prevent him from becoming the new king to replace his father, “Robespierre had him walled-up alive. He [had] no fire to warm himself and only rags for clothing. He [was] lonely and terrified. He [became] weak and sick. Eventually he [went] mad.” (4) He died at the age of ten. While “Revolution” is a piece of fiction, this part is fact. This much suffering should have never happened. Not only was the ten year old slowly killed from