The Early Guillotine

Pre- Guillotines


The Guillotine was not the first beheading machine of its kind. There is evidence that as early as 400 B.C there was a pre-guillotine device commonly used. There were beheading machines in many countries with many names. Some examples are "The Planke", which had been used in Germany and Flanders for centuries, and the "Halifax Gibbet", which used in England for a while. The Halifax Gibbet was the influence for another beheading device called " Scottish Maiden", which was created around 1561. The Scottish Maiden was last used in 1710, killing over 120 people. It is now on display in an Edinburgh museum. These three are the primary machines similar to the guillotine, but there were many other early machines used around Europe, including The Mandara in Italy. Although these Early Guillotines have had an impact on people, it was not close to the legacy the guillotine was about to bring.

Invention of the Guillotine

The Guillotine was invented by a Frenchman named Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin in the 1780's. Although there were earlier versions, Dr. Guillotin improved the function and quality of the machine very much. He improved the blade, adding a circular collar that held the neck of the victim. The guillotine was invented to be a symbol of democracy and equality, though the public view changed soon after. Beheading machines were usually reserved for the nobility, but with this invention executions would take place in the same fashion for whoever, regardless of rank. After Dr. Guillotin made the design for the Guillotine, he asked Tobias Schmidt, a German harpsichord maker and inventor, to construct the first model. Dr. Guillotin first tested the machine on April 17, 1792. He decapitated straw, sheep, and several corpses to ensure its function. When a corps with a very large neck was not beheaded after three tries, they raised the uprights and modified the shape of the blade, making it more triangular. The Guillotine was adopted as the official means of execution of the French Republic on March 20th, 1792. It became known as the Guillotine, named after its creator. The descendants of Dr. Joseph Guillotin have since changed their last names. The first official execution by Guillotine in France was of thief and assassin Jacques Nicolas Pelletier on April 25th, 1792. This was the start of the Guillotines' career that would last in France for almost 200 years.

Rise and fall of the Guillotine.

Peak of the Guillotine

From 1792 to 1795 the Guillotine reigned supreme in France. It was soaked into every aspect of life in culture, especially in Paris. There was everything from songs to comic books with the topic of the Guillotine. A Guillotine soon became a standard prop in marionette theaters. Beauty salons would make miniature guillotines that were often brought to the dinner table to slice bread or fruit. Even more ridiculous, little dolls resembling someones' enemy would be decapitated at an evening dessert!

Living Heads

It is now known that the Guillotine was not the democratic, painless, and humane machine it was set out to be. There is a medical controversy on whether or not victims were killed instantly. It is possible that the nerves in a victims take two to three minutes to be fully deceased after decapitation. When an executioner at a public Parisian execution slapped the cheek of Charlotte Corday's severed head, the crowd said that both cheeks reddened. It has also been told by many people of the era that the eyes on a severed head follow a person when speaking. In 1905, a doctor named Mr. Beaurieux addressed the head of an executed prisoner by calling out his name,"Languille". After the call, the head responded by opening its eyelids and staring at the doctor. After a while, Dr. Beaurieux called out the victims' name a second time. The eyelids then focused at the doctor in a penetrating and slightly annoyed manner. The heads' mouth moved slightly, as if it was trying to speak. However, the severed head failed to respond to the Doctors' third call.

Anarchists Confront Guillotine

By the time the Guillotine reached its peak, there was a strong counter movement. Around 1870, a large execution was the last to be public. From then on, it was a law that all executions had to take place in La Sante prison. In the 1890's, mainstream France had a very strong fear of terrorism. There was a wide gap between wealth and poverty, without a middle class in between. Many anarchists emerged and started terrorist attacks to bring attention to this situation and the use of the Guillotine. From 1892 to 1894 a series of bomb attacks brought Paris into terror. Everything from buses to homes to theaters were deserted. At the same time, however, anarchists became viewed as fashionable by intellectuals. Four terrorists were put to death during the most publicised trial in France.

The Nazi Guillotine

Although the Guillotine is known for its frequent use in France, it was also a common execution by the Nazis. According to the Nazis themselves, there was over 16,500 executions by Guillotine between 1933 and 1945. Around 1944 the Nazis used the Guillotine even more frequently. During this time, Hitler ordered an additional 20 machines and began recruiting more executioners. In a ten month period between 1944 and 1945, over 10,000 heads fell. At the execution camp in Plontzensee, 70 Jewish prisoners were executed in a single night! The most significant executioners was Johann Baptist Reichart. He served as a prime executioner before, during, and after the Nazi regime. It is said that he has guillotined 2,876 people, more than any other executioner. Even more amazing, Reichart guillotined 1,399 people in the year of 1944,. This is an average of four victims per day!

Guillotine Abroad and Outdated



The Guillotine went wherever the revolutionary armies brought french culture. It was introduced to the West Indies and Belgium, and was also frequently used in Northern Italy and Greece. Even though it was used abroad, it was hated by the general public. When mass executions ceased, people would celebrate in the streets. People sang and danced to forget about the past of executions. In Paris, a Ball was held every night.
After World War 1, the Guillotine had grown antique.The horse-drawn wagon, kerosene lanterns, and bran to absorb the blood were all outdated in twentieth century technology. Attendance at executions in prisons dropped dramatically. A prisoner named Claude Buffet was a prisoner who had an execution tactic. The executioner was to say "its your pardon" before the knife drops, so the prisoner will die in a state of joy. Ironically, Claude Buffet was executed later on.

Ending of the Guillotine


A double execution in1972 was not the last execution in France, but it was the last to take place in Paris. The last execution by Guillotine took place on September 10, 1977 in Marseilles, France. The Prisoner was Hamiba Djanboubi, a Tunisian immigrant condemned of murder. In September of 1981, a man named Robert Badinter proposed a motion for the abolition of the death penalty in France. The motion was soon passed. The blade of the guillotine hasn't fallen since.
The Guillotine reigned for almost 200 years. It killed everybody from local peasants convicted of stealing to the king of France.It started as a symbol of democracy and equality to a symbol of evil and destruction. The Guillotine arguably has a bigger legacy than any other way to die.

The Guillotine in Pop Culture

The Guillotine has had many references in popular culture. There are plays, movies, songs, paintings, and books about the Guillotine. One painter named Francois Topino- LeBrun was executed for being accused of plotting against Napoleon. His friend preserved his paintings, which were showed in Paris in June 1977. Movies such as Steel Angel include the Guillotine in the story. Its is about post-war west Berlin, where a young killer is in prison and goes to the Guillotine. One unexpected place of the guillotine is a toy model of the machine made by Aurora plastic company. The movies and plays of the guillotine are countless, either with it as the main subject or as a reference.

Animals and the Guillotine


During the middle ages, animals were actually imprisoned and beheaded if they disobeyed. There are records in Europe of sows being executed. One story says that a dog that was taught to howl whenever he heard the word "republican" was executed by Guillotine. Animals were also used as executioners. In sixth-century Scotland, cows were used to release the blade of the Scottish Maiden with their mouths, killing cattle thieves. One very odd invention was a recent "Rat Guillotine" used to kill small rodents.

Famous Last Words

There are many famous last word of prisoners going to the guillotine. They can be funny, wise, or sad. Charlotte Corday went to the scaffold, threw herself on the bench, and said " is this what i have to do"? The Comte De Sillery had trouble climbing the steps to the scaffold. When he was told to hurry, he said" Cant you wait? After all it is i who am going to die. You have plenty of time". A man named Vigie sang "La Marseillaise" very loud not stopping until the knife cut his words short. Jean- Sylvain Bailly, the first mayor of Paris, was told to put on his coat to avoid the cold November Rain. He replied " are you afraid I might catch a cold"? A journalist named Jean-Louis Carra said "It annoys me to die. I would have liked to see what follows". Lastly, an attempted murderer named Giuseppe Fiechi was told to put a coat to keep from shivering. He then said "I shall be a lot colder when you bury me".

Bibliography

Gerould, Daniel. The Guillotine: It's legend and love. New York, Blast Books, inc. 1992