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Line 1: − + − The Guillotine was one of the symbols of the French Revolution, being widely used during the Jacobin Reign of Terror. Those who didn't submit to [[Robespierre]]'s [[leftist]] ideology, or even those who ere merely accused of subversion, were executed through it. The guillotine remained a tool of [[capital punishment]] in France until its last usage in 1977, with the execution of murderer Hamida Dandjoubi.+ + +
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[[Image:guillotine.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Lithograph of a guillotine used in Denmark]]
[[Image:guillotine.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Lithograph of a guillotine used in Denmark]]
'''Guillotine''' is a word of [[French]] origin for a device used in [[execution]]s. Most guillotines have a heavy blade that is attached to a tall frame. The blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the victim's head.
A '''guillotine''' is a device used in [[execution]]s, invented by Dr. Joseph Guillotine shortly before the [[French Revolution]]. Most guillotines have a heavy blade that is attached to a tall frame. The blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the victim's head.
Dr. Joseph Guillotine envisioned the device as a more humane method of execution. (Previously, only nobles had been beheaded; commoners had been hung.) The French government adopted it as the official execution method.
However, during the [[Jacobin]] Reign of Terror amid the [[French Revolution]], the guillotine became a symbol of arbitrary execution as anyone who disagreed with [[Robespierre]]'s [[leftist]] ideology, or even those who were merely accused of subversion, was executed by it. The guillotine remained a tool of [[capital punishment]] in France until its last usage in 1977, with the execution of murderer Hamida Dandjoubi.
The guillotine's use wasn't limited to France. It saw somewhat of a revival during the rule of German [[Nazi|National]] [[Socialism]], being the execution method for dissenters after a mock trial. The [[White Rose]] resistence leaders were executed through it.
The guillotine's use wasn't limited to France. It saw somewhat of a revival during the rule of German [[Nazi|National]] [[Socialism]], being the execution method for dissenters after a mock trial. The [[White Rose]] resistence leaders were executed through it.