The guillotine is one of European history's most bloody icons. Although designed with the best of intentions, this hugely recognizable machine soon became associated with events that have overshadowed both its heritage and its development: the French Revolution. Yet, despite such a high profile and chilling reputation, histories of la guillotine remain muddled, often differing on quite basic details. This essay explains, not just the events that brought the guillotine to prominence, but also the machine's place in a broader history of decapitation, which as far as France is concerned, finished only recently. Although older narratives may tell you that the guillotine was invented in the late 18th century, most recent accounts recognize that similar 'decapitation machines' have a long history.
Designed to make execution more humane, the guillotine quickly became a symbol of tyranny during the French Revolution. Victims were placed on a bench, face down, and their necks positioned between the uprights. The actual beheading was very quick, taking less than half a second from blade drop to the victim's head rolling into the waiting basket. However, debate rages over whether the quickness of the execution was humane or not, as many doctors put forward the notion that it could take up to 30 seconds before the victim lost consciousness. That piece of gruesome news would not have worried the crowd, which continually called for aristocratic and royalist blood to be spilt.
The guillotine was kept busier than ever as thousands of people were denounced as anti-revolutionary traitors. An estimated 40,000 people traveled on the tumbrels through Paris to die under Madame Guillotine. The total weight of a Guillotine was about 1,278 pounds and the blade weighed over 88 pounds alone. Height of side posts was just over 14 feet and it took 2/100 of a second for ones head to be cut off. Power at impact was 888 pounds per square inch.
