The guillotine, invented by Joseph Ignace Guillotin in 1789, was originally intended to be a humane method of execution. However, it went on to be used to kill thousands of people, many of whom were innocent, during the French Revolution. The guillotine was designed to be a quick and efficient way to kill, but it was often used as a tool of terror and intimidation.
The device was first tested on sheep and goats, and later on human corpses, before being used on live humans. The first execution by guillotine was carried out in 1792, and it quickly became a popular method of execution during the Reign of Terror.
The guillotine was also used by the Nazis during World War II, who modified the design to make it more efficient and used it to kill thousands of people.
The podcast also discusses the psychological effects of being an executioner, citing the book "The Executioner's Black Diary" by Andre Obrecht, who carried out 322 executions using the guillotine.
Today, the guillotine is no longer used as a method of execution, but its legacy lives on as a symbol of the darker aspects of human history.
1. The guillotine was invented in 1789 by Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, a French surgeon.
2. Guillotin proposed the guillotine as a new method of execution to be quick, effective, and available to everyone, regardless of social class.
3. The guillotine was designed by Antoine Louis, a doctor who described his role in the project as a humanitarian act.
4. The guillotine was first tested on sheep and goats, then on human corpses.
5. The first execution by guillotine took place in 1792.
6. The guillotine was initially painted red.
7. The guillotine was used extensively during the French Revolution, with over 16,000 people executed between 1793 and 1794.
8. The guillotine was used to execute King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette.
9. The guillotine was also used in Germany during World War II, with over 16,000 people executed between 1933 and 1945.
10. Johann Reichhart, a German executioner, personally executed 2,876 people during World War II.
11. The last execution by guillotine in France took place in 1977.
12. The guillotine was used to execute people for a variety of crimes, including treason, murder, and listening to Allied radio broadcasts during World War II.
13. Executioners, such as Charles Henri Sanson, became famous for their work during the French Revolution.
14. The guillotine was seen as a more humane method of execution compared to other methods, such as hanging or breaking on the wheel.
15. The guillotine was also seen as a way to make executions more efficient and less painful for the condemned.