of Louis XVI's Execution
of Louis XVI's beheading
By Richard Moore
by Dr Joseph Guillotine, a man described as kindly and who wanted
to make execution more humane, the guillotine quickly became a symbol
of tyranny during the French Revolution.
were placed on a bench, face down, and their necks positioned between
actual beheading was very quick - often to the gathered crowd's
disgust - taking less than half a second from blade drop to the
victim's head rolling into the waiting basket.
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.
piece of gruesome news would not have worried the crowd, which continually
called for aristocratic and royalist blood to be spilt.
estimated 40,000 people travelled on the tumbrils through Paris
to die under Madame Guillotine.
weight of a Guillotine was about 580 kilos (1278lb)
The blade weighed over 40 kilos (88.2lb)
Height of side posts was just over 4m (14ft)
The blade drop was 2.3m (88 inches)
Power at impact was 400 kilos (888lb) per square inch.