Everything Everywhere Daily · Friday, August 7, 2026
During the French Revolution's Reign of Terror, tens of thousands were executed, with Paris alone seeing around 2,600 deaths. The podcast highlights how these executions, particularly by guillotine, became public spectacles with crowds gathering, singing, and dancing, serving as both a deterrent and a celebration of revolutionary victory.
“One of the major events of the revolution was the Reign of Terror, which saw the execution of tens of thousands of people by guillotine who were often sentenced without trial or with flimsy evidence.”
“During the Reign of Terror, approximately 2,600 people were executed in just Paris alone.”
“The French had turned the executions into a spectacle, both serving as a deterrent to opposing the revolution, but also as a celebration of the revolution's victory.”