Death by Guillotine
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Anacharsis Cloots was beheaded on March 24, 1794. Ten years before his death, Anacharsis Cloots had left France to travel through Europe, and returned to France five years later, just after the French Revolution had started. He quickly became an ardent democrat and leader of 34 individuals, his own "embassy of the human race". He then attended the National Assembly and declared to the whole world that they follow the democratic ideals of the revolution. He then titled himself "Orator of Mankind" and adopted the name Anacharsis, then declared himself "the personal enemy of Jesus Christ". He soon became a Naturalized French Citizen and was elected to go to the National Convention. There, he advocated that the French liberate the rest of Europe. The Convention backed his idea, and soon, France was at war with most of Europe. At the National Convention, Cloots also voted in favor of the Capital Punishment for King Louis XVI, saying that he was justifying the human race.
After King Louis XVI was executed, the Jacobins took control of the government in June, 1793. Cloots identified himself with the right-hand man of the Jacobins', under the rule of Jacques Hébert. In December, the Jacobin Leader had Cloots expelled from the Jacobin Club for Cloots' support in the Hébertist dechristianizers, who attempted to destroy the church's power and all catholic institutions. When the Committee of Public Safety, under Robespierre's direction, levelled accusations of treason at the Hébertists, they also accused Cloots of treason. Although his innocence was a manifest, he was condemned, and soon guillotined on March 24, 1794. He followed Vincent, Momoro, Rosin, and the rest of the Hébertist leadership, in front of the largest crowd ever assembled for a public execution.
So, why was Anacharsis Cloots such an interesting man? And why did I choose to pick him? Well, I was wondering what to write about, so I looked at a list of people who were part of the French Revolution. I found the name Anacharsis Cloots and thought that it was an uncommon name. I started doing research on him, and realized that he was an interesting man. I thought that during the revolution, he really spoke for the people, and tried diplomacy before resulting to violence, which is a thing that not many people during the French Revolution would have been able to accomplish. Anacharsis Cloots was also nicknamed "speaker of mankind","citizen of humanity"and"personal enemy of God."
Here's a link for a really cool website that explains guillotines and brings up interesting points!
Hi Potterhead,
ReplyDeleteI love this post because it highlights a man who we would probably never know of if not for you. The French Revolution is so interesting, and learning about it has always fascinated me. That's probably why I checked out this blog! I wonder why they didn't try to be diplomatic like Cloots was.
Sincerely,
LD
Thank you for the compliment. I understand your interest about why people did not try to be diplomats, but you must keep in mind that the people were mad at the King. They had waited long enough to expect food from the King, so they resorted to violence. Keep reading,
Delete-Potterhead
Dear Potterhead,
ReplyDeleteThis post is very enjoyable to read because it highlights one of the goriest items in the French revolution, and it uses a cool gif. Could you perhaps tell us more about how fast someone died, and if they felt and pain?
Thanks, Bobbyblogman
Bobbyblogman,
DeleteThank you for the compliment. Although the victims of the guillotine did die quickly, they most likely felt pain for a brief amount of time. There is a theory that, when someone gets beheaded, the victim might be able to live with cut off blood supply for 5-7 seconds. Very interesting question.
Keep reading,
-Potterhead
Potterhead,
ReplyDeleteThis post is very informational! It expresses how the guillotine was a very important item in the French revolution, is visually appealing in the formatting, especially the very interesting gif, and helped me develop a better understanding of who Anacharsis Cloots was, and why he was beheaded. Being in the midst of the reign of terror must have been incredibly frightening for the castle members! How would you feel if you were being carried off by a violent mob, each step they take one step closer to the very item that would send your head rolling to the feet of a deathly, roaring crowd?
May your head stay appended to your body,
-Flexi
Dear Potterhead,
ReplyDeleteI admire your ability to make such a gory topic fun to read! I found the post very detailed as well as interesting with its word choice. This post felt very easy to follow, especially considering that I am not good with names! Keep up the good work!
Don't Die,
Camy
Potterhead,
ReplyDeleteYour exciting gifs and videos, combined with your descriptive, gripping, narrative storytelling turned this blog post into an amazing experience. It really showed me how critical (and infamous) the guillotine, and executions in general, were in the French Revolution. Despite it seeming to be a hard read at first glance, reading your post was an easy-going experience, even though I'm not perfect with complicated names.
Potterhead,
ReplyDeleteWho this was a amazing blog post! Very visually appealing. (Love that gif!) The people with strangest names are the most interesting people!
Thanks for sharing this :)
-Lion
Potterhead,
ReplyDeleteWhat a fascinating topic to blog about! I love how you shared the different executions that happened in the french revolution. Was the guillotine only used for public execution, or was it used for smaller killings too?
Basketball,
DeleteThank you for the compliments and the comment. Your question is unique and brings up an interesting point. Although it was mainly used for more important executions, it was also used to execute prisoners and such. The guillotine was a way to make beheading more humane, and the faster, the better.
Keep reading,
-Potterhead
Potterhead,
ReplyDeleteI really liked all the information you gave us and how you talked all about the guillotines. I was just wondering if the guillotines cut off the heads the first time. Thanks for the info!
Snazzy dolphins
Snazzy Dolphins,
DeleteThank you for taking the time to read through my blog post. To answer your question, yes, the guillotine would slice through the flesh, muscle and bone on the first try. Because of the angle at which the blade was set, and the weight of the blade, it would behead the victim in a fraction of a second.
Keep Reading,
-Potterhead
Hi Potterhead,
ReplyDeleteI loved that you chose someone to research that is not known to many. It was written well
too! I was wondering, why did the church have so much power, it could execute some of the most powerful people. Great blog!
-Sushi is the best
Sushi,
DeleteThank you for the compliments. Your question brings up a very interesting topic. Keep in mind that the French Revolution took place toward the end of the 18th century, and the majority of the people in Europe were Cristian. Because of this, whatever the church said was the word of God, and so everybody who worshiped God would do as he said.
Keep reading,
-Potterhead
Hey Potterhead Avada Kedavra,
ReplyDeleteThat GIF is great! I also I'm wondering, how did the guillotine get invented?
-NWS
NWS,
DeleteThank you for the compliment. To answer your question, the guillotine was invented in a way to make beheading easier and so that the victim felt less pain. With this goal in mind, inventors got to work and came up with the idea of the guillotine.
Keep reading,
-Potterhead
Hi potterhead,
ReplyDeleteI love this entry. While a bit grizzly, it remains informative and the gif really helps. I especially love the mini-biography of Anacharsis Cloot. Why did you choose this topic?
-Davitts
Davitts,
DeleteThank you for the compliment. I chose to research Anacharsis Cloots because, while I was browsing through websites, I came across his name. Because of how strange it was, I thought that maybe he was a strange man. Although he was not very strange, he was really interesting. The fact that he was guillotined was the icing on the cake, making it better because it would hook readers.
Keep reading,
Potterhead
Davitts,
DeleteThank you for the compliment. I chose to research Anacharsis Cloots because, while I was browsing through websites, I came across his name. Because of how strange it was, I thought that maybe he was a strange man. Although he was not very strange, he was really interesting. The fact that he was guillotined was the icing on the cake, making it better because it would hook readers.
Keep reading,
Potterhead
Hey potterhead,
ReplyDeleteI really like the photos you included. Do you think guillotines were wrong to use. Do you know how many existed?
Thanks-Peanutbutter
Peanutbutter,
DeleteThank you for the compliment. I do not know how many existed, but I do not think that they were wrong to use. Back then, although it was horrible, it was the quickest way to go. The guillotine was invented in an attempt to make executions more humane, and so I think that it was a good way to do so.
Keep reading,
Potterhead
Great job Potterhead,
ReplyDeleteI really liked this! What you would have done if you were in the French Revolution?
Thanks
GroovyGirl or MC
Wow Potterhead! Very scary! I really liked the guillotine! Did the killers use the guillotine gust to publicly embarrass the prisoner?
ReplyDeleteNice -AC
CoolDude,
DeleteThank you for the compliment. To answer your question, the guillotine was invented in an attempt to make beheading easier, less painful, and faster. Of course, walking up and placing your neck under the blade was probably terrifying, but this was the highest penalty that someone could bring about themselves.
Keep reading,
-Potterhead
Hi Potterhead,
ReplyDeleteFunny gif. I wonder, what made you choose the topic of an execution device?
-Triple M
Math_Man,
DeleteThank you for the compliment. To answer your question, I did not choose the topic of an execution device. It was mostly about Anacharsis Cloots, but I understand your confusion. The title, Death by Guillotine, was mostly just a hook to get people to read my blog post. Sorry if that was confusing.
Keep reading,
-Potterhead
Hi Potterhead,
ReplyDeleteFunny gif. I wonder, what made you choose the topic of an execution device?
-Triple M
Dear Potterhead,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed how you spoke about some of the bloodiest times in the French revoloution. Anacharsis Cloots seemed like quite the character. How did you choose to speak about this one particular person. Great job!
- Be Happy! (:
Be Happy,
DeleteThank you for the compliment. Honestly, I was looking for a character to write about, and I happened to come across the name Anacharsis Cloots. I noticed that this was quite a peculiar name, and did a bit of research. Soon after, I realized that this was a very interesting man, and decided to blog about him, because he deserves to be remembered.
Keep reading,
-Potterhead
Hey Potterhead,
ReplyDeleteCool blog post! I know about many of the main figures from the French Revolution, but It's cool to learn about lesser known people. How old was Anacharsis Cloots when he died?
-XC Runner
Hey, Potterhead!
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting post! I love the gif - nice touch. Why do you think Anacharsis declared himself the "personal enemy of God"?
Again, good job!
- Fri
Dear Potterhead,
ReplyDeleteI really liked reading your post because I always see stuff like this and I don't quite understand it, but after reading your blog I understand a lot more about it. Do you think that this way of killing people will be eventually brought back?
Sincerely,
LoveAndGelato