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Capital Punishment In The French Revolution

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The dictionary meaning of capital punishment is the legally authorized killing of someone as punishment for a crime. The purposes for the use of capital punishment vary from retribution to deterrence (National Police Committee). Retribution would only come into play when the same amount of pain the victim has suffered is given to the criminal as punishment. Deterrence, on the other hand, according to the National Police Committee, implies a utilitarian purpose. Specific and general are two forms of deterrence (National Police Committee). Specific deterrence leans more towards punishing a criminal for his or her crimes in hopes that they will not commit another crime in the near future. General deterrence is to prevent such crimes from occurring in the first place (National Police Committee). In addition, the public openly knowing that the state can institute and practice the death penalty “serves to deter others from committing capital crimes to avoid similar punishment” (National Police …show more content…

In the French Revolution, capital punishment was also known as the usage of the guillotine. Although the start of the guillotine is quite unusual, the guillotine was argued for to the National Assembly (Klein) . A parisian deputy and anatomy professor, Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, stood before the National Assembly and “argued that it was unfair for common criminals to be executed by all kinds of torturous methods while aristocratic felons had the privilege of having quick decapitations” (Klein). In addition, the guillotine was seen as a good method for correcting criminals whom have committed crimes to a certain degree to deserve this kind of punishment. This being its use, the guillotine was well known during the French Revolution because it beheaded many important figures in history Marie-Antoinette and King Louis XVI, all within

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During the time of the Terror, 1793-1794, a total of 14,000 people were executed from the guillotine, firing squads, or other methods of torture. Among the perishing of many, hostile actions were committed against the State and conspiracy (Doc 2). Collectively, the entire country was “in disarray” due to the brutal nature of the French Revolution. The nation was being attacked by the Prussian, Austrian, and British troops and the economy was in ruins as well. Through this time of panic and stress throughout the entirety of France, there were advantages for the Revolutionary Army, but also disadvantages for its people and the country in terms of enemies.

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Approximately 40,000 people were executed. Known as the "Reign of Terror," 15% of the executed were nobles and the clergy and another 15% were people of the middle class. The remaining executed citizens were peasants and san-culottes. All of them had one thing in common: death by guillotine, a new execution engine with a falling blade. Endorsed by Maximilien Robespierre, the guillotine brought great fear to citizen across France.

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The Tyranny of Maximilien Robespierre Beginning in 1793, a one-year period called the Reign of Terror took place in the midst of the French Revolution. The political parties, the Jacobins and the Girondins, conspired in order to overthrow the French monarchy. This period is characterized by the harsh rulers who issued tens of thousands of official death sentences. These rulers were considered tyrants known for their oppressive and selfish rule.

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When a judge is considering sentencing to convict an offender specific deterrence should be more valuable than general deterrence but both are needed in the sentencing process. For the offender not to reoffend specific deterrence need to be embedded to determine the certainty of the crime. So the offender will not commit the same crime twice. Overall doing the sentencing process the judge have the right to use this offender specific deterrence to promote general deterrence to the public. This will allow other to fear the consequences and possibly punishment if they commit this specific crime.

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“‘Are you dying for him?’ she whispered. ‘And his wife and child. Hush! Yes.’”

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