The last use of the guillotine in France and death penalty

For nearly two centuries, the guillotine stood as a grim symbol of justice in France. Known as the “National Razor”, this instrument of execution gained notoriety during the French Revolution, cutting short the lives of kings, revolutionaries, and criminals alike. But the story of the guillotine stretches far beyond the tumult of 1789. It remained the official method of execution in France until the late 20th century, an astonishing fact given its bloody origins.

The Origins of the Guillotine

Although often associated with the French Revolution, the guillotine was not invented to promote terror, but to ensure equality in capital punishment. Before its introduction, beheadings were often carried out with swords or axes, a privilege of the upper classes. Commoners, on the other hand, faced hanging or worse. The uneven nature of these executions, some of which were botched and prolonged, led to calls for reform.

Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, a French doctor and member of the French National Assembly, proposed in 1789 that all executions be carried out “by means of a machine” that would provide a humane form of execution. Despite popular belief, Dr. Guillotin did not invent the device, nor did he welcome its association with his name. That honour goes to Dr. Antoine Louis and a German harpsichord maker, Tobias Schmidt, who developed the machine under state commission.

Inspired by earlier devices such as the Halifax Gibbet in England and the Scottish Maiden, the French version was adopted quickly. The first execution using the guillotine took place on 25 April 1792, with highwayman Nicolas Jacques Pelletier as the first person to feel the sharp guillotine’s blade.

The Guillotine During the French Revolution

The machine gained a great deal of notoriety during the Revolution, especially in the period known as the Reign of Terror (1793–1794). Spearheaded by Maximilien Robespierre and the Revolutionary Tribunal, thousands were sentenced to death, from enemies of the French Republic to former allies of the cause.

Among the most famous victims were King Louis XVI, executed in January 1793, and Marie Antoinette, who followed in October of the same year. The blade fall was quick and decisive, but the spectacle was deeply public. Crowds gathered in city squares to witness public executions, where guillotine operators and assistant executioners became reluctant national celebrities.

The irony reached a peak when Robespierre himself met the guillotine in July 1794, signalling the end of the Terror. The machine that once served the Revolution’s ideals had consumed its own architects.

Post-Revolutionary France and Continued Use

Despite the Terror’s excesses, the guillotine was not retired. In pre-revolutionary France, punishment was often inconsistent. But now, with a centralised judiciary and codified laws, the French government saw the guillotine as a rational, efficient tool. It remained the official method of execution through the 19th and 20th centuries, applied to murderers, traitors, and political dissidents.

The machine moved off the main squares and into courtyards, but executions remained public well into the 1930s. The last public guillotine execution took place in 1939, when Eugen Weidmann, a convicted German murderer, was executed in Versailles. The scene was so chaotic, with spectators climbing trees and snapping photos, that future executions were banned from public view. From then on, executions were carried out behind prison walls, typically in the early morning to avoid unrest.

The Last Person to Face the Guillotine

Fast forward to 10 September 1977, when Hamida Djandoubi, a Tunisian immigrant, became the last person to be executed by guillotine in France, and, indeed, the last execution carried out by mechanical decapitation in any Western democracy. Convicted of torturing and murdering his former girlfriend, Djandoubi’s case reignited fierce debate over the death penalty.

Held in Baumettes Prison in Marseille, Djandoubi was executed in the courtyard after exhausting his appeals. Le Monde, the French newspaper, covered the event with muted tones, reflecting growing discomfort with the practice.

His execution marked the first time in modern history that a Western European country had carried out capital punishment in such a starkly medieval manner.

The Movement Toward Abolition

By the 1970s, France was one of the last European countries still using the guillotine. Internationally, most had moved towards abolition or suspension of the death sentence, and public opinion was shifting. Human rights organisations, religious leaders, and intellectuals condemned the continued use of the guillotine as outdated and inhumane.

Inside France, the debate intensified. Presidents Georges Pompidou and Valéry Giscard d’Estaing were hesitant to act. But mounting pressure from the public and the media eventually led to political action.

In 1981, under newly elected President François Mitterrand, the French National Assembly voted to abolish the death penalty entirely. Justice Minister Robert Badinter, a lifelong opponent of capital punishment, argued passionately that “France must not have a law that kills.” And with that, the machine’s 189-year reign came to a close.

Cultural Legacy of the Guillotine

The guillotine remains one of the most iconic and controversial instruments of justice ever created. While it was introduced as a humane form of execution, its association with mass killings, political purges, and public spectacle makes its legacy deeply complex.

During its time, the guillotine was arguably efficient in its delivery time, ensuring swift justice. For some, it became part of the family business, with the Sanson family serving as executioners for generations, and featured prominently in French literature and film. Its presence loomed large in stories about the September Massacres, Georges Danton, and the societal collapse that followed the Revolution.

Yet its continued use into the 20th century, even as the world moved away from axe beheadings and hanging, makes it a historical anomaly.

In educational circles, the guillotine offers a good first step to discuss themes like justice, human rights, political change, and how societies reckon with their past. Schools often teach about the guillotine in relation to the French Revolution, and how it shaped the birth of the French Republic.

The End of Public Executions in France

The transition from public executions to private ones mirrored changing attitudes in the West. Once a tool to display state power, executions increasingly became a source of shame and legal discomfort.

The last public guillotine execution in 1939 exposed the darker side of this spectacle. The frenzied crowd and media circus turned the solemn act of justice into a public event of voyeurism. It helped prompt the French government to reconsider the cultural implications of such practices.

From National Razor to National Reflection

Today, the guillotine is a stark reminder of a turbulent past in museums. It is no longer a tool of justice, but a historical artefact that invites reflection.

Its story, from the first execution to Djandoubi’s execution, shows how a society can evolve, sometimes slowly, towards a more compassionate legal system. It is a tale not only of justice, but also of revolution, reform, and ultimately, restraint.

Whether displayed in textbooks, documentaries, or exhibitions, the guillotine continues to provoke discussion. Its legacy is a powerful example of how justice, once meted out in public squares, has gradually become a matter of private conscience and national morality.