When Terror Became Policy

The Reign of Terror, from September 1793 to July 1794, saw the revolutionary government execute approximately 17,000 people by official count, with many more dying in prisons and provincial purges.

The Terror consumed its own creators with grim inevitability. Danton, who helped launch the Revolution, was guillotined in April 1794 for being too moderate. His last words to the executioner: "Show my head to the people. It is worth seeing."