Muslim Nationalism Dbq

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In many ways the guillotine played a major role in the events of the French Revolution. It served as a way for the French revolutionaries to strike fear into the minds of citizens. Another impact that the guillotine had on the French Revolution was the sheer killing efficiency that it had. The guillotine was able to kill many people in a very short period of time, as well. For these reasons it can be said that the guillotine was one of the most influential figures throughout the time of the French Revolution. The guillotine was one of the most feared structures in France all the way up until the year 1981. Directly in the center of Paris, the figure stood proudly. It served as a warning to all those who would ever dare to break any laws. On the cover of the novel The Guillotine: It’s Legend and Lore, by Daniel Gerould, a guillotine stands in the mist (Document 2). This is the way it has been perceived since its conception by Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin. Another way that the guillotine was used as a form of mental warfare was when famous political leaders and important citizens were executed publicly. This was done to Marie Antoinette and her husband and King of France, Louis XVI. They were killed publicly and they were heckled all the while. Another case like this was when Maximilien Robespierre, the father of the “Terror”, was killed. These are just a few of the many cases of the guillotine being used to send a message to the people (Document 7). The guillotine was also fearsome in that it did not always kill instantly. At times the victim could be alive for seconds, even minutes, following the blow (Document 5). Maximilien Robespierre himself even argued that the only way to regain and to keep order in a society is through the usage of fear and terror to keep citizens in line. This mindset led to the “Reign of Terror” and with that came the immense amount of
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