logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2024
57m 44s

505. The French Revolution: The Shadow o...

Goalhanger
About this episode

During the "Ancien Regime", royal executioners held an unholy status, and would strike up fear in the crowds as they walked the streets of Paris. But with the Revolution, the role of executioners in society was reformed, and whilst they lost some of their privileges, they were ushered into to a new, universalist France. And as the Revolution brought forward more and more enemies of the state, executioners were faced with more victims than the axe could handle. This, combined with an ever growing debate around the humanity and dignity of executions, would lead to the invention of a killing machine still used by the French state more than 150 years later…


Join Tom and Dominic in the third part of our second season of the French Revolution, as they look at gruesome methods of execution under the French monarchy, the changing role of executioners, how the Guillotine came to loom so large over the fate of so many…


_______

Looking for all of our episodes on the French Revolution? Check out The Rest Is History’s French Revolution playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX6W9e1zgsgaG

_______

LIVE SHOWS

*The Rest Is History LIVE in the U.S.A.*

If you live in the States, we've got some great news: Tom and Dominic will be performing throughout America in November, with shows in San Francisco, L.A., Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Boston and New York.

*The Rest Is History LIVE at the Royal Albert Hall*

Tom and Dominic, accompanied by a live orchestra, take a deep dive into the lives and times of two of history’s greatest composers: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven.

Tickets on sale now at TheRestIsHistory.com

_______

Twitter:

@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook

Producer: Theo Young-Smith

Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis + Becki Hills

Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Jul 6
580. The Irish Civil War: The Assassination of Sir Henry Wilson (Part 1)
Who was Sir Henry Wilson, and how was he shockingly murdered in 1922? Who ordered it? What was his attitude to the question of Irish Home Rule? Why has death been compared to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose death triggered the First World War? How did he garn ... Show More
49m 32s
Jul 2
579. The Irish War of Independence: Showdown in London (Part 4)
What were the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed in December 1921, following negotiations between the UK and Sinn Féin? How was it received by the Irish people? What was the process by which it was agreed between Lloyd George, Winston Churchill, Michael Collins, and Arthur G ... Show More
1h 7m
Jun 29
578. The Irish War of Independence: Bloody Sunday (Part 3)
What occurred on Bloody Sunday on 21 November 1920 - a turning point in the Irish War of Independence and one of the bloodiest and most brutal moments in Irish history? How many British Army Officers were assassinated on the instructions of firebrand political leader, Michael Col ... Show More
59m 46s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
The Battle of Valmy
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the most consequential battles of recent centuries. On 20th September 1792 at Valmy, 120 miles to the east of Paris, the army of the French Revolution faced Prussians, Austrians and French royalists heading for Paris to free Louis XVI and re ... Show More
47m 43s
Dec 2024
Marie Antoinette
In 1770, 14-year-old Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria arrived in France to marry Louis XVI. As Marie Antoinette, she became the ultimate diva of her time; rebelling against the the rigid protocols of court and crafting a unique visual identity; wearing men's clothing and spor ... Show More
40m 46s
May 18
[BEST OF] "The 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte" by Karl Marx
ORIGINALLY RELEASED Mar 19, 2024 Alyson and Breht explain and explore Karl Marx's classic work "The 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte." Together, they discuss Marx’s incisive analysis of Louis Bonaparte’s rise to power, the complex interplay between historical events and class str ... Show More
1h 37m
Dec 2024
Outlaws vs the FBI: J. Edgar Hoover's G-Men
What makes the ideal gangster hunter? In the 1930s, outlaws like John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Bonnie & Clyde were the scourge on the justice system of the United States. To bring them in, the lawmakers needed to try something new. And that something new was the FBI. Don i ... Show More
26m 33s
Jun 27
The Murder of Henry VI
An investigation into the dramatic siege of London in 1471 and the controversial and mysterious death of Henry VI. Matt Lewis is joined by Andrew Boardman to unpack Thomas Neville's assault on London, a rebellion that set the city on fire and led to panic within its walls. They e ... Show More
53m 21s
Jan 2025
Olympe de Gouges
In this episode, we delve into the life and legacy of Olympe de Gouges, an often forgotten, yet really remarkable, player in the French Revolution. Olympe was a playwright, activist, advocate and so much more. She's most famous for her Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of th ... Show More
57m 6s
Jan 2025
The Rise of Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte is a household name; a rare example of someone who is as well remembered by his supporters as by his enemies. His life is rich with dramatic irony. He was a key figure in the creation of the First French Republic, yet became a self-appointed Emperor. Surrounded ... Show More
42m 5s
Apr 17
The Truth About Paul Revere's Ride
Paul Revere's Midnight Ride is a legend of the American Revolutionary War - galloping through the Massachusetts' dark to warn Sam Adams, John Hancock and the rest that the British were coming. The next morning, those Patriots in Lexington and Concord were ready for battle. But wh ... Show More
41m 9s
Jul 2024
The Third Presidential Assassination: McKinley
On 5th September, 1901, President William McKinley attended a public reception at the Pan American Exposition, a 6-month-long World’s Fair, in Buffalo, New York. He was at the height of his power, having been re-elected at the beginning of the year. But one of the people who stoo ... Show More
39m 23s
Jun 2017
Episode Seven: The Undesired
The road to the French Revolution. The Bastille, the Tennis Court Oath, the Women's March on Versailles, the Great Fear, and Lafayette (yes, that Lafayette) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 
50m 35s