And other important commentary The Reign of Terror The period
from June 1793 to July 1794 in France is known as the Reign of
Terror or simply "the Terror". The upheaval following the
overthrow of the monarchy, fear of invasion by foreign
monarchist powers and fear of counterrevolution from pro-
monarchy parties within France all combined to throw the nation
into chaos and the government into frenzied paranoia... The
Guillotine Outside of France Just as there were guillotine-like
devices in countries other than France before 1792, likewise
some countries, especially in Europe, have continued to use this
method of execution into modern times. A notable example is
Germany, where the guillotine is known in German as Fallbeil
("falling axe"). It has been used in various German states since
the 17th century, becoming the usual method of execution in
Napoleonic times in many parts of Germany... From its first use,
there has been debate as to whether the guillotine always
provided as swift a death as Dr Guillotin hope