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Lafayette's Capture
- Danton issued a warrant for Lafayette's arrest, leading to Lafayette fleeing to Austrian Netherlands.
- Lafayette planned to sail to the US, but got arrested by Austrians and handed to Prussians, where he remained captive until 1797.
First Guillotine Execution
- The first political prisoner executed by guillotine was an administrative secretary of the Paris National Guard.
- This marked the introduction of the guillotine, initially called "the machine," into the French Revolution.
Guillotine as Reform
- The guillotine was initially conceived as a humane reform in capital punishment.
- It aimed to reduce suffering and equalize execution, extending beheading to all, not just nobles.