The September Massacres were attacks on Paris prisons in 1792 during the French Revolution. The attackers believed prisoners opposed the Revolution, and about 1,200 were killed, including children. The killers were Jacobins, and the violence was fueled by anger and a lust for bloodshed.
The September Massacres were a series of attacks on Paris prisons between September 2 and 7, 1792. The massacres were justified as a defense of Paris because France was undergoing the French Revolution during this period. The attackers believed that large numbers of prisoners opposed the Revolution and its efforts, so they wanted to eliminate opposition to the war.
The first act of the September Massacres occurred on 2 September as an act of mob violence. A mob of angry citizens massacred 24 priests who were being transported to L’Abbaye prison. Although some priests have tried to escape into the dungeon, none have been successful. After all the priests were killed, the mob entered the prison and killed many other prisoners as well.
The September massacres continued over the next five days. Horrific acts of violence took place during this September War and responsible unsympathetic citizens forced fellow prisoners to watch as body parts were ravaged, mutilated and robbed. While simply waiting their turn to be killed, the prisoners made no attempt to protect or defend themselves. Some survivors have noted the silent fury with which the mob wrought its destruction throughout the prison.
Before each murder, the citizens who had invaded the prison held a mock trial, during which they held the weapons, stained with blood from a previous massacre. The reasons given for the killing did not matter; the prisoners had no chance to defend themselves from the crowd. During these trials, many of the killers were drunk or half asleep.
About 1,200 prisoners were killed during the September massacres. This was about half the number of prisoners in Paris at the time. The executioners not only targeted adults who were blatantly against the Revolution, but children who had no interest in the matter were murdered just as savagely.
Many of these killers were Jacobins, considered noble as part of the Jacobin Club, the most powerful political organization during the French Revolution. When revolutionary leader Georges-Jacques Danton addressed the Assembly on September 2, he called for boldness against enemies. This speech, taken literally and directed against all counter-revolutionaries by the Jacobins and other assassins, contributed largely to the September massacres. The original acts of violence against priests stemmed from the belief that the clergy had close ties to the royalty of France and would never support the Revolution. Another motive for the killings included a simple lust for bloodshed fueled by the anger revolutionaries felt towards anyone who did not support their cause.
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