Danton before the Revolutionary Tribunal

Accused of corruption, treason and collusion with the enemies of the Republic, Georges Danton was brought before the Revolutionary Tribunal in April 1794. It was a sham trial orchestrated by the Committee of Public Safety, at the end of which Danton and his supporters (including Camille Desmoulins and Fabre d’Églantine) were found guilty of financial malpractice and conspiracy against liberty.
Danton, renowned for his oratory skills, nevertheless dominated the proceedings with his powerful voice and defiance, addressing his judges with such force that the public began to side with him. This prompted the Convention to pass a decree silencing the accused and forbidding them from continuing their defence.
Unable to make their voices heard, Danton and his co-defendants were sentenced to death on 5 April 1794 and guillotined the same day in Paris.
Danton’s last words as he climbed the scaffold were: ‘Executioner, show my head to the people; it is worth seeing !’