* No Centralized Records: Records were often incomplete, inaccurate, or destroyed.
* Different Sources: Different historians estimate different numbers based on the data available.
* Varying Definitions of "Terror": The period of the Reign of Terror isn't definitively defined. Some historians consider it to start earlier or end later than the official dates (June 1793-July 1794).
Estimates:
* The most commonly cited estimate: around 17,000 executions by guillotine during the Reign of Terror.
* Other estimates: range from as low as 10,000 to as high as 40,000.
Important to Note:
* The guillotine wasn't the only method of execution during the Reign of Terror. Other methods included shooting, drowning, and being burned alive.
* While the guillotine was a symbol of the Terror, it's crucial to remember the broader context. The Reign of Terror was a period of intense political upheaval and violence, with executions encompassing a wide range of political opponents, suspected counterrevolutionaries, and even ordinary citizens caught up in the hysteria.
Ultimately, the number of guillotine executions during the Terror remains an estimated figure. However, it's clear that the guillotine became a powerful symbol of the Revolution's violence and repression.