In September 1792, many prisoners were killed brutally in Paris. It was followed by a season of terror, violence and widespread paranoia. This event is known as the September Massacres.
The changing political climate in Paris led to the September Massacres. In the beginning of August, 1792, the Prussians under Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick issued the Brunswick Manifesto. It was a notorious declaration that threatened to avenge Paris if the French royal family was harmed. Though the manifesto aimed to create a sense of fear in the people, it had quite the opposite effect.
The Brunswick Manifesto triggered the people of Paris. They made efforts to defend the city and combat foreign imperialists. On 2nd September, gangs of armed common people stormed the city and killed thousands of people, including hundreds of Swiss Guards, royal soldiers, clergymen, nobles and suspected counter-revolutionaries.
The days that followed were drenched in violence and the civil authorities could not do much to stop the killings.
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