The Breaking Wheel: Call Me Floppy

What if the justice system decided the best way to get a confession was to introduce you to a very determined wheel?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan take a look at one of history’s most brutal methods of torture and execution: the Breaking Wheel. From 18th century Paris to ancient Greece, the Breaking Wheel was used in a variety of horrifying ways, from crushing limbs with iron clubs to literally rolling victims to their deaths.

We begin with the brutal executions of the Chevalier de Milhe and Count Antoine de Horn in 1720, before moving on to the infamous highwayman Cartouche and his very public encounter with the wheel. From there, we trace the practice across Europe and beyond, including Germany, France, Scotland, the Americas, and India.

We’ll also look at the alleged use of the wheel in ancient Rome, the story of Saint Catherine, the execution of Jean Calas, and one very unusual case in 1788 when an angry crowd decided they had seen quite enough and literally tore apart the scaffold to save a condemned man.

And of course, Kevin and Dan will bring their dark sense of humor to the subject, because apparently there is no shortage of things to joke about when the subject is a giant wheel designed to ruin your day. Along the way, we’ll look at some of the strangest variations of the punishment, the stories surrounding its use, and the surprising connection between the Breaking Wheel and the invention of the guillotine.

It’s torture history, brutal executions, dark history, and one very unfortunate wheel.

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