During the Reign of Terror in the French Revolution, the significant turn involved radical measures taken by the Jacobin government to protect the revolution from perceived enemies. Led by Maximilien Robespierre, this period saw widespread political purges and the establishment of the guillotine as a primary instrument of execution. Thousands were executed, including former allies, leading to a climate of fear and suspicion. The Reign of Terror, initially intended to stabilize the revolution, ultimately revealed the destructive potential of political radicalism and culminated in Robespierre's own downfall, highlighting the revolution's volatile and often violent nature.