Café Terminus attack

Café Terminus

Industry	Hospitality
Headquarters	Paris , France

The Café Terminus bombing took place on 12 February 1894 and was carried out by the anarchist Émile Henry, who targeted visitors at the Café Terminus. This incident, occurring during the Ère des attentats (1892–1894), stands as one of the earliest instances of contemporary mass terrorism and is particularly remembered for Henry's courtroom declaration, which shaped this type of violent activism.

After the introduction of the lois scélérates ('villainous laws'), the intensified repression in early 1894, and the executions of anarchists Ravachol and Auguste Vaillant—both carried out without clemency from French President Sadi Carnot—Carnot became a symbolic adversary to anarchists, who held him responsible for their persecution. While in Paris during this period of suppression, Henry—potentially collaborating with members of the Ortiz gang, such as Léon Ortiz or Paolo Chiericotti—assembled an explosive device aimed at assassinating Carnot.

On 12 February, Henry attempted to reach the Élysée Palace but was unsuccessful. Subsequently, he sought entry to aristocratic gatherings at the Opéra and Hôtel de Ville, only to be refused access. Eventually, he decided to target the Café Terminus, detonating his bomb around 9 p.m. He escaped the scene but was soon captured, tried, and executed by guillotine. Several months later, Carnot was killed by Italian anarchist Sante Caserio.

During his trial, Henry asserted that his act was a deliberately planned form of terrorism designed to indiscriminately retaliate against government oppression of anarchists. This assertion has led to his recognition as a pioneer of modern terrorism. Nonetheless, contemporary historians challenge this interpretation, citing his erratic behavior and initial focus on Carnot and elite social events as evidence against a carefully orchestrated plan. They suggest that Henry’s motivation stemmed more from a desire to impress anarchist Élisa Gauthey than from ideological foresight. Furthermore, Henry embellished his statements in court to shield his comrades legally.

Although this mass-terrorism approach was not broadly adopted in subsequent anarchist propaganda-of-the-deed actions—which tended to emphasize targeted killings—it nonetheless played a significant role in shaping terrorism's development into the early 21st century.

Context

During the 19th century, anarchism developed throughout Europe and expanded worldwide as a movement opposing all forms of unjust authority, especially economic control exerted by capitalism. Anarchists identified the State as a principal institution enforcing such domination through mechanisms like police forces, military power, and propaganda.

Following the Clichy affair between 1891 and 1892—when police violently suppressed anarchist protests and courts acquitted officers while convicting protestors—the years 1892–1894 became known as the Ère des attentats. In response, anarchists such as Ravachol launched attacks against those they held responsible for repression. Ravachol was executed after bombing judicial figures involved in prosecuting participants in the Clichy affair, becoming a martyr within anarchist circles.

Émile Henry, influenced by his brother Fortuné Henry, closely monitored these developments. Earlier in his life, he experienced romantic disappointment with fellow anarchist militant Élisa Gauthey, resulting in a complex platonic relationship marked by her rejection. The Henry brothers observed the Ère des attentats attentively and attempted intervention during Ravachol’s execution but were thwarted by police security.

During the 1892 Carmaux strike, socialists undermined workers’ efforts by breaking the strike, worsening labor conditions. Henry is believed to have assisted militants in bombing the company’s headquarters; this explosion also affected a nearby police station, resulting in several officer fatalities. While Henry fled, his brother was apprehended separately.

While exiled in London and Belgium, Henry associated with individuals such as Léon Ortiz, Placide Schouppe, and others. Within the illegalist faction known as the Ortiz gang, he participated in burglaries throughout Northern France.

In December 1893, Auguste Vaillant detonated a bomb inside the French National Assembly intending to pressure lawmakers into tackling poverty and opposing French imperialism. The attack caused minor injuries but no fatalities. Vaillant’s arrest prompted the French government to enact two lois scélérates—laws that drastically curtailed political liberties under anti-terrorism justifications. These laws initiated a severe crackdown on anarchists starting January 1894.

Preparation

As arrests of anarchists increased, Henry made his way back to Paris. French President Sadi Carnot, known for his strict crackdown and refusal to pardon Vaillant, became a key target. By early 1894, Henry and members of the Ortiz gang had relocated to Paris, successfully evading police scrutiny aimed at recognized anarchists. Although authorities suspected Henry operated a "laboratory" in Ménilmontant, they were unable to find it. It is probable that Henry and his associates were involved in bomb production, with attack plans taking shape by February 1894.

Louis Matha, a prominent anarchist and mentor to Henry’s companion Émile, journeyed from London to Paris. His goal was to persuade Henry against carrying out an attack, meeting him on 11 February. Despite Henry’s discomfort with Matha’s friendship, they agreed on a subsequent meeting. Matha likely served as an intermediary attempting to avert Henry’s violent intentions.

Café Terminus attack

Henry did not attend the follow-up meeting with Matha the next day and remained inactive before attempting to assassinate Carnot at the Élysée Palace. Security measures barred his entry, prompting him to wander through Paris targeting upscale establishments; however, he was refused entry due to his appearance and lack of funds. Frustrated by these setbacks, he shifted from targeting an individual to planning an act of mass violence.

Later that evening, Henry scouted several cafés near Gare Saint-Lazare but sought a venue where his impact would be greatest. Around 8:30 P.M., he entered Café Terminus, ordered a cigar and beer, then at approximately 9:15 P.M., hurled a bomb into the crowded space. The blast wounded 17 individuals and caused one fatality, including notable victims such as rentier Pauline Kinsbourg and Ernest Borde, underscoring the indiscriminate nature of the attack.

This bombing represented a marked intensification in anarchist tactics, signaling Henry’s tactical shift toward large-scale terrorism amidst escalating political repression in Paris.

Arrest

After fleeing from the Terminus, Henry was chased by Émile-Joseph Martinguet, waiter Tissier, and a railway worker. He drew a revolver and fired at Tissier. Police officer François Poisson, who had been nearby discussing Vaillant’s execution, joined the pursuit alongside a barber and two ticket inspectors. Henry shot the barber but was apprehended by Poisson and two officers at the intersection of Rue de l’Isly and Rue de Rome. During the struggle, he shot Poisson again but failed to kill him because his bullets had been deliberately flattened to inflict greater damage at distance, reducing their effectiveness in close quarters.

The confrontation continued with Henry being struck by a ticket inspector while grappling with Poisson, who held his saber blade against Henry's throat. Police reinforcements soon arrived. Throughout most of the arrest, Henry remained silent until he suddenly shouted:

You pigs, I'll kill you all!

At the station, he refused to disclose his identity. While receiving medical treatment for his wounds, Henry declared that such actions were natural for anarchists and called for the eradication of the bourgeoisie to achieve human freedom, stating he would kill a bourgeois doctor without hesitation.

Aftermath

Following his capture, officials including Prefect Lépine questioned Henry, who claimed provincial origins under the name Breton and denied any involvement. During his transfer, a hostile crowd insulted him; he retorted by labeling them cowards.

It is believed that anarchists removed explosives from Henry’s residence shortly after his arrest; these devices may have been utilized in the Madeleine bombing one month later.

At trial, Henry assumed full responsibility for the attack and promoted mass terrorism as justified retaliation against state oppression. His brother Fortuné challenged this explanation, suggesting that Henry’s actions were motivated more by a desire to impress Élisa Gauthey than by ideological conviction.

Contemporary historians tend to support this interpretation, noting that Henry’s erratic conduct and urgency on attack day point toward emotional motives. Gauthey reportedly regretted rejecting him and admired his actions.

Henry was sentenced to death after confessing sole responsibility and articulating theories on modern mass terrorism. He showed little concern about his fate and was executed by guillotine one month later. President Sadi Carnot—who had denied clemency for Henry as he had for anarchists Vaillant and Ravachol—was assassinated months afterward by Sante Caserio.

Emergence of contemporary terrorism

The assault, together with the attacks by Léon Léauthier on 13 November 1893 and Santiago Salvador during the Liceu bombing on 7 November 1893, is recognized as one of the earliest instances of modern mass terrorism. Nevertheless, since Léauthier denied involvement during his trial and Salvador's legal proceedings took place after Henry’s, it was Henry's testimony that first articulated this terrorist approach. Scholars such as Ferragu, Merriman, Petit, and Badier endorse this interpretation, whereas Salomé contends that the attack was directed at a particular bourgeois adversary. According to Petit, this transition toward mass terrorism is less a reflection of anarchist ideology and more connected to Henry’s individual motivations, as indicated by the unpredictable nature of his actions and his grandiose statements in court intended to impress Gauthey.

Although this form of terrorism had minimal influence on subsequent anarchist terrorism—which either vanished or reverted to classic tyrannicide—it was rapidly embraced by various terrorist factions throughout the early 20th century. Merriman underscores Henry's intellectual transformation during his courtroom declaration when he condemned society as collectively culpable and therefore a valid target—a notion later echoed by multiple terrorist groups, including Islamic terrorism. He advises caution when drawing parallels due to fundamentally conflicting ideologies. Still, the idea of a broadly guilty society targeted without discrimination is a shared characteristic between Henry’s attack and these later movements. Ferragu characterizes this "massification" of terrorism:

By executing attacks 'indiscriminately,' Émile Henry revolutionized the concept of assault, moving beyond tyrannicide toward modern terrorism that identifies society itself as both the enemy and the objective (specifically the 'bourgeoisie').

Petit and Delpech stress subtlety, observing that Henry acted both emotionally and with intent to shield his comrades. Thus, his declarations likely amplified his violent image and theory of mass terrorism beyond his genuine intentions, implying that his statements were retrospective constructions that reveal but do not fully explain this evolution in terrorism.

Unresolved issues

The bombing at Café Terminus presents historiographical difficulties, especially concerning Henry's collaborators. Bouhey proposes that the operation—originally intended to assassinate Carnot—was probably orchestrated by multiple anarchists, including Henry himself and possibly Ortiz, Chiericotti, Marocco, Pauwels, Matha, among others within their network.