Which head of state was shot by firing squad on Christmas Day 1989?
Execution by firing squad in the thousands, were eventually given life sentences or reclusion perpetua instead. Nicolae Ceaușescu was executed by firing squad alongside his wife while singing the Communist Internationale following a show trial, bringing an end to the Romanian Revolution. In Tsarist Russia firing squads were, undoubtedly, used in the army, for executions during combat on the orders of military tribunals. In the Soviet Union, from the very earliest days, the bullet to the back of the head, in front of a ready-dug burial trench was by far the most common practice. It became especially widely used during the Great Purge. Executions
Execution by firing squad half an hour later. This gave rise to the phrase "shot at dawn". Execution by firing squad is distinct from other forms of execution by firearms, such as an execution by a single firearm to the back of the head or neck. However, the single shot by the squad's officer with a pistol (coup de grâce) is sometimes incorporated in a firing squad execution, particularly if the initial volley turns out not to be immediately fatal. Before the introduction of firearms, bows or crossbows were often used—Saint Sebastian is usually depicted as executed by a squad of Roman auxiliary archers