The Napoleonic Wars changed the history of warfare, in particular through France's refusal to honor the tradition of prisoner swaps, thus vastly increasing the number of prisoners of war. France also imprisoned all English males on French soil, which went against the custom of only arresting active combatants. The British followed suit; thus, there were an estimated 80,000 French prisoners interned in Britain during the war. Left to their own devices, prisoners occupied themselves with the traditional handicrafts of soldiers and sailors, such as carving, whittling, and fancy ropework. This pastime soon turned into a mini economy. France gave their prisoners a small salary, so prisoners used that money to buy supplies from the British officers who then either purchased the carvings from the prisoners or brought in others to buy. This guillotine is of an impressive size and features some unique elements, such as the mini cannons lining the deck, the working guillotine blade, and the large amount of soldiers present.