Why is Python sort faster than that of C++

Sorting a list of ints in python 3 seems to be faster than sorting an array of ints in C++. Below is the code for 1 python program and 2 C++ programs that I used for the test. Any reason why the C++ programs are slower? It doesn't make sense to me.

----- Program 1 - python 3.4 -----

from time import time

x = 10000
y = 1000

start = time()

for _ in range(y):
    a = list(range(x))
    a.reverse()
    a.sort()

print(round(time() - start, 2), 'seconds')

----- Program 2 - c++ using sort from algorithm ------

using namespace std;
#include <iostream>
#include <algorithm>

int main(){

    int x = 10000; 
    int y = 1000;
    int b[10000];

    cout << "start" << endl;

    for (int j = 0; j < y; j++){
        for (int i = 0; i < x; i++){
            b[i] = x - i;
        } // still slower than python with this clause taken out

        sort(b, b + x); // regular sort

    }

    cout << "done";
    system("pause");
}

----- Program 3 - c++ using hand written merge sort ------

using namespace std;
#include <iostream>

void merge(int * arr, int *temp, int first_start, int second_start, int      second_finish){

    int a1 = first_start, b1 = second_start, r = 0;

    while (a1 < second_start && b1 < second_finish){

        if (arr[a1] < arr[b1]){
            temp[r] = arr[a1];
            a1++; r++;
        }
        else {
            temp[r] = arr[b1];
            b1++; r++;
        }
    }
    if (a1 < second_start){

        while (a1 < second_start){
            temp[r] = arr[a1];
            a1++; r++;
        }
    }

    else {
        while (b1 < second_finish){
            temp[r] = arr[b1];
            b1++; r++;
        }
    }

    for (int i = first_start; i < second_finish; i++){
        arr[i] = temp[i - first_start];
    }
}

void merge_sort(int *a, int a_len, int *temp){
    int c = 1, start = 0;
    while (c < a_len){
        while (start + c * 2 < a_len){
            merge(a, temp, start, start + c, start + c * 2);
            start += c * 2;
        }
        if (start + c <= a_len){
            merge(a, temp, start, start + c, a_len);
        }
        c *= 2; start = 0;
    } 
}

int main(){

    int x = 10000; // size of array to be sorted
    int y = 1000; // number of times to sort it
    int b[10000], temp[10000]; 

    cout << "start" << endl;

    for (int j = 0; j < y; j++){

        for (int i = 0; i < x; i++){

            b[i] = x - i; // reverse sorted array (even with this assignment taken out still runs slower than python)

        }

        merge_sort(b, x, temp);

    }

    cout << "done";
    system("pause");
}