French Guides and Guards of the Generals and Headquarters: 1792-1815 (Officers and Soldiers of)

The guide and guard units, formed out of the necessities of war and in close contact with the general staff (as escorts, guards, messengers), quickly became object of attention for the generals, as they were emblematic of their military prestige of their leaders and represented a veritable praetorian guard. The highest in perfection were those surrounding Bonaparte―with Bessières at the head―one of the core components of the future Imperial Guard. The guides would be present in almost all the armies of the Republic, from the Consulat and the Empire, and yet today they are for the most part completely forgotten. They served some of the most prestigious leaders, the Emperor being at the top. Anywhere the Republic, and then the Empire, would stake their tricolor flags, the guides would be there. Volume Six in the Officers and Soldiers series strives to reconcile the injustice made toward these elite soldiers.