Issue 119 - The Consular Guard at Marengo

WSS 119 looks at Napoleon's Imperial Guard. It did not appear out of thin air at the Emperor's coronation, however. It had its origins in the Consular Guard, founded in 1799, a few weeks after Napoleon's coup of 18 Brumaire. Six months later, Consul Bonaparte took to the field again, in an attempt to stop the Austrians from routing the Republican armies from northern Italy. At Marengo, his new Guard would prove its worth, stabilizing the French line and ensuring victory for the First Consul. It was a fateful first step to a fierce reputation that would long outlast the Guard and its patron.

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