They were the most seasoned soldiers of the French army and the best of his elite Imperial Guard. The Guard was made up of Napoleon’s finest. If I could, I would press you all to my heart.”Īccording to legend, more than a few of the battle-hardened veterans broke down as the scene played out before them. “I intend to write the history of the great achievements we have performed together. “For 20 years, I have accompanied you on the road to honour and glory,” he cried before departing. On the eve of his departure, a shattered Napoleon marched into the courtyard of his palace at Fontenbleu to deliver a heartfelt farewell to a very special group of soldiers – his Old Guard. As part of the armistice, he also agreed to give up the throne and go into exile on the tiny Mediterranean island of Elba. The 44-year-old emperor had just surrendered France to a coalition of a dozen European powers. ON THE EVENING of April 11, 1814, Napoleon Bonaparte’s 20-year career as a conqueror was seemingly at an end.
(Image source: WikiCommons) “Despite their final defeat at Waterloo, the Old Guard would go down as one of the most famous fighting units in history.” The elite corps was Bonaparte’s answer to Caesar’s Praetorians or the Persian emperor’s Immortals. Napoleon bids farewell to his Old Guard before going into exile.
