The National Guard (French: La Garde nationale) is a French militia which existed since 1789. It was separate from the French Army and existed both for policing and as a military reserve.
Founded in 1789 during the start of the French Revolution, the National Guard was initially led by the Marquis de Lafayette[1] and took part in several important events of the revolution, including the Storming of the Bastille[2] and the Women's March on Versailles.[3]
With the dechristianisation of France an official policy, the newly appointed National Guard, resplendent in iconic blue, white and red were formally established during a benediction in Notre-Dame. Later on, Notre Dame became an inglorious though temporary storage facility for the troops.[4]
On 10 August of 1792, the National Guard descended the Tuileries Palace while the royal family fled to safety, vastly outnumbering the 900 Swiss Guards in residence.[5]
On May 1793, François Hanriot was appointed Commander General of the Paris National Guard.[6]
Gallery[]
Behind the scenes[]
The uniforms of National Guard Snipers as seen in Assassin's Creed: Unity were very precise in terms of historical accuracy, as the outfit resembled the Paris National Guard Uniform pattern in roughly 1790. The only difference is that the gad at the back of the clothes was not a ship, which resembled the Paris National Guard symbol. Also, their tricorns were not worn in a slight squint style, which was popular during the late 18th century to prevent the hat from hindering the bayonets of the musket. It should be noted that, while the National Guard Snipers are depicted as having near-perfect accuracy during gameplay, in reality they acted like standard line infantry and would not have received sniping training, which was reserved for the Chasseurs forces.
The uniforms of National Guard Regulars, meanwhile, were not accurate in terms of the clothing, as they resembled the uniforms worn by drummers of the French Grand Army from 1805 to 1815 during the Napoleonic Wars, which is over a decade after Unity's timeline. However, the overall style of uniform and the tricorne were relatively similar to the Carbine Cavalrymen, who served the function of military police and were garrisoned in Paris throughout the French Revolutionary Wars. But as the name suggests, these soldiers should be riding on horses while carrying out their policing duty and should be equipped with muskets instead of pistols and one-handed swords.
The uniform of the Swiss Guards was entirely inaccurate. The hat was only worn by French cavalrymen listed in French dragoons, instead of by the Swiss Guard. The real Swiss Guard uniform should also be white and red, resembling the look of the British Army uniform from the same time period. Furthermore, Swiss Guards were usually armed with muskets and were well-trained and famous for their resistance in protecting the King of France.
Appearances[]
- Assassin's Creed: Unity (first appearance)
- Project Widow
References[]
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Unity – Database: Le Patriote 1789
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Unity – Imprisoned
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Unity – Women's March
- ↑ Project Widow – Our lady
- ↑ Project Widow – Bloodbath at Tuileries
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Unity – Database: François Hanriot