France Guild

The following an excerpt from a French Lieutenant's diary of his experiences at the Fort de Vaux in June 1916: "We had scarcely arrived at the right of Fort de Vaux, on the slope of the ravine, when there came an unprecedented bombardment of twelve hours. Alone, in a sort of dugout without walls, I pass twelve hours of agony, believing that it is the end. In front of us are not less than 1,200 guns of 240, 305, 380, and 420 calibre, which spit ceaselessly and all together, in…

On the morning of 18 Brumaire, Napoleon invited Marshal François Lefebvre to his home in an effort to gain his support for the coup that would ultimately bring the Directory crashing down. Lefebvre was an important man to win over. He commanded the troops stationed around Paris and had built his reputation not through political intrigue, but through decades of hard fighting. Napoleon reportedly appealed directly to the old soldier, presenting himself as the man who could save France from the lawyers, politicians, and bureaucrats who had driven the Republic…

“Washington is dead! This great man fought against tyranny; he established the liberty of his country. His memory will always be dear to the French people…” On February 9th, 1800, First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte honored George Washington by issuing the attached order of the day to the French army. The contrast between these two men is striking, and it should not be ignored. Washington and Napoleon were not the same figure in different uniforms. They were great men placed before radically different historical tasks. Washington faced imperial tyranny from across…