Franco-Prussian War French Imperial Guard - The Guard Command

To command my Imperial Guard I have completed the French Imperial Guard Command and ADCs set.

This set comprises of three senior generals, Marshals Bazaine and Leboeuf, General Bourbaki (who commanded the Guard in 1870), a mounted and two dismounted ADCs.

The senior generals (l to r) Leboeuf, Bazaine and Bourbaki

The ADCs (below to show the detail on the back of the jackets)

The 'raw' figures have been grouped and based as follows:

Bazaine and Leboeuf have been based as single figures so that they can be used as brigadiers - a bit of a demotion I know from Marshal of France to General de Brigade (given that Bazaine was condemned to death - later commuted to 20 years imprisonment - for his part in the disaster of 1870, a demotion would probably have been a blessing), but hopefully the demotion will be temporary until I sort out another group of ADCs.

The two dismounted ADCs will make a nice pair to command the Guard Artillery (when it comes).

Finally Bourbaki and the mounted ADC make a nice pairing for the overall Guard command.

Charles Denis Sauter Bourbaki was an officer of some experience. Of Greek ancestry he was born at Pau in 1816.  He graduated from  Saint-Cyr in 1834 and his first posting was as a second lieutenant with the 59th Infantry Regiment in Africa where he took part in the first expedition to Constantine. Transfers and promotions saw him move between the Zouave regiment, the 24th Infantry Regiment and back to the Zouaves in 1842 as captain. Appointed head of the Arab Bureau in 1844 and then ADC to King Louis-Philippe. In 1846 he commanded the Constantine Tirailleur battalion and in 1850 was named lieutenant colonel of the Zouave regiment, becoming its colonel in 1851. 

In the Crimean War, he fought at the Battle of the Alma in command of the brigade that captured the Telegraph Hill. He served with distinction at the Battle of Inkermann, and was subsequently wounded during the final assault on Sevastopol in September 1855.

Made general de division in 1857 he led a division in the Italian campaign, fighting at Magenta and Solferino.  Returning to France, he commanded at Besançon, Grenoble, and Metz, before becoming the ADC to the Emperor. In 1870 he was given command of the Imperial Guard that he led at Rezonville, St. Privat, and Metz.

As the siege of Metz was starting an odd situation occurred for Bourbaki. A French businessman with no political background or connections, appeared at Metz stating that either Bourbaki or Marshal Canrobert must go to Hastings to sign a peace treaty on the authority of the Empress, even though the Empress had no such authority. Bourbaki at once went to England, with the approval (and possibly connivance)  of the Prussians, only to find it was a trick. He returned to France, but was refused re-entrance into Metz.

Under the Republican Government he was given command of the Army of the East he ran a disastrous campaign after which he attempted, and failed, to commit suicide before retreating across the Swiss border at Pontarlier, where the Army was interred. After the war he was given command of the 6th Corps, and then the 14th Corps until 1879. He died in Bayonne in 1897.