Three days after the coronation, the Emperor presented their bronze eagles to the regiments and national guards on the Champ-de-Mars, in driving rain. Each unit swore to defend its emblem 'at the cost of its blood'; losing one's eagle would become the supreme disgrace. The rite founded the cult of the standard that held the Grande Armée together until Waterloo.
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Recommended books to dig deeper (affiliate links)
Napoleon — A magisterial biography
An exhaustive biography of the Emperor, the fruit of rigorous research.
≈ £14.99 Napoleon's Army
Organization, tactics and daily life of the Grande Armée soldiers.
≈ £18.00 Austerlitz 1805
The detailed account of the Battle of the Three Emperors.
≈ £12.99As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases.
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