qsy-complains-a-lot:French Gardes Mobiles c.1870-71Alphonse de Neuville.The gardes mobiles were part
qsy-complains-a-lot:French Gardes Mobiles c.1870-71Alphonse de Neuville.The gardes mobiles were part of a system implemented by Napoleon III during the years leading up to the Franco-Prussian war that set up a reserve for the regular French army. Although the later had an obligatory military service and conscription in times of war, both of those could be easily bought off.Usually the gardes were not equipped with the best gear, like the Chassepot in this picture, but rather with Tabatière rifles and the like. They were not deployed away from their home and served more as garrison troops during the Franco-Prussian war. -- source link