National Guard (France)  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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search Philippe Lenoir, (1785-1867), French painter, in his
National Guard uniform. By Horace Vernet (1789-1863)  The
National Guard (French: la Garde nationale) was a French militia
which existed from 1789 until 1872, including a period of
official disbandment from 1827 to 1830. It was separate from the
French Army and existed both for policing and as a military
reserve. For most of its history the National Guard,
particularly its officers, were widely viewed as loyal to
middle-class interests.  The first National Guard units were
formed in Paris in 1789 from soldiers formerly in the French
Guards, the majority of whom had defected to the revolutionary
cause. Around this cadre, a part-time Paris militia was raised
for military and policing tasks. The National Guard soon
expanded into cities throughout France. The National Guard was
identified until 1792 with constitutional monarchy. F