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Gendarmerie Nationale

The existence of two separate civilian and military police forces in France stems largely from events which occurred in France from the 12th century on; in the wake of the 1789 Revolution, politicians feared that the Marechausee, the forerunner of today's Gendarmerie, posed a potential challenge to the regime if its power were not counterbalanced by a civilian police force.

Gendarmerie, or men-at-arms, have existed in France, with various modifications, since the days of chivalry. At that time they were furnished by the fiefs, and, armed cap-a-pie, marched in the train of the knights and esquires. When the English were driven out of France by Charles VII, companies of gendarmes were distributed throughout the whole extent of the kingdom, and contributed powerfully to the re-establishment of internal order and tranquillity. At this time they enjoyed much consideration and many privileges, of which they were gradually deprived by the successive changes in the regular army, until in the time of the Grand Monarque they came to be looked upon as nothing but an unusually fine cavalry corps. Shortly before the French revolution, the gendarmerie had ceased to exist as a separate organization, having been merged in the marechaussee.

The establishment of the marechaussee [country police] in each province in France was intended for the preservation of the peace, and the preventing of robberies on the highways. This establishment owed its origin to the court of the constable and marshals of France, erected in 1356, to take cogni2ance of all crimes committed by men at arms, or soldiers in the king's service, either in the field or garrison, or in going thither, or returning from thence. In time, the competency of that court was extended to take cognizance of all public disturbances by force of arms, and of all assaults, robberies, and murders, committed on the highways, even by persons not enlisted in the military service.

But as the establishment of the marechaussee was rendered almost totally ineffectual from the multiplicity of officers, and the contests among them for precedence, Lewis XV in the year 1720, new-modelled the institution, creating jn every generalize of the kingdom one company of marechaussee, to be composed of a prevot-general, a number of lieutenants, assessors, king's attornies, and registers, with exempts, brigadiers, and sub-brigadiers, archers, and trumpets. The whole body of the marechaussee in the thirty generalities, amounted to about 3,000 men.

The exempts and the archers were for the most part veteran troopers, and were quartered in the several towns towns within their department as near as possible, at equal distances ; so as not to be more than half a day from the one station to the other, from whence it was their duty to set out every day on horseback. By this means they held a constant intelligence with each other, and could, in a very short time disperse the account of a crime, or the description of a criminal, to the remotest corners of the kingdom. But, though it be their duty to patrol every day in the year, they appeared only now and then, which has almost the same effect as if they were upon constant service, for none but themselves knew when they were or were not to be upon duty. To incite them to be vigilant and active, the king granted them a recompence upon every conviction of about five pounds; but if the convict be taken by other persons, the like reward is conserred on the apprehenders, and paid out of the stoppages from the salaries of the marechaussee.

The "Gendarmerie Nationale" was substituted since the revolution [December 1790] in the form of the maréchaussée. As in the case of certain proper names like Tuileries and Louvre, many common nouns, though they had in them no actual syllables that spoke of royalty, had nevertheless been so often on the lips of the oppressor as to have acquired a suggestion as hateful as though they spoke definitely of tyranny and aristocracy with every letter and by every principle of derivation. So they were suppressed. Consider what alteration there was in the ideas suggested by the word nation. The added meaning that nation itself took on and the definite acceptation of national as a noun both in the singular and plural, many new combinations and phrases were formed. In fact it is one of the most used for this purpose. By these words and other such the transfer of authority was indicated. Its source was stated as du peuple and no longer du roi. It was national or constilutionnel or communal or public and no more royal.

The duty of the "Gendarmerie Nationale" was to patrole the public roads for the security of the interior parts of the republic} they are to pursue and take robbers on the highway, and malefactors of every kind ; to forward the informations of crimes which have been committed, to summon evidence for the conviction of criminals, ;ind to assist the officers of police; to escort the public money, ammunition, and condemned prisoners ; and to be constantly on the watch for the preservation of the peace and security, as well public as private. They did duty both on foot and on horseback ; are divided into twenty-eight divisions, having each three departments assigned them; each division is commanded by a colonel. The uniform is blue, lined and faced with red; on the buttons are these words: Force a la loi'fto add strength to the laws), which shew the nature of their institution.

By the middle of the 19th Century the term was employed to denote a military police, whose duties are to watch over the public safety, maintain order, and enforce the execution ot the laws. The gendarmes also furnish patrols, examine the passports of travellers, arrest criminals, and otherwise ensure the general tranquillity. They consisted of two classes, horse and foot, which were called respectively gendarmes-a-cheval and gendarmes-a-pied. The men themselves consisted for the most part of deserving soldiers of the regular army, who for good conduct have been drafted into this service, where they enjoy certain privileges, and a much higher rate of pay than the soldiers of the line. They are held, however, to form part of the army, and in cases of extreme necessity are liable to be called into active service. The gendarmerie had always been noted for their faithful adherence to the government under which they have served; and in the revolutions and tumults of which Paris has been the theater during the twenty-five years by to 1855, they had always signalized themselves by their heroic devotion to the cause they had sworn to defend. During that period their numbers varied from 12,000 to 25,000.