National Guard (NTW Unit)
Overview
When considered against other militias, the National Guard is clearly a superior force. However, they should not be expected to stand against regular military units; they are an armed police force, intended to keep order. In battle, they lack confidence, and may run. They are, however, useful garrison troops, can maintain public order, and are inexpensive to recruit and pay.
The French National Guard was formed in 1789, a result of “la Grande Peur”, or the “Great Fear”. Failed harvests led to unrest and the National Assembly needed a police force. The Troupes Provinciales were unreliable because they were recruited, by lottery, from the peasantry who were the source of the unrest. The National Guard, on the other hand, attracted the middle classes to its ranks, if only because guardsmen were expected to pay for their own uniforms and equipment. That social difference made them a more reliable force.