 Nyora kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Bourbaki akaberekerwa muPau, mwanakomana weGreek colonel Constantin Denis Bourbaki, akafa muHondo yeRusununguko muna 1827. Akadzidza paPrytanée National Militaire, akapinda muSt Cyr, uye muna 1836 akabatana ne Zouaves, achiva lieutenant weVatorwa Legion muna 1838 uye aide-de-camp kuna Mambo Louis Philippe. Yakanga iri munzendo dzokuAfrica apo akatanga kuuya pamberi. Muna 1842 aive kaputeni mu Zouaves; 1847, colonel we Turcos; muna 1850, lieutenant-colonel we1st Zouaves; 1851, colonel; 1854, brigadier-general. Muhondo yeCrimea akatungamirira chikamu chemauto eAlgeria; uye paAlma, zita raInkerman naSevastopol Bourbaki rakava rakakurumbira. Muna 1857 akaitwa general of division, achiraira muna 1859 paLyon. Kubudirira kwake muhondo muItaly kwakanga kuri kwechipiri chete kune iyo yaMacMahon, uye muna 1862 akasarudzwa semumiriri pachigaro cheumambo cheGreek chakanga chisina munhu, asi akaramba kukudzwa kwakapihwa. Muna 1870 Mambo Napoleon III vakamupa basa rokutungamirira Imperial Guard, uye akaita basa rinokosha mukurwisa Metz. Mufambiro wake paGravelottezvisinei zvaiva nemibvunzo sezvo vaPrussian vakanga vaneta nokurwisana uye kurasikirwa kukuru, vaFrench vakanga vakagadzirira kurwisa asi Bourbaki akaramba kuisa mauto eFrench Imperial Guard muhondo nokuti aiona sokukundwa. 