François Achille Bazaine (13 February 181123 September 1888) was an officer of the French army. Rising from the ranks, during four decades of distinguished service (including 35 years on campaign) under Louis-Philippe and then Napoleon III, he held every rank in the army from fusilier to Marshal of France, the latter in 1863. Early life François Achille Bazaine was born at Versailles, on 13 February 1811, from an affair prior to his father's marriage, with Marie-Madeleine, Josèphe dit Mélanie Vasseur. His father, was General Pierre-Dominique Bazaine, a polytechnic (promotion X1803), meritorious engineer of Napoleon I, and director of the Institute of Communications Channels of the Russian Empire. His elder brother Pierre-Dominique Bazaine was a renowned engineer. Achille Bazaine conducted studies at the Institute of Bader (or Barbet), then the college of Saint-Louis. French Foreign Legion & Algeria While not passing the academic entry test of the French Polytechnic School in 1830, he enlisted as a simple soldier (private) on 28 March 1831 at the 37th Infantry Division (), and was promoted to Caporal (Corporal) on 8 July 1831. He was subsequently passed to Corporal Fourrier on 13 January 1832 and Segent (Sergeant) Fourrier (fourrier: non-commissioned officer responsible for stewardship) in July. He arrived to the French Foreign Legion in August. He was designated as Sergent-Major, on 4 November, he attained the Epaulette on 2 November 1833. On 22 July 1835, he was wounded in the battle of Macta of fires to the wrist, and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and received a knight in france's Legion of Honour. With the Legion, he was ceded by Louis Philippe I to Queen Christine to combat the Carlists. Named immediately Spanish Captain at Foreign Title, he commanded a company of voltigeurs then was attached to the general staff headquarters of colonel Conrad. He was cited at the combats of Ponts in 1835, Lamanère in 1836, Huesca in 1837 and the battle of Barbastro in 1837, where he dragged out the body of general Conrad from the hands of the enemy, despite a bullet wound to the right leg. He was then attached to colonel Cariès de Senilhes, commissioner of the French government to the Army of Spain. In 1838, he joined the 4th Light Infantry with his French rank of Lieutenant. On 20 October 1839, he was re-promoted to Captain in the Legion in Algeria. In 1840, he passed to the