Napoleon originally created this award to ensure political loyalty. The organization would be used as a façade to give political favours, gifts, and concessions.[3] The Légion d’honneur was loosely patterned after a Roman legion, with legionaries, officers, commanders, regional “cohorts” and a grand council. The highest rank was not a Grand Cross but a Grand aigle (Grand Eagle), a rank that wore the insignia common to a Grand Cross. The members were paid, the highest of them extremely generously:
- 5,000 francs to a grand officier,
- 2,000 francs to a commandeur,
- 1,000 francs to an officier,
- 250 francs to a légionnaire.
Gianluca di Castri (IdeaConsult) 