"Grande Armée" yakaumbwa muna 1804 kubva ku"L'Armée des côtes de l'Océan" (Mauto eOcean Coasts), uto revarwi 413.000 iro Napoleon akanga aunganidza nokuda kwokupinda kweBritain kwakanga kwakarongwa. Gare gare Napoleon akaendesa uto rake kumabvazuva kweEurope kuti abvise tyisidziro yeAustria neRussia, idzo dzakanga dziri rutivi rweChitatu Chibvumirano chakaungana kuzorwisana neFrance. Pashure pacho, zita rokuti "Grande Armée" rakashandiswa nokuda kweuto guru reFrance rakagoverwa mumishandirapamwe ya 1805 na 1807
, kwayakawana mukurumbira wayo, uye muna 1809, 1812, uye 1813<unk>14. Zvisinei, chaizvoizvo, shoko rokuti "Grande Armée" rinoshandiswa muchiNgezi kureva mauto ose emarudzi akawanda akaunganidzwa naNapoleon mukurwisa kwake.