By a decision of 31 December 1851, Napoleon as President ordered the reintroduction of the eagle on all regimental standards of French Army. On 10 May 1852, 190 new eagles were presented at a grand ceremony at the Champ de Mars. These large Infantry unit eagles were cast in solid bronze, standing 20 cm high and weighing 2.4 kg, and like the eagles of the last 100 day issue of the First Empire they too were considered to be too heavy. A smaller and lighter hollow eagle also standing on a box below with raised lettering L.N. (Louis Napoleon), was also issued at the time to Cavalry units. In April 1855, it was decided to replace the heavy cast Infantry eagles with a lighter model, with the head still facing to the right like the old First Empire eagles, but with a box below with raised lettering N.III (Napoleon the 3rd), although in the initial reissue event only the Guard, the Foreign Legion and two Line infantry regiments received the new eagles.

It was not until 1860 that yet again another lighter hollow Infantry version, now with the head facing to the left, was universally issued, and it was this modele 1860 that was carried by the Line Infantry regiments at the outbreak of the Franco Prussian war. Again made from stamped light sheet brass with a gilt finish, it weighed only 950 g, and at 18 cm in height and was slightly smaller than the original heavy cast modele 1852 predecessor. These new Line Infantry Eagles and the even smaller Cavalry Eagles both bore the revised N.III base marking, which were then sometimes superceeded by the regimental number plate over the box front. Those of the Guard had the words "Garde Imperiale" on the back of the box, along with the regiment number on the front. A total of 217 of the modele 1860 were issued, and all other eagles were sent to the Musee d'Artillerie on receipt of the new version. Interestingly, in 1864 the Emperor decreed that earlier modele 1852 eagles damaged in action were to be returned to their regiments in exchange for the more recent issue as a mark of favor. It was also decreed after the battle of Magenta that any regiment that captured an enemy flag would receive the Legion d'Honneur, and have it attached to their eagle. The 3rd Zouaves received not only this honor, but also the medal Al Valore Militare for it service at Palestro in 1859.

The flags themselves were simular in design to those carried during the First Empire, bearing on the front the words: L'EMPEREUR NAPOLEON III AU.... REGIMENT...', and on the rear the regiment's battle honors. Beneath the eagle a heavy brocaded tricolor cravat was also tied. The staff to which it was secured was painted dark blue, though it does not appear to have been of a uniform lenght, as surviving examples in the Musee' de l'Armee range from 211 to 235 cm long.

The fall of the Empire and the need to continue the war left the new government with other things on its mind. Understandably hostile to the previous regime, it issued an order on 18 September for all eagles to be sent to the nearest artillery direction, where most were later destroyed. Only those captured by the enemy or those belonging to the few regular regiments still at liberty, and those left at depots survive. The 16th, 38th and 39th regiments left both eagles and flags in Algeria, as did the Foreign Legion; while the 92nd took its flag, minus the Imperial fittings, on campaign. The 35th and 42nd Regiments, the only regular infantry unit to take part in the siege of Paris, also carried just their flags, and became known as "La Brigades des Drapeaux", starting the French Army spear top flag final tradition.

At the end of German Field-Marshal Count Helmuth Von Moltke's 1892 book about "The Franco-German War" he says that the Germans lost 6247 officers, 123,453 men, 6 guns, and 1 German flag, and by contrast took 723,556 French officers and men as prisoners, 7441 guns, and captured 107 French 2nd Empire Napoleon the 3rd Eagles!

On Far Right: Le 70eme Régiment d'Infanterie est formé en 1674 sous le nom de Navailles ou régiment de Médoc en 1691 . Sur son étendard était inscrit : Montenotte 1796 - Marengo 1800 - Oporto 1809 - Magenta 1859.

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