The history of the baguette has its origins on November 15, 1793, when the Convention approved a decree that made it mandatory for all French citizens to have access to the same type of bread, which was known at the time as “bread of equality”, but ended being a failure. Some sources say that it was in the Napoleonic empire, that the baguette became known for its shape, because, before Napoleon, breads were round to maintain conservation. The wand shape was invented by Napoleon's bakers so soldiers could carry it in their trouser pockets. Still in power, Napoleon created decrees that established standards for French bread, valuing bakers and controlling the ingredients for making it. However, the baguette had not yet become popular. In 1856, Napoleon III, in an attempt to restore the baguette, added to Napoleon's decree specifications of how the baguette should be produced, including size and shape, but this was not very successful either. There are three other theories attributed to the origin of the baguette, the first suggests that this style of bread – the “Viennese”, whose shape can be elongated but oval, like our “French bread” – was invented in Vienna and exported to France during the 19th century, more specifically for the Boulangerie Viennoise (Viennese Bakery), founded by Auguste Zang. It is also said that its elongated format appeared in 1920 as it required less preparation and cooking time compared to traditional breads. A third theory attributes the emergence of the baguette to a law that prohibited bakers from working before 4 am, which left no time to prepare the traditional round loaves. In 1993, the baguette was officially recognized through a decree by Prime Minister Édouard Balladur, which ended up being known as the 'bread decree', which aimed to give a new stimulus to artisanal bakeries, which were then subjected to unfair competition from large bread factories. Every year in Paris, the “Grand Prix de la Baguete” takes place, where the president appoints a baker who becomes the official supplier of the Élysée Palace, the residence of the French head of state.