Bayard was commissioned in May 1883 under the command of capitaine de vaisseau Parrayon as the flagship of Admiral Amédée Courbet, who had recently been appointed to the command of France's Trial division (division des essais), established in April 1883.
Originally named Foudroyant ("Lightning"), she was renamed to honour Admiral Amédée Courbet on 25 June 1885.
Gustave Courbet | Courbet | Amédée Joullin | Amédée Courbet | Courbet-class battleship | Amédée-François Frézier | Julien Courbet | ''Courbet'' | Amédée Mouchez | Victor-Amédée Barbié du Bocage | ''Courbet''-class | Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo | Amédée Simon Dominique Thierry | Amedee Reyburn | Amédée Méreaux | Amédée Jacques | Amédée Forestier | Amédée Fengarol |
The mood in France was against compromise, and although negotiations continued throughout July, Admiral Amédée Courbet was ordered to take his Far East Squadron to Fuzhou (Foochow).
On 23 August 1884, following the breakdown of negotiations to resolve the crisis between France and China, Admiral Amédée Courbet destroyed China's Fujian Fleet at the Battle of Fuzhou, inaugurating the nine-month Sino-French War (August 1884 to April 1885).