The Garibaldi Legion (french: Légion Garibaldienne) or officially the 4th Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment (french: 4^e régiment de marche du 1^er étranger, 4^eR.M. 1^erR.E) was a unit of the Foreign Legion in the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...

which formed the

Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion The Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion (RMLE) (french: link=no, Régiment de marche de la Légion étrangère) was a French military unit that fought in World War I and World War II. Initially composed of marching regiments from the 1st Fo ...

composed entirely of Italian citizens, who fought in France in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

against the Germans and existing ephemerally from the end of 1914 to 1915. After having distinguished themselves at Argonne (Bois de Balante) in December 1914, the regiment was finally dissolved on March 5, 1915, due to Italy's entry in the

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

and the departure of the majority of the regiment back to their country of origin. Today the Legion in Italy is an association of veterans and people who share the ideals of the Republic Garibaldi.

Creation and different nominations

* On November 5, 1914: the 4th Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment (french: 4^e régiment de marche du 1^er étranger, 4^e R.M. 1^erR.E) was created. * On March 5, 1915: dissolution of the regiment.

History

With the outbreak of World War I in the fall of 1914,

Giuseppe Garibaldi II Brigadier-General Giuseppe Garibaldi II (29 July 1879 – 19 May 1950), better known as Peppino Garibaldi, was an Italian soldier, patriot and revolutionary, and grandson of Giuseppe Garibaldi. Biography Garibaldi was born in Melbourne, Austr ...

(also known as Peppino Garibaldi) and his four brothers went to England to offer their services. The English refused, so Peppino went to Paris and agreed to accept an Italian unit. With French permission he created the Garibaldi Legion to fight for France. It was enthusiastically joined by members of the Italian Youth Republican Legion, veterans of previous campaigns, Greece and South Africa, Mazzini and trade unionists also joined. Instead of joining the French Army the Paris government insisted that the Garibaldi unit join the French Foreign Legion. The body of Italian volunteers consisted of approximately 2,114 men and 57 officers, of whom half were migrants living in France, and was built into the 4th Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment with the standard uniform of the legionaries, with one small difference, a red shirt the partisans wore under their jacket. The Legion was briefly trained in Montelimar, Nîmes and Montboucher and then transferred on November 11, 1914 to Mailly, where Lieutenant Colonel Giuseppe Garibaldi II formally took over the command. Used on the front of the Argonne in risky enterprises and bayonet assaults, the Legion on December 26, 1914, fought in Belle Etoile, near Bois de Bolante, a bloody battle from which the volunteers were victorious. Here Peppino was almost killed, while, his brother, Lieut. Bruno Garibaldi died in the charge. When the Italian public found out it enraged them. After Bruno was killed 300,000 people took part in his January 6, 1915 funeral procession. French, British, Russian, Belgian and Serbian ambassadors were in attendance. The second battle of the Legion in Argonne, took place January 5, 1915 Four-de-Paris, where it suffered heavy casualties including another brother of Peppino, Constantino Garibaldi. During Bruno's funeral, news arrived of Constantino's death. On March 6, 1915 the Legion, given the general mobilization in Italy, was dissolved and the IV Regiment marched back to Avignon. All Italian legionnaires were then sent back to Italy to fight against the Austrians. All told from fighting under French command the Garibaldi Legion had 300 dead, 400 injured and a thousand sick. Among the fallen officers December 26, 1914 include: the lieutenant Lamberto Duranti from Ancona; Courtes Chausses ( Lachalade ); Lieutenant Gregory Trombetta from Milan, killed at Bois de Bolante (Lachalade); Lieutenant Paul Muracciole by Gatti-of-Vivarium dead near Le Claon (Lachalade); the lieutenant Pasquale Marino, who died at Bois de Bolante. Among the wounded partisans there was Giuseppe Chiostergi Senigallia, elected deputy in the first parliament of the Italian Republic.

Lazare Ponticelli Lazare Ponticelli (born Lazzaro Ponticelli; 24 December 1897, later mistranscribed as 7 December – 12 March 2008), Knight of Vittorio Veneto, was at 110, the last surviving officially recognized veteran of the First World War from France an ...

, Italian immigrant in France and volunteer assigned to the Legion Garibaldi, became a French citizen in the 1930s and is remembered in France as le dernier Poilu, the last of the veterans.

Timeline

* The 4th Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment was formed on November 5, 1914 from the depots in

Nîmes Nîmes ( , ; oc, Nimes ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the prefecture of the Gard department in the Occitanie region of Southern France. Located between the Mediterranean Sea and Cévennes, the commune of Nîmes has an estimated population of 148,5 ...

and

Montélimar Montélimar (; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Montelaimar'' ; la, Acumum) is a town in the Drôme department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in north Provence, Southeastern France. It is the second-largest city in the department after Valence. In 2018, ...

. Constituted almost entirely of Italians, the regiment included a headquarter staff and three battalions (two battalions from Montélimar and one from Nîmes). * At creation, the regiment counted 57 Officers, 2114 men and 184 horses. * From November 10 to December 16, the regiment garrisoned at camp de Mailly under the authority of

général is the French word for general. There are two main categories of generals: the general officers (), which are the highest-ranking commanding officers in the armed forces, and the specialist officers with flag rank (), which are high-level offic ...

de Trocy, commanding the 20th region. * On December 24, the regiment bivouac at Pierre Croisée and integrated the 10th French Infantry Division (french: 10^e Division d'infanterie, 10^e D.I ) (général Gouraud) of the II^nd Armed Corps (général Gérard). * On December 25, the first and second battalions launched the assaults on the

trenches A trench is a type of excavation or in the ground that is generally deeper than it is wide (as opposed to a wider gully, or ditch), and narrow compared with its length (as opposed to a simple hole or pit). In geology, trenches result from erosi ...

at the plateau of Bolante while unfolding quickly to cover. Losses for the regiment were ( 30 killed out of which 4 Officers, 113 wounded out of which 5 Officers and 18 disappeared ). * On January 5, the regiment's second battalion launched an assault on the western trenches of Four de Paris; nevertheless, received rapid orders to unfold. During the same day, the regiment's first and third battalion join Chalade and Sapinière and launched another assault against entrenched lines (combat of Courtchausse). Following the apprehending of three trenches by the regiment's two battalions; the 4th Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment had to unfold to cover a counter-attack. * On January 8, the second battalion counter-attacked (combat of cote 285). * From January 8 to January 9, the first battalion engaged in combat at ravin des Meurissons (111 men where placed out of combat : 15 killed, 42 disappeared, 54 wounded). * From January 8 to January 10, the third battalion engaged in combat at Pierre Croisée. * At dissolution on March 5, losses for the 4th Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment counted 566 men: 93 killed, 136 disappeared and 337 wounded.

Traditions

Members of the Garibaldi Legion were known to wear a red shirt under their standard uniform. 320px, A group of Italian Officers of the 2,000 strong Italian dominated ''4th Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment''. At the center is their regimental Lieutenant-Colonel Peppino Garibaldi. January 1915.

Regimental Commanders

Period 1914-1915
4th Marching Regiment of the '' 1st Foreign Regiment''
'' 4ème R.M. 1^erR.E'' * 1914 - 1915: Lieutenant-Colonel Peppino Garibaldi

Notable Officers and legionnaires

* Italian writer,

Curzio Malaparte Curzio Malaparte (; 9 June 1898 – 19 July 1957), born Kurt Erich Suckert, was an Italian writer, filmmaker, war correspondent and diplomat. Malaparte is best known outside Italy due to his works ''Kaputt'' (1944) and ''La pelle'' (1949). The f ...

* Italian, French naturalized

Bibliography

;Notes ;References * * *

External links

Legion Garibaldina
i
Tesauro
s New subject headings, BNCF
"Detailed History of the RMLE"

{{French Foreign Legion navbox Garibaldi Legion Garibaldi Legion Military units and formations established in 1914 Military units and formations disestablished in 1915 Giuseppe Garibaldi