The 8th Zouaves Regiment (french: 8^e Régiment de Zouaves , 8^e R.Z) was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

unit of 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 ...

. Created in 1914, the unit was designated as 8th Marching Zouaves Regiment.

Creation and different nominations

* 1914 : 8th Marching Zouaves Regiment * 1920 : redesignated 8th Zouaves Regiment * 1928 : dissolution * 1934 : reconstituted * 1940 : dissolution * 1946 : recreated under designation 8th Zouaves Demi-Brigade * 1956 : dissolution * 1959 : creation of the 8th Zouaves Battalion from the 3rd Battalion of the 21st Infantry Regiment (french: 21^e Régiment d'infanterie) * 1962 : dissolution

History

World War I

Disembarked at

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...

and at

Sète Sète (; oc, Seta, ), also historically spelt ''Cette'' (official until 1928) and ''Sette'', is a commune in the Hérault department, in the region of Occitania, southern France. Its inhabitants are called ''Sétois'' (male) and ''Sétoises' ...

between 7 and 15 August 1914, three battalions (1st, 2nd, and 4th), the 3rd battalion belonging to a marching

tirailleur A tirailleur (), in the Napoleonic era, was a type of light infantry trained to skirmish ahead of the main columns. Later, the term "''tirailleur''" was used by the French Army as a designation for indigenous infantry recruited in the French c ...

regiment at the corps of the Moroccan Division. On 20 August they were in the region of Mézières - Charleville. The following days, they heard the cannon of

Charleroi Charleroi ( , , ; wa, Tchålerwè ) is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. By 1 January 2008, the total population of Charleroi was 201,593.

. The 25th, they crossed the border of Belgium, and that of Sugny, a small Belgian village, they witnessed the burning of the villages of the

Meuse The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...

and

Semois The Semois (; ''Simwès'' in Walloon, often under elided form ''Smwès''; ''Semoy'', ''Sesbach'' in German, ''Setzbaach'' in Luxemburgish of Arlon; and known as the ''Semoy'' in France) is a river flowing from the Ardennes uplands of Belgium and ...

. They welcomed the

IX Corps 9 Corps, 9th Corps, Ninth Corps, or IX Corps may refer to: France * 9th Army Corps (France) * IX Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars Germany * IX Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial Germ ...

and assumed the rearguard. They combat engaged at the corps of the Moroccan Division alongside the 4^e RTT, the 7^e RTA as well as the RMLE.

1914

* Unfolding on the Marne * Yser * October 1914: the 8th Zouaves took form with the four respective battalions and designated "8".

1915

* In August 1915, the regimental colors were received. The regiment had three colonels throughout the war, lieutenants-colonels Modelon, Auronx and Lagarde. Lieutenant-colonel Modelon earned the regiment two palms and the fourragere with colors of the

Croix de guerre 1914-1918 Croix (French for "cross") may refer to: Belgium * Croix-lez-Rouveroy, a village in municipality of Estinnes in the province of Hainaut France * Croix, Nord, in the Nord department * Croix, Territoire de Belfort, in the Territoire de Belfort d ...

. Under the command of colonel Lagarde, the regiment conquered five palms, the fourragère with colors of the

Médaille militaire The ''Médaille militaire'' ( en, Military Medal) is a military decoration of the French Republic for other ranks for meritorious service and acts of bravery in action against an enemy force. It is the third highest award of the French Republic, ...

, then the fourragère with colors of the

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

. Conferred the Croix de Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur to the regimental colors, the 8th Zouaves Regiment was cited seven times at the orders of the armed forces during the course of the war (1914-1918). * Artois * 25 September - 6 October:

Second Battle of Champagne The Second Battle of Champagne ( or Autumn Battle) in World War I was a French offensive against the German army at Champagne that coincided with an Anglo-French assault at north-east Artois and ended with French retreat. Battle On 25 Septem ...

1916

* Verdun 1916 * Somme

1917

* Verdun 1917

1918

* Verdun *

Villers-Bretonneux Villers-Bretonneux () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography Villers-Bretonneux is situated some 19 km due east of Amiens, on the D1029 road and the A29 motorway. Villers-Bretonneux border ...

Soissons Soissons () is a commune in the northern French department of Aisne, in the region of Hauts-de-France. Located on the river Aisne, about northeast of Paris, it is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital ...

/ *

Chemin des Dames In France, the Chemin des Dames (; literally, the "ladies' path") is part of the route départementale (local road) D18 and runs east and west in the Aisne department, between in the west, the Route Nationale 2 (Laon to Soissons), and in the eas ...

* While only taking part, to life in the sector, the 8th Zouaves was of almost all the grand action offensives of the war, the regiment was able to inscribe on the regimental colors: la Marne, Yser,

Artois Artois ( ; ; nl, Artesië; English adjective: ''Artesian'') is a region of northern France. Its territory covers an area of about 4,000 km2 and it has a population of about one million. Its principal cities are Arras (Dutch: ''Atrecht'') ...

, Champagne, Somme,

Moronvilliers In 1911, the small village of Moronvilliers had 86 inhabitants. thumb On 2 September 1914, in the first month of World War I, the village, only 15 kilometers north-east from Rheims, was occupied by German troops. Situated on the frontline, the vi ...

, Verdun, Soissons, 18 July Chemin des Dames.

Interwar period

After 1919, the regiment was in

Oran Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...

. It dissolved in 1928, the 2nd Zouave replaced the 8th Zouave. The regiment held garrison at

Camp de Châlons The camp de Châlons, also known as camp de Mourmelon, is a military camp of about 10,000 hectares at Mourmelon-le-Grand, near Châlons-en-Champagne. It was created at the behest of Napoleon III and opened August 30, 1857 during the Second French ...

in 1943. Accordingly, the regiment was motorised, the only regiment of Zouave in Metropole...

World War II

* In 1940, the 8th Zouaves, with the 12th Motorised Infantry Division (french: :fr:12e division d'infanterie motorisée, 12e division d'infanterie motorisée) disappeared at

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unit in

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* Algeria 1956 - 1962 * At the cease-fire on 19 March 1962 in Algeria, the 8th Zouaves Regiment constituted along with 91 other regiments, the 114 units of the local force through the accords of Evians on 18 March 1962. The 8th Zouaves Regiment formed a local unit force of the Algerian order of battle, the 496°UFL-UFO composed of 10% metropolitan military and 90% Muslim military personnel, while being at the service of the executive provisionary power of Algeria until the independence of Algeria.

Traditions

Regimental Colors

Decorations

The Regimental Color are decorated with: *

with : ** 7 palms and 1 silver star , * Ordre du Mérite Militaire Chérifien. *Fourragere: ** Fourragère with colors of

** Fourragère with colors of the

. **

Fourragère The ''fourragère'' () is a military award, distinguishing military units as a whole, in the form of a braided cord. The award was first adopted by France, followed by other nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, and Luxembourg. Fou ...

with colors of the

attributed to the regiment on 3 September 1918. Image:Fourragère CG.png, Fourragere with colors of the Croix de guerre 1914-1918 Image:Fourragère MM.png, Fourragere with colors of the Médaille militaire Image:Fourragère LH.png, Fourragere with colors of the Légion d'honneur

Honours

Battle honours

*Saint-Gond 1914 *Artois 1915 *Champagne 1915 *Les Monts 1917 *Verdun 1917 *Soissonnais 1918 *Vauxaillon 1918

Regimental Commanders

* 1914-1918 ** lieutenant-colonel Modelon ** lieutenant-colonel Auroux ** lieutenant-colonel Lagarde * colonel Cloitre in the 1920s * 1935 - 1937: Colonel Dame * 1940 ** lieutenant-colonel Anzemberger ** In 1956 Colonel Gaubillot and Commandant Bonamy

Notable Officers & Zouaves

* Robert Jallet (1890-1945), served in the 8th Zouaves during World War I. * Edgard Tupët-Thomé from October 1938 to 1940.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zouave Regiment, 8th Infantry regiments of France Military units and formations established in 1914 Military units and formations disestablished in 1962