The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps 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 ...
which comprises several specialties:
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 ...
,
cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
,
engineers
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...
,
airborne troops
Airborne forces, airborne troops, or airborne infantry are ground combat units carried by aircraft and airdropped into battle zones, typically by parachute drop or air assault. Parachute-qualified infantry and support personnel serving in a ...
. It was created in 1831 to allow
foreign nationals
A foreign national is any person (including an organization) who is not a national of a specific country. ("The term 'person' means an individual or an organization.") For example, in the United States and in its territories, a foreign national ...
into the French Army. It formed part of the
Armée d’Afrique, the French Army's units associated with France's colonial project in Africa, until the end of the
Algerian war
The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence,( ar, الثورة الجزائرية '; '' ber, Tagrawla Tadzayrit''; french: Guerre d'Algérie or ') and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November ...
in 1962.
Legionnaires are highly trained soldiers and the Legion is unique in that it is open to foreign recruits willing to serve in the
French Armed Forces
The French Armed Forces (french: Forces armées françaises) encompass the Army, the Navy, the Air and Space Force and the Gendarmerie of the French Republic. The President of France heads the armed forces as Chief of the Armed Forces.
Franc ...
. The Legion is today known as a unit whose training focuses on traditional military skills and on its strong
esprit de corps, as its men and women come from different countries with different cultures. Consequently, training is often described as not only physically challenging, but also very stressful psychologically. French citizenship may be applied for after three years' service.
Any soldier who is wounded during a battle for France can immediately apply to be a French citizen under a provision known as "" ("French by spilled blood").
History
The Foreign Legion was created by
Louis Philippe
Louis Philippe (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, and the penultimate monarch of France.
As Louis Philippe, Duke of Chartres, he distinguished himself commanding troops during the Revolutionary War ...
, the
King of the French
The precise style of French sovereigns varied over the years. Currently, there is no French sovereign; three distinct traditions (the Legitimist, the Orleanist, and the Bonapartist) exist, each claiming different forms of title.
The three styles ...
, on 10 March 1831 to allow the incorporation of
foreign nationals
A foreign national is any person (including an organization) who is not a national of a specific country. ("The term 'person' means an individual or an organization.") For example, in the United States and in its territories, a foreign national ...
into 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 ...
from the
foreign regiments of the
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period. ...
. Recruits included soldiers from the recently disbanded Swiss and German foreign regiments of the Bourbon monarchy. The Royal Ordinance for the establishment of the new regiment specified that the foreigners recruited could only serve outside France. The French expeditionary force that had occupied
Algiers
Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
in 1830 was in need of reinforcements and the Legion was accordingly transferred by sea in detachments from
Toulon
Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
to Algeria.
Since 1831, the Legion has consisted of hundreds of thousands in active service at its peak, and suffered the aggregated loss of nearly 40,000 men in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
,
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
,
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
,
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
,
Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
,
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...
,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
,
Crimea
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
,
Indo-China
Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
,
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
,
Chad
Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...
,
Zaïre
Zaire (, ), officially the Republic of Zaire (french: République du Zaïre, link=no, ), was a Congolese state from 1971 to 1997 in Central Africa that was previously and is now again known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Zaire was, ...
,
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
,
Central Africa
Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, ...
,
Gabon
Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north ...
,
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
,
Rwanda
Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...
,
Djibouti
Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...
, former
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
,
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
, the
Republic of Congo
The Republic of the Congo (french: République du Congo, ln, Republíki ya Kongó), also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply either Congo or the Congo, is a country located in the western coast of Central Africa to the w ...
,
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...
,
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
,
Mali
Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali ...
, as well as others. The Legion was primarily used to help protect and expand the
French colonial empire
The French colonial empire () comprised the overseas colonies, protectorates and mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between the "First French Colonial Empire", that exist ...
during the 19th century. The Foreign Legion was initially stationed only in
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
, where it took part in the
pacification
Pacification may refer to:
The restoration of peace through a declaration or peace treaty:
*Pacification of Ghent, an alliance of several provinces of the Netherlands signed on November 8, 1576
*Treaty of Berwick (1639), or ''Pacification of Berwi ...
and development of the colony. Subsequently, the Foreign Legion was deployed in a number of conflicts, including the
First Carlist War
The First Carlist War was a civil war in Spain from 1833 to 1840, the first of three Carlist Wars. It was fought between two factions over the succession to the throne and the nature of the Monarchy of Spain, Spanish monarchy: the conservative a ...
in 1835, the
Crimean War
The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia.
Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...
in 1854, the
Second Italian War of Independence
The Second Italian War of Independence, also called the Franco-Austrian War, the Austro-Sardinian War or Italian War of 1859 ( it, Seconda guerra d'indipendenza italiana; french: Campagne d'Italie), was fought by the Second French Empire and t ...
in 1859, the
French intervention in Mexico in 1863, the
Franco-Prussian War in 1870, the
Tonkin Campaign
The Tonkin campaign was an armed conflict fought between June 1883 and April 1886 by the French against, variously, the Vietnamese, Liu Yongfu's Black Flag Army and the Chinese Guangxi and Yunnan armies to occupy Tonkin (northern Vietnam) and en ...
and
Sino-French War
The Sino-French War (, french: Guerre franco-chinoise, vi, Chiến tranh Pháp-Thanh), also known as the Tonkin War and Tonquin War, was a limited conflict fought from August 1884 to April 1885. There was no declaration of war. The Chinese arm ...
in 1883, supporting growth of the
French colonial empire
The French colonial empire () comprised the overseas colonies, protectorates and mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between the "First French Colonial Empire", that exist ...
in
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...
, the
Second Franco-Dahomean War
The Second Franco-Dahomean War, which raged from 1892 to 1894, was a major conflict between France, led by General Alfred-Amédée Dodds, and Dahomey under King Béhanzin. The French emerged triumphant and incorporated Dahomey into their gro ...
in 1892, the
Second Madagascar expedition
The Second Madagascar expedition was a French military intervention which took place in 1894–95, sealing the conquest of the Merina Kingdom on the island of Madagascar by France. It was the last phase of the Franco-Hova War and followed the F ...
in 1895 and the
Mandingo Wars Mandinka, Mandika, Mandinkha, Mandinko, or Mandingo may refer to:
Media
* ''Mandingo'' (novel), a bestselling novel published in 1957
* ''Mandingo'' (film), a 1975 film based on the eponymous 1957 novel
* ''Mandingo (play)'', a play by Jack Kir ...
in 1894. 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 ...
, the Foreign Legion fought in many critical battles on the
Western Front. It played a smaller role in World War II than in World War I, though having a part in the
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
,
Syrian
Syrians ( ar, سُورِيُّون, ''Sūriyyīn'') are an Eastern Mediterranean ethnic group indigenous to the Levant. They share common Levantine Semitic roots. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend of both indi ...
and
North African
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
campaigns. During the
First Indochina War
The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam) began in French Indochina from 19 December 1946 to 20 July 1954 between France and Việt Minh (Democratic Republic of Vi ...
(1946–1954), the Foreign Legion saw its numbers swell. The Legion lost a large number of men in the catastrophic
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu (french: Bataille de Diên Biên Phu ; vi, Chiến dịch Điện Biên Phủ, ) was a climactic confrontation of the First Indochina War that took place between 13 March and 7 May 1954. It was fought between the Fr ...
against forces of the
Viet Minh
The Việt Minh (; abbreviated from , chữ Nôm and Hán tự: ; french: Ligue pour l'indépendance du Viêt Nam, ) was a national independence coalition formed at Pác Bó by Hồ Chí Minh on 19 May 1941. Also known as the Việt Minh Fro ...
.
Subsequent military campaigns included those during the
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...
, the
Battle of Algiers and various offensives in Algeria launched by
General Maurice Challe including Operation Oranie and
Operation Jumelles
Operation Jumelles ( en, Operation Binoculars) was a military operation which was part of the Algerian War in Kabylia, Algeria. It lasted from 22 July 1959 to March 1960. It was fought between the FLN and the French Army
History
Early his ...
. During the
Algerian War of Independence
The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence,( ar, الثورة الجزائرية '; '' ber, Tagrawla Tadzayrit''; french: Guerre d'Algérie or ') and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November ...
(1954–1962), the Foreign Legion came close to being disbanded after some officers, men, and the highly decorated
1st Foreign Parachute Regiment
The 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment (french: 1er Régiment Etranger de Parachutistes, 1er REP) was an airborne regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army which dated its origins to 1948. The regiment fought in the First Indochina War as th ...
(1
er REP) took part in the
Generals' putsch
The Algiers putsch (french: Putsch d'Alger or ), also known as the Generals' putsch (''Putsch des généraux''), was a failed coup d'état intended to force French President Charles de Gaulle not to abandon French Algeria, along with the resi ...
. In the 1960s and 1970s, Legion regiments had additional roles in sending units as a
rapid deployment force
A rapid deployment force is a military formation that is capable of fast deployment. Such forces typically consist of elite military units (special forces, paratroopers, marines, etc.) and are usually trained at a higher intensity than the rest ...
to preserve French interests – in its former African colonies and in other nations as well; it also returned to its roots of being a unit always ready to be sent to conflict zones around the world. Some notable operations include: the
Chadian–Libyan conflict in 1969–1972 (the first time that the Legion was sent in operations after the Algerian War), 1978–1979, and 1983–1987;
Kolwezi
Kolwezi or Kolwesi is the capital city of Lualaba Province in the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, west of Likasi. It is home to an airport and a railway to Lubumbashi. Just outside of Kolwezi there is the static inverter plant of ...
in what is now the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
in May 1978. In 1981, the
1st Foreign Regiment and Foreign Legion regiments took part in the
Multinational Force in Lebanon
The Multinational Force in Lebanon (MNF) was an international peacekeeping force created in August 1982 following a 1981 U.S.-brokered ceasefire between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel to end their involvement in the confl ...
. In 1990, Foreign Legion regiments were sent to the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...
and participated in
Opération Daguet, part of
Division Daguet. Following the
Gulf War
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
in the 1990s, the Foreign Legion helped with the evacuation of French citizens and foreigners in
Rwanda
Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...
, Gabon and
Zaire
Zaire (, ), officially the Republic of Zaire (french: République du Zaïre, link=no, ), was a Congolese state from 1971 to 1997 in Central Africa that was previously and is now again known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Zaire was, ...
. The Foreign Legion was also deployed in
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
,
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
,
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the mid- to late 1990s, the Foreign Legion was deployed in the
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic (CAR; ; , RCA; , or , ) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, the DR Congo to the south, the Republic of th ...
,
Congo-Brazzaville
The Republic of the Congo (french: République du Congo, ln, Republíki ya Kongó), also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply either Congo or the Congo, is a country located in the western coast of Central Africa to the w ...
and in
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
. The French Foreign Legion also took part in operations in Rwanda in 1990–1994; and the
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...
in 2002 to the present. In the 2000s, the Foreign Legion was deployed in
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 at ...
in Afghanistan,
Opération Licorne
Opération Licorne was a French Armed Forces peacekeeping operation in support of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire. The French forces had been stationed in the country since shortly after the outbreak of the Ivorian Civil War. Th ...
in Ivory Coast, the
EUFOR Tchad/RCA
European Union Force Chad and the Central African Republic (EUFOR Chad and the Central African Republic), also EUFOR Tchad/RCA after the French, was the European Union mission in Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR), authorised in late ...
in Chad, and
Operation Serval
Operation Serval (french: Opération Serval) was a French military operation in Mali. The aim of the operation was to oust Islamic militants from the north of Mali, who had begun a push into the center of Mali.
Operation Serval followed the ...
in the
Northern Mali conflict
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Mali War
, partof = the Islamist insurgency in the Sahel and the War on terror
, image = MaliWar.svg
, image_size = 380
, caption = Military situation ...
. Other countries have tried to emulate the French Foreign Legion model.The Foreign Legion was primarily used, as part of the ''
Armée d'Afrique'', to protect and expand the
French colonial empire
The French colonial empire () comprised the overseas colonies, protectorates and mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between the "First French Colonial Empire", that exist ...
during the 19th century, but it also fought in almost all French wars including the
Franco-Prussian War, World War I and World War II. The Foreign Legion has remained an important part of the French Army and sea transport protected by the
French Navy
The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...
, surviving three Republics, the
Second French Empire
The Second French Empire (; officially the French Empire, ), was the 18-year Empire, Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 14 January 1852 to 27 October 1870, between the French Second Republic, Second and the French Third Republic ...
, two World Wars, the rise and fall of mass
conscript armies, the dismantling of the French colonial empire, and the loss of the Foreign Legion's base, Algeria.
Conquest of Algeria 1830–1847
Created to fight "outside
mainland France
Metropolitan France (french: France métropolitaine or ''la Métropole''), also known as European France (french: Territoire européen de la France) is the area of France which is geographically in Europe. This collective name for the European ...
", the Foreign Legion was stationed in
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
, where it took part in the
pacification
Pacification may refer to:
The restoration of peace through a declaration or peace treaty:
*Pacification of Ghent, an alliance of several provinces of the Netherlands signed on November 8, 1576
*Treaty of Berwick (1639), or ''Pacification of Berwi ...
and development of the colony, notably by drying the marshes in the region of
Algiers
Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
. The Foreign Legion was initially divided into six "national battalions" (Swiss, Poles, Germans, Italians, Spanish, and Dutch-Belgian). Smaller national groups, such as the ten Englishmen recorded in December 1832, appear to have been placed randomly.
In late 1831, the first legionnaires landed in Algeria, the country that would be the Foreign Legion's homeland for 130 years and shape its character. The early years in Algeria were hard on the legion because it was often sent to the worst postings and received the worst assignments, and its members were generally uninterested in the new colony of the French.
[Porch p. 17–18] The Legion served alongside the
Battalions of Light Infantry of Africa, formed in 1832, which was a
penal military unit
Penal military units, including penal battalions, penal companies, etc., are military formations consisting of convicts mobilized for military service. Such formations may contain soldiers convicted of offenses under military law, persons enrolled ...
made up of men with prison records who still had to do their military service or soldiers with serious disciplinary problems.
The Foreign Legion's first service in Algeria came to an end after only four years, as it was needed elsewhere.
Carlist War 1835–1839
To support
Isabella
Isabella may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Isabella (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Isabella (surname), including a list of people
Places
United States
* Isabella, Alabama, an unincorpor ...
's claim to the Spanish throne against her uncle, the French government decided to send the Foreign Legion to Spain. On 28 June 1835, the unit was handed over to the Spanish government. The Foreign Legion landed via sea at
Tarragona
Tarragona (, ; Phoenician: ''Tarqon''; la, Tarraco) is a port city located in northeast Spain on the Costa Daurada by the Mediterranean Sea. Founded before the fifth century BC, it is the capital of the Province of Tarragona, and part of Tar ...
on 17 August with around 1,400 who were quickly dubbed ''Los Algerinos'' (the Algerians) by locals because of their previous posting.
The Foreign Legion's commander immediately dissolved the national battalions to improve the ''esprit de corps''. Later, he also created three squadrons of lancers and an artillery battery from the existing force to increase independence and flexibility. The Foreign Legion was dissolved on 8 December 1838, when it had dropped to only 500 men. The survivors returned to France, many reenlisting in the new Foreign Legion along with many of their former
Carlist
Carlism ( eu, Karlismo; ca, Carlisme; ; ) is a Traditionalism (Spain), Traditionalist and Legitimists (disambiguation), Legitimist political movement in Spain aimed at establishing an alternative branch of the House of Bourbon, Bourbon dynasty ...
enemies.
Crimean War
On 9 June 1854, the
French ship ''Jean Bart'' embarked four battalions of the Foreign Legion for the
Crimean Peninsula
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a po ...
. A further battalion was stationed at
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles ...
as brigade depot.
Eight companies drawn from both regiments of the Foreign Legion took part in the
Battle of Alma
The Battle of the Alma (short for Battle of the Alma River) was a battle in the Crimean War between an allied expeditionary force (made up of French, British, and Ottoman forces) and Russian forces defending the Crimean Peninsula on 20Septem ...
(20 September 1854). Reinforcements by sea brought the Legion contingent up to brigade strength. As the "Foreign Brigade", it served in the
Siege of Sevastopol, during the winter of 1854–1855.
The lack of equipment was particularly challenging and
cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
hit the Allied expeditionary force. Nevertheless, the "leather bellies" (the nickname given to the legionnaires by the Russians because of the large cartridge pouches that they wore attached to their waist-belts), performed well. On 21 June 1855, the Third Battalion, left Corsica for Crimea.
On 8 September the final assault was launched on
Sevastopol
Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
. Two days later, the Second Foreign Regiment with flags and band playing ahead, marched through the streets of Sevastopol. Although initial reservations had been expressed about whether the Legion should be used outside Africa,
the Crimean experience established its suitability for service in European warfare, as well as making a cohesive single entity of what had previously been two separate foreign regiments. Total Legion casualties in the Crimea were 1,703 killed and wounded.
Italian Campaign 1859
Like the rest of the "
Army of Africa", the Foreign Legion provided detachments in the campaign of Italy. Two foreign regiments, grouped with the 2nd Regiment of
Zouave
The Zouaves were a class of light infantry regiments of the French Army serving between 1830 and 1962 and linked to French North Africa; as well as some units of other countries modelled upon them. The zouaves were among the most decorated unit ...
s, were part of the Second
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
Br ...
of the Second
Division
Division or divider may refer to:
Mathematics
*Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
*Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division
Military
*Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
of
Mac Mahon's
Corps
Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...
. The Foreign Legion acquitted itself particularly well against the
Austrians
, pop = 8–8.5 million
, regions = 7,427,759
, region1 =
, pop1 = 684,184
, ref1 =
, region2 =
, pop2 = 345,620
, ref2 =
, region3 =
, pop3 = 197,990
, ref3 ...
at the
battle of Magenta
The Battle of Magenta was fought on 4 June 1859 during the Second Italian War of Independence, resulting in a French-Sardinian victory under Napoleon III against the Austrians under Marshal Ferencz Gyulai.
It took place near the town of Magenta ...
(4 June 1859) and at the
Battle of Solferino
The Battle of Solferino (referred to in Italy as the Battle of Solferino and San Martino) on 24 June 1859 resulted in the victory of the allied French Army under Napoleon III and Piedmont-Sardinian Army under Victor Emmanuel II (together know ...
(24 June). Legion losses were significant and the
2nd Foreign Regiment lost Colonel Chabrière, its commanding officer. In gratitude, the city of
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
awarded, in 1909, the "commemorative medal of deliverance", which still adorns the regimental flags of the Second Regiment.
Mexican Expedition 1863–1867
![Légionnaire-Mexique](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/L%C3%A9gionnaire-Mexique.JPG)
The 38,000 strong French expeditionary force dispatched to Mexico via sea between 1862 and 1863 included two battalions of the Foreign Legion, increased to six battalions by 1866. Small cavalry and artillery units were raised from legionnaires serving in Mexico. The original intention was that Foreign Legion units should remain in Mexico for up to six years to provide a core for the Imperial Mexican Army. However the Legion was withdrawn with the other French forces during February–March 1867.
It was in Mexico on 30 April 1863 that the Legion earned its legendary status. A company led by Captain
Jean Danjou
Jean Danjou (15 April 1828 – 30 April 1863) was a decorated captain of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. He commanded the two lieutenants and 62 legionnaires who fought the Battle of Camarón during the French intervention in Mexico, i ...
, numbering 62 Legionnaires and 3 Legion officers, was escorting a convoy to
the besieged city of Puebla when it was
attacked and besieged by three thousand Mexican loyalists, organised in two
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
s of infantry and cavalry, numbering 2,200 and 800 respectively. The Legion detachment under Danjou,
Sous-Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until 19 ...
, and Sous-Lieutenant
made a stand in the ''Hacienda de la Trinidad'' – a farm near the village of Camarone. When only six survivors remained, out of ammunition, a
bayonet assault was launched in which three of the six were killed. The remaining three wounded men were brought before the Mexican commander Colonel Milan, who allowed them to return to the French lines as an honor guard for the body of Danjou. The captain had a wooden hand, which was later returned to the Legion and is now kept in a case in the Legion Museum at Aubagne and paraded annually on Camerone Day. It is the Foreign Legion's most precious relic.
![Main Danjou](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Main_Danjou.gif)
During the Mexican Campaign, 6,654 French died. Of these, 1,918 were from a single regiment of the Legion.
Franco-Prussian War 1870
According to French law, the Foreign Legion was not to be used within
Metropolitan France
Metropolitan France (french: France métropolitaine or ''la Métropole''), also known as European France (french: Territoire européen de la France) is the area of France which is geographically in Europe. This collective name for the European ...
except in the case of a national invasion, and was consequently not a part of Napoleon III's Imperial Army that capitulated at
Sedan. With the defeat of the Imperial Army, the
Second French Empire
The Second French Empire (; officially the French Empire, ), was the 18-year Empire, Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 14 January 1852 to 27 October 1870, between the French Second Republic, Second and the French Third Republic ...
fell and the
Third Republic was created.
The new Third Republic was desperately short of trained soldiers following Sedan, so the Foreign Legion was ordered to provide a contingent. On 11 October 1870 two provisional battalions disembarked via sea at
Toulon
Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
, the first time the Foreign Legion had been deployed in France itself. It attempted to lift the
Siege of Paris by breaking through the German lines. It succeeded in retaking
Orléans
Orléans (;["Orleans"](_blank)
(US) and [Paris Commune
The Paris Commune (french: Commune de Paris, ) was a revolutionary government that seized power in Paris, the capital of France, from 18 March to 28 May 1871.
During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard had defended ...]
. The Foreign Legion participated in the suppression of the Commune, which was crushed with great bloodshed.
Tonkin Campaign and Sino-French War 1883–1888
![Legion sniper, Tuyen Quang](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Legion_sniper%2C_Tuyen_Quang.jpg)
The Foreign Legion's First Battalion (Lieutenant-Colonel Donnier)
sailed to Tonkin in late 1883, during the period of undeclared hostilities that preceded the
Sino-French War
The Sino-French War (, french: Guerre franco-chinoise, vi, Chiến tranh Pháp-Thanh), also known as the Tonkin War and Tonquin War, was a limited conflict fought from August 1884 to April 1885. There was no declaration of war. The Chinese arm ...
(August 1884 to April 1885), and formed part of the attack column that stormed the western gate of
Sơn Tây
''Toxicodendron succedaneum'', the wax tree, Japanese Hazenoki tree (Sumac or wax tree), sơn in Vietnam or charão in Portuguese, is a flowering plant species in the genus ''Toxicodendron'' found in Asia, although it has been planted elsewhere, ...
on 16 December. The Second and Third Infantry Battalions (''chef de bataillon'' Diguet and Lieutenant-Colonel Schoeffer) were also deployed to Tonkin shortly afterwards, and were present in all the major campaigns of the Sino-French War. Two Foreign Legion companies led the defence at the celebrated
Siege of Tuyên Quang
The siege of Tuyên Quang was an important confrontation between the French and the Chinese armies in Tonkin (northern Vietnam) during the Sino-French War (August 1884 – April 1885). A French garrison of 630 men, including two companies of ...
(24 November 1884 to 3 March 1885). In January 1885 the Foreign Legion's 4th Battalion (''chef de bataillon'' Vitalis) was deployed to the French bridgehead at Keelung (Jilong) in Formosa (Taiwan), where it took part in the later battles of the
Keelung Campaign. The battalion played an important role in Colonel
Jacques Duchesne
General Jacques Charles René Achille Duchesne (3 March 1837 – 27 April 1918) was a 19th-century French military officer. He was born at Sens and entered École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr, Saint-Cyr in 1855, aged 18, and became a lieuten ...
's offensive in March 1885 that captured the key Chinese positions of La Table and Fort Bamboo and disengaged Keelung.
In December 1883, during a review of the Second Legion Battalion on the eve of its departure for Tonkin to take part in the
Bắc Ninh Campaign, General
François de Négrier
François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis.
People with the given name
* Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of Letters"
* Francis II of France, Kin ...
pronounced a famous ''mot'': ''Vous, légionnaires, vous êtes soldats pour mourir, et je vous envoie où l'on meurt!'' ('You, Legionnaires, you are soldiers in order to die, and I'm sending you to where one dies!')
Colonization of Africa
![Bonifacio Légion JPG1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Bonifacio_L%C3%A9gion_JPG1.jpg)
As part of the
Army of Africa, the Foreign Legion contributed to the growth of the
French colonial empire
The French colonial empire () comprised the overseas colonies, protectorates and mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between the "First French Colonial Empire", that exist ...
in
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...
. Simultaneously, the Legion took part to the
pacification of Algeria
The Pacification of Algeria was a series of military operations after the French conquest of the Regency of Algiers that aimed to put an end to various tribal rebellions, razzias and massacres of French settlers that were sporadically held in ...
, suppressing various tribal rebellions and
razzias.
Second Franco-Dahomean War 1892–1894
In 1892,
King Behanzin was threatening the French protectorate of
Porto-Novo
Porto-Novo (Portuguese: "New Port", , ; yo, Àjàṣẹ́, ), also known as Hogbonu and Ajashe, is the capital of Benin. The commune covers an area of and as of 2002 had a population of 223,552 people.
Situated on an inlet of the Gulf of Gu ...
in modern-day Benin and France decided to intervene. A battalion, led by commandant Faurax Montier, was formed from two companies of the First Foreign Regiment and two others from the second regiment. From
Cotonou
Cotonou (; fon, Kútɔ̀nú) is a city in Benin. Its official population count was 679,012 inhabitants in 2012; however, over two million people live in the larger urban area.
The urban area continues to expand, notably toward the west. The ci ...
, the legionnaires marched to seize
Abomey
Abomey is the capital of the Zou Department of Benin. The commune of Abomey covers an area of 142 square kilometres and, as of 2012, had a population of 90,195 people.
Abomey houses the Royal Palaces of Abomey, a collection of small traditional ...
, the capital of the
Kingdom of Dahomey
The Kingdom of Dahomey () was a West African kingdom located within present-day Benin that existed from approximately 1600 until 1904. Dahomey developed on the Abomey Plateau amongst the Fon people in the early 17th century and became a region ...
. Two and a half months were needed to reach the city, at the cost of repeated battles against the Dahomean warriors, especially the
Amazons of the King. King Behanzin surrendered and was captured by the legionnaires in January 1894.
Second Madagascar Expedition 1894–1895
In 1895, a battalion, formed by the First and Second Foreign Regiments, was sent to the
Kingdom of Madagascar
The Merina Kingdom, or Kingdom of Madagascar, officially the Kingdom of Imerina (–1897), was a pre-colonial state off the coast of Southeast Africa that, by the 19th century, dominated most of what is now Madagascar. It spread outward from I ...
, as part of an expeditionary force whose mission was to conquer the island. The foreign battalion formed the backbone of the column launched on
Antananarivo
Antananarivo ( French: ''Tananarive'', ), also known by its colonial shorthand form Tana, is the capital and largest city of Madagascar. The administrative area of the city, known as Antananarivo-Renivohitra ("Antananarivo-Mother Hill" or "An ...
, the capital of Madagascar. After a few skirmishes, the Queen
Ranavalona III
Ranavalona III (; 22 November 1861 – 23 May 1917) was the last sovereign of the Kingdom of Madagascar. She ruled from 30 July 1883 to 28 February 1897 in a reign marked by ultimately futile efforts to resist the colonial designs of the go ...
promptly surrendered.
The Foreign Legion lost 226 men, of whom only a tenth died in actual fighting. Others, like much of the expeditionary force, died from tropical diseases.
Despite the success of the expedition, the quelling of sporadic rebellions would take another eight years until 1905, when the island was completely pacified by the French under
Joseph Gallieni
Joseph Simon Gallieni (24 April 1849 – 27 May 1916) was a French soldier, active for most of his career as a military commander and administrator in the French colonies. Gallieni is infamous in Madagascar as the French military leader who e ...
.
During that time, insurrections against the Malagasy Christians of the island, missionaries and foreigners were particularly terrible. Queen
Ranavalona III
Ranavalona III (; 22 November 1861 – 23 May 1917) was the last sovereign of the Kingdom of Madagascar. She ruled from 30 July 1883 to 28 February 1897 in a reign marked by ultimately futile efforts to resist the colonial designs of the go ...
was deposed in January 1897 and was exiled to
Algiers
Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
in Algeria, where she died in 1917.
Mandingo War 1898
From 1882 until his capture, Samori Ture, ruler of the Wassoulou Empire, fought the French colonial army, defeating them on several occasions, including a notable victory at Woyowayanko (2 April 1882), in the face of French heavy artillery. Nonetheless, Samori was forced to sign several treaties ceding territory to the French between 1886 and 1889. Samori began a steady retreat, but the fall of other resistance armies, particularly Babemba Traoré at Sikasso, permitted the colonial army to launch a concentrated assault against his forces. A battalion of two companies from the 2nd Foreign Regiment was created in early 1894 to pacify the Niger. The Legionnaires' victory at the fortress of Ouilla and police patrols in the region accelerated the submission of the tribes. On 29 September 1898, Samori Ture was captured by the French Henri Gouraud (French Army officer), Commandant Gouraud and exiled to
Gabon
Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north ...
, marking the end of the Wassoulou Empire.
Marching Regiments of the Foreign Legion
World War I 1914–1918
![Alan seeger foreign legion](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Alan_seeger_foreign_legion.jpg)
The annexation of Alsace and Lorraine by Germany in 1871 led to numerous volunteers from the two regions enlisting in the Foreign Legion, which gave them the option of French citizenship at the end of their service.
With the declaration of war on 29 July 1914, a call was made for foreigners residing in France to support their adopted country. While many would have preferred direct enlistment in the regular French Army, the only option immediately available was that of the Foreign Legion. On one day only (3 August 1914) a reported 8,000 volunteers applied to enlist in the Paris recruiting office of the Legion.
In World War I, the Foreign Legion fought in many critical battles on the Western Front, including Second Battle of Artois, Artois, Second Battle of Champagne, Champagne, Battle of the Somme, Somme, Second Battle of the Aisne, Aisne, and Battle of Verdun, Verdun (in 1917), and also suffered heavy casualties during 1918. The Foreign Legion was also in the Gallipoli Campaign, Dardanelles and Macedonian front (World War I), Macedonian front, and was highly decorated for its efforts. Many young foreigners volunteered for the Foreign Legion when the war broke out in 1914. There were marked differences between the idealistic volunteers of 1914 and the hardened men of the old Legion, making assimilation difficult. Nevertheless, the old and the new men of the Foreign Legion fought and died in vicious battles on the Western front, including Belloy-en-Santerre during the Battle of the Somme, where the poet Alan Seeger, after being mortally wounded by machine-gun fire, cheered on the rest of his advancing battalion.
Interwar period 1918–1939
![Paul-Frédéric Rollet](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Paul-Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Rollet.jpg)
While suffering heavy casualties on the
Western Front the Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion, Legion had emerged from World War I with an enhanced reputation and as one of the most highly decorated units 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 ...
.
[Porch p. 382–3] In 1919, the government of Spain raised the Spanish Legion, Spanish Foreign Legion and modeled it after the French Foreign Legion.
General Jean Jules Henri Mordacq, Jean Mordacq intended to rebuild the Foreign Legion as a larger military formation, doing away with the legion's traditional role as a solely infantry formation.
General Mordacq envisioned a Foreign Legion consisting not of regiments, but of divisions with cavalry, engineer, and artillery regiments in addition to the legion's infantry mainstay.
In 1920, decrees ordained the establishment of regiments of cavalry and artillery.
Immediately following the armistice the Foreign Legion experienced an increase of enlistments.
[Windrow] The Foreign Legion began the process of reorganizing and redeploying to Algeria.
![Bundesarchiv Bild 102-00723, Marokko, Fremdenlegionäre](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Bundesarchiv_Bild_102-00723%2C_Marokko%2C_Fremdenlegion%C3%A4re.jpg)
The Legion played a major part in the Rif War of 1920–25. In 1932, the Foreign Legion consisted of 30,000 men, serving in six multi-battalion regiments including the 1st Foreign Regiment (France), 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment 1
er REI –
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
,
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
and
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
; 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (France), 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment 2
ème REI, 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment 3
ème REI, and 4th Foreign Regiment (France), 4th Foreign Infantry Regiment 4
ème REI –
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
, Lebanon; 5th Foreign Infantry Regiment, 5th Foreign Infantry 5
ème REI – Indochina; and 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment 1
er REC – Lebanon,
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
and Morocco.
In 1931, Général Paul-Frédéric Rollet assumed the role of Inspection of the Foreign Legion, 1st Inspector of the Foreign Legion, a post created at his initiative. While serving as Colonel of the 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment (1925–1931), Paul-Frédéric Rollet, Rollet was responsible for planning the centennial celebrations of the Legion's foundation; scheduling this event for Battle of Camarón, Camarón Day 30 April 1931. He was subsequently credited with creating much of the modern mystique of the Legion by restoring or creating many of its traditions.
World War II 1939–1945
![Free French Foreign Legionnairs](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Free_French_Foreign_Legionnairs.jpg)
The Foreign Legion played a smaller role in World War II in mainland Europe than in World War I, though it saw involvement in many exterior theatres of operations, notably French Navy, sea-transport protection through to the Norwegian campaign, Norwegian, Syria–Lebanon campaign, Syria-Lebanon, and North African campaigns. The 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion, 13th Demi-Brigade, formed for service in Norway, found itself in the UK at the time of the Armistice of 22 June 1940, French Armistice (June 1940), was deployed to the British 8th Army in North Africa and distinguished itself in the Battle of Bir Hakeim (1942). Reflecting the divisions of the time, part of the Foreign Legion joined the Free French Forces, Free French movement while another part served the Vichy France, Vichy government. Germany incorporated German legionnaires into the Wehrmacht's 90th Light Infantry Division (Wehrmacht), 90th Light Infantry Division in North Africa.
The Syria–Lebanon Campaign of June 1941 saw legionnaire fighting legionnaire as the 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion, 13
e D.B.L.E clashed with the 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment 6
e REI at Battle of Damascus (1941), Damascus. Nevertheless, many legionnaires of the 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment 6
e (dissolved on 31 December 1941) integrated into the Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion R.M.L.E in 1942. Later, a thousand of the rank-and-file of the Vichy France, Vichy Legion unit joined the 13
e D.B.L.E. of the Free French forces which were also part (as of September 1944) of Jean de Lattre de Tassigny's successful amalgam of the French Liberation Army (french: Armée française de la Libération), the (400,000 men) amalgam consisted of the Vichy France, Armistice Army, the Free France, Free French Forces and the French Forces of the Interior which formed Army B and later became part of the First Army (France), French 1st Army with forces also issued from the French Resistance.
Alsace-Lorraine
Following World War II, many French-speaking former German soldiers joined the Foreign Legion to pursue a military career, an option no longer possible in Germany, including French German soldiers of Malgré-nous. It would have been considered problematic if the men from Alsace-Lorraine had not spoken French. These French-speaking former German soldiers made up as much as 60 percent of the Legion during the war in Indochina. Contrary to popular belief however, French policy was to exclude former members of the Waffen-SS, and candidates for induction were refused if they exhibited the tell-tale blood type tattoo, or even a scar that might be masking it.
The high percentage of Germans was contrary to normal policy concerning a single dominant nationality, and in more recent times Germans have made up a much smaller percentage of the Foreign Legion's composition.
First Indochina War 1946–1954
![Cie para 3REI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Cie_para_3REI.JPG)
During the
First Indochina War
The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam) began in French Indochina from 19 December 1946 to 20 July 1954 between France and Việt Minh (Democratic Republic of Vi ...
(1946–54) the Foreign Legion saw its numbers swell due to the incorporation of World War II veterans. Although the Foreign Legion distinguished itself in a territory where it had served since the 1880s, it also suffered a heavy toll during this war. Constantly being deployed in operations, units of the Legion suffered particularly heavy losses in the climactic
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu (french: Bataille de Diên Biên Phu ; vi, Chiến dịch Điện Biên Phủ, ) was a climactic confrontation of the First Indochina War that took place between 13 March and 7 May 1954. It was fought between the Fr ...
, before the fortified valley finally fell on 7 May 1954. No fewer than 72,833 served in Indochina during the eight-year war. The Legion suffered the loss of 10,283 of its own men in combat: 309 officers, 1082 sous-officiers and 9092 legionnaires .
While only one of several Legion units involved in Indochina, the 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion (1
er BEP) particularly distinguished itself, while being annihilated twice. It was renamed the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment (1
er REP) after its third reformation.
The 1
er BEP sailed to Indochina on 12 November and was then engaged in combat operations in Tonkin.
On 17 November 1950 the battalion parachuted into That Khé and suffered heavy losses at Coc Xa. Reconstituted on 1 March 1951, the battalion participated in combat operations at Cho Ben, on the Black River and in Annam.
On 21 November 1953 the reconstituted 1
er BEP was parachuted into Dien Bien Phu.
In this battle, the unit lost 575 killed in action, killed and missing in action, missing.
Reconstituted for the third time on 19 May 1954, the battalion left Indochina on 8 February 1955.
The 1
er BEP received five citations and the fourragère of the colors of the Médaille militaire
for its service in Indochina. The 1
er BEP became the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment (1
er REP) in
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
on 1 September 1955.
Dien Bien Phu fell on 7 May 1954 at 17:30.
The couple of hectares that were the battlefield today are corn fields surrounding a stele which commemorates the sacrifices of those who died there. While the garrison of Dien Bien Phu included French regular, North African, and locally recruited (Indochinese) units, the battle has become associated particularly with the paratroops of the Foreign Legion.
During the Indochina War, the Legion operated several Armored Train of the Foreign Legion, armoured trains which were an enduring ''Rolling Symbol'' during the chartered course duration of French Indochina. The Legion also operated various Passage Company of the Foreign Legion (CPLE), Passage Companies relative to the continental conflicts at hand.
Algerian War 1954–1962
Foreign Legion paratroops
![Insigne du 1° REP](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Insigne_du_1%C2%B0_REP.jpg)
The legion was heavily engaged in fighting against the National Liberation Front (Algeria), National Liberation Front and the Armée de Libération Nationale, Armée de Libération Nationale (ALN). The main activity during the period 1954–1962 was as part of the operations of the 10th Parachute Division (France), 10th Parachute Division and 25th Parachute Division (France), 25th Parachute Division. The 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment, 1
er REP, was under the command of the 10th Parachute Division (France), 10
ème DP, and the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, 2
ème REP, was under the command of the 25th Parachute Division (France), 25
ème DP. While both the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment (1
er REP), and the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2
ème REP), were part of the operations of List of French paratrooper units, French parachute divisions (10
ème DP and 25
ème DP established in 1956), the Legion's 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment (1
er REP), and the Legion's 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2
ème REP), are older than the French divisions. The 1
er REP was the former thrice-reconstituted 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion (List of French paratrooper units, 1
er BEP) and the 2
ème REP was the former 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion (List of French paratrooper units, 2
ème BEP). Both battalions were renamed and their Legionnaires transferred from First Indochina War, Indochina on 1 August 1954 to Algerian War, Algeria by 1 November 1954. Both traced their origins to the Parachute Company of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment commanded by Legion Lieutenant Jacques Morin attached to the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment, III/1
er R.C.P.
With the start of the Algerian War, War in Algeria on 1 November 1954, the two foreign participating parachute battalions back from Indochina, the 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion (1
er BEP, III Formation) and the 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion (2
ème BEP), were not part of any French List of French paratrooper units, parachute divisions yet and were not designated as regiments until September and 1 December 1955 respectively.
![Paschal_002](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Paschal_002.jpg)
Main operations during the Algerian War included the Battle of Algiers and the Bataille of the Frontiers, fought by 60,000 soldiers including List of French paratrooper units, French and List of French paratrooper units, Legion paratroopers. For paratroopers of the Legion, the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment (1
er REP) and 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2
ème REP), were the only known foreign active parachute regiments, exclusively commanded by Pierre Jeanpierre, Pierre Paul Jeanpierre for the 1
er REP
and the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, paratrooper commanders of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, 2
ème REP. The remainder of list of French paratrooper units, French paratrooper units of the
French Armed Forces
The French Armed Forces (french: Forces armées françaises) encompass the Army, the Navy, the Air and Space Force and the Gendarmerie of the French Republic. The President of France heads the armed forces as Chief of the Armed Forces.
Franc ...
were commanded by Jacques Massu, 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment, Buchond, Marcel Bigeard, Paul Aussaresses. Other List of French paratrooper units, Legion offensives in the mountains in 1959 included operations Operation Jumelles, Jumelles, 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment, Cigales, and 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment, Ariège in the Aures and the last in Kabylie.
The image of the Legion as a professional and non-political force was tarnished when the elite 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment List of French paratrooper units, 1
er REP, which was also part of the 10th Parachute Division (France), 10th Parachute Division played a leading role in the generals' putsch of 1961
and was subsequently disbanded.
Generals' putsch and reduction of Foreign Legion
![Monument aux morts legion para](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Monument_aux_morts_legion_para.jpg)
Coming out of a difficult Indochinese conflict, the Foreign Legion reinforced cohesion by extending the duration of basic training. Efforts exerted were successful during this transit; however, entering into December 1960 and the generals' putsch, a crisis hit the legion putting its faith at the corps of the Army.
For having rallied to the Algiers putsch of 1961, generals' putsch of April 1961, the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment of the List of French paratrooper units, 10th Parachute Division was dissolved on 30 April 1961 at Zeralda.
In 1961, at the issue of the putsch, the Saharan Méharistes Companies (méharistes sahariennes), 1st Mounted Saharan Squadron of the Foreign Legion (french: 1
er Escadron Saharien Porté de la Légion Etrangère, 1
er ESPLE) received the missions to assure military police, surveillance and military police, policing.
The independence of Algeria from the French Algeria, French in 1962 was traumatising since it ended with the enforced abandonment of the barracks command center at Sidi Bel Abbès established in 1842. Upon being notified that the elite regiment was to be disbanded and that they were to be reassigned, legionnaires of the 1
er REP burned the Chinese pavilion acquired following the
Siege of Tuyên Quang
The siege of Tuyên Quang was an important confrontation between the French and the Chinese armies in Tonkin (northern Vietnam) during the Sino-French War (August 1884 – April 1885). A French garrison of 630 men, including two companies of ...
in 1884. The relics from the Legion's history museum, including the wooden hand of Captain
Jean Danjou
Jean Danjou (15 April 1828 – 30 April 1863) was a decorated captain of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. He commanded the two lieutenants and 62 legionnaires who fought the Battle of Camarón during the French intervention in Mexico, i ...
, subsequently accompanied the Legion to France. Also removed from Sidi Bel Abbès were the symbolic Legion remains of Ranks in the French Army, General Paul-Frédéric Rollet ( Foreign Legion Command, The Father of the Legion ), Foreign Legion Command, Legion officer Prince Count Aage of Rosenborg, and Legionnaire Heinz Zimmermann (last fatal casualty in Algeria).
![Prince Aage](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Prince_Aage.png)
The Legion acquired its parade song "''Non, je ne regrette rien''" ("No, I regret nothing"), a 1960 Édith Piaf song sung by Sous-Officiers and legionnaires as they left their barracks for re-deployment following the Algiers putsch of 1961. The song has remained a part of Legion heritage since.
The 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment 1
er REP was disbanded on 30 April 1961.
However, the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 2
ème REP prevailed in existence, while most of the personnel of the Saharan Companies of the French Foreign Legion, Saharan Companies were integrated into the 1st Foreign Regiment (France), 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment, 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (France), 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment and 4th Foreign Regiment (France), 4th Foreign Infantry Regiment respectively.
Post-colonial Africa
![Legion1PW](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Legion1PW.jpg)
By the mid-1960s the Legion had lost its traditional and spiritual home in French Algeria and elite units had been dissolved.
President de Gaulle considered disbanding it altogether but, being reminded of the Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion, Marching Regiments, and that the 13th Demi-Brigade of Foreign Legion, 13th Demi-Brigade was one of the first units to declare for him in 1940 and taking also into consideration the effective service of various Saharan Méharistes Companies (méharistes sahariennes), Saharan units and performances of other Legions units, he chose instead to downsize the Legion from 40,000 to 8,000 men and relocate it to metropolitan France. Legion units continued to be assigned to overseas service, although not in North Africa (see below).
1962–present
In the early 1960s, and besides ongoing global rapid deployments, the Legion also stationed forces on various continents while operating different function units.
The main Disciplinary Company of the Foreign Legion (CDLE), based on Honneur et Fidélité, rules and regulations set by général Paul-Frédéric Rollet, Rollet in 1931, received serious offenders sent from Legion regiments garrisoned or operating in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, the Levant and Tonkin (special section of the 5th Foreign Infantry Regiment and later in 1963, part of a Saharan disciplinary section unit of the 5e REI and 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment). It was dissolved on July 1, 1964.
From 1965 to 1967, the Legion operated several companies, including the 5th Heavy Weight Transport Company (CTGP), mainly in charge of evacuating the Sahara. The area of responsibility of some of these units extended from the confines of the in-between of the Sahara to the Mediterranean. Ongoing interventions and rapid deployments two years later and the following years included in part:
* 1969–1971 : interventions in
Chad
Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...
* 1978–present : Peacekeeping operations around the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, including the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon during the Global War on Terror
* 1978–1978 : Battle of Kolwezi (Zaire, Zaïre)
* 1981–1984 : Peacekeeping operations in
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
at the corps of the Multinational Force in Lebanon, United Nations Multinational Force during the Lebanese Civil War along with the 31st Brigade (France), 31
ème Brigade which included the
1st Foreign Regiment 1
er RE. Operation Épaulard I was spearheaded by Ranks in the French Army, Lieutenant-colonel Bernard Janvier. The Multinational Force also included the British Armed Forces 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards, U.S. American contingents of United States Marine Corps and the United States Navy, the
French Navy
The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...
and 28 exclusive
French Armed Forces
The French Armed Forces (french: Forces armées françaises) encompass the Army, the Navy, the Air and Space Force and the Gendarmerie of the French Republic. The President of France heads the armed forces as Chief of the Armed Forces.
Franc ...
regiments including List of French paratrooper units, French paratroopers regiments, List of French paratrooper units, companies, List of French paratrooper units, units of the 11th Parachute Brigade (France), 11th Parachute Brigade along with the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 2
e REP. The multinational force also included the Irish Armed Forces and units of the French National Gendarmerie, Italian Armed Forces, Italian paratroopers from the Folgore Brigade, and
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 ...
units from the Bersaglieri regiments and United States Marine Corps, Marines of the San Marco Regiment, San Marco Battalion.
Gulf War 1990–1991
![DesertStormMap v2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/DesertStormMap_v2.svg)
In September 1990, the
1st Foreign Regiment, the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment, the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (France), 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment, and the 6th Foreign Engineer Regiment were sent to the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...
as a part of
Opération Daguet along with the 1st Spahi Regiment, the 11th Marine Artillery Regiment, the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment, the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment, the French Army Light Aviation, the Régiment d'infanterie-chars de marine, and components of the 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment, the 1st Parachute Hussard Regiment, and the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment.
Division Daguet was commanded by Général de brigade Bernard Janvier.
![Foreign Legion Bastille Day 2013 Paris t092629](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Foreign_Legion_Bastille_Day_2013_Paris_t092629.jpg)
The Legion force, made up of 27 different nationalities, was attached to the French 6th Light Armoured Division (France), 6th Light Armoured Division whose mission was to protect the Coalition of the Gulf War, Coalition's left flank.
After the four-week Gulf War#Air campaign, air campaign, coalition forces launched the ground offensive. They quickly penetrated deep into Iraq, with the Legion taking the As-Salman Airport, meeting little resistance. The war ended after a hundred hours of fighting on the ground, which resulted in very light casualties for the Legion. During war, French Foreign Legion engineers operated in support of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division, and provided the EOD services to the division. After the ceasefire, they conducted a joint mine clearing operation with a Royal Australian Navy Clearance Diving Team (RAN), clearance divers.
Post 1991
* 1991: Evacuation of French citizens and foreigners in
Rwanda
Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...
, Gabon and
Zaire
Zaire (, ), officially the Republic of Zaire (french: République du Zaïre, link=no, ), was a Congolese state from 1971 to 1997 in Central Africa that was previously and is now again known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Zaire was, ...
.
* 1992:
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
and
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
* 1993:
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
* 1995:
Rwanda
Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...
* 1996:
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic (CAR; ; , RCA; , or , ) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, the DR Congo to the south, the Republic of th ...
* 1997:
Congo-Brazzaville
The Republic of the Congo (french: République du Congo, ln, Republíki ya Kongó), also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply either Congo or the Congo, is a country located in the western coast of Central Africa to the w ...
* Since 1999: Kosovo Force, KFOR in
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
and Republic of Macedonia, North Macedonia
2001–present
* 2001–2014:
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 at ...
in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
* 2002–2003:
Opération Licorne
Opération Licorne was a French Armed Forces peacekeeping operation in support of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire. The French forces had been stationed in the country since shortly after the outbreak of the Ivorian Civil War. Th ...
in
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...
* 2008:
EUFOR Tchad/RCA
European Union Force Chad and the Central African Republic (EUFOR Chad and the Central African Republic), also EUFOR Tchad/RCA after the French, was the European Union mission in Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR), authorised in late ...
in Chad
* 2013–2014:
Operation Serval
Operation Serval (french: Opération Serval) was a French military operation in Mali. The aim of the operation was to oust Islamic militants from the north of Mali, who had begun a push into the center of Mali.
Operation Serval followed the ...
in the
Northern Mali conflict
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Mali War
, partof = the Islamist insurgency in the Sahel and the War on terror
, image = MaliWar.svg
, image_size = 380
, caption = Military situation ...
*2015–present: Opération Sentinelle in
Metropolitan France
Metropolitan France (french: France métropolitaine or ''la Métropole''), also known as European France (french: Territoire européen de la France) is the area of France which is geographically in Europe. This collective name for the European ...
.
Organization
Regarding the operational aspect, the units of the Legion belong to different brigades or Structure of the French Army, territorial commands 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 ...
.
On the other hand, with regard to the administrative management (including recruitment, traditions and training), these units depend on the Foreign Legion Command, Foreign Legion Command (COMLE), which itself is subordinate to the Army.
The regiments are now mainly stationed in
Metropolitan France
Metropolitan France (french: France métropolitaine or ''la Métropole''), also known as European France (french: Territoire européen de la France) is the area of France which is geographically in Europe. This collective name for the European ...
, with some units in the overseas departments and territories (mainly in French Guiana).
* Mainland France
**1st Foreign Regiment (France), 1er Régiment Étranger (1
er RE), based in Aubagne, France (HQ, selection and administration, other specific missions)
***Foreign Legion Pioneers (Pionniers), Pionniers Sections of Tradition
** 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment, 1er Régiment Étranger de Cavalerie (1
er REC), based in , France
** 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment, 1er Régiment Étranger de Génie (1
er REG), based in Laudun-l'Ardoise, Laudun, France
***Foreign Legion Pioneers (Pionniers), Pionniers Groups
** 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (France), 2e Régiment Étranger d’Infanterie (2
ème REI), based in Nîmes, France
** 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment, 2e Régiment Étranger de Génie (2
ème REG), based in Saint-Christol, Vaucluse, St Christol, France
***Foreign Legion Pioneers (Pionniers), Pionniers Groups
** 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, 2e Régiment Étranger de Parachutistes (2
ème REP), based in Calvi, Haute-Corse, Calvi, Corsica
** 4th Foreign Regiment (France), 4e Régiment Étranger (4
èmeRE), based in Castelnaudary, France
***Foreign Legion Pioneers (Pionniers), Pionniers Groups
** Foreign Legion Recruiting Group, Groupement de Recrutement de la Légion Etrangère (G.R.L.E), based at Fort de Nogent, France
** 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion, 13e Demi-Brigade de Légion Étrangère (13
ème DBLE), based in La Cavalerie, France
* Overseas territory (France), French Overseas Territories and Overseas collectivity, Overseas Collectives, France
** 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment, 3e Régiment Étranger d’Infanterie (3
ème REI), based in French Guiana
***Foreign Legion Pioneers (Pionniers), Pionniers Groups
** Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte, Détachement de Légion Étrangère de Mayotte (DLEM)
Current deployments
These are the following deployments:
Note: English names for countries or territories are in parentheses.
* ''Opérations extérieures'' (other than at home bases or on standard duties)
** French Guiana, Guyane (French Guiana) Mission de presence sur l'Oyapok – Protection – 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment, 3
ème REI Protection CSG; 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, 2
ème REP / CEA; 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (France), 2
ème REI / 4
ème compagnie
**
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
Intervention 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment, 1
er REC / 3° escadron (1 peloton); 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (France), 2
ème REI / 4° compagnie OMLT; 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment, 2
ème REG / 1ère compagnie
** Mayotte, Mayotte (Departmental Collectivity of Mayotte) Prevention Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte, DLEM Mission de souveraineté
**
Gabon
Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north ...
Prevention 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, 2
ème REP / 3
ème compagnie – 4
ème compagnie
DINOPS, PCG and Commandos
* 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, 2
ème REP Commando Parachute Group (Commando Parachute Group, GCP); Pathfinders qualified in Direct Actions, Special Reconnaissance and IMEX.
* 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment, 1er Régiment Étranger de Génie 1
er REG; 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment, Parachute Underwater Demolition 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment, P.C.G Teams (Combat Engineer Divers, french: Plongeurs Commando group), List of French paratrooper units, DINOPS Teams of Nautical Subaquatic Intervention Operational Detachment (french: Détachement d'Intervention Nautique Operationnelle Subaquatique).
* 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment, 2e Régiment Étranger de Génie 2
ème REG; 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment, Parachute Underwater Demolition 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment, P.C.G Teams (Combat Engineer Divers, french: Plongeurs du Combat du Génie), List of French paratrooper units, DINOPS Teams of Nautical Subaquatic Intervention Operational Detachment (french: Détachement d'Intervention Nautique Operationnelle Subaquatique) and List of French paratrooper units, Mountain Commando Group (2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment, GCM) in some cases as double specialties.
Composition
The Legionnaire (disambiguation), legionnaires are an integral part 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 ...
. Today, they constitute some 7–8% of its strength (or 11% of the Ground Operational Forces, FOT, French Army operational units).
The Foreign Legion is the only unit of the French Army open to people of any nationality. Most legionnaires still come from European countries but a growing percentage comes from Latin America and Asia. Most of the Foreign Legion's Ranks in the French Army#Officers, commissioned officers are French with approximately 10% being Legionnaires who have risen through the ranks.
As of 2021, members come from 140 countries. Legionnaires were, in the past, forced to enlist under a pseudonym ("declared identity"). This policy existed in order to allow recruits who wanted to restart their lives to enlist. The Legion held the belief that it was fairer to make all new recruits use declared identities.
French citizens can enlist under a declared, fictitious, foreign citizenship (generally, a francophone countries, francophone one, often that of Belgium, Canada, or Switzerland).
As of 20 September 2010, new recruits may enlist under their real identities or under declared identities. Recruits who do enlist with declared identities may, after one year's service, regularise their situations under their true identities.
After serving in the Foreign Legion for three years, a legionnaire may apply for French citizenship.
He must be serving under his real name, must have no problems with the authorities, and must have served with "honour and fidelity".
While the Foreign Legion historically did not accept women in its ranks, there was one official female member, Susan Travers, an English people, Englishwoman who joined Free French Forces during World War II and became a member of the Foreign Legion after the war, serving in Vietnam during the First Indochina War.
Women were barred from service until 2000.
Membership by country
As of 2008, legionnaires came from 140 countries. The majority of enlisted men originate from outside France, while the majority of the officer corps consists of Frenchmen. Many recruits originate from Eastern Europe and Latin America. Neil Tweedie of ''The Daily Telegraph'' said that Germany traditionally provided many recruits, "somewhat ironically given the Legion's bloody role in two world wars."
He added that "Brits, too, have played their part, but there was embarrassment recently when it emerged that many British applicants were failing selection due to endemic unfitness."
Alsace-Lorraine
Original nationalities of the Foreign Legion reflect the events in history at the time they join. Many former Wehrmacht personnel joined in the wake of World War II as many soldiers returning to civilian life found it hard to find reliable employment. Jean-Denis Lepage reports that "The Foreign Legion discreetly recruited from German P.O.W. camps", but adds that the number of these recruits has been subsequently exaggerated. Bernard B. Fall, who was a supporter of the French government, writing in the context of the
First Indochina War
The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam) began in French Indochina from 19 December 1946 to 20 July 1954 between France and Việt Minh (Democratic Republic of Vi ...
, questioned the notion that the Foreign Legion was mainly German at that time, calling it:
[a] canard…with the sub-variant that all those Germans were at least SS generals and other much wanted war criminals. As a rule, and in order to prevent any particular nation from making the Foreign Legion into a Praetorian Guard, any particular national component is kept at about 25 percent of the total. Even supposing (and this was the case, of course) that the French recruiters, in the eagerness for candidates would sign up Germans enlisting as Swiss, Austrian, Scandinavian and other nationalities of related ethnic background, it is unlikely that the number of Germans in the Foreign Legion ever exceeded 35 percent. Thus, without making an allowance for losses, rotation, discharges, etc., the maximum number of Germans fighting in Indochina at any one time reached perhaps 7,000 out of 278,000. As to the ex-Nazis, the early arrivals contained a number of them, none of whom were known to be war criminals. French intelligence saw to that.
Since, in view of the rugged Indochinese climate, older men without previous tropical experience constituted more a liability than an asset, the average age of the Foreign Legion enlistees was about 23. At the time of the battle of Dien Bien Phu, any legionnaire of that age group was at the worst, in his "Hitler Youth" shorts when the [Third] Reich collapsed.
The Foreign Legion accepts people enlisting under a nationality that is not their own. A proportion of the Swiss and Belgians are actually likely to be Frenchmen who wish to avoid detection. In addition many Alsatians are said to have joined the Foreign Legion when Alsace was part of the German Empire, and may have been recorded as German while considering themselves French.
Regarding recruitment conditions within the Foreign Legion, see the official page (in English) dedicated to the subject: With regard to age limits, recruits can be accepted from ages ranging from 17 ½ (with parental consent) to 39.5 years old.
Countries that allow post-Foreign Legion contract
In the European Union framework, post Legion enlistment is less clear. Denmark, Norway, Germany and Portugal allow post-Legion enlistment while The Netherlands has constitutional articles that forbid it. [Rijkswet op het Nederlanderschap, Artikel 15, lid 1e, (In Dutch:)] (that is: one can lose his Dutch nationality by accepting a foreign nationality or can lose his Dutch nationality by serving in the army of a foreign state that is engaged in a conflict against the Dutch Kingdom or one of its allies). The European Union twin threads seem to be recognized dual nationality status or restricting constitutional article.
The United States allows post-Legion enlistment in its National Guard of the United States, National Guard of career soldiers (up to the rank of captain) who are Permanent residence (United States), Green Card holders.
Israel allows post-Legion enlistment.
One of the biggest national groups in the Legion are Poland, Poles. Polish law allows service in a foreign army, but only after written permission from the Polish Ministry of National Defence.
Recruitment process
Basic training
![Marche Fourragére 02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Marche_Fourrag%C3%A9re_02.jpg)
While all rank and file members of the Legion are required to serve under "Foreign Status" (''à titre étranger''), even if they are French nationals, non-commissioned and commissioned officers can serve under either French or Foreign Status.
Foreign Status NCOs and officers are exclusively promoted from the ranks and represent 10% of the officers corps of the Legion.
French Status officers are either members of other units 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 ...
attached to the Legion or promoted Legionnaires who have chosen to become French nationals.
Basic training for the Foreign Legion is conducted in the 4th Foreign Regiment (France), 4th Foreign Regiment. This is an operational combat regiment which provides a training course of 15–17 weeks, before recruits are assigned to their operational units:
* Initial training of 4–6 weeks at The Farm (La Ferme) – introduction to military lifestyle; outdoor and field activities.
* March (Marche Képi Blanc) – a 50-kilometer (31 mi) two-day march (25 km per day) in full kit, followed by the Kepi Blanc ceremony on the 3rd day.
* Technical and practical training (alternating with barracks and field training) – three weeks.
* Mountain training (Chalet at Formiguière in the French Pyrenees) – one week.
* Technical and practical training (alternating barracks and field training) – three weeks.
* Examinations and obtaining of the elementary technical certificate (CTE) – one week.
* March (Raid Marche) – a 120-kilometer (75 mi) final march, which must be completed in three days.
* Light vehicle drivers education (drivers license) – one week.
* Return to Aubagne before reporting to the assigned operational regiment – one week.
Education in the French language (reading, writing and pronunciation) is taught on a daily basis throughout all of basic training.
Traditions
As the Foreign Legion is composed of soldiers of different nationalities and backgrounds, it is necessary to develop an intense ''wikt:esprit de corps, esprit de corps'',
which is achieved through the development of wikt:camaraderie, camaraderie,
specific traditions, the loyalty of its legionnaires, the quality of their training, and the pride of being a soldier in an elite unit.
Code of honour
The "Legionnaire's Code of Honour"
is the Legion's wikt:creed, creed, recited in French only. The Code of Honour was adopted in the 1980s.
Mottos
''Honneur et Fidélité''
In contrast to all other French Army units, the motto embroidered on the Foreign Legion's regimental flags is not ''Honneur et Patrie'' (Honour and Fatherland) but ''Honneur et Fidélité'' (Honour and Fidelity).
''Legio Patria Nostra''
''Honneur et Fidélité, Legio Patria Nostra'' (in French ''La Légion est notre Patrie'', in English ''The Legion is our Fatherland'') is the Latin motto of the Foreign Legion.
The adoption of the Foreign Legion as a new "Fatherland" does not imply the repudiation by the legionnaire of his original nationality. The Foreign Legion is required to obtain the agreement of any legionnaire before he is placed in any situation where he might have to serve against his country of birth.
Regimental mottos
*1st Foreign Regiment (France), 1
er R.E: ''Honneur et Fidélité''
* Foreign Legion Recruiting Group, G.R.L.E: ''Honneur et Fidélité''
*1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment, 1
er REC: ''Honneur et Fidélité'' and ''Nec pluribus impar, Nec Pluribus Impar'' (''No other equal'')
*2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, 2
e REP: ''Honneur et Fidélité'' and ''More Majorum''
(''in the manner, ways and traditions of our French Foreign Legion Veteran Societies Federation (Légion étrangère), veterans foreign regiments) ''
*2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (France), 2
e REI: ''Honneur et Fidélité'' and ''Être prêt'' (''Be ready'')
*2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment, 2
e REG: ''Honneur et Fidélité'' and ''Rien n'empêche'' (''Nothing prevents'')
*3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment, 3
e REI: ''Honneur et Fidélité'' and ''Legio Patria Nostra''
*4th Foreign Regiment (France), 4
e R.E: ''Honneur et Fidélité'' and ''Creuset de la Légion et Régiment des fortes têtes'' (''The crucible of the Legion and the strong right minded regiment'')
*1st Foreign Engineer Regiment, 1e REG: ''Honneur et Fidélité'' and ''Ad Unum'' (''All to one end'' – for the regiment ''until the last one'')
*13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion, 13
e DBLE: ''Honneur et Fidélité'' and ''More Majorum''
("in the manner, ways and traditions of our French Foreign Legion Veteran Societies Federation (Légion étrangère), veterans foreign regiments")
*Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte, DLEM: ''Honneur et Fidélité'' and ''Pericula Ludus'' (''Dangers game'' – for the regiment ''To Danger is my pleasure'' of the 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment)
Insignia
Marching songs
"''Le Boudin''"
"''Le Boudin''"
is the marching song of the Foreign Legion.
Other songs
* "''Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien''", 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment
* "''Sous Le Ciel de Paris''", ''The Choir of the French Foreign Legion''
* "''Anne Marie du 3
e''" REI (in German)
* "''Adieu, adieu''"
* "''Aux légionnaires''"
* "''Anne Marie du 2
e REI''"
* "'"
* "''Chant de l'Oignon''"
* "''Chant du quatrième escadron''"
* "''Chez nous au 3e''"
* "''C'est le 4''"
* "''Connaissez-vous ces hommes''"
* "''1st Foreign Parachute Regiment, Contre les Viêts''" (song of the 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion after having been the marching song adopted by the
1st Foreign Parachute Regiment
The 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment (french: 1er Régiment Etranger de Parachutistes, 1er REP) was an airborne regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army which dated its origins to 1948. The regiment fought in the First Indochina War as th ...
)
* "''Cravate verte et Képi blanc''"
* "''Dans la brume, la rocaille''"
* "''Défilé du 3
e REI''"
* "''C'était un Edelweiss''"
* "''Écho''"
* "''En Afrique''"
* "''En Algérie''" (1
er RE)
* "''Es steht eine Mühle''" (in German)
* "''Eugénie''"
* "''Les Képis Blancs''" (1
e RE)
* "''Honneur, Fidélité''"
* "''Ich hatt' einen Kameraden''" (in German)
* "''Il est un moulin''"
* "''J'avais un camarade''"
* "''Kameraden (in German)''"
* "''La colonne''" (1
er REC)
* "''La Légion marche''" (2
e REP)
* "''La lune est claire''"
* "''Le Caïd''"
* "'"
* "''Il y a des cailloux sur toutes les routes''"
* "''Le fanion de la Légion''"
* "''Le Soleil brille''"
* "''Le front haut et l'âme fière''" (5
e RE)
* "''Légionnaire de l'Afrique''"
* "'"
* "''Monica''"
* "''Sous le Soleil brûlant d'Afrique''" (13
e DBLE)
* "''Nous sommes tous des volontaires''" (1
er RE)
* "''Nous sommes de la Légion''"
* "''La petite piste''"
* "''Pour faire un vrai légionnaire''"
* "''Premier chant du 1
er REC''"
* "''Quand on an une fille dans l'cuir''"
* "''Rien n'empêche''" (2
er REG)
* "''Sapeur, mineurs et bâtisseurs''" (6
e REG)
* "''Soldats de la Légion étrangère''"
* "''Souvenirs qui passe''"
* "''Suzanna''"
* "''The Windmill''"
* "''Venu volontaire''"
* "''Véronica''"
Ranks
All volunteers in the Foreign Legion begin their careers as basic legionnaires with one in four eventually becoming a ''sous-officier'' (non-commissioned officer).
On joining, a new recruit receives a monthly salary of €1,380 in addition to food and lodgings. He is also given his own new rifle, which according to the lore of the ''Legion'' must never be left on a battlefield.
Promotion is concurrent with the ranks in the French Army.
Non-commissioned and warrant officers
![SCH manchegauche](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/SCH_manchegauche.jpg)
A ''dress uniform''
's insignia is composed of three components; rank emblem, regimental patch, and seniority chevrons. In the one pictured, the three upward pointing gold chevrons indicate a ''Sergent-chef''. The diamond-shaped regimental patch (''Écusson'') is formed of three green diamond shapes surrounding a grenade emblem, with the three diamonds indicating a Colonial unit, in comparison to one diamond for a unit of Regulars, or two diamonds for a Reserves unit. The Légion Grenade (insignia), grenade emblem has seven flames rather than the usual five, and the two downward pointing #Chevrons d'ancienneté (chevrons of seniority), seniority chevrons indicate at least 10 years of service. Some ''Caporal''s-''Chef'' may have as many as six seniority chevrons for 30 or more years of service. This style of insignia is worn only on the left sleeve of the dress uniform, while a similar-sized insignia without the regimental diamond and seniority chevrons is worn on the right sleeve. An exception exists for the right sleeve insignia for the Pioneer units, which incorporates a gold or green Pioneer emblem, depending on rank, but not the seniority chevrons, which are worn on the left sleeve insignia below the regimental diamond as previously described.
''Sous-officiers'' (NCOs) including warrant officers account for 25% of the current Foreign Legion's total manpower.
}
, align=center, Chief Warrant Officer
, OR-9
, align=center, Promotion after four years as ''Adjudant'' and at least fourteen years of service.
, align=center,
![adjudant-chef](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Adjudant-chef.png)
, -
, align=center, ''Ranks in the French Army, Major''
, align=center, Major (France), Major
, OR-9
, align=center, Promotion after either passing an examination or without an examination after a minimum of fourteen years service.
, align=center,
![Major-French-Army](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Major-French-Army.png)
, -
, colspan=5,
Commissioned officers
Most officers are seconded from the French Army though roughly 10% are former non-commissioned officers promoted from the ranks.
Seniority chevrons
The Foreign Legion uses gold coloured Chevron (insignia), chevrons (''chevrons d'ancienneté'') pointed downward to indicate seniority. Worn by ordinary legionnaires and non-commissioned officers beneath the rank insignia and regimental emblem only on the left sleeve of the dress uniform, each chevron denotes five years of service in the Legion. Seniority chevrons are not worn by commissioned officers.
Honorary ranks
Honorary ranks have been awarded by the French Army to individuals credited with exceptional acts of courage since 1796. In the Foreign Legion, General Paul-Frédéric Rollet introduced the practice of awarding honorary Legion ranks to distinguished individuals, both civilian and military, in the early 20th century.
Recipients of these honorary appointments had participated with units of the Legion on active service in an exemplary manner, or had rendered exceptional service to the Legion in non-combat situations.
[Official Website of the General Command COMLE]
Section L’honorariat à la Légion Etrangère (Honorary rank induction in the Foreign Legion) More than 1,200 individuals have been granted honorary ranks in the Legion ''pour services éminent''. The majority of these awards have been made to military personnel in wartime, earning titles such as ''Legionnaire d'Honneur'' or ''Sergent-Chef de Légion d'honneur'', while other recipients have included nurses, journalists, painters, and ministers who have rendered meritorious service to the Foreign Legion.
[
]
Pioneers
The ''Pionniers'' (Pioneer (military), pioneers) are the combat engineers and a Military tradition, traditional unit of the Foreign Legion. The sapper traditionally sport large beards, wear leather aprons and gloves and hold axes. The sappers were very common in European armies during the Napoleonic Era but progressively disappeared during the 19th century. The French Army, including the Legion disbanded its regimental sapper platoons in 1870. However, in 1931 one of a number of traditions restored to mark the hundredth anniversary of the Legion's founding was the reestablishment of its bearded ''Pionniers''.[Douglas Porch, page 418, The French Foreign Legion. A Complete History, ]
In the French Army, since the 18th century, every infantry regiment included a small detachment of pioneers. In addition to undertaking road building and entrenchment work, such units were tasked with using their axes and shovels to clear obstacles under enemy fire opening the way for the rest of the infantry. The danger of such missions was recognised by allowing certain privileges, such as being authorised to wear beards.
The current pioneer platoon of the Foreign Legion is provided by the Legion depot and headquarters regiment for public ceremonies. The unit has reintroduced the symbols of the Napoleonic era, Napoleonic sappers: the beard, the axe, the leather apron, the crossed-axes insignia and the leather gloves. When parades of the Foreign Legion are opened by this unit, it is to commemorate the traditional role of the sappers "opening the way" for the troops.
Cadences and marching steps
Also notable is the marching pace of the Foreign Legion. In comparison to the 116-step-per-minute pace of other French units, the Foreign Legion has an 88-step-per-minute marching speed. It is also referred to by Legionnaires as the "crawl". This can be seen at ceremonial parades and public displays attended by the Foreign Legion, particularly while parading in Paris on 14 July (Bastille Day Military Parade). Because of the impressively slow pace, the Foreign Legion is always the last unit marching in any parade. The Foreign Legion is normally accompanied by its own band, which traditionally plays the march of any one of the Foreign Legion's regiments, except that of the unit actually on parade. The regimental song of each unit and "Le Boudin" is sung by legionnaires standing at attention. Also, because the Foreign Legion must always stay together, it does not break formation into two when approaching the presidential grandstand, as other French military units do, in order to preserve the unity of the legion.
Contrary to popular belief, the adoption of the Foreign Legion's slow marching speed was not due to a need to preserve energy and fluids during long marches under the hot Algerian sun. Its exact origins are unclear, but the official explanation is that although the pace regulation does not seem to have been instituted before 1945, it hails back to the slow marching pace of the Ancien Régime, and its reintroduction was a "return to traditional roots".[Szecsko, p. 17] This was in fact, the march step of the Foreign Legion's ancestor units – the ''Régiments Étrangers'' or Foreign Regiments of the ''Ancien Régime'' French Army, the ''Grande Armée''s foreign units, and the pre-1831 foreign regiments.
Uniform
From its foundation until World War I the Foreign Legion normally wore the uniform of the French line infantry for parade with a few special distinctions. Essentially this consisted of a dark blue coat (later tunic) worn with red trousers. The field uniform was often modified under the influence of the extremes of climate and terrain in which the Foreign Legion served. Shakos were soon replaced by the light cloth kepi, which was far more suitable for North African conditions. The practice of wearing heavy ''capotes'' (greatcoats) on the march and ''vestes'' (short hip-length jackets) as working dress in barracks was followed by the Foreign Legion from its establishment.
One short lived aberration was the wearing of green uniforms in 1856 by Foreign Legion units recruited in Switzerland for service in the Crimean War
The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia.
Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...
. In the Crimea itself (1854–59) a hooded coat and red or blue waist sashes were adopted for winter dress, while during the Mexican Intervention (1863–65) straw hats or sombreros were sometimes substituted for the kepi. When the latter was worn it was usually covered with a white "havelock" (linen cover) – the predecessor of the white kepi that was to become a symbol of the Foreign Legion. Foreign Legion units serving in France during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71 were distinguishable only by minor details of insignia from the bulk of the French infantry. However subsequent colonial campaigns saw an increasing use of special garments for hot weather wear such as collarless ''keo'' blouses in Tonkin 1884–85, khaki drill jackets in Dahomey (1892) and drab covered Pith helmet, topees worn with all-white fatigue dress in Madagascar (1895).
In the early 20th century the legionnaire wore a red kepi with blue band and piping, dark blue tunic with red collar, red cuff patches, and red trousers. Distinctive features were the green epaulettes (replacing the red of the line) worn with red woollen fringes; plus the embroidered Legion badge of a red flaming grenade, worn on the kepi front instead of a regimental number. In the field a light khaki cover was worn over the kepi, sometimes with a protective neck curtain attached. The standard medium-blue double breasted greatcoat (''capote'') of the French infantry was worn, usually buttoned back to free the legs for marching. From the 1830s the legionnaires had worn a broad blue woollen sash around the waist, like other European units of the Army of Africa (France), French Army of Africa (such as the Zouave
The Zouaves were a class of light infantry regiments of the French Army serving between 1830 and 1962 and linked to French North Africa; as well as some units of other countries modelled upon them. The zouaves were among the most decorated unit ...
s or the Chasseurs d'Afrique), while indigenous units of the Army of Africa (spahis and tirailleurs) wore red sashes. White linen trousers tucked into short leather leggings were substituted for red serge in hot weather. This was the origin of the "Beau Geste" image.
In barracks a white bleached kepi cover was often worn together with a short dark blue jacket ("veste") or white blouse plus white trousers. The original kepi cover was khaki and due to constant washing turned white quickly. The white or khaki kepi cover was not unique to the Foreign Legion at this stage but was commonly seen amongst other French units in North Africa. It later became particularly identified with the Foreign Legion as the unit most likely to serve at remote frontier posts (other than locally recruited tirailleurs who wore Fez (hat), fezzes or turbans). The variances of climate in North Africa led the French Army to the sensible expedient of letting local commanders decide on the appropriate "tenue de jour" (uniform of the day) according to circumstances. Thus a legionnaire might parade or walk out in blue tunic and white trousers in hot weather, blue tunic and red trousers in normal temperatures or wear the blue greatcoat with red trousers under colder conditions. The sash could be worn with greatcoat, blouse or veste but not with the tunic. Epaulettes were a detachable dress item worn only with tunic or greatcoat for parade or off duty wear.
Officers wore the same dark blue (almost black) tunics as those of their colleagues in the French line regiments, except that black replaced red as a facing colour on collar and cuffs. Gold fringed epaulettes were worn for full dress and rank was shown by the number of gold rings on both kepi and cuffs. Trousers were red with black stripes or white according to occasion or conditions. All-white or light khaki uniforms (from as early as the 1890s) were often worn in the field or for ordinary duties in barracks. Non-commissioned officers were distinguished by red or gold diagonal stripes on the lower sleeves of tunics, vestes and greatcoats. Small detachable stripes were buttoned on to the front of the white shirt-like blouse.
Prior to 1914 units in Indo-China wore white or khaki Colonial Infantry uniforms with Foreign Legion insignia, to overcome supply difficulties. This dress included a white pith helmet, sun helmet of a model that was also worn by Foreign Legion units serving in the outposts of Southern Algeria, though never popular with its wearers. During the initial months of World War I, Foreign Legion units serving in France wore the standard blue greatcoat and red trousers of the French line infantry, distinguished only by collar patches of the same blue as the capote, instead of red. After a short period in sky-blue the Foreign Legion adopted khaki, in common with other units of the '' Armée d'Afrique'', with steel helmets, from early 1916. A mustard shade of khaki drill had been worn on active service in Morocco from 1909, replacing the classic blue and white. The latter continued to be worn in the relatively peaceful conditions of Algeria throughout World War I, although increasingly replaced by khaki drill. The pre-1914 blue and red uniforms could still be occasionally seen as garrison dress in Algeria until stocks were used up about 1919.
During the early 1920s plain khaki drill uniforms of a standard pattern became universal issue for the Foreign Legion with only the red and blue kepi (with or without a cover) and green collar braiding to distinguish the Legionnaire from other French soldiers serving in North African and Indo-China. The neck curtain ceased to be worn from about 1915, although it survived in the newly raised Foreign Legion Cavalry Regiment into the 1920s. The white blouse (''bourgeron'') and trousers dating from 1882 were retained for fatigue wear until the 1930s.
At the time of the Foreign Legion's centennial in 1931, a number of traditional features were reintroduced at the initiative of the then commander Colonel Rollet. These included the blue sash and green/red epaulettes. In 1939 the white covered kepi won recognition as the official headdress of the Foreign Legion to be worn on most occasions, rather than simply as a means of reflecting heat and protecting the blue and red material underneath. The Third Foreign Infantry Regiment adopted white tunics and trousers for walking-out dress during the 1930s
and all Foreign Legion officers were required to obtain full dress uniforms in the pre-war colours of black and red from 1932 to 1939.
During World War II the Foreign Legion wore a wide range of uniform styles depending on supply sources. These ranged from the heavy capotes and Adrian helmets of 1940 through to British battledress and American field uniforms from 1943 to 1945. The white kepi was stubbornly retained whenever possible.
From 1940 until 1963 the Foreign Legion maintained four Saharan Companies (''Compagnies Sahariennes'') as part of the French forces used to patrol and police the desert regions to the south of Morocco and Algeria. Special uniforms were developed for these units, modeled on those of the French officered Camel Corps (''Méharistes'') having prime responsibility for the Sahara. In full dress these included black or white zouave style trousers, worn with white tunics and long flowing cloaks. The Legion companies maintained their separate identity by retaining their distinctive kepis, sashes and fringed epaulettes.
The white kepis, together with the sash and epaulettes survive in the Foreign Legion's modern parade dress. Since the 1990s the modern kepi has been made wholly of white material rather than simply worn with a white cover. Officers and senior noncommissioned officers still wear their kepis in the pre-1939 colours of dark blue and red. A green tie and (for officers) a green waistcoat recall the traditional branch colour of the Foreign Legion. From 1959 a green beret (previously worn only by the legion's paratroopers) became the universal ordinary duty headdress, with the kepi reserved for parade and off duty wear. Other items of currently worn dress are the standard issue 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 ...
.
Equipment
The Legion is basically equipped with the same equipment as similar units elsewhere in the French Army. These include:
* The FAMAS assault rifle, a French-made automatic bullpup-style rifle, chambered in the 5.56×45mm NATO round. The FAMAS is being replaced by the Heckler & Koch HK416. The 13e DBLE, was the first French Army regiment to use the new rifle.
* The SPECTRA helmet, SPECTRA is a Combat helmet, ballistic helmet, designed by the French Armed Forces, French military, fitted with real-time positioning and information system, and with light amplifiers for night vision.
* The FÉLIN suit, an infantry combat system that combines ample pouches, reinforced body protections and a portable electronic platform.
Command
French Foreign Legion command (1931–1984)
Legacy
Beyond its reputation as an elite unit often engaged in serious fighting, the recruitment practices of the Foreign Legion have also led to a somewhat romanticised view of it being a place for disgraced or "wronged" men looking to leave behind their old lives and start new ones. This view of the legion is common in literature, and has been used for dramatic effect in many films, not the least of which are the several versions of ''Beau Geste''. Three songs by Edith Piaf, most notably "Non, je ne regrette rien" (No, I regret nothing), became associated with the legion, during the 1960s when members of the Legion were accused of being implicated in a failed coup d'état during the Algerian War. Today it is still a popular Legion "chant" sung when on parade, adapting it to their unique marching cadence of 88 steps to the minute. Various fictional portrayals and references to the legion have been made over the years, such as in film, television, music, video games and art.
Emulation by other countries
Chinese Ever Victorious Army
The Ever Victorious Army was the name given to a Chinese imperial army in the late 19th century. Commanded by Frederick Townsend Ward, the new force originally comprised about 200 mostly European mercenaries, recruited in the Shanghai area from sailors, deserters and adventurers. Many were dismissed in the summer of 1861, but the remainder became the officers of the Chinese soldiers recruited mainly in and around Sungkiang (Songjiang). The Chinese troops were increased to 3,000 by May 1862, all equipped with Western firearms and equipment by the British authorities in Shanghai. Throughout its four-year existence the Ever Victorious Army was mainly to operate within a thirty-mile radius of Shanghai. It was disbanded in May 1864 with 104 foreign officers and 2,288 Chinese soldiers being paid off. The bulk of the artillery and some infantry transferred to the Chinese Imperial forces. It was the first Chinese army trained in European techniques, tactics, and strategy.
Israeli Mahal
In Israel, Mahal (Israel), Mahal ( he, מח"ל, an acronym for ''Mitnadvei Ḥutz LaAretz'', which means ''Volunteers from outside the Land [of Israel]'') is a term designating non-Israelis serving in the Israeli military. The term originates with the approximately 4,000 both Jewish and non-Jewish volunteers who went to Israel to fight in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War including Aliyah Bet. The original Mahalniks were mostly World War II veterans who had previously served in the United States Armed Forces, American and British Armed Forces, British armed forces.
Today, there is a program, Garin Tzabar, within the Israeli Ministry of Defense that administers the enlistment of non-Israeli citizens in the country's armed forces. Programs enable foreigners to join the Israel Defense Forces if they are of Jewish descent (which is defined as at least one grandparent).
Netherlands KNIL Army
Though not named "Foreign Legion", the Dutch Royal Netherlands East Indies Army, Koninklijk Nederlandsch-Indische Leger (KNIL), or Royal Dutch (East) Indies Army (in reference to the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia), was created in 1830, a year before the French Foreign Legion, and is therefore not an emulation but an entirely original idea and had a similar recruitment policy. It stopped being an army of foreigners around 1900 when recruitment was restricted to Dutch citizens and to the indigenous peoples of the Dutch East Indies. The KNIL was finally disbanded on 26 July 1950, seven months after the Netherlands formally recognised Indonesia as a sovereign state, and almost five years after Indonesia declared its independence.
Rhodesian Light Infantry and 7 Independent Company
During the Rhodesian Bush War of the 1960s and 1970s, the Rhodesian Security Forces enlisted volunteers from overseas on the same pay and conditions of service as locally based regulars. The vast majority of the Rhodesian Army's foreigners joined the Rhodesian Light Infantry (RLI), a heliborne commando regiment with a glamorous international reputation; this unit became colloquially known as the "Rhodesian foreign legion" as a result, even though foreigners never made up more than about a third of its men. According to Chris Cocks, an RLI veteran, "the RLI was a mirror of the French Foreign Legion, in that recruiters paid little heed as to a man's past and asked no questions. ... And like the Foreign Legion, once in the ranks, a man's past was irrelevant." Just as French Foreign Legionnaires must speak French, the Rhodesian Army required its foreigners to be English-speakers. Many of them were professional soldiers, attracted by the regiment's reputation—mostly former British Armed Forces, British soldiers, or Vietnam veterans from the United States Armed Forces, United States, Australian Defence Force, Australian and New Zealand Defence Force, New Zealand forces—and these became a key part of the unit. Others, with no military experience, were often motivated to join the Rhodesian Army by Anti-communism, their opposition to communism, or a desire for adventure or to escape the past.
After the Rhodesians' overseas recruiting campaign for English-speakers, started in 1974, proved successful, they began recruiting French-speakers as well, in 1977. These francophone recruits were placed in their own unit, 7 Independent Company (Rhodesia), 7 Independent Company, Rhodesia Regiment, which was commanded by French-speaking officers and operated entirely in French. The experiment was not generally considered a success by the Rhodesian commanders, however, and the company was disbanded in early 1978.
Russian "Foreign Legion"
In 2010 the service conditions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation changed to allow foreigners. The actual term Russian "Foreign Legion" is a colloquial expression without any official recognition. Under the plan, foreigners without dual citizenship are able to sign up for five-year contracts and will be eligible for Russian citizenship after serving three years. Experts say the change opens the way for Commonwealth of Independent States citizens to get fast-track Russian citizenship, and counter the effects of Russia's Demographic crisis of Russia, demographic crisis on its army recruitment.
Spanish "Foreign Legion"
The Spanish Spanish Legion, Foreign Legion was created in 1920, in emulation of the French one, and had a significant role in Spain's colonial wars in Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
and in the Spanish Civil War on the Nationalist side. The Spanish Foreign Legion recruited foreigners until 1986 but unlike its French model, the number of non-Spanish recruits never exceeded 25%, most of these from Latin America. It is now called the ''Spanish Legion'' and has been involved in several modern conflicts and operations including Afghanistan and the UN Mission in Lebanon United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL .
Ukrainian International Legion & Georgian Legion
The Georgian Legion (Ukraine), Georgian Legion was formed fighting on the side of Ukraine in the War in Donbas (2014–2022), War in Donbas and the Russo-Ukrainian War. The unit was organized in 2014, and in 2016 it was transferred under the control of the Ukrainian Army, under the 25th Mechanized Infantry Battalion "Kyiv Rus". Although formed by mostly ethnic Georgians, Georgian volunteers, and commanded by veteran Georgian officer Mamuka Mamulashvili, the legion was noted as being particularly good at recruiting Americans; before the formation of the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine, International Legion of Ukraine in 2022, most foreign fighters served the Georgian Legion.
In response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the government of Ukraine quickly established a component of its Territorial Defense Forces (Ukraine), Territorial Defense Forces consisting of volunteers from foreign countries. Within the International Legion, some single nationality battalions were established to avoid language barriers in order to facilitate their rapid response to the invasion.
Notable members
''The following is a list of notable people who are or were members of the Foreign Legion:''
*Jean Danjou
Jean Danjou (15 April 1828 – 30 April 1863) was a decorated captain of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. He commanded the two lieutenants and 62 legionnaires who fought the Battle of Camarón during the French intervention in Mexico, i ...
– Commander at the Battle of Camarón.
*Mamady Doumbouya – Guinean Republic of Guinea Armed Forces, military Officer (armed forces), officer who led the 2021 Guinean coup d'état and is currently Guinea's head of state acting as the List of presidents of Guinea, Chairman of the National Committee of Reconciliation and Development.
*Roger Faulques
*Aarne Juutilainen
*Peter Ortiz
*Alan Seeger
*Susan Travers
See also
* List of French paratrooper units, Airborne units of France
* Brigade of Gurkhas
* List of battles involving the French Foreign Legion, List of battles involving the Foreign Legion
* List of Foreign Legionnaires
* Foreign Legion Museum
* Flight of the Wild Geese, Wild Geese – Irish soldiers who fought for France
* List of militaries that recruit foreigners
* Spanish Legion
* International Legion
* International Brigades
* Place des États-Unis#Memorial to the American volunteers, Memorial to the American Volunteers, Paris
* Lafayette Escadrille, a World War I volunteer air squadron
* ''Beau Geste'', a novel (with many film adaptations)
* James Waddell (army officer), James Waddell, a New Zealander, highly decorated officer
* Prince Aage, Count of Rosenborg, Count Aage of Rosenborg, a Danish Prince who served in the Foreign Legion and died with the rank of lieutenant-colonel
References
Further reading
*
*
*
* Roger Rousseau, ''The French Foreign Legion in Kolwezi'', 2006.
*
* Chris Dickon,
A Rendezvous with Death: Alan Seeger in Poetry, at War
', 2019
* Edward Morlae,
', 1916
* John Bowe,
', 1918
* Paul Ayres Rockwell,
American Fighters in the Foreign Legion
', 1930
* Jatczak Z., Schramm K., "I regret nothing", Warsaw 2021, ISBN 978-83-66687-15-8
External links
Official Website
Official Website
French Foreign Legion Blog
Le Musée de la Légion étrangère (Foreign Legion museum)
Website about the French Daguet Division (First Gulf War 1990–1991)
Recrute Website
– Recrute Website
Foreign Legion Information
– unofficial website about the French Foreign Legion
;Books
In the Foreign Legion (1910)
– by Erwin Rosen (born 1876)
{{Authority control
French Army
French Foreign Legion
Arms of the French Army
Military units and formations established in 1831
Armée d'Afrique