Foreign Legion is a branch of the French Army. Called Légion étrangère in French, it consists of about 7,700 mostly foreign volunteers commanded by French officers. The Legion is a highly trained fighting force. It has a romantic image because of its former tradition as a haven for adventurers and men seeking escape from a troubled past.
Service in the Legion.
The Legion has headquarters in Aubagne, France. Those who apply for duty in the Legion must be between 17 and 40 years old. They must pass a strict physical examination to be accepted. The Legion accepts only about 10 percent of all applicants. Legionnaires enlist for an initial contract of five years and are allowed to join under an assumed name if they wish. Although it advertises itself as an “opportunity for a new life,” today’s Legion runs a strict background check of all applicants. It will not accept former criminals or men fleeing from serious criminal charges.
Uniform and traditions of the Legion.
The full dress uniform of Legionnaires consists of khaki trousers, a khaki shirt with green shoulder boards and red epaulets (shoulder decorations), and a blue sash worn around the waist. The Legionnaire’s dress hat is a white kepi, a cap with a round, flat top and a visor. Officers wear a black kepi. Legion pionniers (engineers) have beards, and their dress uniforms include a leather apron and an ax, which is a symbol of their branch of service. The Legion’s official colors are red and green. Its insignia is a grenade with seven flames. Legion battle uniforms consist of camouflage fatigues and a green beret or helmet. The Legion’s traditional motto is Honneur et Fidélité (Honor and Fidelity), but it also uses the motto Legio Patria Nostra (The Legion Is Our Country).
History.
King Louis Philippe created the Legion in 1831 to make use of foreign adventurers who had flocked to France during the revolution of 1830. The Legion played an important role in the French conquest of Algeria, which began in 1830. It soon emerged as an elite force in the French Army. Legionnaires fought in Europe in the Crimean War (1854-1856), a war of independence in Italy (1859), and the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871). The Legion also fought overseas as the French sought to establish a global empire.
In 1862, the French sent troops to try to seize control of Mexico. On April 30, 1863, 65 Legionnaires serving in Mexico were attacked by 2,000 Mexican revolutionaries at the Battle of Camerone. Led by Captain Jean Danjou, the Legionnaires held out all day, and the last survivors made a wild bayonet charge. The battle is sacred to the Legion, and the name Camerone is inscribed on every Legion flag. Legionnaires around the world mark the battle’s anniversary each year.
From 1871 to 1914, the Legion fought throughout the world to expand and defend the French Empire. During this period, Legionnaires served in Dahomey (now Benin), Formosa (now Taiwan), Indochina (now Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam), Madagascar, Morocco, and Sudan.
During World War I (1914-1918), thousands of foreigners rushed to defend France against German invaders. These men enlisted in the Legion and fought in some of the largest battles in history. Many Legionnaires were killed. By the end of the war, the Legion was one of the most decorated units in the French Army.
In World War II (1939-1945), Legionnaires served in the opening battles in Norway and France. After France surrendered in 1940, most Legionnaires joined Charles de Gaulle’s Free French and continued to fight the Germans. Others supported Vichy France, the French administration that largely cooperated with the Germans. In Syria in 1941, Vichy and Free French Legionnaires fought against each other. The Free French Legionnaires fought against the Germans at the Battle of Bir Hakeim (also spelled Bir Hacheim and Bi’r al Hukayyim) in North Africa in 1942. In 1944 and 1945, they participated in the campaigns that liberated France and defeated Germany.
From 1946 to 1954, the Legion was stationed in Indochina, where it fought against Vietminh Communist rebels. At the siege of Dien Bien Phu in 1954, the Legionnaires fought to nearly the last man. The Legion was rebuilt and sent to Algeria, where it served during a revolutionary war from 1954 to 1962. In April 1961, when President de Gaulle’s negotiations with Algerian nationalist leaders made it appear that he might withdraw French troops, Legionnaires in Algeria participated in a failed attempt to overthrow him. As a result, the Legion fell into disfavor.
By the 1970’s, the Legion’s reputation had recovered. It became an elite force ready for rapid assignment around the world. In 1978, the Legion went to Zaire—now the Democratic Republic of the Congo—in the midst of a civil war and rescued foreigners trapped there. During the 1970’s and 1980’s, Legion forces were sent to Chad several times during that nation’s civil wars and conflict with Libya. The Legion served in the Persian Gulf War of 1991 and in the Afghanistan War (2001-2021). In the early 2000’s, it was also assigned to protect foreigners and restore order in Côte d’Ivoire during a civil war there.
