World War I - Gulf War

World War I

In World War I, the Legion fought in many critical battles of the war, on the Western Front including Artois, Champagne, Somme, Aisne, Verdun (in 1917) and also suffered heavy casualties during the 1918. The Legion was also in the Dardanelles and Macedonian front, and the Legion was highly decorated for its efforts. Many young foreigners, including Americans like Fred Zinn, volunteered for the Legion when the war broke out in 1914. There were marked differences between such idealistic volunteers and the hardened mercenaries of the old Legion, making assimilation difficult. As most European countries and the US were drawn into the War, such "duration only" volunteers were generally released from the Legion to join their respective national armies. Citizens of the Central Powers serving with the Legion on the outbreak of war were normally drafted to garrisons in North Africa to avoid problems of divided loyalties.

Between the World Wars

In 1932, the Legion comprised 30,000 men in 6 multi-battalion regiments:

* 1st - Algeria and Syria'
* 2d, 3d, and 4th - Morocco
* 5th - Indochina
* 1st Cavalry - Tunisia and Morocco

World War II

The Foreign Legion was heavily involved in World War II, playing a large role in the Middle East and the North African campaign. The 13th Demi-Brigade was deployed in the Battle of Bir Hakeim. Interestingly, part of the Legion joined the Free French movement, yet another part was loyal to the Vichy government. A battle in the Syria-Lebanon campaign of June 1941 saw legionnaire fighting legionnaire as the 13th Demi-Brigade (D.B.L.E.) clashed with the 6th Regiment Etranger d'Infanterie at Damas in Syria. Later 1,000 of the rank and file of the Vichy Legion unit joined the 13th D.B.L.E. of the Free French forces as a third battalion.

First Indochina War

Units of the Legion were involved in the defense of Dien Bien Phu during the First Indochina War and lost a large number of men in the battle. Towards the desperate end of the battle, Legionnaires formed the bulk of the volunteer relief force delivered by parachute to the base.

Algerian War

The Legion was heavily engaged in fighting against the National Liberation Front and other, smaller groups in the Algerian War of Independence from 1954 to 1962. Notable operations included the Battle of Algiers and various offensives launched by General Maurice Challe including Operations Oranie and Jumelles.

Post-colonial Africa

In spite of the view on the part of some that the Legion had by 1962 become an anachronism, the Legion found a new role as a rapid intervention force to preserve French interests not only in its former African colonies but in other nations as well. Some notable operations include: the Suez Crisis in 1956; the Chadian-Libyan conflict in 1969-72, 1978-79, and 1983-87; Kolwezi in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May 1978; Rwanda in 1990-94; and the Côte d'Ivoire (the Ivory Coast) in 2002 to the present.

The Gulf War

In September 1990, the 2e REI, 6e REG and 1e REC were sent to the Persian Gulf as a part of Opération Daguet. They were a part of the French 6th Light Armoured Division, whose mission was to protect the coalition's left flank.

After a four-week air campaign the coalition forces began the ground campaign. It quickly penetrated deep into Iraq, with the Legion taking the Al Salman airport, meeting little resistance. The war ended after a hundred hours ground fighting and very light casualties for the Legion.

Franco-Prussian War

According to French law, the Legion was not to be used withinMetropolitan France except in the case of a national invasion and, thus, it was not a part of Napoleon III’s Imperial Army that capitulated at Sedan. With the defeat of the Imperial Army, the Second French Empire fell and the Third Republic was created.

The problem was that the new Third Republic was desperately short of trained soldiers, so the Legion was ordered to provide a contingent. On 11 October, two provisional battalions disembarked atToulon, the first time the Legion had been deployed in France itself. They attempted to lift the Siege of Paris by breaking through the German lines. They succeeded in re-taking Orleans, but failed to break the siege.

History of Foreign Legon

The French Foreign Legion was created by Louis Philippe (roi des Francais), then King of France , on March 10, 1831. The direct reason was that foreigners were forbidden to serve in the French Army after the 1830 July Revolution.

The purpose of the Legion was to remove disruptive elements from society and put them to use fighting the enemies of France. Recruits included failed revolutionaries from the rest of Europe, soldiers from the disbanded foreign regiments, and troublemakers in general, both foreign and French. Algeria was designated as the Legion's home; as the colony was proving to be a very unpopular posting with regular regiments in the French Army, the introduction of the Legion was well received.

In late 1831, the first Legionnaires landed in Algeria, the country that would be the Legion's homeland for 130 years and shape its character. The early years in Algeria were hard for Legionnaires because they were often sent to the worst postings, received the worst assignments and were generally uninterested in the new colony of the French.

The Legion's first service in Algeria came to an end after only four years, since it was needed elsewhere.

What is foreign legion?

The French Foreign Legion (French: Légion étrangère) is a unique elite unit within the French Army established in 1831. It was created as a unit for foreign volunteers, because foreigners were forbidden to enlist in the French Army after the July Revolution in 1830.

The Legion was primarily used to protect and expand the French colonial empire during the 19th century, but it also fought in all French wars including the Franco-Prussian War and both World Wars.

Although considered an anachronism by some, the Foreign Legion has remained an important part of the French Army. It has survived three republics, one empire, two World Wars, the rise and fall of mass conscript armies, the dismantling of the French colonial empire and, finally, the French loss of the legion's birthplace, Algeria.

The French Foreign Legion is known as an elite military unit whose training focuses not only on traditional military skills but also on its strong esprit de corps. As its men come from different countries with different cultures, this is a widely accepted solution to strengthen them enough to work as a team. Consequently, training is often described as not only physically hard, but also extremely psychologically stressful.