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96-648: France was unprepared for the size of the exodus and did not give a warm welcome to the refugees. The Spaniards endured poor conditions in makeshift camps or were scattered around France. Families were separated. About 300,000 refugees returned, either voluntarily or forced, to Spain within a few months. Between 160,000 and 180,000 remained in France, joining labor battalions or the Foreign Legion or working in agriculture and industry. About 30,000 emigrated to third countries, especially Mexico . Large scale displacement of people

192-624: 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 Milán , 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

288-484: A 150 km (93 miles) section of the border with Spain, but they were poorly prepared for a large influx of refugees. The French planned for 2,000 refugees per day, but on the first four days of the Retirada 140,000 Spaniards crossed the border. Provision for food, sanitation, and shelter were woefully inadequate. From 6 to 9 February the stream of refugees waiting to cross the border was 30 km (19 miles) long. The job of

384-580: A battle for France under a provision known as " Français par le sang versé " ("French by spilled blood"). The Foreign Legion was created by Louis Philippe , the King of the French , on 10 March 1831 to allow the incorporation of foreign nationals into the French Army from the foreign regiments of the Kingdom of France . Recruits included soldiers from the recently disbanded Swiss and German foreign regiments of

480-433: A range of initiatives for peace education in schools through advising and supporting teachers involved in conflict resolution and peer mediation programmes. Economic Issues : works with grassroots organisations to bring change to UK government, IMF and World Bank policies. QPSW also aims to influence the environmental and social policies of UK based transnational companies. Crime & Community Justice : works to promote

576-422: A sandy expanse by the sea. There is no shelter of any sort from wind, sand, or rain. A bitterly cold wind from the mountains has produced a raging sandstorm...There is a great deal of dysentery probably from lack of good water and absence of sanitary arrangements." Refugees built shacks and dug holes in the sand for shelter. French attempts to repatriate, sometimes by force, the refugees began almost immediately and

672-874: 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 sea-transport protection through to the Norwegian , Syria-Lebanon , and North African campaigns . The 13th Demi-Brigade , formed for service in Norway, found itself in the UK at the time of the French Armistice (June 1940), was deployed to the British 8th Army in North Africa and distinguished itself in

768-577: A smaller role in World War II than in World War I, however, participated in the Norwegian , Syrian and North African campaigns. During the First Indochina War (1946–1954), the Foreign Legion saw its numbers swell. In Vietnam, the Legion lost a large number of men in the catastrophic Battle of Dien Bien Phu against forces of the Viet Minh . Subsequent military campaigns included those during

864-524: Is the Foreign Legion's most precious relic. During the Mexican Campaign, 6,654 French died. Of these, 1,918 were from a single regiment of the Legion. According to French law, the Foreign Legion was not to be used within Metropolitan France 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

960-725: The Armée d'Afrique , to protect and expand the French colonial empire 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 survived three Republics, the Second French Empire , two World Wars,

1056-424: The 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment 1 REI – Algeria , Syria and Lebanon ; 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment 2 REI, 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment 3 REI, and 4th Foreign Infantry Regiment 4 REI – Morocco , Lebanon; 5th Foreign Infantry 5 REI – Indochina ; and 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment 1 REC – Lebanon, Tunisia and Morocco. In 1931, Général Paul-Frédéric Rollet assumed the role of 1st Inspector of

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1152-481: The 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion (1 BEP) particularly distinguished itself, while being annihilated twice. It was renamed the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment (1 REP) after its third reformation. The 1 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,

1248-417: The 25th Parachute Division (France) , 25 DP. While both the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment (1 REP), and the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2 REP), were part of the operations of French parachute divisions (10 DP and 25 DP established in 1956), the Legion's 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment (1 REP), and the Legion's 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2 REP), are older than the French divisions. The 1 REP

1344-628: The 2nd Foreign Regiment lost Colonel Chabrière, its commanding officer. In gratitude, the city of Milan awarded, in 1909, the "commemorative medal of deliverance", which still adorns the regimental flags of the Second Regiment. 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

1440-624: The 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment 6 REI at Damascus . Nevertheless, many legionnaires of the 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment 6 (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 Legion unit joined the 13 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

1536-611: The Algerian War included the Battle of Algiers and the Bataille of the Frontiers, fought by 60,000 soldiers including French and Legion paratroopers . For paratroopers of the Legion, the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment (1 REP) and 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2 REP), were the only known foreign active parachute regiments, exclusively commanded by Pierre Paul Jeanpierre for the 1 REP and

1632-507: The Army of Africa , the Foreign Legion contributed to the expansion of the French colonial empire in Sub-Saharan Africa . Simultaneously, the Legion took part to the pacification of Algeria , suppressing various tribal rebellions and razzias . In 1892, King Béhanzin ordered his soldiers to attack villages near Grand Popo and Porto-Novo (in modern-day Benin ) in an effort to reassert

1728-557: The Battle of Bir Hakeim (1942). Reflecting the divisions of the time, part of the Foreign Legion joined the Free French movement while another part served the Vichy government. Germany incorporated German legionnaires into the Wehrmacht 's 90th Light Infantry Division in North Africa. The Syria–Lebanon Campaign of June 1941 saw legionnaire fighting legionnaire as the 13 D.B.L.E clashed with

1824-738: The Battle of the Ebro (July to November 1938) destroyed the Republican army's capability to resist the Nationalist army. On 23 December 1938, Franco launched an offensive to conquer Barcelona and Catalonia. The victory of the Nationalists in Catalonia sealed the fate of Republican Spain. By 31 March 1939 the Nationalists controlled all of Spain and the Civil War was over. The flight of refugees from Spain to France

1920-475: The First Indochina War (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. Some of the legionnaires, such as Stefan Kubiak , deserted and began fighting for the Việt Minh upon witnessing torture of Vietnamese peasants at

2016-456: The French Army that consists of several specialties: infantry , cavalry , engineers , and airborne troops . It was created in 1831 to allow foreign nationals into the French Army. It formed part of the Armée d’Afrique , the French Army's units associated with France's colonial project in North Africa , until the end of the Algerian War in 1962. Legionnaires are highly trained soldiers and

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2112-722: The French intervention in Mexico in 1863, the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, the Tonkin Campaign and Sino-French War in 1883, supporting growth of the French colonial empire in Sub-Saharan Africa , the Second Franco-Dahomean War in 1892, the Second Madagascar expedition in 1895 and the Mandingo Wars in 1894. In World War I , the Foreign Legion fought in many critical battles on the Western Front . It played

2208-655: The Friends Service Council , and then as Quaker Peace and Service , is one of the central committees of Britain Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends – the national organisation of Quakers in Britain . It works to promote British Quakers' testimonies of equality, justice , peace , simplicity and truth . It works alongside both small local and large international pressure groups . In 1947,

2304-713: The Gulf War in the 1990s, the Foreign Legion helped with the evacuation of French citizens and foreigners in Rwanda , Gabon and Zaire . The Foreign Legion was also deployed to Cambodia , Somalia , Sarajevo , Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the mid-to late 1990s, the Foreign Legion was deployed to the Central African Republic , Congo-Brazzaville and in Kosovo . The French Foreign Legion also took part in operations in Rwanda in 1990–1994; and

2400-577: The III/1 R.C.P . With the start of the War in Algeria on 1 November 1954, the two foreign participating parachute battalions back from Indochina , the 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion (1 BEP, III Formation) and the 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion (2 BEP), were not part of any French parachute divisions yet and were not designated as regiments until September and 1 December 1955 respectively. Main operations during

2496-795: The Ivory Coast from 2002 to the present. In the 2000s, the Foreign Legion was deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, Opération Licorne in Ivory Coast, the EUFOR Tchad/RCA in Chad, and Operation Serval in the Northern Mali conflict . As discussed below , other countries have attempted to emulate the French Foreign Legion model. The Foreign Legion was primarily used, as part of

2592-623: The Médaille militaire for its service in Indochina. The 1 BEP became the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment (1 REP) in Algeria 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,

2688-479: The National Liberation Front and the Armée de Libération Nationale (ALN) . The main activity during the period 1954–1962 was as part of the operations of the 10th Parachute Division and 25th Parachute Division . The 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment , 1 REP, was under the command of the 10th Parachute Division (France) , 10 DP, and the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment , 2 REP, was under the command of

2784-614: The Siege of Paris by breaking through the German lines. It succeeded in retaking Orléans , but failed to break the siege. In January 1871, France capitulated but civil war soon broke out, which led to revolution and the short-lived Paris Commune . The Foreign Legion participated in the suppression of the Commune, which was crushed with great bloodshed. The Foreign Legion's First Battalion (Lieutenant-Colonel Donnier) sailed to Tonkin in late 1883, during

2880-635: The Siege of Tuyên Quang in 1884. The relics from the Legion's history museum, including the wooden hand of Captain Jean Danjou , subsequently accompanied the Legion to France. Also removed from Sidi Bel Abbès were the symbolic Legion remains of General Paul-Frédéric Rollet ( The Father of the Legion ), Legion officer Prince Count Aage of Rosenborg , and Legionnaire Heinz Zimmermann (last fatal casualty in Algeria). Friends Service Council Quaker Peace & Social Witness ( QPSW ), previously known as

2976-506: The Suez Crisis , the Battle of Algiers and various offensives in Algeria launched by General Maurice Challe including Operation Oranie and Operation Jumelles . During the Algerian War of Independence (1954–1962), the Foreign Legion came close to being disbanded after some officers, men, and the highly decorated 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment (1 REP) took part in the Generals' putsch . In

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3072-702: The United Nations Economic and Social Council on behalf of the Friends World Committee for Consultation . South Asia : QPSW works to strengthen the nonviolence movement in the Indian sub-continent by helping to link peace and social change organisations. QPSW and AFSC received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1947, as representatives of the Quakers. The roots of QPSW are in the missionary work done under

3168-576: The paratrooper commanders of the 2 REP . The remainder of French paratrooper units of the French Armed Forces were commanded by Jacques Massu , Buchond , Marcel Bigeard , Paul Aussaresses . Other Legion offensives in the mountains in 1959 included operations Jumelles , Cigales , and Ariège in the Aures and the last in Kabylie. The image of the Legion as a professional and non-political force

3264-457: The 1960s and 1970s, Legion regiments had additional roles in sending units as a rapid deployment force 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

3360-672: 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 . Two days later, the Second Foreign Regiment with flags and band playing ahead, marched through

3456-476: 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 in 1830 was in need of reinforcements, and the Legion was accordingly transferred by sea in detachments from Toulon to Algeria. Since its establishment in 1831, the Legion has consisted of hundreds of thousands in active service at its peak, and suffered

3552-442: The Foreign Legion , a post created at his initiative. While serving as colonel of the 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment (1925–1931), Rollet was responsible for planning the centennial celebrations of the Legion's foundation; scheduling this event for 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. The Foreign Legion played

3648-406: 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

3744-405: The Foreign Legion. About 30,000 Spanish refugees in France with the resources to pay for their passage emigrated to third countries, especially Mexico. The presence of the refugees in France became more acceptable to the French public with the beginning of World War II in September 1939. The remaining refugees were seen as assets to serve in French military forces or augment the labor force. With

3840-664: The Franco government, but remained for many years outside the mainstream of Spanish society and many barely subsisted, depending in part on assistance from international aid organizations. The Law of Political Responsibilities imposed penalties on the returnees. The refugees remaining in France included many employed in work projects, seasonal labor, or enlisted in the French Foreign Legion . In April 1940, fifty-five thousand men were placed in paramilitary labor groups which worked on fortifications and other military-related projects. Forty thousand men and women engaged in seasonal agricultural and industrial work. Six thousand Spanish men joined

3936-405: The Franco government. The French right-wing press, however, characterized them as "fugitives, deserters, and murderers" and the government called them "human hordes." France, facing the imminent threat of Nazi Germany , had no wish to alienate the Franco government of Spain by encouraging the refugees to continue their fight against the Nationalists. The French had 50,000 police and gendarmes along

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4032-551: The French Foreign Legion is unique in that it is open to foreign recruits willing to serve in the French Armed Forces . The Legion is known today as a unit whose training focuses on traditional military skills and on its strong esprit de corps , as its men come from different countries with different cultures. Consequently, training is often described as not only physically challenging, but also very stressful psychologically. Legionnaires may apply for French citizenship after three years' service, or immediately after being wounded during

4128-402: The French Liberation Army ( French : Armée française de la Libération ), the (400,000 men) amalgam consisted of the Armistice Army , the Free French Forces and the French Forces of the Interior which formed Army B and later became part of the French 1st Army with forces also issued from the French Resistance . Following World War II, many French-speaking former German soldiers joined

4224-433: The French authorities was both to assist the refugees and to prevent threats by the refugees to the security of France. A number of private organizations, notably the Friends Service Council (Quakers) and the National Joint Committee for Spanish Relief (NJC), were present to assist in the relief effort. On arrival in France, authorities separated men of military age from women, children, and elderly and confiscated most of

4320-400: 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

4416-420: The German conquest of France in 1940, many of the Spaniards were again interned in concentration camps, although others played an important part in resisting the German occupation. In 1944, the first armored vehicle to enter Paris after the expulsion of the Germans was driven by a Spanish refugee. French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion ( French : Légion étrangère ) is an elite corps of

4512-401: The Imperial Army, the Second French Empire 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 , the first time the Foreign Legion had been deployed in France itself. It attempted to lift

4608-420: The Legion was sent in operations after the Algerian War), 1978–1979, and 1983–1987; Kolwezi in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May 1978. In 1981, the 1st Foreign Regiment and Foreign Legion regiments took part in the Multinational Force in Lebanon . In 1990, Foreign Legion regiments were sent to the Persian Gulf and participated in Opération Daguet , part of Division Daguet . Following

4704-418: 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. While suffering heavy casualties on the Western Front the Legion had emerged from World War I with an enhanced reputation and as one of the most highly decorated units in the French Army . In 1919,

4800-399: The aggregated loss of nearly 40,000 men in France , Algeria , Morocco , Tunisia , Madagascar , West Africa , Mexico , Italy , Crimea , Spain , Indo-China , Norway , Syria , Chad , Zaïre , Lebanon , Central Africa , Gabon , Kuwait , Rwanda , Djibouti , former Yugoslavia , Somalia , the Republic of Congo , Ivory Coast , Afghanistan , Mali , as well as others. The Legion

4896-432: The backbone of the column launched on Antananarivo , the capital of Madagascar. After a few skirmishes, Queen Ranavalona III promptly surrendered. The Foreign Legion lost 226 men, only a tenth of whom died during actual combat. 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

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4992-547: The background facilitation of real truth and reconciliation and dealing with the past, QPSW has workers in Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia. Middle East : QPSW manages the UK/Ireland Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel , sending human rights observers to accompany peace activists in their nonviolent actions. Quaker United Nations Office : QUNO in Geneva concentrates on three areas; Disarmament and Peace, Human Rights and Refugees and Global Economic Issues. QUNO works in Geneva and New York City to consult with

5088-405: The battalion participated in combat operations at Cho Ben, on the Black River and in Annam. On 21 November 1953 the reconstituted 1 BEP was parachuted into Dien Bien Phu. In this battle, the unit lost 575 killed and missing . Reconstituted for the third time on 19 May 1954, the battalion left Indochina on 8 February 1955. The 1 BEP received five citations and the fourragère of the colors of

5184-415: The battle has become associated particularly with the paratroops of the Foreign Legion. During the Indochina War, the Legion operated several armoured trains which were an enduring Rolling Symbol during the chartered course duration of French Indochina . The Legion also operated various Passage Companies relative to the continental conflicts at hand. The legion was heavily engaged in fighting against

5280-444: The besieged city of Puebla when it was attacked and besieged by three thousand Mexican loyalists, organised in two battalions of infantry and cavalry, numbering 2,200 and 800 respectively. The Legion detachment under Danjou, Sous-Lieutenant Jean Vilain , and Sous-Lieutenant Clément Maudet made a stand in the Hacienda de la Trinidad – a farm near the village of Camarone. When only six survivors remained, out of ammunition,

5376-446: The border mostly on foot but also in trucks and carts, often with only the clothes on their backs. Along the way refugee columns were attacked by air forces of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany who were aiding the Nationalists. Much of the terrain the refugees traversed was snow-covered and the winter temperatures were below freezing. Most estimates place the number of Spanish refugees at nearly 500,000. The government of France estimated

5472-406: 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. In 1895, a battalion formed by the First and Second Foreign Regiments was sent to the Kingdom of Madagascar as part of an expeditionary force whose mission was to conquer the island. The foreign battalion formed

5568-418: 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 Commandant Gouraud and exiled to Gabon , marking

5664-447: The concept of restorative justice, responds to government papers and oversees the "Circles" Scheme. Circles of Support & Accountability : works with groups of trained volunteers and recently released sex offenders. It aims to reduce re-offending and enable the ex-offender to integrate into society in a healthy way. In 2007–08, the initiative has been passed to Circles.uk , and while Quakers may continue to be involved as volunteers,

5760-424: The defence at the celebrated Siege of Tuyên Quang (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 's offensive in March 1885 that captured

5856-439: The end of the Wassoulou Empire. 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

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5952-424: 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 enemies. On 9 June 1854, the French ship Jean Bart embarked four battalions of the Foreign Legion for the Crimean Peninsula . A further battalion

6048-444: The first legionnaires landed in Algeria, the country that shaped its character and became the Foreign Legion's homeland for 130 years. 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. The Legion served alongside the Battalions of Light Infantry of Africa , formed in 1832, which

6144-449: The generals' putsch, a crisis hit the legion putting its faith at the corps of the Army. For having rallied to the generals' putsch of April 1961, the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment of the 10th Parachute Division was dissolved on 30 April 1961 at Zeralda . In 1961, at the issue of the putsch, the 1st Mounted Saharan Squadron of the Foreign Legion ( French : 1 Escadron Saharien Porté de la Légion Etrangère, 1 ESPLE ) received

6240-434: The government of Spain raised the Spanish Foreign Legion and modeled it after the French Foreign Legion. General 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

6336-513: The growth of right wing political parties and fear by the French public of ideological conflicts spread by a growing number of foreign refugees in France. In 1938, several decrees by the French government denied rights to refugees and authorized the government to set up internment camps for "undesirable" foreigners. The Republican refugees arriving at the border with France anticipated a better reception than they received. The refugees were associated with several leftist Spanish organizations of which

6432-480: The hands of French troops. Constantly being deployed in operations, units of the Legion suffered particularly heavy losses in the climactic Battle of Dien Bien Phu , 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,

6528-412: The island was completely pacified by the French under Joseph Gallieni . During that time, insurrections against the Malagasy Christians of the island, missionaries and foreigners were particularly terrible. Queen Ranavalona III was deposed in January 1897 and was exiled to Algiers in Algeria, where she died in 1917. From 1882 until his capture, Samori Ture , ruler of the Wassoulou Empire , fought

6624-476: 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 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!') As part of

6720-414: The largest were the Spanish Libertarian Movement (anarchists and libertarians), the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party , and the Communist Party of Spain . Among the refugees were members of the POUM to which George Orwell belonged during his time as a soldier in Spain. The Spanish fleeing to France saw themselves as fighters against fascism and had expectations of continuing their struggle against

6816-462: 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. The Foreign Legion began the process of reorganizing and redeploying to Algeria. 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

6912-468: The missions to assure surveillance and policing . The independence of Algeria from the 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 REP burned the Chinese pavilion acquired following

7008-451: The number of Spanish refugees crossing the border during the Retirada at only 440,000: 170,000 women, children, and elderly; 40,000 civilian men, 10,000 wounded men; and 220,000 soldiers. The French government was unprepared for an exodus of this magnitude. Moreover, France's traditional view of itself as the "home of universal rights and the refuge for the persecuted in Europe" had been eroded by

7104-760: The number of refugees interned in camps in southern France declined from 275,000 in March 1939 to 222,000 in April, 173,000 in June, and 84,000 in August. Many others, mostly women and children scattered around France, also returned to Spain. A motivating factor for refugees to return to Spain was to reunite with family members. By the end of 1939, 300,000 of the Spanish had returned to Spain. Remaining in France were 160,000 to 180,000. The refugees returning to Spain were not stripped of their citizenship by

7200-469: The older boundaries of Dahomey. King Béhanzin rejected complaints by the French, who proceeded to declare war 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 , the legionnaires marched to seize Abomey , the capital of the Kingdom of Dahomey . Two and a half months were needed to reach

7296-486: The organisation has shifted into a new phase as an emerging national network of volunteers of all faiths and none. Quaker Prison Ministers : work within multi-faith prison chaplaincy teams to offer spiritual support and friendship to prisoners of all faiths and none. Quaker Housing Trust : is Britain Yearly Meeting 's own housing charity. QHT helps local Quaker-supported social housing projects through advice, loans and grants. Parliamentary Liaison : seeks to express

7392-565: The period of undeclared hostilities that preceded the Sino-French War (August 1884 to April 1885), and formed part of the attack column that stormed the western gate of Sơn Tây 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

7488-425: The possessions, including weapons, which the refugees carried with them. Families were separated. Most of the non-combatants were transported to many places around France and housed in abandoned buildings. The men of military age and some women and children were placed in hastily created concentration camps near the border with Spain. The refugees were forbidden to travel outside their camps. The largest refugee camp

7584-540: The regular French Army, the only option immediately available was that of the Foreign Legion. On 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 Artois , Champagne , Somme , Aisne , and Verdun (in 1917), and also suffered heavy casualties during 1918. The Foreign Legion

7680-617: 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 Zouaves , were part of the Second Brigade of the Second Division of Mac Mahon 's Corps . The Foreign Legion acquitted itself particularly well against the Austrians at the battle of Magenta (4 June 1859) and at the Battle of Solferino (24 June). Legion losses were significant and

7776-684: 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. Created to fight "outside mainland France ", the Foreign Legion was stationed in Algeria , where it took part in the pacification and development of the colony, notably by drying the marshes in the region of Algiers . The Foreign Legion was initially divided into six "national battalions" (Swiss, Poles, Germans, Italians, Spanish, and Dutch-Belgian). Smaller national groups, such as ten Englishmen recorded in December 1832, appear to have been placed randomly. In late 1831,

7872-600: 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. Legion casualties in the Crimea were 1,703 killed and wounded out of total French losses by battle and disease of 95,615. Like

7968-555: The then Friends Service Council received the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the American Friends Service Committee , on behalf of the Quakers. Peace Campaigning and Networking : aims to encourage a wider and deeper understanding of the peace testimony and to promote disarmament and work against militarism . Turning The Tide : promotes positive social change and helps groups to increase their effectiveness using active nonviolence. Peace Education : supports

8064-477: The unit was handed over to the Spanish government. The Foreign Legion landed via sea at Tarragona on 17 August with around 1,400 who were quickly dubbed Los Argelinos (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

8160-507: The values of the Society of Friends in the context of current political discussion. The Friends Educational Foundation : is a group of charitable funds, which QPSW administers on behalf of Meeting for Sufferings. Uganda : the role of QPSW in Uganda is to support, train and offer consultancy to groups and organisations working on peacemaking and peacebuilding. Post Yugoslav countries : working on

8256-567: Was Argelers concentration camp located on a beach near the Mediterranean Sea about 20 km (12 miles) north of the Spanish border. Argelers was envisioned as a camp to intern Spanish combatants, although several thousand women and children were in the camp population which reached more than 100,000. The first refugees arriving in Argelers found "nothing save the barbed wire." Argelers camp "is on

8352-415: Was a penal military unit 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. The French government sent the Foreign Legion to Spain to support Isabella II ’s claim to the Spanish throne against her uncle. On 28 June 1835,

8448-620: Was a characteristic of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). Catalonia and the city of Barcelona as a stronghold of the leftist Republicans received many internally displaced persons (IDPs) from other regions of Spain. The number of IDPs in Catalonia at the end of 1938 is estimated at one million. The flow of displaced people also went the other direction as rightist Nationalist supporters, Catholic clergy, and victims of communist and anarchist repression fled Catalonia for Nationalist controlled territory or left Spain. The Nationalist victory in

8544-478: Was also in the Dardanelles and 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

8640-545: Was precipitated by the fall of Barcelona to the Nationalist Army on 26 January 1939. The French government had anticipated the flight of some refugees from Spain and closed the border to entrants on 26 and 27 January. Large numbers of people waited near the border until France reopened it on 28 January to women, children, and elderly people only. On 5 February, France opened the border to unarmed men and Republican military units began to enter France. The refugees travelled to

8736-597: Was primarily used to help protect and expand the French colonial empire during the 19th century. The Foreign Legion was initially stationed only in Algeria , where it took part in the pacification and development of the colony. Subsequently, the Foreign Legion was deployed in a number of conflicts, including the First Carlist War in 1835, the Crimean War in 1854, the Second Italian War of Independence in 1859,

8832-413: Was stationed at Gallipoli as brigade depot. Eight companies drawn from both regiments of the Foreign Legion took part in the Battle of Alma (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 hit

8928-439: Was tarnished when the elite 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment 1 REP , which was also part of the 10th Parachute Division played a leading role in the generals' putsch of 1961 and was subsequently disbanded. 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

9024-473: 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 , numbering 62 Legionnaires and 3 Legion officers, was escorting a convoy to

9120-495: Was the former thrice-reconstituted 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion ( 1 BEP ) and the 2 REP was the former 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion ( 2 BEP ). Both battalions were renamed and their Legionnaires transferred from Indochina on 1 August 1954 to 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

9216-459: 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. During

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