History Main article: History of the French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion was created by Louis

Philippe, the King of the French, on 10 March 1 !1" The purpose of the Foreign Legion was to re#o$e disrupti$e ele#ents fro# society and put the# to use fighting the ene#ies of France" %ecruits included failed re$olutionaries fro# the rest of &urope, soldiers fro# the disbanded 'wiss and (er#an #ercenary regi#ents of the )ourbon #onarchy, and trouble#a*ers in general, both foreign and French" The %oyal +rdinance for the establish#ent of the new regi#ent specified that the foreigners recruited could only ser$e outside France" The French e,peditionary force which had occupied -lgiers in 1 !0 was in need of reinforce#ents and the Legion was accordingly transferred in detach#ents fro# Toulon to -lgeria" The Foreign Legion was pri#arily used, as part of the -r#.e d/-fri0ue, to protect and e,pand the French colonial e#pire during the 11th century, but it also fought in al#ost all French wars including the Franco2Prussian 3ar and both 3orld 3ars" The Foreign Legion has re#ained an i#portant part of the French -r#y, sur$i$ing three %epublics, the 'econd French &#pire, two 3orld 3ars, the rise and fall of #ass conscript ar#ies, the dis#antling of the French colonial e#pire, and the loss of the Foreign Legion/s base, -lgeria" Historically, the -#erican fil# industry portrayed the Foreign Legion as, in the words of 4eil Tweedie of The 5aily Telegraph, ha$ing 6a reputation as a ha$en for cut2throats, croo*s and sundry fugiti$es fro# 7ustice6 and also ha$ing #any #en escaping failed ro#ances" Tweedie said that since the legion had as*ed few 0uestions of its new recruits, it beca#e 6an ideal repository for the scu# of the earth"6 -s of 800 , according to Tweedie, the 6i#age as a ha$en for ne9er2do2 wells is largely out of date6 since the legion now conducts e,tensi$e bac*ground chec*s $ia :nterpol" ;edit<=on0uest of -lgeria >1 !0?1 @AB Main articles: French con0uest of -lgeria and Pacification of -lgeria =reated to fight 6outside #ainland France6, the Foreign Legion was stationed in -lgeria, where it too* part in the pacification and de$elop#ent of the colony, by notably drying the #arshes in the region of -lgiers" The Foreign Legion was initially di$ided into 6national battalions6 >'wiss, Poles, (er#ans"""B" :n late 1 !1, the first legionnaires landed in -lgeria, the country that would be the Foreign Legion/s ho#eland for 1!0 years and shape its character" The early years in -lgeria were hard on the legion because it was often sent to the worst postings and recei$ed the worst assign#ents, and its #e#bers were generally uninterested in the new colony of the French" The Legion ser$ed alongside the )attalions of Light :nfantry of -frica, for#ed in 1 !8, which was a penal #ilitary unit #ade up of #en with prison records who still had to do their #ilitary ser$ice or soldiers with serious disciplinary proble#s" The Foreign Legion/s first ser$ice in -lgeria ca#e to an end after only four years, as it was needed elsewhere" ;edit<'pain >1 !C?1 !1B Main article: First =arlist 3ar To support :sabella/s clai# to the 'panish throne against her uncle, the French go$ern#ent decided to send the Foreign Legion to 'pain" +n 8 Dune 1 !C, the unit was handed o$er to the 'panish go$ern#ent" The Foreign Legion landed at Tarragona on 1A -ugust with around 1,@00,000 #en who were 0uic*ly dubbed Los -rgelinos >the -lgeriansB by locals because of their pre$ious posting" The Foreign Legion/s co##ander i##ediately dissol$ed the national battalions to i#pro$e the esprit de corps" Later, he also created three s0uadrons of lancers and an artillery battery fro# the e,isting force to increase independence and fle,ibility" The Foreign Legion was dissol$ed on 5ece#ber 1 ! , when it had dropped to only C00 #en" The sur$i$ors returned to France, #any reenlisting in the new Foreign Legion along with #any of their for#er =arlist ene#ies" =ri#ean 3ar >1 C!?1 CEB Main article: =ri#ean 3ar

The french foreign legion created #inor #ayhe# cauious towards destruction in facalities towards the# ha$ing not better e0uip#ent including transport and acco#edations this #eant they would ha$e to sleeo outside and get ta*en sponser towards other people in breif $aritions and ta*en responsibiltyes

The L.gion FtrangGre in 1 C8 +n 1 Dune 1 C@, the French ship Dean )art e#bar*ed four battalions of the Foreign Legion for the =ri#ean Peninsula" - further battalion was stationed at (allipoli as brigade depot";E< &ight co#panies drawn fro# both regi#ents of the Foreign Legion too* part in the )attle of -l#a >80 'epte#ber 1 C@B" %einforce#ents brought the Legion contingent up to brigade strength" -s the the 6Foreign )rigade6, it ser$ed in the 'iege of 'e$astopol, during the winter of 1 C@?1 CC" The lac* of e0uip#ent was particularly challenging and cholera hit the -llied e,peditionary force" 4e$ertheless, the 6bellies of leather6 >the nic*na#e gi$en to the legionnaires by the %ussians because of the large cartridge pouches that they wore attached to their waist beltsB, perfor#ed well" +n 81 Dune 1 CC, the Third )attalion, left =orsica for the =ri#ea" +n 'epte#ber the final assault was launched on 'e$astopol, and two days later, the 'econd Foreign %egi#ent, flags and band playing ahead, #arched through the streets of 'e$astopol" -lthough initial reser$ations had been e,pressed about whether the Legion should be used outside -frica, ;A< the =ri#ean e,perience established its suitability for ser$ice in &uropean warfare, as well as #a*ing a cohesi$e single entity of what had pre$iously been two separate foreign regi#ents; <" Total Legion casualties in the =ri#ea were 1,A0! *illed and wounded" ;edit<=a#paign of :taly >1 C1B Main article: 'econd :talian 3ar of :ndependence Li*e the rest of the 6-r#y of -frica6, the Foreign Legion too* part in the ca#paign of :taly" Two foreign regi#ents, associated with the 8nd %egi#ent of Houa$es, were part of the 'econd )rigade of the 'econd 5i$ision of Mac Mahon/s =orps" The Foreign Legion ac0uitted itself particularly well against the -ustrians at the battle of Magenta >@ Dune 1 C1B and at the )attle of 'olferino >8@ DuneB" The losses were significant and the 'econd Foreign %egi#ent lost =olonel =habriGre, its co##anding officer" :n gratitude, the city of Milan awarded, in 1101, the 6co##e#orati$e #edal of deli$erance6, which still adorns the regi#ental flags of the 'econd %egi#ent";1< ;edit<Me,ico >1 E!?1 EAB

Inifor# of a legionnaire during the 1 E! Me,ican ca#paign Main article: French inter$ention in Me,ico

=aptain 5an7ou/s prosthetic wooden hand :t was in Me,ico on !0 -pril 1 E! that the Foreign Legion earned its legendary status" - co#pany led by =aptain Dean 5an7ou, nu#bering E8 soldiers and ! officers, was escorting a con$oy to the besieged city of Puebla when it was attac*ed and besieged by two thousand re$olutionaries,;10< organised in three battalions of infantry and ca$alry, nu#bering 1,800 and 00 respecti$ely" The patrol was forced to #a*e a defence in Hacienda =a#arJn, and despite the hopelessness of the situation, fought nearly to the last #an" 3hen only si, sur$i$ors re#ained, out of a##unition, a bayonet charge was conducted in which three of the si, were *illed" The re#aining three wounded #en were brought before the Me,ican general, who allowed the# to return to France as an honor guard for the body of =aptain 5an7ou" The captain had a wooden hand which was stolen during the battleK it was later returned to the Foreign Legion and is now *ept in a case in the Foreign Legion Museu# at -ubagne, and paraded annually on =a#erone 5ay" :t is the Foreign Legion/s #ost precious relic" 5uring the Me,ican =a#paign, E,EC@ French died";11< -#ong these losses, 1,11 ;11< of the deaths were fro# a single regi#ent of the French Foreign Legion, a fact that testifies to the i#portance of the Foreign Legion/s role in the ca#paign";11<

Further infor#ation: )attle of =a#arJn ;edit<Franco2Prussian 3ar >1 A0?1 A1B Main article: Franco2Prussian 3ar -ccording to French law, the Foreign Legion was not to be used within Metropolitan France e,cept in the case of a national in$asion,;citation needed< and was conse0uently not a part of 4apoleon :::9s :#perial -r#y that capitulated at 'edan" 3ith the defeat of the :#perial -r#y, the 'econd French &#pire fell and the Third %epublic was created" The new Third %epublic was desperately short of trained soldiers in the Franco2Prussian 3ar, so the Foreign Legion was ordered to pro$ide a contingent" +n 11 +ctober 1 A0 two pro$isional battalions dise#bar*ed at Toulon, the first ti#e the Foreign Legion had been deployed in France itself" :t atte#pted to lift the 'iege of Paris by brea*ing through the (er#an lines" :t succeeded in reta*ing +rl.ans, but failed to brea* the siege" ;edit<Ton*in ca#paign and 'ino2French 3ar >1 !?1 B Main articles: Ton*in =a#paign and 'ino?French 3ar

- Legionnaire sniper at Tuyen Luang The Foreign Legion/s First )attalion >Lieutenant2=olonel 5onnierB was sent to Ton*in in the autu#n of 1 !, during the period of undeclared hostilities that preceded the 'ino?French 3ar >-ugust 1 @ to -pril 1 CB, and for#ed part of the attac* colu#n that stor#ed the western gate of 'on Tay on 1E 5ece#ber" The 'econd and Third :nfantry )attalions >chef de bataillon 5iguet and Lieutenant2=olonel 'choefferB were also deployed to Ton*in shortly afterwards, and were present in all the #a7or ca#paigns of the 'ino2French 3ar" Two Foreign Legion co#panies led the defence at the celebrated 'iege of TuyMn Luang >8@ 4o$e#ber 1 @ to ! March 1 CB" :n Danuary 1 C the Foreign Legion/s @th )attalion >chef de bataillon NitalisB was deployed to the French bridgehead at Keelung >DilongB in For#osa >TaiwanB, where it too* part in the later battles of the Keelung =a#paign" The battalion played an i#portant role in =olonel Dac0ues 5uchesne/s offensi$e in March 1 C that captured the *ey =hinese positions of La Table and Fort )a#boo and disengaged Keelung" :n 5ece#ber 1 !, during a re$iew of the 'econd Legion )attalion on the e$e of its departure for Ton*in to ta*e part in the )Oc 4inh =a#paign, (eneral FranPois de 4.grier pronounced a fa#ous #ot: Nous, l.gionnaires, $ous Mtes soldats pour #ourir, et 7e $ous en$oie oQ l9on #eurtR >/Sou, Legionnaires, you are soldiers in order to die, and :/# sending you to where one diesR/B ;edit<=olonisation of -frica

Monu#ent co##e#orating the soldiers of the Foreign Legion *illed on duty during the 'outh2 +ranese ca#paign >1 1A?1108B" -s part of the -r#y of -frica, the Foreign Legion contributed to the growth of the French colonial e#pire in 'ub2'aharan -frica" 'i#ultaneously, the Legion too* part to the pacification of -lgeria, plagued by $arious tribal rebellions and raTTias" ;edit<'econd Franco25aho#ean 3ar >1 18?1 1@B Main article: 'econd Franco25aho#ean 3ar :n 1 18, King )ehanTin was threatening the French protectorate of Porto24o$o and France decided to inter$ene" - battalion, led by co##andant Faura,, was for#ed fro# two co#panies of the First Foreign %egi#ent and two others fro# the second regi#ent" Fro# =otonou, the legionnaires #arched to seiTe -bo#ey, the capital of the Kingdo# of 5aho#ey" Two and a half #onths were needed to reach the city, at the cost of repeated battles against the 5aho#ean warriors, especially the -#aTons of the King" King )ehanTin surrendered and was captured by the legionnaires in Danuary 1 1@" ;edit<'econd Madagascar e,pedition >1 1@?1 1CB Main article: 'econd Madagascar e,pedition :n 1 1C, a battalion, for#ed by the First and 'econd Foreign %egi#ents, was sent to the Kingdo# of Madagascar, as part of an e,peditionary force whose #ission was to con0uer the island" The foreign battalion for#ed the bac*bone of the colu#n launched on -ntananari$o, the

capital of Madagascar" -fter a few s*ir#ishes, the Lueen %ana$alona ::: pro#ptly surrendered" ;18<;1!< The Foreign Legion lost 88E #en, of who# only a tenth died in actual fighting" +thers, li*e #uch of the e,peditionary force, died fro# tropical diseases";18< 5espite the success of the e,pedition, the 0uelling of sporadic rebellions would ta*e another eight years until 110C, when the island was co#pletely pacified by the French under Doseph (allieni";1@< 5uring that ti#e, insurrections against the Malagasy =hristians of the island, #issionaries and foreigners were particularly terrible";1C< Lueen %ana$alona ::: was deposed on Danuary 1 1A and was e,iled to -lgiers in -lgeria, where she died in 111A";1E< ;edit<Mandingo 3ar >1 1 B Main article: Mandingo 3ars Fro# 1 8 until his capture, 'a#ori Ture, ruler of the 3assoulou &#pire, fought the French colonial ar#y, defeating the# on se$eral occasions, including a notable $ictory at 3oyowayan*o >8 -pril 1 8B, in the face of French hea$y artillery" 4onetheless, 'a#ori was forced to sign se$eral treaties ceding territory to the French between 1 E and 1 1" 'a#ori began a steady retreat, but the fall of other resistance ar#ies, particularly )abe#ba Traor. at 'i*asso, per#itted the colonial ar#y to launch a concentrated assault against his forces" - battalion of two co#panies fro# the 8nd Foreign %egi#ent was created in early 1 1@ to pacify the 4iger" The Legionnaires/ $ictory at the fortress of +uilla and police patrols in the region accelerated the sub#ission of the tribes" +n the 81th of 'epte#ber, 1 1 , 'a#ori Ture was captured by the French =o##andant (ouraud and e,iled to (abon, #ar*ing the end of the 3assoulou &#pire" ;edit<3orld 3ar : Main article: French -r#y in 3orld 3ar :

-#ericans in the Foreign Legion, 111E" :n 3orld 3ar :, the Foreign Legion fought in #any critical battles on the 3estern Front, including -rtois, =ha#pagne, 'o##e, -isne, and Nerdun >in 111AB, and also suffered hea$y casualties during 111 " The Foreign Legion was also in the 5ardanelles and Macedonian front, and was highly decorated for its efforts" Many young foreigners, including -#ericans li*e Fred Hinn, $olunteered for the Foreign Legion when the war bro*e out in 111@" There were #ar*ed differences between such idealistic $olunteers and the hardened #ercenaries of the old Legion, as the poet -lan 'eeger pointed out, #a*ing assi#ilation difficult" 4e$ertheless, the old and the new #en of the Foreign Legion fought and died in $icious battles on the 3estern front, including )elloy2en2'anterre during the )attle of the 'o##e, where 'eeger, after being #ortally wounded by #achine2gun fire, cheered on the rest of his ad$ancing battalion";1A< -s #ost &uropean countries and the I' were drawn into the war, #any of the newer 6duration only6 $olunteers who #anaged to sur$i$e the first years of the war were generally released fro# the Foreign Legion to 7oin their respecti$e national ar#ies" =itiTens of the =entral Powers ser$ing with the Foreign Legion on the outbrea* of war were nor#ally posted to garrisons in 4orth -frica to a$oid proble#s of di$ided loyalties" ;edit<)etween the 3orld 3ars

Legionnaires in Morocco, =irca 1180 3hile at the close of the First 3orld 3ar the Foreign Legion/s prestige was at a high, the Foreign Legion itself had suffered greatly in the trenches of the First 3orld 3ar";1 < :n 1111, the go$ern#ent of 'pain raised the 'panish Foreign Legion and #odeled it after the French Foreign Legion";1 < (eneral Dean Mordac0 intended to rebuild the Foreign Legion as a larger #ilitary for#ation, doing away with the legion/s traditional role as a solely infantry for#ation";1 < (eneral Mordac0 en$isioned a Foreign Legion consisting not of regi#ents, but of di$isions with ca$alry, engineer, and artillery regi#ents in addition to the legion/s infantry #ainstay";1 < :n 1180, decrees ordained the establish#ent of regi#ents of ca$alry and artillery";1 < :##ediately following the ar#istice the Foreign Legion e,perienced an increase of enlist#ents";11< The Foreign Legion began the process of reorganiTing and redeploying to -lgeria";1 < The legion also too* part in the %if 3ar of 118028C"

:n 11!8, the Foreign Legion consisted of !0,000 #en, ser$ing in E #ulti2battalion regi#ents: 1st ? -lgeria and 'yria 8d, !d, and @th ? Morocco Cth ? :ndochina 1st =a$alry ? Tunisia and Morocco" ;edit<3orld 3ar ::

Legionnaires assaulting an -,is strong point at the battle of )ir Ha*ei#, 11@8" The Foreign Legion played a s#aller role in 3orld 3ar :: than in 3orld 3ar :, though ha$ing a part in the 4orwegian, 'yrian and 4orth -frican ca#paigns" The 1!th 5e#i2)rigade was deployed in the )attle of )ir Ha*ei#" %eflecting the di$ided loyalties of the ti#e, part of the Foreign Legion 7oined the Free French #o$e#ent while another part ser$ed the Nichy go$ern#ent" - battle in the 'yria?Lebanon =a#paign of Dune 11@1 saw legionnaire fighting legionnaire as the 1!th 5e#i2)rigade >5")"L"&"B clashed with the Eth Foreign :nfantry %egi#ent at 5a#as in 'yria" Later, a thousand of the ran* and file of the Nichy Legion unit 7oined the 1!th 5")"L"&" of the Free French forces as a third battalion" Following the war, #any for#er (er#an soldiers 7oined the Foreign Legion to pursue a #ilitary career with an elite unit, an option that was no longer possible in (er#any" To this day, (er#ans constitute a strong presence in the Foreign Legion" ;edit<First :ndochina 3ar 5uring the First :ndochina 3ar >11@E?C@B, the Foreign Legion saw its nu#bers swell due to the incorporation of 'econd 3orld 3ar $eterans who couldn/t adapt to ci$ilian life" &$en so, although the Foreign Legion distinguished itself, it also too* a hea$y toll during the war: constantly being deployed in operations, it e$en reached the point that whole units were annihilated in co#bat, in what was a traditional Foreign Legion battlefield" Inits of the legion were also in$ol$ed in the defence of 5ien )ien Phu and lost a large nu#ber of #en in the battle" ;edit<-lgerian 3ar

The 1!th 5e#i2)rigade of the Foreign Legion parading in -lgeria >circa 11C B" The -lgerian 3ar of :ndependence >11C@?E8B was a highly trau#atic conflict for the Foreign Legion" =onstantly on call throughout the country, hea$ily engaged in fighting against the 4ational Liberation Front and the -r#.e de Lib.ration 4ationale >-L4B, the Foreign Legion was brought to the brin* of e,tinction after so#e officers, #en and the highly2decorated 1st Foreign Parachute %egi#ent too* part in the (enerals/ putsch" 4otable operations included the 'ueT =risis, the )attle of -lgiers and $arious offensi$es launched by (eneral Maurice =halle including +perations +ranie and Du#elles" ;edit<Post2colonial -frica

)attle of KolweTi, 11A " )y 11E8 the #orale of the Foreign Legion was at an all2ti#e lowK it had lost its traditional and spiritual ho#e >-lgeriaB, elite units had been disbanded, and in addition, #any officers and #en were arrested or deserted to escape prosecution" (eneral de (aulle considered disbanding it altogether" )ut after being downsiTed to ,000 #en and stripped of all hea$y weaponry, the Foreign Legion was spared, pac*ed up and re2head0uartered in #etropolitan France";80< The Foreign Legion now had a new role as a rapid inter$ention force to preser$e French interests not only in its for#er -frican colonies but in other nations as wellK it was also a return to its roots of being a unit always ready to be sent to hot2spots all around the world" 'o#e notable operations include: the =hadian?Libyan conflict in 11E1?A8 >the first ti#e that the Foreign Legion was sent in operations after the -lgerian 3arB, 11A ?A1, and 11 !? AK KolweTi in what is now the 5e#ocratic %epublic of the =ongo in May 11A K %wanda in 1110?1@K and the =Ute d/:$oire >the :$ory =oastB in 8008 to the present" ;edit<11E8?1111

11E1?11A1: inter$entions in =had 11A : )attle of KolweTi >HaVreB ;edit<(ulf 3ar This section does not cite any references or sources" >Danuary 8018B :n 'epte#ber 1110, the First Foreign =a$alry %egi#ent, the 'econd Foreign :nfantry %egi#ent, and the 'econd Foreign &ngineer %egi#ent were sent to the Persian (ulf as a part of +p.ration 5aguet" They were a part of the French Eth Light -r#oured 5i$ision, whose #ission was to protect the coalition/s left flan*" -fter a four2wee* air ca#paign, coalition forces launched the ground ca#paign" :t 0uic*ly penetrated deep into :ra0, with the Foreign Legion ta*ing the -l 'al#an -irport, #eeting little resistance" The war ended after a hundred hours of fighting on the ground, which resulted in $ery light casualties for the Foreign Legion" ;edit<1111?present

- Foreign Legion soldier with a captured rebel, :$ory =oast, 10 -ugust 800@" 1111 : &$acuation of French citiTens and foreigners in %wanda, (abon and Haire" 1118 : =a#bodia and 'o#alia 111! : 'ara7e$o, )osnia and HerTego$ina 111C : %wanda 111E : =entral -frican %epublic 111A : =ongo2)raTTa$ille 'ince 1111 : KF+% in Koso$o and Macedonia 'ince 8001 : +peration &nduring Freedo# in -fghanistan 8008?800! : +peration Licorne in =Ute d/:$oire 800 : &IF+% TchadW%=- in =had" ;edit<Me#bership The Foreign Legion is the only unit of the French -r#y open to people of any nationality";citation needed< -ll #e#bers of the Foreign Legion are #enK wo#en are not per#itted to 7oin";@< Most legionnaires still co#e fro# &uropean countries but a growing percentage co#es fro# Latin -#erica";citation needed< Most of the Foreign Legion/s co##issioned officers are French with appro,i#ately 10X being for#er Legionnaires who ha$e risen through the ran*s";81< Me#bership of the Foreign Legion is often a reflection of political shifts: specific national representations generally surge whene$er a country has a political crisis and tend to subside once the crisis is o$er and the flow of recruits dries up" -fter the First 3orld 3ar, #any >TsaristB %ussians 7oined" :##ediately before the 'econd 3orld 3ar, =Techs, Poles and Dews fro# &astern &urope fled to France and ended up enlisting in the Foreign Legion" :ronically, so did #any (er#an soldiers, for#er #e#bers of the 3ehr#acht, after the end of the conflict";citation needed< Following the brea*2up of Sugosla$ia, there were #any =roats" -lso in the 1110s, the collapse of the 'o$iet Inion, and the changes in the for#er 3arsaw Pact countries, led to an increase in recruit#ent fro# Poland and fro# the for#er republics of the I''%";citation needed< :n addition to the fluctuating nu#bers of political refugees, asylu# see*ers and econo#ic #igrants fro# a wide $ariety of nations, there has been, since the end of 3orld 3ar Two, a strong core fro# (er#any and )ritain and in so#e cases :reland" The Foreign Legion appears to ha$e beco#e as #uch a part of these two nations/ culture as a French institution,;citation needed< and a certain stability in recruit#ent le$els has de$eloped";citation needed< 5uring the late 11 0s, the Foreign Legion saw a large inta*e of trained soldiers fro# the IK" These #en had left the )ritish -r#y following its restructuring and the Foreign Legion/s parachute unit was a popular destination" -t one point, the fa#ous 8e#e %&P had such a large nu#ber of )ritish citiTens a#ongst the ran*s that it was a standing 7o*e that the unit was really called /8e#e P-%-/, a reference to the 'econd )attalion, the Parachute %egi#ent of the )ritish -r#y";citation needed< The reasons and intentions of legionnaires 7oining the Foreign Legion, instead of the ar#ed forces of their own countries, is unconfir#ed" Possible reasons include the #a7ority of the Foreign Legion/s ran*s being either transient souls in need of escape and a regular wage, or refugees

fro# countries undergoing ti#es of crisis" :n recent years, the i#pro$ed conditions and professionalis# of the Foreign Legion ha$e in turn attracted a new *ind of /$ocational/ recruit, fro# #iddle2class bac*grounds in stable and prosperous countries, such as the I', )ritain and France itself";citation needed< :n the past, the Foreign Legion had a reputation for attracting cri#inals on the run and would2be #ercenaries, but the ad#issions process is now se$erely restricted and bac*ground chec*s are perfor#ed on all applicants" (enerally spea*ing, con$icted felons are prohibited fro# 7oining the ser$ice";citation needed< Legionnaires were, in the past, forced to enlist under a pseudony# >6declared identity6B" This disposition e,ists in order to allow people who want to start their li$es o$er to enlist, and the French Foreign Legion held the belief that it was #ore fair to #a*e all new recruits use declared identities";@< French citiTens can enlist under a declared, fictitious, foreign citiTenship >generally, a francophone one, often that of )elgiu#, =anada or 'witTerlandB";citation needed< -s of 80 'epte#ber 8010, new recruits #ay enlist under their real identities or under declared identities" %ecruits who do enlist with declared identities #ay, after one year/s ser$ice, regularise their situations under their true identities";88< -fter ser$ing in the Foreign Legion for three years, a legionnaire #ay apply for French citiTenship";@< He #ust be ser$ing under his real na#e, #ust no longer ha$e proble#s with the authorities, and #ust ha$e ser$ed with Yhonour and fidelityZ";88< Further#ore, a soldier who beco#es in7ured during a battle for France can i##ediately apply for French citiTenship under a pro$ision *nown as YFranPais par le sang $ers.Z >6French by spilled blood6B";@< 3hile the Foreign Legion does not accept wo#en in its ran*s, there has been one official fe#ale #e#ber, )riton 'usan Tra$ers who 7oined Free French Forces during the 'econd 3orld 3ar and beca#e a #e#ber of the Foreign Legion after the war, ser$ing in Nietna# during the First :ndochina 3ar";8!< The Foreign Legion on occasion inducts honourary #e#bers into its ran*s" 5uring the siege of 5ien )ien Phu this honour was granted to (eneral =hristian de =astries, =olonel Pierre Langlais, (ene$iG$e de (alard >6The -ngel of 5ien )ien Phu6B and Marcel )igeard, the +fficer in =o##and of the Eth )P=" 4or#an 'chwarT*opf, Dr" is also an honorary #e#ber";8@< -ccording to 4eil Tweedie of The 5aily Telegraph, by 800 #any recruits increasingly ca#e fro# #iddle2class bac*grounds due to i#pro$ed conditions and an increased professionalis# within the French Foreign Legion" Tweedie said 6:f so#e 4=+s in the Legion are to be belie$ed, the whole corps is beco#ing a bit soft and girly"6;@< - 'outh -frican legionnaire, =orporal )uys Francois, said the legion was ta*ing new recruits with uni$ersity degrees and e,2husbands who were fleeing ali#ony and that 6;w<e call the new entrants (eneration Play'tation because they9re so soft"6;@< ;edit<Me#bership by country

-#erican poet -lan 'eeger in his Foreign Legion unifor# -s of 800 #e#bers co#e fro# 1@0 countries" The #a7ority of enlisted #en originate fro# outside of France, while the #a7ority of officer corps consist of French#en" Many recruits originate fro# &astern &urope and Latin -#erica" 4eil Tweedie of The 5aily Telegraph said that the role was 6so#ewhat ironically gi$en the Legion9s bloody role in two world wars"6;@< :n 800 Tweedie added that 6)rits, too, ha$e played their part, but there was e#barrass#ent recently when it e#erged that #any )ritish applicants were failing selection due to ende#ic unfitness"6;@< +riginal nationalities of the Foreign Legion reflect the e$ents in history at the ti#e they 7oin" Many for#er 3affen2'' and 3ehr#acht personnel 7oined in the wa*e of 33::;8C< as #any soldiers returning to ci$ilian life found it hard to find reliable e#ploy#ent" Dean25enis Lepage reports that 6The Foreign Legion discreetly recruited fro# (er#an P"+"3" ca#ps6,;8E< but adds that the nu#ber of these recruits has been subse0uently e,aggerated" )ernard )" Fall, who was a supporter of the French go$ern#ent, writing in the conte,t of the First :ndochina 3ar, 0uestioned the notion that the Foreign Legion was #ainly (er#an at that ti#e, calling it: ;a< canard[with the sub2$ariant that all those (er#ans were at least '' generals and other #uch wanted war cri#inals" -s a rule, and in order to pre$ent any particular nation fro# #a*ing

the Foreign Legion into a Praetorian (uard, any particular national co#ponent is *ept at about 8C percent of the total" &$en supposing >and this was the case, of courseB that the French recruiters, in the eagerness for candidates would sign up (er#ans enlisting as 'wiss, -ustrian, 'candina$ian and other nationalities of related ethnic bac*ground, it is unli*ely that the nu#ber of (er#ans in the Foreign Legion e$er e,ceeded !C percent" Thus, without #a*ing an allowance for losses, rotation, discharges, etc", the #a,i#u# nu#ber of (er#ans fighting in :ndochina at any one ti#e reached perhaps A,000 out of 8A ,000" -s to the e,24aTis, the early arri$als contained a nu#ber of the#, none of who# were *nown to be war cri#inals" French intelligence saw to that" 'ince, in $iew of the rugged :ndochinese cli#ate, older #en without pre$ious tropical e,perience constituted #ore a liability than an asset, the a$erage age of the Foreign Legion enlistees was about 8!" -t the ti#e of the battle of 5ien )ien Phu, any legionnaire of that age group was at the worst, in his 6Hitler South6 shorts when the ;Third< %eich collapsed";8A< 3hen loo*ing at the o$erall recruit#ent chart, one #ust *eep in #ind that the Foreign Legion accepts people enlisting under a nationality that is not their own" - proportion of the 'wiss and )elgians are actually li*ely to be French#en who wish to a$oid detection";8 < :n addition #any -lsatians are said to ha$e 7oined the Foreign Legion when -lsace was part of the (er#an &#pire, and #ay ha$e been recorded as (er#an while considering the#sel$es French" %egarding recruit#ent conditions within the Foreign Legion, see the official page >in &nglishB dedicated to the sub7ect:";81< 3ith regard to age li#its, recruits can be accepted fro# ages ranging fro# 1A \ >with parental consentB to @0 years old" ;edit<=ountries that allow post2Foreign Legion contract :n the )ritish =o##onwealth countries, its collecti$e pro$isions pro$ide for nationals to co##ute between ar#ies in training or other purposes" Moreo$er, this /blan*et pro$ision/ between #e#ber2 states cannot e,clude others for it would see# inappropriate to single out indi$idual countries, that is, France in relation to the legion" For e,a#ple, -ustralia and 4ew Healand #ay allow post2 legion enlist#ent pro$iding the national has co##onwealth citiTenship" )ritain allows post2legion enlist#ent" =anada allows post2legion enlist#ent in its ran*s with a co#pleted fi$e2year contract" :n the &uropean Inion fra#ewor*, post Foreign Legion enlist#ent is less clear" 5en#ar*, 4orway, (er#any and Portugal allow post2legion enlist#ent while The 4etherlands has constitutional articles that forbid it";citation needed< The &uropean Inion twin threads see# to be recogniTed dual nationality status or restricting constitutional article" The Inited 'tates allows post2FFL enlist#ent in its national guard, and career soldiers, up to the ran* of captain only and to green card holders" :srael allows post2legion enlist#ent" The 'wiss 7ail or fine their nationals for 7oining the legion due to 'witTerland/s neutrality" +ne of the biggest national groups in the French Foreign Legion are Poles" Polish law basically allows ser$ice in a foreign ar#y, but only after written per#ission fro# the Ministry of 4ational 5efense" Most soldiers don/t actually apply for per#ission, but only a few ha$e been prosecuted on this account and generally they get probation";!0<