What does the French Foreign Legion do?

The Foreign Legion (French: Légion étrangère) is a body of the French Army with a specific command and comprising several specialities: infantry, cavalry, engineers, airborne and training and support units. The Legion is also independent in terms of its recruitment.

What did the French Foreign Legion do in ww2?

When war broke out, the Legion also took the preventative measure of arresting German Legionnaires suspected of being Nazi spies. The Legion has a long and proud history of fighting well past when other units would have surrendered, and the Legion units fighting in France upheld that tradition.

Why was the French Foreign Legion formed?

The Foreign Legion was founded by King Louis-Philippe on March 9, 1831, as a military unit to support the conquest of Algeria, which the French had invaded the previous year.

How does the French Foreign Legion teach French?

They have four months to learn operational French if they hope to remain part of their unit. The approach is direct and no non-sense: learn vocabulary and grammar for four hours, repeat for 22 hours. Groups of two or three “students” are created, with a francophile assigned to supervise each group.

Where was the French Foreign Legion in ww2?

At first the intelligence officers at the headquarters of the French Foreign Legion in Sidi Bel Abbès, Algeria, were puzzled.

When was the French Foreign Legion started?

March 10, 1831
French Foreign Legion/Founded

Who started the French Foreign Legion?

King Louis Philippe
The French Foreign Legion was created by a royal ordinance issued by King Louis Philippe, at the suggestion of Minister of War Nicolas Jean-de-Dieu Soult, on March 9, 1831. Nine days later on March 18, 1831, an additional directive was issued restricting membership in the newly formed Legion to foreigners.

How did the French Foreign Legion fight in the Indochina War?

French Foreign Legion soldiers during the First Indochina War. The first two years of the war (1947-48) was marked by sporadic fighting. The CEFEO was able to quickly capture and control the major cities, while the Viet Minh followed Giap’s strategic plan and withdrew into the mountains.

What happened in the First Indochina War?

The First Indochina War. The First Indochina War (December 1946 to August 1954) saw the Viet Minh and French colonial forces battle for control of Vietnam. In the West this conflict is called the First Indochina War. In Vietnam, it is referred to as the Anti-French War.

Will France reacquire Indochina after World War I?

American President Franklin D. Roosevelt and General Joseph Stilwell privately made it clear that France was not to reacquire French Indochina after the war was over.

How did the French regain control of Vietnam in 1946?

Driven by anti-communist agendas, the Chinese and British allowed the restoration of French colonial rule, rather than leaving Vietnam in the hands of “red bandits”. By late 1946 the French had mobilised 50,000 troops in Vietnam and regained control of Saigon.