History: Learn about the predecessor to the French Foreign Legion

Learn about an infantry regiment of the French Army consisting of foreign volunteers that served as the predecessor to the current French Foreign Legion. It was constituted by a 1815 royal decree, after the defeat of Napoleon I at Waterloo, to replace the eight foreign regiments serving in Napoleon’s army. After its dissolution in early 1831, the unit was replaced by the Foreign Legion.

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JOINING: PCR test no older than 24 hours is required to join the Foreign Legion

Since late January 2022, a new rule for joining the French Foreign Legion has been applied. A PCR test no older than 24 hours is required now to enter the recruting centers and begin the selection process. According to the recruiting officers of the Legion, this new rule applies for all candidates from all countries, regardless of the degree of risk of infection, even for vaccinated individuals and people who have recently recovered from Covid.

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Major Franck M. : The Legion was my chance

This interesting interview appeared in La Dépêche du Midi – a French regional daily newspaper – seven months ago, on 17 February 2021. In June 2021, Major Franck M. [1] from the 4th Foreign Regiment (4e RE) in Castelnaudary left the Foreign Legion after having spent incredible 40 years and 6 months in the institution [2]. Read his famous life story in English.

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100 years ago: A sad campaign in France ended for the Foreign Legion

100 years ago, in late June 1871, three battalions of the Foreign Legion landed in Algeria, having returned from the very first deployment of the Legion in metropolitan France. The men spent eight months there and took part in a wretched campaign. However, these weren’t the only foreigners to participate in the then fighting on the French side. Also, the three battalions didn’t represent all units of the Legion that were to partake in the conflict.

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80 years ago: Father of the Legion died

80 years ago, on 16 April 1941, one of the most important persons of the French Foreign Legion passed away. Nicknamed as the “Father of the Legion”, he created a modern institution and widely raised public awareness of his legionnaires. His time at the head of the Foreign Legion was known as the Legion’s golden age. However, the Second World War and his damaged health stopped the enormous work dedicated to the legionnaires and veterans.

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Suppression of the 1947 Malagasy Uprising: Another forgotten campaign of the Legion

In late March 1947, three months after the regular war started in French Indochina, a bloody rebellion erupted in Madagascar, then a French colony annexed by France (with the predominant help of legionnaires) in 1896. To stop the massacres of French settlers and to restore order on that large island in the Indian Ocean, a battalion of the Foreign Legion left North Africa. Follow the link and learn more about another already forgotten campaign of the Legion, accompanied by 40+ original, still unpublished photos from private archives…

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