On March 9, 1831, one of the most famous armed formations in modern times was created - the French Foreign Legion, which, by the way, exists up to the present time. For almost two centuries of its history, people of various nationalities served in the legion, a lot of Russians also passed through it, including our contemporaries. From the very beginning, the Foreign Legion was created for primary use outside of France, and the command provided for the recruitment of privates and non-commissioned officers of the units almost exclusively at the expense of foreigners.

By the beginning of the 1830s, France was preparing the colonization of Algeria, a vast North African territory that was not only of economic and geopolitical interest, but until a certain time was also a threat to the French state. Numerous pirates lodged on the coast of Algeria, attacking merchant ships of the most different countries peace. Once upon a time, Algerian pirates regularly attacked the Mediterranean coast of European countries - Italy, France, Spain, taking men and women captive. TO XIX century such raids ceased, but the Algerian pirates were not going to stop robbing merchant ships, even despite repeated punitive expeditions - not only by the French, but even by the Americans.

Within three weeks, from June 14 to July 5, 1830, the French expeditionary forces, having landed on the Algerian coast, took control of the city of Algiers, the current capital of the country. For the landing operation, the forces of 3 infantry divisions, 3 cavalry squadrons and 15 artillery batteries were involved, with a total number of up to 37,624 military personnel. The army went to Algiers on 102 warships, including 11 battleships, 24 frigates, 8 corvettes, 27 brigs, 6 steamships, etc. In addition, the fleet included 570 merchant ships. The general leadership of the expedition to Algeria was carried out by the Minister of War of France, Count Louis Auguste Victor de Gene de Bourmont (1773-1846). The French troops managed to defeat the detachments of the Algerian dey and the formations of the Arab-Berber militia that came to his aid. For the successful operation to capture Algiers, Comte de Bourmont received military rank Marshal of France However, the defeat inflicted on Dey did not mean that the French were immediately able to establish control over the entire territory of Algeria. It was for his final conquest that the French leadership decided to create the Foreign Legion.

On March 9, 1831, King Louis-Philippe signed a decree on the creation of a new armed formation. This idea was submitted to the king by a Belgian officer, Baron de Begar, who was in the French service. He motivated the need to create the Legion by the fact that this military unit would be loyal to France and the French authorities, but, being unconnected with French society, would be able to perform any tasks assigned to it. It was decided to recruit foreign men aged 18 to 40 to serve in the Foreign Legion. The backbone of the officer corps of the Legion was formed from former Napoleonic officers - experienced military men who took part in numerous wars. As for the rank and file, it was staffed with people from other European countries, primarily from Switzerland, Germany and Italy, which at that time were the main suppliers of mercenaries for European armies. However, French citizens could also enlist in the Legion - but without indicating their first and last names, and in this case they seemed to renounce their past life, social status, and started life "from scratch" - as soldiers of the Foreign Legion. This recruitment principle was ideal for people who had problems with the law, or for some reason wanted to hide from society.

The Foreign Legion was able to show its effectiveness in battles in the first decades of its existence in North Africa, where France waged a stubborn war for the conquest of Algeria, and then for the acquisition of new colonies. As a result of the colonial expansion of France, by the end of the 19th century, huge territories in the Maghreb, Sahara and Sahel were under the control of this country - the lands of present-day Algeria and Tunisia, Morocco and Mauritania, Mali and Niger, Burkina Faso and Guinea, Senegal and Chad. It was the soldiers and officers of the Foreign Legion who made a huge contribution to the conquest of the African colonies. The Foreign Legion took part in the Crimean War on the territory of Russia, including the famous Battle of Inkerman in November 1854.

In 1861 French, Spanish and British troops were sent to Mexico. The intervention was a response to the cessation of payments on Mexican foreign debts. For the fighting in Mexico, France involved, among other things, units of the Foreign Legion. On April 30, 1863, a battle took place near the Mexican village of Cameron, which went down in history as the true Day of Glory of the Foreign Legion. During the day, a single company of legionnaires numbering 65 people opposed the many times superior forces of the Mexicans in the amount of at least 2,000 fighters. The 3rd company of the 1st battalion of the Foreign Regiment was allocated by the command to escort the convoy from Veracruz to Pueblo. The transports contained equipment, money and. The convoy was commanded by Captain Jean Danjou (1828-1863). He was only thirty-five years old, but he already had extensive experience in combat. In 1847, Danju, the son of an officer and the owner of a small factory, entered the famous military school Saint-Cyr, and after graduation he was assigned to the 51st Infantry Regiment. However, already in 1852, Jean Danjou transferred to the Foreign Legion. In 1853, he lost his arm - a gun accidentally exploded during a topographic expedition in Algeria. But Danju installed a prosthesis and continued to serve in the Foreign Legion. In addition to Danjou, there were 2 more officers in the company - junior lieutenant Mode and junior lieutenant Vilan, as well as legionnaires of different nationalities - French, Spaniards, Italians, Belgians, Germans and Poles. The command set the task for the company to conduct reconnaissance before the movement of the convoy, patrol the road and disperse the ambushes of the Mexican partisans.

On the morning of April 30, the legionnaires, who had made a halt near the village of Cameron, noticed the approaching enemy. It was a squadron of Cotaxla of 250 Mexicans, commanded by Don Hilario Ozario. Danjou decided to retreat to the village, as it would be madness to face such a large number of Mexicans in open country. However, retreating to Cameron, the legionnaires found another Mexican detachment - the people of Colonel Milan. In the end, the legionnaires took refuge in one of the village buildings and began to defend it. Colonel Milan demanded that the legionnaires surrender, but was refused. Since the Mexican cavalrymen were not well trained in action on foot, the legionnaires managed to defend for a long time. During this time, three infantry battalions arrived to the aid of the Mexicans. Captain Danju was killed, after which junior lieutenant Vilan, who was also soon killed, took command. In the end, only junior lieutenant Mode, a corporal and 3 legionnaires survived. After that, Mode led his subordinates in a bayonet attack. The Mexicans opened fire. Mode is dead. The wounded corporal and two legionnaires survived. Shocked by this, the commander of the Mexican unit, Colonel Milan, ordered the wounds of the surviving legionnaires to be treated. Three surviving heroes demanded to give them the corpse of an officer and the flag of the unit and provide a corridor for the exit. In total, in this battle, out of 65 legionnaires, 3 officers and 49 lower ranks were killed. Twelve of the wounded were captured by the Mexicans. The day of the Battle of Cameron entered the history of the Foreign Legion forever as an example of the highest military prowess of its soldiers and officers.

In the late XIX - early XX centuries. quite numerous recruits from the Russian Empire appear in the Foreign Legion. There were also revolutionaries hiding from the tsarist authorities, and criminals, and adventurers - Russians, Jews, Poles. short time in 1889, the later famous Russian religious philosopher Nikolai Onufrievich Lossky (1870-1965) served in one of the divisions of the Legion on the territory of Algeria. He ended up in the Legion because of the financial difficulties that he experienced when he was a student at the University of Bern in Switzerland. But Lossky served in the Legion for very little. But the life of another Russian, Zinovy ​​Peshkov (1884-1966), was forever connected with the French army, who not only rose to the rank of officer, but also became a corps general (colonel general) of the French army. In fact, Zinovy ​​Peshkov's name was Zalman Sverdlov. He was the elder brother of the most famous Bolshevik and one of the most senior figures Soviet power Yakov Sverdlov, and the surname Peshkov came from his godfather, Maxim Gorky.

Coming from a Jewish family, Zalman Sverdlov was baptized into Orthodoxy in 1902 and received his last name and patronymic from his godfather. In 1904, Zinovy ​​emigrated to Canada, then moved to the United States, and then to Europe - to Italy and France. When did the first World War, thirty-year-old Zinovy ​​Peshkov volunteered for the French Foreign Legion. In the battle of Verdun he lost right hand, but after rehabilitation he recovered in the Legion and continued to serve - but this time, as an interpreter in various French military missions - in the USA and Romania, China and Japan, in Georgia, in Siberia - under Admiral Kolchak and in the Crimea under Baron Wrangel. In 1921-1926. Peshkov served in Morocco, then - in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France, then, in 1937-1940. - again in Morocco, in the Foreign Legion. During the Second World War, he joined the Free French movement, in 1943 he received the rank of general and led the Free French mission in China. Only in 1950, at the age of 66, did Zinovy ​​Peshkov retire with the rank of corps general.

The well-known Cossack poet Nikolai Nikolaevich Turoverov (1899-1972), who entered the service in 1939, having experienced many hardships during the harsh emigrant life, also had a chance to serve in the Foreign Legion. The unit where Turoverov served was stationed in North Africa, then was sent to Lebanon - to suppress the rebellious Druze tribes. Later, the 1st cavalry regiment of the Legion was transferred to France, where he participated in defensive battles against the Nazis until the surrender of France.

The killer of Simon Petliura, Samuil Schwartzburd (1886-1938), a representative of a completely different ideological direction, also served in the Foreign Legion. An anarchist, a participant in the First Russian Revolution of 1905-1907, Schwarzburd settled in Paris in 1910, and after the outbreak of the First World War he joined the French Foreign Legion and fought for three years as part of the 363rd Infantry Regiment. For valor, he was awarded the Military Cross - the highest legionary award. Then there was a severe wound, demobilization and return to Russia. At home, Schwarzburd served for some time in the Red Army, but became disillusioned with the Soviet regime and went back to France. There he worked as a watchmaker, and on May 25, 1926, he shot the Ukrainian nationalist leader Symon Petlyura, thus avenging him for the death of his relatives and fellow tribesmen during numerous Petliura pogroms.

Thus, we see that in the Legion, even from among the natives of Russia, the most different people- different political beliefs, social status and occupations. For some of them, the Legion became a way to avoid total poverty and sliding to the bottom, for some it opened the way to a career in the French armed forces, and some entered the service simply out of a desire to test themselves as a warrior.

If we talk about all the operations and wars in which the Foreign Legion took part, then a very impressive list will come out. These are: the war in Algeria (half a century, from 1831 to 1882), the fighting in Spain in 1835-1839, the Crimean War with Russia (1853-1856), the fighting in Italy in 1859, the war in Mexico in 1863-1867, pacification of the Algerian tribes in 1882-1907, fighting in Vietnam in 1883-1910, in Taiwan in 1885, in Dahomey in 1892-1894, in Sudan in 1893-1894. , Madagascar in 1895-1901, Morocco in 1907-1914, in the Middle East in 1914-1918, in Vietnam in 1914-1940, Morocco in 1920-1935, Syria in 1925-1927 ., in Indo-China in 1945-1954, in Madagascar in 1947-1950, in Tunisia in 1952-1954, in Morocco in 1953-1956, in Algeria in 1954-1961. After the liberation of the French colonies, the legionnaires inevitably participated in numerous peacekeeping and anti-insurgency operations in Asia and Africa. These are actions in Lebanon in 1982-1983, and the war in the Persian Gulf in 1991, and operations in Somalia and Bosnia, Kosovo and Mali, in Iraq. Of course, the legionnaires of the First and Second World Wars fully experienced it.

Today, the Foreign Legion continues to exist as a mobile unit capable of quickly performing tasks in various parts of the world. The principles of its recruitment have practically not changed - the officers are still staffed with French regular officers, and the rank and file with volunteers from among foreigners. But the conditions for receiving a pension have changed - now the legionnaire must serve not 15, as before, but 19.5 years to enter a well-deserved rest. As before, no one tries to ask legionnaires about the past - if the recruits have no problems with Interpol, then they can freely enter the service - of course, if they are suitable for health and physical characteristics.

During the First World War, the soldiers of the legion actively participated in the hostilities as part of the French troops against German troops on the Marne, the Somme, and near Verdun.

After the end of this war, France turned its sights on North Africa, where units of the Foreign Legion began to be actively transferred. The 1st regiment was stationed in Algiers, in the city of Sidi Bel Abbes, and the cavalry regiment was sent to Sousse, in Tunisia. This was the period when many new people came to the legion, mainly Russians and Germans.


But there were also places of service that were most desired by the legionnaires. Such a place was primarily Indochina, in which the 5th regiment served. The direction there was considered a kind of reward, and as a rule, a legionnaire with great experience and length of service got it. But Indochina was such a “resort” until 1930, when an anti-French uprising broke out there. The Legion immediately became famous for its merciless and sometimes cruel measures against the rebels. Once there was a case. On March 9, 1931, during a solemn parade on the occasion of the centenary of the formation of the French Foreign Legion, someone shouted curses from the crowd at the commander of the legionnaires, Major Lambert. The commander, without hesitation, deployed the legionnaires in battle formation, ordered the bayonets to attach and surrounded the crowd. After that, six people were snatched from the crowd and shot as a warning to the rest.


Soon the Second World War began. It became not only for France, but also for the legionnaires a difficult test. In 1940, under the blows of German troops, the French Republic capitulated. The 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion, having become part of the pro-fascist Vichy government, was sent to Norway to help Finland in the war with the USSR. But soon she went over to the side of General De Gaulle and became part of the armed forces of the Free French. After that, the legionnaires fought against the German troops in Libya, Italy, France, and ended the war already in Germany.

During the war, the shameful history of the Legion was also written. On September 25, 1940, the 2nd Battalion, 5th Regiment of the Legion surrendered to the Japanese Army at Lang Son. The Legion's battalion in Morocco was next, surrendering to the American landings in 1942 without firing a shot.

Almost immediately after the end of World War II, in 1945, France began a war in Indochina. fighting there are conducted until 1954. At that time, former opponents in the war in Europe fought side by side in the foreign legion - at that time about 18 thousand former German soldiers joined it, and the total number of the legion increased to almost 100 thousand people.

The war in Indochina went on with varying success, commanding Vietnamese army General Vo Nguyen Giap inflicted several strong blows on the French. At that time, the French did not sit idly by. In an attempt to seize the initiative in this war, paratroopers were dropped on the headquarters of the rebel movement, which nearly captured Ho Chi Minh. Thanks to this local success, two parachute battalions were formed in the foreign legion at once.

Ultimately, the French troops lost two key battles - these are the battles on Highway 4 and at Dien Bien Phu. The latter was the most heroic page in the history of the battles of the foreign legion in Indochina. The town of Dien Bien Phu was surrounded by many times superior forces of partisans. Despite the blockade and heavy bloody battles, the legionnaires defended the town until the order came to surrender.

Already 186 years have passed since the start of the formation of the Foreign Legion by France. On March 9, 1831, nine months after the capture of Algiers in June 1830, King Louis Philippe the First decided to create a new army unit. Its structure is identical to infantry troops, divided into battalions, the number of which varies depending on the number of recruits. The name of the mercenary army is due to the recruitment of military personnel exclusively from among foreigners. The French, in exceptional cases, were appointed as members of the command staff.

The beginning of the second period of the creation of a powerful colonial empire was associated with large losses in regular army units, and replenishment at the expense of a predominantly foreign contingent leads to the successful completion of numerous military operations.

History of the Foreign Legion

Having suffered significant losses during the Algerian conquest, additional troops were formed from professional soldiers who remained unclaimed after the end of internal wars and revolutions in European countries. With a wave of immigration, a flood of people, often left without documents, sought asylum in France. For many years, foreign soldiers served in the legion, mostly in regiments drawn up along national lines. One of the features of entering the service was the opportunity to start life from scratch, declaring one's identity, in accordance with internal needs. The outcast, the exiled, the offended were given a chance to build a change of fate.

The first legionnaires landed in Algiers in August 1831 and on April 27, 1832 received a combat mission, and with its implementation, the reputation of valiant and staunch warriors. Possessing a pickaxe and a gun equally well, the merit of the legionnaires was the construction in the occupied territories of the base training camp and the headquarters of the 1st foreign regiment in Sidi Bel Abbes in 1843.

On June 29, 1835, four years after its creation, the foreign legion took part in supporting the Spanish government and Queen Isabella II in the fight against the Carlists. Four thousand military personnel were sent to participate in the mission, and after 3 years only five hundred of them remained alive. In the course of this campaign, the need for a mixture of recruits and for the rejection of the formation of battalions along national lines became apparent. In the future, members of the units will be forced, regardless of the origin of the fighters, to communicate in French.

On December 16, 1835, the king decided to create a new foreign legion to solve the problem of the shortage of troops in Algiers. Thus, by 1840, the legion was divided into two parts. Without interrupting the Algerian mission, the troops take part in other hostilities designed to increase the country's colonial territories. Soldiers fought on the fronts Crimean War against Russian empire in 1854-1856, they besieged Sevastopol. In 1859 they supported the Italians in the second war of independence.

During the Franco-Mexican War, they gained fame in the battle of Cameron. Heroic resistance was adopted as a model of courage to emulate by all units of the Legion.

In 1883, the government revives the policy of colonial expansion and strengthens the forces of the legion, sending them to the front line.

Legion companies:

• Tonkin in 1883;
• Formosa Island in 1885;
• Sudan from 1892 to 1893;
• African Dahomey from 1892 to 1894;
• Madagascar from 1895 to 1905;
• Morocco from 1900 to 1934.

The Legion was actively involved in the development of civilian infrastructure in the colonies.

During the First World War, five infantry regiments were formed for command in Morocco. Four years of fighting were spent by soldiers under the flag of the colonial infantry regiment of the French army.

Since 1920, units have been serving in Syria, Lebanon and Morocco as peacekeepers. An impressive road tunnel drilled into granite for many years immortalized the stay of the pioneers of the third foreign brigade.

At the beginning of World War II, the number of the legion was significantly increased, reaching 45 thousand fighters. The established 11th and 12th Foreign Infantry Regiments (REI), the 97th Group, the 22nd and 23rd Regiments of the 21st Foreign Volunteer Infantry Unit (RMVE) fight in the turmoil of 1940. Recruits serve in Norway, bringing victory at Narvik. The Foreign Legion, which has made a great contribution to the liberation of Europe, does not know peace.

In 1946 the first foreign cavalry regiment (REC) landed in Indochina. It included a new type of unit: a foreign parachute battalion. The number of troops reaches 30 thousand people, a significant part of which is occupied by the Germans defeated in the Second World War. I remember Dien Bien Ph in Indochina for its colossal losses. The army is losing 300 officers, including four corps commanders, more than ten thousand sergeants and privates. This campaign became the deadliest in its history. Even before the end of the conflict in Indochina, there is a new combat mission in North Africa.

Between 1962 and 1969, the foreign legion was constantly present in Madagascar and Guyana, in Djibouti, French Polynesia and the Comoros archipelago. The 5th Foreign Regiment (RE), stationed in French Polynesia, was preparing a nuclear test site. In Guyana, a cosmodrome and a space center were developed.

It was in the century of the legion that he stayed in Chad from 1969 to 1970, and returned there from 1978 to 1988. In 1983, the legion was sent to Beirut as part of the multinational security forces. In 1991, during the war in Iraq, more than two and a half thousand legionnaires participate in the victorious Operation Desert Storm. Since 1992, peacekeeping operations have begun under the auspices of the United Nations. The legion is located in Cambodia, Somalia, Rwanda. In 1993, legion units are sent to the former Yugoslavia. In 1996, in Bangui and in 1997 in Brazzaville, fighters participate in an operation to protect civilians.

In 2003, units were sent to Afghanistan, as part of the Pamir operation, to Côte d'Ivoire under the auspices of UNICORN, to Chad, Djibouti, Gabon and French Guiana.

Legionnaire's code of honor

In the Foreign Legion, brotherhood in arms is a fundamental value. The code of honor itself is a relatively new document that emerged in the 80s of the last century. The rules for military personnel are clear and strict. The concept of voluntary discipline, comradeship, pride in one's status, respect for the defeated enemy, the sacredness of the mission - the legionnaire learns at the stage of training. When entering the contract service, each recruit receives a brochure on mother tongue, which contains a set of rules and ethical standards that distinguish an employee in an elite military unit. Instructions on everyday issues are also important: from the peculiarities of wearing a uniform to recommendations for communicating with fellow soldiers. The main parting word to the young is a set of instructions on the topic of combat. The code is strictly observed so that the glory of the fallen in battles does not fade away, and the young change becomes worthy of the memory of the heroes.

Important points of the legionnaire's code:

• The legionnaire serves France with all honor and loyalty on a voluntary basis.
• Soldiers are brothers in arms, and it does not matter what nationality a comrade belongs to and what religion he professes. The fighters are in solidarity, like members of the same family.
• Honor traditions, respect the commander. Discipline and a sense of elbow are strength, and dignity is courage and loyalty.
• The warrior is proud, modest. He wears an impeccably prepared uniform, regularly cleans the barracks.
• A representative of the elite troops must train hard, tirelessly improve their skills in handling weapons, constantly confirming their qualifications.
• The fulfillment of a combat mission is a sacred duty that must be fulfilled even at the risk of life.
• To enter into battle without fear and hatred, to respect the vanquished, not to leave a wounded or dead comrade and weapons on the battlefield.

This military formation is part of the history of France. Open to technical innovation, adaptable to reorganization, the Legion is always at the forefront of the war effort. Much of this success is due to personnel policy. The best warriors of the world, from 18 to 40 years old, whose vocation is military service, healthy in mind and body, and today prefer to serve under the French command.

In the first third of the 19th century, France planned an invasion of Algiers. An expeditionary corps was needed for a military operation. King Louis-Philippe decided to create a new formation with the involvement of foreigners, who were abundant in the capital at that time. Thus, the government got rid of objectionable elements, including those who were in trouble with the law. Since then, it has become customary not to ask the name of the recruit. The officers were appointed from former army Napoleon. On March 9, 1831, the monarch issues a decree that the Foreign French Legion can only be used outside of mainland France. Although the compound is part of ground forces France, in emergency cases, it is subordinate to only one person - the head of state. The government can dispose of fighters without the consent of the National Assembly, which turns the Legion into a universal tool for achieving political goals.

Legendary division

For one hundred and eighty-four years of the existence of the expeditionary corps, about 650,000 people served in it. More than 36,000 of them died in battle. The unit was not spared by the colonial operations of France and not a single significant warrior of the world. The French Foreign Legion participated in two world wars and more than thirty local armed conflicts in Europe, Africa, the Middle and Far East and even in Mexico. He also happened to fight on the territory of Russia: in November 1854, the Legion took part in one of the episodes of the Crimean War - in the battle of Inkerman. It had the largest number at the beginning of the First World War - almost 43,000 fighters of more than fifty nationalities.

Elite of the Armed Forces of Europe

Over the decades, the Foreign French Legion has evolved from a gang of cutthroats and renegades into an elite unit of constant combat readiness. The personnel of representatives of 140 countries of the world has 5,545 privates, 1,741 non-commissioned officers and 413 officers. 11 divisions of the Legion are deployed both on the territory of France itself (continental, on the islands of Corsica and Sardinia), and in overseas possessions. Among them:

• Kourou (French Guiana) - the European space center is located here.
• Mururoa Atoll in the Pacific Ocean is a nuclear weapons test site.
• Mayotte Island (Comorian archipelago) is an overseas department of France.
• UAE - protection of oil refining facilities.

The regiments are also deployed in Afghanistan, New Caledonia, Côte d'Ivoire and Djibouti. The Foreign French Legion performs the tasks of restoring and maintaining peace, and also carries out special operations in the interests of foreign policy states (fighting in the jungle, neutralization of terrorists, release of hostages). Personnel are involved in the provision of humanitarian assistance. The command is located in the city of Aubagne, 15 km from Marseille.

The formation is equipped with the most advanced military and engineering equipment, small arms. The standard weapon is the French-made Famas G2 5.56 mm automatic rifle. The soldiers have at their disposal 81-mm and 120-mm mortars, effective sniper systems, guided anti-tank missile systems, automatic anti-aircraft guns, and armored personnel carriers. According to many analysts, the combat training of the foreign corps is much higher than that of similar formations in other European countries.

Heraldry, form and unique traditions

The emblem of the French Foreign Legion is a 19th-century graphic stylized image of the rising flame of an exploding grenade. This kind of coat of arms is also depicted on the standard of the formation. The flag is a diagonally divided vertical rectangle. The upper green segment means the new homeland of the legionnaires, the red one - the blood of a warrior. During the battle, the flag is turned over - blood in the homeland.

The motto is the exclamation: “Legio Patria Nostra” (The Legion is our homeland). The uniform of the French Foreign Legion contains some extravagant attributes that at first glance have nothing to do with military affairs. The legionnaires marching in the front square are dressed in gray trousers. The waist is intercepted blue scarf made of sheep's wool. Its length is exactly 4.2 meters, width - 40 cm. Legionnaires' scarves began to be used since 1930 in Algeria in order to protect the lower back from hypothermia in the sands at night. Headdress - classic French cut snow-white caps, protection from the relentless African sun.For decades, the boots of the French Foreign Legion have been an invariable attribute.The shoes are made of nubuck.Despite the seeming massiveness, they are very comfortable for use in the desert.It is made in two standard colors: black and chestnut.The cockade on the cap depicts the same grenade explosion with seven flashes of fire But that's not all.

March of the Pioneers

During parades and other festive events, you can watch an exclusive spectacle: marching soldiers in strange ammunition. By the way, the chased step of the legionnaires is original, slow: 88 steps per minute - one and a half times less than the traditionally accepted one. This emphasizes the privilege and special mission of the desert soldiers on distant frontiers. You can't really march on the sand. There is also a unique category of warriors called pioneers. The Pioneers of the French Foreign Legion are an elite unit that marches at the forefront of any parade. These warriors look intimidating: on top of their uniform they put on an apron made of buffalo leather on one strap, and a one and a half kilogram ax lies on their shoulder.

But in fact, there is no bloodlust in this guise. Pioneers are sappers, those who ensure progress military units in any situation. They clear roads and build crossings, take care of logistics. The sappers of the foreign corps are the only unit in the French army that has preserved the tradition of marching warriors with axes since the 18th century. Although there is still a hidden subtext: the Foreign French Legion is always ready to clear the way for the regular units of the French army that follow.

Where do they recruit

The personnel is recruited from men aged 17 to 40 years. If anyone is interested in the question of how to get into the French Foreign Legion, then you should know that recruiting centers are located only in France. Fifteen bureaus are located in largest cities including in Paris. Embassies, consulates and the Legion itself do not provide any assistance in issuing migration documents. Moreover, a recruit who intends to cross the threshold of a mobilization point must be legally in the country. It should not be overlooked that mercenarism is punishable by law in many CIS countries, but there are legal loopholes. You can go on a tourist visa to one of the countries of the Schengen agreement, and then get to any recruiting center by train or bus. The central filtration camp is located near Marseille, in the city of Aubagne. From collection points in French cities, volunteers are sent here once or twice a week.

Recruit Trials

The requirements for recruits are simple: stamina and health. The candidate will undergo a physical fitness test, a standard medical examination and psychological tests. The fitness exam consists of a cross-country race: you need to run at least 2.8 km in 12 minutes. You need to pull yourself up on the crossbar at least five times. Press press - at least 40 times. If the candidate is physically prepared, then the next step is the standard procedure for a medical examination for the absence of diseases or their complete cure. Medical cards must confirm good health. The absence of 4 teeth is allowed, but the rest must be healthy. If at this stage they were not rejected, then a series of psychological tests, including mental stability and attentiveness. A volunteer who has passed all three types of selection is offered a five-year contract. Knowledge French not necessary. The selection lasts for two weeks. After the conclusion of the contract, identity documents are confiscated from the recruit, and in return they are given the so-called anonymity - a metric with a fictitious name, surname and place of birth.

Financial reward

Service in this unit is very prestigious. All hired personnel (from privates to corporals) are provided with food, uniforms and housing. The Élysée Palace has long since abolished compulsory military service. The recruitment of the armed forces is built on a contract basis. One of the highest paid military formations of the armed forces of the Fifth Republic is the French Foreign Legion. Salary depends on many factors. Recruits receive a monthly salary of € 1,040. Allowances are based on seniority, service in the airborne unit, in difficult climatic conditions overseas departments, participation in foreign business trips and military operations. The approximate range of material remuneration after a year of service is as follows:

Military personnel are entitled to 45 days of vacation per year. After 19 years of conscientious service, legionnaires are assigned a lifetime pension of € 1,000. A former legionnaire can receive pension payments in any region of the globe.

Service growth

The first fixed-term contract is signed for five years. Upon completion, the serviceman, at his discretion, may extend the contract for a period of six months to ten years. Officers in the Legion can only be persons with French citizenship who graduated from the military educational establishments. During the first five years of service, a distinguished legionnaire may be awarded the rank of corporal, and after three years he is given the opportunity to apply for French citizenship or obtain a residence permit. In 1999, the Senate passed a law according to which a legionnaire who was wounded during the fighting has the right to obtain citizenship, regardless of the length of service. The awards of the French Foreign Legion are the same as in other formations of the armed forces. As in any professional army, they do not provide any benefits. According to statistics, every fourth legionnaire rises to the rank of non-commissioned officer. In addition, if desired, military personnel can acquire civilian specialties: from handicraft (mason, carpenter) to high-tech (system administrator).

Only chance

The principle of recruiting rank and file from foreigners is preserved to this day. For many residents of third world countries, service in the French Foreign Legion is the only chance to get out into the people. A third of the personnel are from Eastern Europe, a quarter are representatives of the Latin American world, the rest are French who want to start life from scratch. After five years of service, natives of the country are given the opportunity to change any two letters in their surnames and receive new documents.

Our compatriots in the Legion

For the first time, Russians in the French Foreign Legion appeared in 1921, when the First Cavalry Regiment was formed from the remnants of the defeated Wrangel army. At the same time, the career of the elder brother Y. M. Sverdlov and the godson of M. Gorky Z. A. Peshkov began. Zinovy ​​Alekseevich rose to the rank of lieutenant general. From 1917 to 1919, the future marshal served in the 1st Moroccan division Soviet Union R. Ya. Malinovsky. Today, according to various estimates, there are about a thousand people from the CIS countries in the Legion, including several hundred Russian speakers. Compatriots are in good standing, many have real combat experience.

French Foreign Legion. Reviews. Service

Those who have devoted many years of their lives to the Legion speak of a special atmosphere of military fraternity. This spirit in the first months of service is brought up by ruthless drill. All the concepts of a past life are mercilessly etched out of a recruit. It is not for nothing that unflattering comparisons are assigned to this squad: "a legion of lost souls", "a tomb of Europeans". However, such psychological selection is quite natural for any special forces unit, which in fact is the French Foreign Legion. Reviews mature and morally strong people filled with other rhetoric, calling it a legion of honor, in which the officers share with the soldiers all the hardships of service. Cruel disciplinary measures are designed to instill iron will, devotion to the state and the dignity of a warrior. One of our compatriots said that here foreigners are given a great honor: to prove their allegiance to France by dying for her. As well as possible, the result of psychological processing reflects the anthem of the French Foreign Legion:

"The share of a knight is honor and loyalty.
We are proud to be one of those
Who is going to die.

At the same time, the military leadership pays enough attention to the rest of the legionnaires. The formation has its own hotels for leisure activities. There is also a house for the disabled for life-long screening of those who have received severe injuries.

The French Foreign Legion is a unique elite military unit that is part of the French armed forces. To date, it has more than 8 thousand legionnaires, who represent 136 countries of the world, including France. One thing for all of them is serving France at a high professional level.

The creation of the legion is associated with the name of King Louis Philippe I, who in 1831 signed a decree on the creation of a single military unit, which was to include several active regiments. The main purpose of the new formation was to carry out combat missions outside the French borders. To exercise command, officers were recruited from Napoleon's army, and not only natives of Italy, Spain or Switzerland were accepted as soldiers, but also French subjects who had certain problems with the law. Thus, the French government got rid of potentially dangerous people who not only had significant combat experience, but could also use it in conditions of political instability within the state.

This policy of the king was very logical. The fact is that the legionnaires were trained to conduct a large-scale campaign to colonize Algeria, which required a large number troops. But at the same time, France could not send its subjects to Africa. That is why foreigners who lived in the vicinity of Paris were recruited into the legion.

Around the same period of time, the tradition of not asking for the real names of new soldiers also occurs. Many desperate people had the opportunity to start life anew, getting rid of the criminal past.

To date, the legion's rules also allow for the anonymous reception of soldiers. As before, volunteers are not asked for their name or country of residence. After several years of service, each legionnaire has the opportunity to obtain French citizenship and start absolutely new life with a new name.

It should be noted that the first rule of legionnaires is never to give up. This tradition began as early as 1863, when three legionnaires held over 2,000 well-armed soldiers of the Mexican army. But, taken prisoner, thanks to their courage and valor, they were soon released with honors.

As at the time of its foundation, the French Legion is under the direct control of the head of state.

The modern Foreign Legion consists of tank, infantry and sapper units. Its structure includes 7 regiments, including the famous GCP parachute with special forces, one special detachment, one semi-brigade and one training regiment.

Legion units are deployed in the Comoros (Mayotte Island), in Northeast Africa (Djibouti), in Corsica, in French Guiana (Kourou), and also directly in France.

A feature of the French Legion is that women are not allowed into it. Contracts are awarded exclusively to men aged 18-40. The initial contract is for 5 years. All subsequent contracts can be concluded for terms from six months to 10 years. In the first five years, you can reach the rank of corporal, but only a person with French citizenship can become an officer. The main composition of the officers of the unit is, as a rule, regular military men who graduated from military educational institutions and chose the legion as their place of service.

Since mercenarism is considered a criminal offense in many countries of the world, recruitment points exist exclusively in France. For everyone who wants to join the legion, testing is carried out, which includes three stages: psychotechnical, physical and medical. In addition, a separate interview is conducted with each recruit, during which it is necessary to clearly and truthfully tell your biography. The interview is conducted in three stages, and each new stage is a repetition of the previous one. Thus, a kind of check "for lice" is carried out.

Foreign volunteers can be easily recognized by their white headgear, although only privates wear it. The unit's colors are green and red.

To date, about 7 and a half thousand soldiers are serving in the legion. The training of soldiers allows them to conduct operations in the jungle, at night. They are trained to carry out special operations to neutralize terrorists and rescue hostages. The main task of the legionnaires today is to prevent hostilities. They are called upon to carry out the evacuation of the population from the combat zone, provide humanitarian assistance, and restore infrastructure in regions of natural disasters.

Thus, there is information that the French Foreign Legion provided serious support in conducting a ground operation during the events in Libya. In August 2011, the legionnaires managed to eliminate the fuel and food supply base, which was the main one for Gaddafi's troops. According to some reports, several companies of the legion were transferred to Libya from Tunisia or Algeria. A little wound, in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bEz-Zawiya, the Foreign Legion, with few losses, managed to break into the city center, providing free access to the fighters from Benghazi. The command of the legion hoped to raise the Berber population in revolt, but this was not possible.

The participation of the French Legion in the Libyan war is denied in every possible way by the official authorities of France, despite the fact that the press is actively discussing this issue. This position of Paris is quite understandable, since any invasion of the territory of Libya would be contrary to the UN resolution regarding this state, which refers only to the closure airspace. A similar situation had already happened before, when in 1978 in Zaire the French government recognized that the Foreign Legion took part in the military conflict only after the legionnaires had completed their mission.

The Arab Spring has shown that foreign military personnel are present in many conflict zones. In addition to Libya, the French Legion also took part in hostilities in Syria. So, 150 were arrested in Homs, and 120 in Zadabani French legionnaires, mostly paratroopers and snipers. And although no one can confirm that they were legionnaires, such an assumption is quite logical, since this unit is completed from citizens not only of France, but also of other states. Thus, France again has the opportunity to claim that there are no French citizens in Syria.

Another place where the French Foreign Legion also showed up is the conflict that broke out in Côte d'Ivoire. One gets the impression that France has set itself the goal of creating for itself the most aggressive image in all European continent. Very often, Paris starts the game "for big", ignoring the interests of its allies in the North Atlantic Alliance. So, in April 2011, French paratroopers occupied the airport of the economic capital of Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan. Thus, the total number of the French military corps stationed there was about 1,400 people.

The total number of the UN peacekeeping contingent in this country is 9 thousand people, of which the French were only 900 people. France independently decided to increase the size of its military corps, without coordinating actions with the UN leadership. The basis of the French military corps is the military of the Foreign Legion, which has been taking part in Operation Unicorn for several years. In addition, the French government stated that the contingent that arrived in Côte d'Ivoire is coordinating actions with unoci troops, thus actually recognizing that, in addition to the Unicorn, France is also conducting its own independent operation on the territory of the country.

Thus, the French Foreign Legion is sent to areas where France seeks to protect its interests within or "under the cover" of the European Union or the North Atlantic Alliance, as well as where there are certain historical obligations or a threat to the lives of French citizens.