VOICES OF THE FOREIGN LEGION CL

by GILBERT,ADRIAN D.

• ISBN13: 9781616080327
• ISBN10: 1616080329
• Edition: 00
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-04-17
• Publisher: FRWHEEL

Summary

The French Foreign Legion has established a reputation as the most formidable of military institutions. Established as a means of absorbing foreign troublemakers, the Legion spearheaded French colonialism in North Africa during the nineteenth century. Accepting volunteers from all parts of the world, the Legion acquired an aura of mystery'”and a less than enviable reputation for brutality within its ranks. Voices of the Foreign Legion looks at how the Legion selects its recruits, where they come from and why they seek a life of hardship and danger. It also analyses the Legion's 'robust' attitude to discipline, questions why desertion is a perennial problem and assesses the Legion's military achievements since its formation in 1831. Its scope ranges from the conquest of the colonies in Africa and the Far East, through the horrors of the two World Wars to the bitter but ultimately hopeless battles to maintain France's imperial possessions.

Table of Contents

The Making of a Legionnaire
Crossing the Line	p. 13
The Power of Tradition	p. 25
Basic Training	p. 36
Into the Legion	p. 49
Life in the Legion
Barrack-Room Culture	p. 67
The Legion on Campaign	p. 90
Depression and Desertion	p. 105
The Legion at War
An Empire in Africa	p. 121
The Conquest of Indochina	p. 135
The First World War: Death in the Trenches	p. 148
The Inter-War Years	p. 174
The Second World War: A House Divided	p. 184
Tragedy in Vietnam	p. 203
The End in Algeria	p. 225
Post-Colonial Conflicts	p. 237
Postscript	p. 255
Appendix	p. 258
Source Notes	p. 261
Select Bibliography	p. 276
Index	p. 283
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