Foreign legion

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A foreign legion is a regular military force consisting of foreigners who are not normally subjects of the country that employs them. Many countries employed such foreign units prior to the twentieth century. The only remaining ones are those of France, Spain, and Israel; but the phrase foreign legion in English generally refers to the French one.

• French Foreign Legion
• Spanish Foreign Legion
• Israeli Machal

The Netherlands maintained such a force - "KNIL", acronym for Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger or the Royal Netherlands Indies Army. Formed by royal decree on March 10, 1830, it served until the granting of Independence to Indonesia in 1949.

Other nations have maintained military forces whose members are not citizens but recruited from a single foreign state. The best known are the Gurkha regiments of the present British and Indian armies and the Swiss Guard at the Vatican. Additionally, the Wehrmacht and the Waffen SS raised numerous foreign legions during World War Two.

[edit] See also:

• International Brigades
• Colonial troops
• Askari