1.
Meudon
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Meudon is a municipality in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is in the département of Hauts-de-Seine and it is located 9.1 km from the center of Paris. The town of Meudon is built on the hills and valleys of the Seine, the wood of Meudon lies for the most part to the west of the town. The northwest part of Meudon, overlooking the Seine, is known as Bellevue, at Meudon, the argile plastique clay was extensively mined in the 19th century. The first fossil of the European diatryma Gastornis parisiensis was discovered in deposits by Gaston Planté. Archaeological sites show that Meudon has been populated since Neolithic times, the Gauls called the area Mol-Dum, and the Romans Latinized the name as Moldunum. The handsome Galliera Institutions, on the hill of Fleury, were founded by the duchess of Galliera for the care of aged persons and orphans, the buildings were completed in 1885. The old castle of Meudon was rebuilt in Renaissance style in the mid-sixteenth century and it was bought by Louis XIV as a residence for Louis, le Grand Dauphin, under whom Meudon became a center of aristocratic life. A branch of the Paris Observatory was founded in 1877 on the ruins, the Meudon town hall is about 43 m in altitude above that of Paris and the climb from there to the observatory offers some rewarding views of Paris. Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot, the inventor of the worlds first automobile, is reported to have carried out some early trials at Meudon in the early 1770s, chalais-Meudon was important in the pioneering of aviation, initially balloons and airships, but also the early heavier-than-air machines. A Corps dAérostatiers under the command of Jean-Marie-Joseph Coutelle was established in 1794, Hangar Y was built in 1880 at the request of the military engineer Captain Charles Renard, for the construction of balloons and airships. The building is 70 m long,24 m wide and around 26 m high. The airship La France, designed by Renard and Arthur Krebs, was built in Hangar Y in 1884 and was the first airship which was controllable during flight and which could return to its starting point. Although a choice residential district, access to the railway and the Seine river have made Meudon a manufacturing center since the 1840s, metal products and military explosives have been continuously produced there since then. From 1921 to 1981 the Air Museum was located here until it moved to Le Bourget Airport, CNRS has a campus in Bellevue. Meudon is well served by public transports operated jointly by the SNCF, Meudon is served by the line C of the RER by the Meudon – Val Fleury station. Meudon is also served by the transilien line N through the Meudon station, the T2 tramway line links the Pont de Bezons station to the Porte de Versailles station. Meudon is served by the Brimborion station and the Meudon-sur-Seine station, the T6 tramway line runs from Châtillon to Viroflay
2.
France
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France, officially the French Republic, is a country with territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The European, or metropolitan, area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, Overseas France include French Guiana on the South American continent and several island territories in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. France spans 643,801 square kilometres and had a population of almost 67 million people as of January 2017. It is a unitary republic with the capital in Paris. Other major urban centres include Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Nice, Toulouse, during the Iron Age, what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls, a Celtic people. The area was annexed in 51 BC by Rome, which held Gaul until 486, France emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages, with its victory in the Hundred Years War strengthening state-building and political centralisation. During the Renaissance, French culture flourished and a colonial empire was established. The 16th century was dominated by civil wars between Catholics and Protestants. France became Europes dominant cultural, political, and military power under Louis XIV, in the 19th century Napoleon took power and established the First French Empire, whose subsequent Napoleonic Wars shaped the course of continental Europe. Following the collapse of the Empire, France endured a succession of governments culminating with the establishment of the French Third Republic in 1870. Following liberation in 1944, a Fourth Republic was established and later dissolved in the course of the Algerian War, the Fifth Republic, led by Charles de Gaulle, was formed in 1958 and remains to this day. Algeria and nearly all the colonies became independent in the 1960s with minimal controversy and typically retained close economic. France has long been a centre of art, science. It hosts Europes fourth-largest number of cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites and receives around 83 million foreign tourists annually, France is a developed country with the worlds sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP and ninth-largest by purchasing power parity. In terms of household wealth, it ranks fourth in the world. France performs well in international rankings of education, health care, life expectancy, France remains a great power in the world, being one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council with the power to veto and an official nuclear-weapon state. It is a member state of the European Union and the Eurozone. It is also a member of the Group of 7, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Trade Organization, originally applied to the whole Frankish Empire, the name France comes from the Latin Francia, or country of the Franks
3.
French Army
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The French Army, officially the Land Army is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. Along with the French Air Force, the French Navy and the National Gendarmerie, the current Chief of Staff of the French Army is General Jean-Pierre Bosser, a direct subordinate of the Chief of the Defence Staff. All soldiers are considered professionals following the suspension of conscription, voted in parliament in 1997, as of 2014, the French Army employed 111,628 personnel. In addition, the element of the French Army consisted of 15,453 personnel of the Operational Reserve. The Kings of France needed reliable troops during and after the Hundred Years War and these units of troops were raised by issuing ordonnances to govern their length of service, composition and payment. These Compagnies dordonnance formed the core of the Gendarme Cavalry into the sixteenth century, stationed throughout France and summoned into larger armies as needed. There was also made for Francs-archers units of bowmen and foot soldiers raised from the non-noble classes. The bulk of the infantry for warfare was still provided by urban or provincial militias, raised from an area or city to fight locally and named for their recruiting grounds. Gradually these units became more permanent, and in 1480s Swiss instructors were recruited and these men would be paid and contracted and receive training. Henry II further regularised the French army by forming standing Infantry regiments to replace the Militia structure, the first of these the Régiments de Picardie, Piémont, Navarre and Champagne were called the Les Vieux Corps. It was normal policy to disband regiments after a war was over as a cost saving measure with the Vieux Corps and the Kings own Household Troops the Maison du Roi being the only survivors. Regiments could be raised directly by the King and so called after the region in which they were raised, or by the nobility and so called after the noble or his appointed colonel. In 1684 there was a reorganisation of the French infantry and again in 1701 to fit in with Louis XIVs plans. This reshuffle created many of the regiments of the French Army and standardised their equipment. The army of the Sun King tended to wear coats with coloured linings. There were exceptions and the troops, recruited from outside France. In addition to these regiments of the line the Maison du Roi provided several elite units, the Swiss Guards, French Guards, the revolution split the army with the main mass losing most of its officers to aristocratic flight or guillotine and becoming demoralised and ineffective. The French Guard joined the revolt and the Swiss Guards were massacred during the storming of the Tuileries palace, under Napoleon I, the French Army conquered most of Europe during the Napoleonic Wars
4.
French Foreign Legion
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The French Foreign Legion is a military service branch of the French Army established in 1831, unique because it was created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces. Commanded by French officers, it is open to French citizens. This is a way to strengthen them enough to work as a team, although it is part of the French Military, it is the only unit of the military that does not swear allegiance to France, but to the Foreign Legion itself. Consequently, training is described as not only physically challenging. French citizenship may be applied for three years service. Additionally, any soldier who becomes injured during a battle for France immediately becomes a French citizen under a known as Français par le sang versé. As of 2008, members come from 140 countries, the French Foreign Legion was primarily used to protect and expand the French colonial empire during the 19th century. The Foreign Legion was initially stationed only in Algeria, where it took part in the pacification, in World War I, the Foreign Legion fought in many critical battles on the Western Front. It played a role in World War II than in World War I, though having a part in the Norwegian, Syrian. During the First Indochina War, the Foreign Legion saw its numbers swell, the FFL lost a large number of men in the catastrophic Battle of Dien Bien Phu. Notable operations during this period included the Suez Crisis, the Battle of Algiers and various offensives launched by General Maurice Challe including Operations Oranie, in 1990, the Foreign Legion was sent to the Persian Gulf as a part of Opération Daguet. In the 1990s, the Foreign Legion helped with the evacuation of French citizens and foreigners in Rwanda, Gabon, the Foreign Legion was also deployed in Cambodia, Somalia, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the mid- to late-1990s, the Foreign Legion was deployed in the Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, many other countries have tried to emulate the French Foreign Legion model. There have been composed of foreign recruits in China, Israel, the Netherlands, Rhodesia, Russia. The French Foreign Legion was created by Louis Philippe, the King of the French, recruits included soldiers from the recently disbanded Swiss and German foreign regiments of the Bourbon monarchy. The Royal Ordinance for the establishment of the new regiment specified that the foreigners recruited could only serve outside France, the French expeditionary force that had occupied Algiers in 1830 was in need of reinforcements and the Legion was accordingly transferred by sea in detachments from Toulon to Algeria. The Foreign Legion was initially divided into six national battalions, smaller national groups, such as the ten Englishmen recorded in December 1832, appear to have been placed randomly. In late 1831, the first legionnaires landed in Algeria, the country that would be the Foreign Legions homeland for 130 years, the Foreign Legions first service in Algeria came to an end after only four years, as it was needed elsewhere
5.
3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment
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The 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the French Foreign Legion. The regiment is stationed in French Guiana, missions for the regiment are numerous and vary while also including the protection of the Centre Spatial Guyanais, a European Space Agency facility. On November 15,1920, the was designated the 3rd Foreign Regiment, on June 20,1922, the 3rd Foreign Regiment became the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment. On December 5,1942, a Foreign Legion and Colonial Infantry Demi-Brigade was created from the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment, on December 15, the Colonial Infantry Demi-Brigade became the 3rd Foreign Marching Infantry Regiment, 3ème Régiment étranger dinfanterie de marche. On July 1,1943, the 3ème R. E. I. M became again the Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion On July 1,1945, at the end of the World War II, the R. M. L. E was redisgnated as the 3ème R. E. I. On April 1,1948, a parachute company was formed and designated as the Parachute Company of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment. The most decorated regiment in the Foreign Legion, the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment is heir to the Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion created in 1915. The R. M. L. E joined Morocco in 1920, where nominated for the first time as the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment, following events, the regiment reached the Rhine, conquered Stuttgart, and made way to Austria during the moment of the armistice. With three new citations, the regiment obtained a fourragère with ruban colors of the Croix de guerre 1939-1945, the R. M. L. E was also decorated by the United Distinguished Badge U. S. with inscription Rhine-Bavarian Alps. With the ending of the war, the Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion, following World War II, the R. M. L. E returned to Morocco and retook the denomination of 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment. Nevertheless, idle time was short termed and the regiment rejoined Indochina as of December 1945, following events, the regiment took positions around colonial routes 3 and 4. Ambushes, base and convoy attacks followed, in 1948, the first known parachute unit was founded, mainly the Parachute Company of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment, Para Co. 3ème R. E. I before being dissolved one year later at the corps of the 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion, while combats intensified on July 25,1948, the battle of Phu Tong Hoa took place. The combat company of Captain Cardinal resisted heroically and held the line for 9 hours against non-stop assaults of the Viet Minh. In 1950, chef de battalion commander Forget and behind him following the total of the 3rd battalion disappeared at Cao Bang on route colonial 4 in a traditional Foreign Legion battlefield. Nevertheless, the regiment was still found combatting at Dong Khe, Bac Khan, the regiment had already lost the equivalent of 5 battalions in Indochina. On December 1954, the regiment was disembarked at Bône in Algeria, the regiment was put in charge of the difficult sector of Aures Nementchas. Following the departure of the 3rd battalion for Madagascar, in 1957, in 1962, the regiment took base in Madagascar, at Diego Suarez, where the regiment proved the adaptation capacity of tropical surroundings
6.
1st Foreign Regiment
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The 1st Foreign Regiment is the oldest and most senior regiment of the French Foreign Legion. The regiment is also in charge of special institutions of the legion to include the magazine Képi Blanc, the Legions Athletics Team, the Legion retook since 1831 the tradition of Pionniers. The 1st Regiment of the Foreign Legion was created in 1841 based on 3 battalions in the newly created 1831 Foreign Legion, the 1st Regiment of the Foreign Legion became in 1855 the 1st Regiment of the 1st Foreign Legion. The 1st Foreign Regiment was created based on the 1st and 2nd Foreign Regiments of the 2nd Foreign Legion, the 1st Foreign Regiment was created based on the recreated 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment. This 1st Foreign Regiment gave formation on September 1,1972 to the Foreign Legion Groupment which became the Foreign Legion Command on July 1,1984, with the Foreign Legion Command, the 1st Foreign Regiment constitute the <<Maison Mère>> of the Foreign Legion. Quartier Raphaël Vienot of Aubagne and Sidi Bel Abbès were both named in honor of colonel Viénot, Aubagne also houses the French Foreign Legion Museum. Created in 1841 and stationed in Aubagne since 1962, the 1st Foreign Regiment is the patron of all Foreign Legion regiments, beyond this historical aspect, the 1st Foreign Regiment represents a major cornerstone in the career paths of legionnaires. Legionnaires also pass by the 1st Foreign Regiment each time a posting of a regiment changes, the 1st Foreign Regiment, is a regiment with essentially an administrative vocation which major missions are the support of the Foreign Legion and the Foreign Legion Command. In addition, the foreign regiment like all regiments of the French Army, the 1st Foreign Regiment also dispatches and supports world humanitarian missions around the globe during natural catastrophe and disasters. The insignia of the 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment, retook the symbolics of the Foreign Legion with the grenade of 7 flames, the regiment is represented inside the grenade while the globe commemorates the relic of the Foreign Legion in Sidi Bel Abbès. The current insignia of the 1st Foreign Regiment, retook the symbolic ruban of the Commemorative medal of the Mexico Expedition created in 1863 and this insignia was initially destined for the 3rd company of the 4th Foreign Regiment in 1936. The insignia became that of the Autonomous Group of the Foreign Legion, the insignia makes reference to a white diamond shape on which figures the arms of Mexico and a Roman saltire with Foreign Legion and Mexican colors. Eugene Bullard Pierre Segretain Pierre Jeanpierre Swiss Guard Moroccan Division Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion Pierre Segretain Pierre Jeanpierre www. legion-etrangere. com Windrow, official website - 1er Régiment étranger French Foreign Legion recruitment portal Képi Blanc magazine
7.
4th Foreign Regiment
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The 4th Foreign Regiment is the regiment responsible for training the French Foreign Legion. Created in November 1920 in Marrakesh, Morocco, the 4th Foreign Regiment became the 4th Foreign Infantry Regiment in 1922, while barely created, the regiment engaged in campaigns in Morocco in the Rif War between 1920 and 1934. During that time simultaneously, the 4th and 5th battalion engaged in campaigns in the Levant between 1921 and 1926. It was under that designation in which the regiment participated in 1943 to the campaign of Tunisia, the 4th Foreign Regiment was recreated in 1946. Again dissolved in 1951, the <<4th>> was recreated in Morocco on March 1955, in July 1962, the 4th Foreign Regiment was redeployed to Reggane in southern Algeria, tasked with guarding the oil fields and French nuclear facilities in the region. Following, the 4th Foreign Regiment was disbanded and its units were folded into the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment. On October 1976 the Foreign Legion established a new Instruction Regiment at Castelnaudary by divesting the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiments Instruction Group. On September 1,1977, the colors of the 4eEtranger were entrusted to the Instruction Regiment of the Foreign Legion which took garrison at Castelnaudary. On June 1,1980, the later was redesignated as 4th Foreign Regiment and this company has several subordinate administrative units such as the Office of Maintenance and Logistics, the Office of Job Training, and the Directorate of Human Resources. Compagnies d’Étranger Volontaire - Foreign Volunteer Companies Responsible for performing recruit basic training, the regiment has three such companies. Compagnie d’Instruction des Cadres - Cadre Training Company Conducts all NCO education, compagnie d’Instruction des Spécialistes - Specialist Instruction Company Conducts training courses in administrative and technical skill. This company teaches over forty courses a year ranging from three to fifteen weeks each, inscribed on the regimental colors of the 4th Foreign Regiment are the motto of the Foreign Legion, Honneur et Fidélité Art. 1 - Légionnaire, tu es un volontaire, servant la France avec honneur et fidélité,2 - Chaque légionnaire est ton frère darmes, quelles que soient sa nationalité, sa race ou sa religion. Tu lui manifestes toujours la solidarité étroite qui doit unir les membres dune même famille,3 - Respectueux des traditions, attaché à tes chefs, la discipline et la camaraderie sont ta force, le courage et la loyauté tes vertus. 4 - Fier de ton état de légionnaire, tu le montres dans ta tenue toujours élégante, ton comportement toujours digne mais modeste, ton casernement toujours net. 5 - Soldat délite, tu tentraînes avec rigueur, tu entretiens ton arme comme ton bien le plus précieux,6 - La mission est sacrée, tu lexécutes jusquau bout et si besoin, en opérations, au péril de ta vie. 7 - Au combat, tu agis sans passion et sans haine, tu respectes les ennemis vaincus, tu nabandonnes jamais ni tes morts, ni tes blessés, ni tes armes. Chant de Marche, Cest le 4 en chantant featuring, CAMERONE1863 MAROC 1914–1918-1921-1934 DJEBEL ZAGHOUAN1943 A. F. legion-etrangere. com Windrow, official website - 4e Régiment étranger 4e REI - History & images of 4e REI
8.
2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment
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The 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment is the only foreign airborne regiment of the French Foreign Legion and France. Stationed at Camp Raffalli near the town of Calvi on the island of Corsica and it is part of the 11th Parachute Brigade and part of the spearhead of the French rapid reaction force. The 2 REP is a regiment that operates with the same structure of special forces. Because of differences in infantry the 2 REP is composed of companies with specific specializations, however, it is not considered as one because of its foreign status. Nevertheless, Indochina would really be the crucible in which morale état desprit, the glory of sacrifice and the nostalgia of a lost cause would entertain the myth. The Parachute Company of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment, was created on April 1,1948. The command of the Para company of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment was entrusted to a young 23-year-old veteran, Para du 3e REI from April 31,1948 to May 31,1949. Volunteers filled in the ranks from the regiments present already in Indochina. Stationed at Hanoi, the Para company engaged immediately and took part in airborne operations. The insignia of the Parachute Company of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment was created in 1948 by the Jacques Morin, the combat company insignia represents an eastern dragon, winged and armed with a sword guarding the insignia of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment at the center of legion colors. 1er Bataillon Etranger de Parachutistes, 1er B. E. P - I, II, III Formations - The 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion, was created on July 1,1948 at Khamisis, in Algeria. The 1er B. E. P disembarked in Indochina on November 12 and was engaged in operations in the Tonkin. On June 1,1949, the Para Co, on November 17,1950, the 1er B. E. P jumped on That Khé and sacrificed itself in Coc Xa to protect the unfolding of the RC4. Heading and leading tradition was 1er B. E. P battalion commander Chef de Corps du 1er B. E. P, Commandant Pierre Segrétain. The battalion dissolved on December 31,1950, was reconstituted on March 1,1951 and was seen participating excessively in combat operations at Cho Ben, on the black river and at Annam. On November 21,1953, the reconstituted 1er B. E. P was parachuted on Dien Bien Phu, in this gigantic battle, the reconstituted 1er B. E. P counted 575 killed and missing for the second time. Amongst the fatal casualties featured Lieutenants Dumont, Boisbouvier and de Stabenrath, reconstituted for the third time on May 19,1954, the 1er B. E. P left Indochina on February 8,1955. The 1er B. E. P totaled 5 citations at the orders of the armed forces, the 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion became the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment in Algeria on September 1,1955
9.
World War II
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World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although related conflicts began earlier. It involved the vast majority of the worlds countries—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing alliances, the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. Marked by mass deaths of civilians, including the Holocaust and the bombing of industrial and population centres. These made World War II the deadliest conflict in human history, from late 1939 to early 1941, in a series of campaigns and treaties, Germany conquered or controlled much of continental Europe, and formed the Axis alliance with Italy and Japan. Under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned and annexed territories of their European neighbours, Poland, Finland, Romania and the Baltic states. In December 1941, Japan attacked the United States and European colonies in the Pacific Ocean, and quickly conquered much of the Western Pacific. The Axis advance halted in 1942 when Japan lost the critical Battle of Midway, near Hawaii, in 1944, the Western Allies invaded German-occupied France, while the Soviet Union regained all of its territorial losses and invaded Germany and its allies. During 1944 and 1945 the Japanese suffered major reverses in mainland Asia in South Central China and Burma, while the Allies crippled the Japanese Navy, thus ended the war in Asia, cementing the total victory of the Allies. World War II altered the political alignment and social structure of the world, the United Nations was established to foster international co-operation and prevent future conflicts. The victorious great powers—the United States, the Soviet Union, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the Cold War, which lasted for the next 46 years. Meanwhile, the influence of European great powers waned, while the decolonisation of Asia, most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards economic recovery. Political integration, especially in Europe, emerged as an effort to end pre-war enmities, the start of the war in Europe is generally held to be 1 September 1939, beginning with the German invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. The dates for the beginning of war in the Pacific include the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on 7 July 1937, or even the Japanese invasion of Manchuria on 19 September 1931. Others follow the British historian A. J. P. Taylor, who held that the Sino-Japanese War and war in Europe and its colonies occurred simultaneously and this article uses the conventional dating. Other starting dates sometimes used for World War II include the Italian invasion of Abyssinia on 3 October 1935. The British historian Antony Beevor views the beginning of World War II as the Battles of Khalkhin Gol fought between Japan and the forces of Mongolia and the Soviet Union from May to September 1939, the exact date of the wars end is also not universally agreed upon. It was generally accepted at the time that the war ended with the armistice of 14 August 1945, rather than the formal surrender of Japan
10.
First Indochina War
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The First Indochina War began in French Indochina on 19 December 1946 and lasted until 1 August 1954. Fighting between French forces and their Viet Minh opponents in the South dated from September 1945, Japanese forces located south of that line surrendered to him and those to the north surrendered to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. In September 1945, Chinese forces entered Tonkin and a small British task force landed at Saigon, the Chinese accepted the Vietnamese government under Ho Chi Minh, then in power in Hanoi. The British refused to do likewise in Saigon, and deferred to the French there from the outset, on V-J Day, September 2, Ho Chi Minh had proclaimed in Hanoi the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. On 23 September 1945, with the knowledge of the British Commander in Saigon, French forces overthrew the local DRV government, guerrilla warfare began around Saigon immediately. The first few years of the war involved a low-level rural insurgency against the French, French Union forces included colonial troops from the whole former empire, French professional troops and units of the French Foreign Legion. The use of metropolitan recruits was forbidden by the government to prevent the war from becoming more unpopular at home. It was called the dirty war by leftists in France, the strategy of pushing the Viet Minh into attacking well-defended bases in remote parts of the country at the end of their logistical trails was validated at the Battle of Nà Sản. However, this base was relatively weak because of a lack of concrete and this combination proved fatal for this base defenses, culminating in a decisive French defeat at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. The south continued under Emperor Bảo Đại, a year later, Bảo Đại would be deposed by his prime minister, Ngô Đình Diệm, creating the Republic of Vietnam. Soon an insurgency, backed by the North, developed against Diệms government, the conflict gradually escalated into the Vietnam War. Vietnam was absorbed into French Indochina in stages between 1858 and 1887, nationalism grew until World War II provided a break in French control. Early Vietnamese resistance centered on the intellectual Phan Bội Châu, Châu looked to Japan, which had modernized and was one of the few Asian nations to successfully resist European colonization. With Prince Cường Để, Châu started two organizations in Japan, the Duy Tân hội and Vietnam Cong Hien Hoi, due to French pressure, Japan deported Phan Bội Châu to China. Witnessing Sun Yat-sens 1911 nationalist revolution, Châu was inspired to commence the Viet Nam Quang Phục Hội movement in Guangzhou, from 1914 to 1917, he was imprisoned by Yuan Shikais counterrevolutionary government. In 1925, he was captured by French agents in Shanghai, due to his popularity, Châu was spared from execution and placed under house arrest until his death in 1940. In September 1940, shortly after Phan Bội Châus death, Japan launched its invasion of French Indochina, keeping the French colonial administration, the Japanese ruled from behind the scenes in a parallel of Vichy France. As far as Vietnamese nationalists were concerned, this was a double-puppet government, Emperor Bảo Đại collaborated with the Japanese, just as he had with the French, ensuring his lifestyle could continue
11.
Algerian War
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An important decolonization war, it was a complex conflict characterized by guerrilla warfare, maquis fighting, and the use of torture by both sides. The conflict also became a war between loyalist Algerians supporting a French Algeria and their Algerian nationalist counterparts. A referendum took place on 8 April 1962 and the French electorate approved the Évian Accords, the planned French withdrawal led to a state crisis, to various assassination attempts on de Gaulle, and to some attempts at military coups. Upon independence, in 1962,900,000 European-Algerians fled to France, in fear of the FLNs revenge, the French government was totally unprepared for the vast number of refugees, which caused turmoil in France. On the pretext of a slight to their consul, the French invaded Algiers in 1830, in 1834, Algeria became a French military colony and was subsequently declared by the constitution of 1848 to be an integral part of France and divided into three departments. Many French and other Europeans later settled in Algeria, under the Second Empire, the Code de lindigénat was implemented by the Sénatus-consulte of July 14,1865. Its first article stipulated, The indigenous Muslim is French, however and he may be admitted to serve in the army and the navy. He may be called to functions and civil employment in Algeria and he may, on his demand, be admitted to enjoy the rights of a French citizen, in this case, he is subjected to the political and civil laws of France. However, prior to 1870, fewer than 200 demands were registered by Muslims and 152 by Jewish Algerians, the 1865 decree was then modified by the 1870 Crémieux decrees, which granted French nationality to Jews living in one of the three Algerian departments. In 1881, the Code de lIndigénat made the official by creating specific penalties for indigènes. The Law of September 20,1947, granted French citizenship to all Algerian subjects, Algeria was unique to France because, unlike all other overseas possessions acquired by France during the 19th century, only Algeria was considered and legally classified an integral part of France. Both Muslim and European Algerians took part in World War I, Algerian Muslims served as tirailleurs and spahis, and French settlers as Zouaves or Chasseurs dAfrique. Within this context, a grandson of Abd el-Kadir spearheaded the resistance against the French in the first half of the 20th century and he was a member of the directing committee of the French Communist Party. The North African Star broke from the PCF in 1928, before being dissolved in 1929 at Pariss demand, the pieds-noirs violently demonstrated against it and the North African Party opposed it, leading to the projects abandonment. This new party was dissolved in 1939, under Vichy, the French state attempted to abrogate the Crémieux decree in order to suppress the Jews French citizenship, but the measure was never implemented. On the other hand, nationalist leader Ferhat Abbas founded the Algerian Popular Union in 1938, in 1943 Abbas wrote the Algerian Peoples Manifesto. In the early morning hours of November 1,1954, FLN maquisards attacked military and he declared in the National Assembly, One does not compromise when it comes to defending the internal peace of the nation, the unity and integrity of the Republic. The Algerian departments are part of the French Republic and they have been French for a long time, and they are irrevocably French
12.
French Resistance
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The Résistance also planned, coordinated, and executed acts of sabotage on the electrical power grid, transport facilities, and telecommunications networks. Estimated to have a strength of 100,000 in June 1944 and this burden amounted to approximately 20 million German reichsmarks per day, a sum that, in May 1940, was approximately equivalent to four hundred million French francs. Because of this overvaluation of German currency, the occupiers were able to make fair and honest requisitions and purchases while, in effect. Prices soared, leading to food shortages and malnutrition, particularly among children, the elderly. The labour shortage was worsened by the fact that a number of the French were also held as prisoners of war in Germany. Beyond these hardships and dislocations, the occupation became increasingly unbearable, onerous regulations, strict censorship, incessant propaganda and nightly curfews all played a role in establishing an atmosphere of fear and repression. The sight of French women consorting with German soldiers infuriated many French men, as reprisals for Résistance activities, the authorities established harsh forms of collective punishment. For example, the militancy of communist resistance in August 1941 led to the taking of thousands of hostages from the general population. A typical policy statement read, After each further incident, a number, reflecting the seriousness of the crime, during the occupation, an estimated 30,000 French civilian hostages were shot to intimidate others who were involved in acts of resistance. In early 1943, the Vichy authorities established a paramilitary group and they worked alongside German forces that, by the end of 1942, were stationed throughout France. The group collaborated closely with the Nazis, and was the Vichy equivalent of the Gestapo security forces in Germany and their actions were often brutal and included torture and execution of Résistance suspects. After the liberation of France in the summer of 1944, the French executed many of the estimated 25,000 to 35,000 miliciens for their collaboration. Many of those who escaped arrest fled to Germany, where they were incorporated into the Charlemagne Division of the Waffen SS, the experience of the Occupation was a deeply psychologically disorienting one for the French as what was once familiar and safe become strange and threatening. Many Parisians could not get over the shock experienced when they first saw the huge swastika flags hanging over the Hôtel de Ville, Many résistants often spoke of some climax when they saw some intolerable act of injustice, after which they could not longer remain passive. Barthelt recalled, I recognized him only by his hat, only by his hat, I tell you and because I was waiting on the roadside to see him pass. I saw his face all right, but there was no skin on it, both his poor eyes had been closed into two purple and yellow bruises. In the beginning, resistance was limited to such as severing phone lines, vandalizing posters. Another form of resistance was underground newspapers like Musée de lHomme which circulated clandestinely, the Musée de lHomme was founded by two professors, Paul Rivet and the Russian émigré Boris Vildé in July 1940
13.
First Army (France)
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The First Army was a field army of France that fought during World War I and World War II. It was also active during the Cold War and it was massed between Belfort and the general line Mirecourt-Lunéville with headquarters at Epinal. First Army then took part, along with the French Second Army, the First Army intended to take the strongly defended town of Sarrebourg. German Crown Prince Rupprecht, commander of the German Sixth Army, was tasked with stopping the French invasion, the French attack was repulsed by Rupprecht and his stratagem of pretending to retreat and then strongly attacking back. On August 20, Rupprecht launched a major counter-offensive, driving the French armies out, a frantic 1916 saw four different commanders command the First Army, an even more frantic 1917 saw five different commanders at the helm. By the time of the Passchendaele, the French First Army was composed of two corps - the 1st Army Corps and the 36th Army Corps. During the Second World War the French First Army, under the command of General Georges Blanchard, formed part of the forces ranged against the German Army during the Battle of France. On 10 May 1940, it included the Cavalry Corps, and the 3rd, 4th, when the Wehrmacht invaded France and the Low Countries in 1940, the First Army was one of the many armies including the British Expeditionary Force that advanced north to stop the German armies. On May 21,1940, the First Army was one of the trapped in a vast pocket with their backs to the sea that would eventually result in the Dunkirk evacuations. It is estimated that the First Armys last battle allowed the evacuation of an additional 100,000 men from Dunkirk, the First Army formally ceased to exist on May 29, though a portion escaped with the British soldiers. The First Army was reconstituted as the French Army B under the command of General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny in the summer of 1944 and it landed in southern France after Operation Dragoon, the Allied invasion of the area. On September 25,1944 French Army B was redesignated French First Army, liberating Marseilles, Toulon, and Lyon, it later formed the right flank of the Allied Southern Group of Armies at the southern end of the Allied front line, adjacent to Switzerland. It commanded two corps, the French I and II Corps, the French First Army liberated the southern area of the Vosges Mountains, including Belfort. Its operations in the area of Burnhaupt destroyed the German IV Luftwaffe Korps in November 1944, in January 1945 it defended against operation Nordwind, the last major German offensive on the western front. In February 1945, with the assistance of the U. S. XXI Corps, in March 1945, the First Army fought through the Siegfried Line fortifications in the Bienwald Forest near Lauterbourg. Subsequently, the First Army crossed the Rhine near Speyer and captured Karlsruhe, operations by the First Army in April 1945 encircled and captured the German XVIII S. S. Armee Korps in the Black Forest and cleared southwestern Germany. At the end of the war, the motto of the French First Army was Rhin et Danube, the First Army was mainly composed of North African troops drawn from the Army of Africa. These troops had played a role in the liberation of Corsica
14.
Legion of Honour
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The Legion of Honour, full name National Order of the Legion of Honour, is the highest French order of merit for military and civil merits, established 1802 by Napoléon Bonaparte. The order is divided into five degrees of increasing distinction, Chevalier, Officier, Commandeur, Grand Officier and Grand-Croix. The orders motto is Honneur et Patrie and its seat is the Palais de la Légion dHonneur next to the Musée dOrsay, in the French Revolution, all French orders of chivalry were abolished, and replaced with Weapons of Honour. The Légion however did use the organization of old French orders of chivalry, the badges of the legion also bear a resemblance to the Ordre de Saint-Louis, which also used a red ribbon. Napoleon originally created this to ensure political loyalty, the organization would be used as a facade to give political favours, gifts, and concessions. The Légion was loosely patterned after a Roman legion, with legionaries, officers, commanders, regional cohorts, the highest rank was not a grand cross but a Grand Aigle, a rank that wore all the insignia common to grand crosses. The members were paid, the highest of them extremely generously,5,000 francs to an officier,2,000 francs to a commandeur,1,000 francs to an officier,250 francs to a légionnaire. Napoleon famously declared, You call these baubles, well, it is with baubles that men are led, do you think that you would be able to make men fight by reasoning. That is good only for the scholar in his study, the soldier needs glory, distinctions, rewards. This has been quoted as It is with such baubles that men are led. The order was the first modern order of merit, under the monarchy, such orders were often limited to Roman Catholics, and all knights had to be noblemen. The military decorations were the perks of the officers, the Légion, however, was open to men of all ranks and professions—only merit or bravery counted. The new legionnaire had to be sworn in the Légion and it is noteworthy that all previous orders were crosses or shared a clear Christian background, whereas the Légion is a secular institution. The jewel of the Légion has five arms, in a decree issued on the 10 Pluviôse XIII, a grand decoration was instituted. This decoration, a cross on a sash and a silver star with an eagle, symbol of the Napoleonic Empire, became known as the Grand Aigle. After Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of the French in 1804 and established the Napoleonic nobility in 1808, the title was made hereditary after three generations of grantees. Napoleon had dispensed 15 golden collars of the legion among his family and this collar was abolished in 1815. The Légion dhonneur was prominent and visible in the French Empire, the Emperor always wore it and the fashion of the time allowed for decorations to be worn most of the time
15.
Prime Minister of France
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The French Prime Minister in the Fifth Republic is the head of government and of the Council of Ministers of France. During the Third and Fourth Republics, the head of government position was called President of the Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister proposes a list of ministers to the President of the Republic. Decrees and decisions of the Prime Minister, like almost all decisions, are subject to the oversight of the administrative court system. Few decrees are taken after advice from the Council of State, all prime ministers defend the programs of their ministry, and make budgetary choices. The extent to which those decisions lie with the Prime Minister or President depends upon whether they are of the same party, manuel Valls was appointed to lead the government in a cabinet reshuffle in March 2014, after the ruling Socialists suffered a bruising defeat in local elections. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President of the Republic, the President can choose whomever they want. On the other hand, because the National Assembly does have the power to force the resignation of the government, for example, right after the legislative election of 1986, President François Mitterrand appointed Jacques Chirac prime minister. Chirac was a member of the RPR and an opponent of Mitterrand. Despite the fact that Mitterrands own Socialist Party was the largest party in the Assembly, the RPR had an alliance with the UDF, which gave them a majority. Such a situation, where the President is forced to work with a minister who is an opponent, is called a cohabitation. So far, Édith Cresson is the woman to have ever held the position of prime minister. Aristide Briand holds the record for most nomination as Prime Minister with 11 between 1909 and 1929 with some terms as short as 26 days, other members of Government are appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister can engage the responsibility of his or her Government before the National Assembly and this process consists of placing a bill before the Assembly, and either the Assembly overthrows the Government, or the bill is passed automatically. In addition to ensuring that the Government still has support in the House, the Prime Minister may also submit a bill that has not been yet signed into law to the Constitutional Council. Before he is allowed to dissolve the Assembly, the President has to consult the Prime Minister, the office of the prime minister, in its current form, dates from the formation of the French Third Republic. Under the French Constitutional Laws of 1875, he was imbued with the powers as his British counterpart. In practice, however, the minister was a fairly weak figure. Most notably, the legislature had the power to force the cabinet out of office by a vote of censure
16.
11th Parachute Brigade (France)
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The 11th Parachute Brigade is a unit of the French Army, dominantly infantry, part of the French Airborne Units and specialized in air combat and air assault. The Brigades primary vocation is to project in emergency in order to contribute a first response to a situational crisis, an elite unit of the French Army, the brigade is commanded by a général de brigade with headquarters based in Balma near Toulouse. The Brigades soldiers and airborne Marines wear the red beret except for the Legionnaires of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment who wear Green beret of the French Foreign Legion. On May 1,1961, the 11th Light Intervention Division was created from dissolved airborne units of the 10th and 25th Parachute Division. On December 1,1963, the 11th Division was created by merging the 11th Light Intervention Division, on April 1,1971, the 11th Division became the 11th Parachute Division. On June 1999, the 11th Parachute Division became the 11th Parachute Brigade, the division commanded by General Marzloff rejoins the metropole on July 1,1961. On August 1,1963, the 13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment leaves the Division and takes garrison in Lorraine at Dieuze, on October 1,1963, the division integrated the BOMAP. On December 1,1963, the 11th Light Intervention Division merged with the 9th Colonial Infantry Division, a support battalion, the 61e BS was created on February 1,1964, at Auch. The 61e BS supervised health services and provisions in the Division, in March, the 61st Transmission Airborne Brigade steps in at Pau and regroups the existing transmission companies. On July 1966, the 11th Division reached 16,000 men and was composed of two brigades forming five parachute regiments. The 9th Outremer Brigade left the Division and the 20th Airborne Brigade, the three support regiments were reorganized in two interam regiments of intervention that conserved nevertheless their original nominations. The 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment disappeared, the following year in 1974, the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment was recreated and the interarm regiments find their specialities. On August 1,1974, the 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment was reattached to the Division, Units belonging to the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment and the 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment took part in Operation Tacaud starting from 1978 in Tchad. During this time, France was manned with a force of 20,000 strong composed of the 11th Parachute Division. In the aftermath of the Cold War, the French Army reorganised, the 11th Parachute Brigade was formed in 1999 at Balma on the base of the 11 Parachute Division on the occasion of the restructuring of the French Army. The brigade was engaged in Afghanistan and Africa, the 11th Parachute Brigade and mainly the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 2e REP took part in Operation Licorne in the Ivory Coast. The parachute brigade intervened in Afghanistan starting 2006 within and part of the French Detachment of NATO International Force, the brigade was relieved in September 2007 by the mountain infantry Alpines Chasseurs of the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade. On August 18,2008, a section of the 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment lost eight men during the Ambush of Uzbin, the paratroopers of the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment made up the first rotation
17.
National Order of Merit (France)
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The National Order of Merit is a French order of merit with membership awarded by the President of the French Republic, founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle. It comprises about 187,000 members worldwide, the President of the French Republic is the Grand Master of the order and appoints all its members by convention on the advice of the Government of France. The order has a common Chancellor and Chancery with the Legion of Honour, every Prime Minister of France is made a Grand cross of the order after 24 months of service. The medal of the order is a six-armed Maltese asterisk in gilt enamelled blue, the obverse central disc features the head of Marianne, surrounded by the legend République française. The reverse central disc has a set of crossed tricolores, surrounded by the name of the order, the badge is suspended by a laurel wreath. The star is worn by Grand-Croix and Grand Officier respectively, it is a twelve-armed sunburst, the central disc features the head of Marianne, surrounded by the legend République française and the name of the Order, and in turn surrounded by a wreath of laurel. The ribbon for the medal is a blue field. For the grade of Officier and above, a rosette is centered in the field, for the grades of Commandeur, Grand Officier, and Grand-Croix, the rosette is centered bar of silver, silver and gold, and a solid gold respectively
Paul Arnaud de Foïard
French Foreign Legion
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Grand Officier of the Légion d'Honneur
Commandeur of the Légion d'Honneur (1967)
Officier of the Légion d'Honneur (1958)
Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur (1947)
Grand Croix of the Ordre national du Mérite (1966)
Médaille militaire (1945)
Croix de guerre 1939-1945 (3 palms, 1 star)
Croix de guerre des Théatres d'Opérations Exterieures
Croix de la Valeur Militaire
Médaille des Evades
Croix du combattant volontaire (1939-1945)
Croix du combattant
Médaille coloniale with agrafe (clasp) « E.O »
Knight of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques
Médaille de la Jeunesse et des Sports
Indochina Campaign commemorative medal
North Africa Security and Order Operations Commemorative Medal with agrafes (clasps) « Algérie » and « Maroc »
Bronze Star Medal, U.S. Army (U.S.)
Officer of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite (Morocco)
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