Founded in 1831 to fight a tough colonial guerrilla war in Algeria that was confounding the French Army of the day, the French Foreign Legion has taken part in every war in which France has been involved over the following 178 years. Along the way, the legion has earned respect, accolades and more than a little opprobrium in hard-fought battles across the globe. Many of these turned out to be lost causes, such as the 19th century occupation of Mexico; the tough campaigns of the 1950s in Indochina and Algeria; and Suez in 1956. The French Foreign Legion also served in multiple theatres during the First World War, on both the Vichy and Free French sides in the Second World War, in Korea and the first Gulf War as well as in Bosnia and Kosovo and a string of less prominent 20th century interventions, mostly in Africa.
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