10 Mar: The Foreigners Fighting For France
The infamous French Foreign Legion was formed by King Louis Philippe on March 10, 1831, to help the French control Algeria using mercenaries who were more expendable than native young Frenchmen.
To this day a magnet for men who want a clean break from their past, the Legion famously did not ask many questions about where their recruits came from – or if they had a criminal record.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discover if they could meet the tests to join this notorious fighting force; expose the bloody history of the legion’s ill-fated battles in Mexico; and reveal the deadly games Russian Legionnaires played in their downtime…
Further Reading:
https://aeon.co/essays/why-young-men-queue-up-to-die-in-the-french-foreign-legion