From political exile to colonial military service : White Russians in the French Foreign Legion in the 1920s
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1350-7486; 1469-8293
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European review of history : revue européenne d'histoire, 2025, OnlineFirst
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LIMA, Salvador Daniel, From political exile to colonial military service : White Russians in the French Foreign Legion in the 1920s, European review of history : revue européenne d’histoire, 2025, OnlineFirst - https://hdl.handle.net/1814/93064
Abstract
During the interwar era, the French Foreign Legion underwent a significant transformation, expansion and reorganization amidst colonial restructuring, geopolitical unrest, economic hardship and mass migration. As a professional unit that did not demand documents or passports from potential volunteers, the Legion was an attractive destination for defeated soldiers and exiled activists. This paper addresses the case of the White Russians from the Army of Wrangel, who enlisted in the Legion after their defeat in the Russian Civil War and served in Africa during the 1920s. The French Republic recognized the value of those experienced anti-Communist soldiers, leading to over 4000 White Russians enlisting in the Legion between 1920 and 1925, making up about 20% of its personnel. The Russian experience was part of an expanded regimental organization in the French Army of Africa. By examining French archival materials and the accounts of pertinent officers stationed in North Africa, this paper aims to piece together the Foreign Legion’s recruitment practices, its methods for enlisting military exiles and the Russian legionnaires’ journeys.
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Published online: 21 July 2025