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French Colonial Forces
The ''Troupes coloniales'' (, "Colonial Troops") or ''Armée coloniale'' (,"Colonial Army"), commonly called ''La Coloniale'', were the colonial troops of the French colonial empire from 1900 until 1961. From 1822 to 1900, these troops were designated as ''Troupes de marine'' ("Marine Troops" or just "Marines"), and in 1961 they readopted this name. They were recruited from mainland France and from the French settler as well as indigenous populations of the empire. This force played a substantial role in the conquest of the empire, in World War I, World War II, the First Indochina War, and the Algerian War. Makeup of French Colonial Forces The ''Armée coloniale'' should not be confused with the units of the French Army generally stationed in North Africa such as the French Foreign Legion, Foreign Legion, the Zouaves, Zouave regiments, the Battalions of Light Infantry of Africa or the indigenous North African Spahis, Tirailleurs and Goumiers; all of which were part of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Madagascar
Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, fourth largest island, the List of island countries, second-largest island country, and the List of countries and dependencies by area, 46th largest country overall. Its capital and List of cities in Madagascar, largest city is Antananarivo. Following the prehistoric breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana, Madagascar split from Africa during the Early Jurassic period, around 180 million years ago, and separated from the Indian subcontinent approximately 90 million years ago. This isolation allowed native plants and animals to evolve in relative seclusion; as a result, Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot and one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries, with over 90% of its wildlife of Madagascar, wildlife being endemic. The island has ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Senegal
Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea to Guinea–Senegal border, the southeast and Guinea-Bissau to Guinea-Bissau–Senegal border, the southwest. Senegal nearly surrounds The Gambia, a country occupying a narrow sliver of land along the banks of the Gambia River, which separates Senegal's southern region of Casamance from the rest of the country. It also shares a maritime border with Cape Verde. Senegal's capital is Dakar. Senegal is the westernmost country in the mainland of the Old World, or Afro-Eurasia. It owes its name to the Senegal River, which borders it to the east and north. The climate is typically Sahelian, though there is a wet season, rainy season. Senegal covers a land area of almost and has a population of around 18 million. The state is a Presidential system ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tirailleurs Indochinois
The ''Tirailleurs indochinois'' (; Chữ Nôm: 𠔦習) were soldiers of several regiments of local ethnic Indochinese infantry organized as Tirailleurs by the French colonial authorities, initially in Vietnam from 15 March 1880. The most notable, and first established, of these units were the Tonkinese Rifles (French: ''Tirailleurs tonkinois'', Vietnamese: ''Quân đoàn bộ binh Bắc Kỳ''). History In the early days of these regiments the charge was often made that the ''tirailleurs'' were prone to desertion. However under the leadership of officers seconded from the regular French Marine (subsequently Colonial) Infantry the ''tirailleurs'' became an effective corps, without which the French would have had difficulty in occupying and garrisoning their Indochinese possessions. During World War I the French Army was initially reluctant to deploy its Indochinese units of the Troupes coloniales on the Western Front but eventually 40,000 Annamite and Cambodian tirailleurs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tirailleurs Malgaches
The tirailleurs malgaches were a corps of French Troupes coloniales, colonial infantry established in Madagascar. Overview After the annexation of Madagascar by France in 1896, Malagasy people, Malagasy troops were recruited, and the ''Tirailleurs malgaches'' were formed along similar lines to the Senegalese Tirailleurs, forming part of the Troupes coloniales of the French Armed Forces. In 1905, there were three regiments, each of three battalions apiece, stationed at Tananarive, Tamatave and Antsiranana, Diego Suarez. World War I During World War I, the governor general of the colony, Hubert Garbit, organised the mobilisation of the Malagasy population. A first contingent of ''Tirailleurs malgaches'' was sent to France in October 1915, followed by five others in 1916. Like their ''Tirailleurs indochinois'' counterparts from French Indochina, the ''Tirailleurs malgaches'' battalions were initially employed behind the lines in guard, depot and factory-worker duties, rather than be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Senegalese Tirailleurs
The Senegalese Tirailleurs () were a corps of Troupes coloniales, colonial infantry in the French Army. They were initially recruited from Saint-Louis, Senegal, the initial colonial capital city of French West Africa and subsequently throughout Western, Central and Eastern Africa: the main sub-Saharan regions of the French colonial empire. The noun ''tirailleur'', which translates variously as 'skirmisher', 'rifleman', or 'sharpshooter', was a designation given by the French Army to indigenous infantry recruited in the various colonies and overseas possessions of the French Empire during the 19th and 20th centuries. Despite recruitment not being limited to Senegal and including regiments from French Sudan, French Soudan (contemporary Mali), these infantry units took on the adjective since that was where the first black African Tirailleur regiment had been formed. The first ''Senegalese Tirailleurs'' were formed in 1857 and by the 1930s, men from territories like Chad and Gabon al ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
19th Army Corps (France)
The 19th Army Corps (:fr:19e corps d'armée (France), 19e Corps d'Armée) was a corps of the French army. In December 1870, the Government of National Defense, Tours delegation created the 19th Army Corps which was formed in Alençon. It was recreated by decree of the Journal Officiel de la République Française, JO of August 13, 1874, it brought together the various military units of Algeria. It constituted the nucleus of the Army of Africa (France), Army of Africa. The corps appears to have been disbanded and superseded by the 10th Military Region by a decree of 18 February 1946. 19th Military Region The Army Corps was located in the 19th Military Region of the Metropolitan Army which included the three départements of Alger (department), Algiers, Oran (department), Oran and Constantine (departement), Constantine, situated in modern day Algeria. The garrisons were principally based in Algiers, Mascara, Algeria, Mascara, Tlemcen, and Ain. Elements were also in Tunisia, forming ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Army Of Africa (France)
The Army of Africa ( ) was an unofficial but commonly used term for those portions of the French Army stationed in French North Africa (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia) from 1830 until the end of the Algerian War in 1962, including units made up of indigenous recruits. Composition The Army of Africa included indigenous Arab or Berber volunteers; (spahis, Goumiers and tirailleurs); regiments largely made up of pied-noir French settlers doing their military service ( zouaves and chasseurs d'Afrique); and non-French volunteers (Légion étrangère). The divisions were not absolute and (for example) volunteers or conscripts from mainland France might choose to serve with the Muslim rank and file of the spahis and tirailleurs, while Arab volunteers might appear amongst the ranks of the zouaves. Prior to World War I, one battalion of each of the four zouave regiments then in existence, was recruited in France. These battalions' bases were thereby providing a framework that could be exp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Goumier
The Moroccan Goumiers () were indigenous Moroccan soldiers who served in auxiliary units attached to the French Army of Africa, between 1908 and 1956. While nominally in the service of the Sultan of Morocco, they served under French officers, including a period as part of the Free French Forces. Employed initially as tribal irregulars, then in regular contingents, the goumiers were employed extensively during the French occupation of Morocco from 1908 to the early 1930s. They then served in North Africa, Italy, and France during World War II between 1942 and 1945. During this period four Moroccan tabor groups (groupes de tabors marocains - GTM) were created, each comprising three tabors (battalions), and each tabor comprising three or four goums (companies). Goumiers subsequently served in Indochina from 1946 to 1954. Etymology The term ''goum'' designated a company of ''goumiers''. It originates from the Arab Maghreb ''gūm'' and the Classical Arabic ''qawm'', designating � ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tirailleur
A tirailleur (), in the Napoleonic era, was a type of light infantry trained to skirmish ahead of the main columns. Later, the term "''tirailleur''" was used by the French Army as a designation for indigenous infantry recruited in the French colonial territories during the 19th and 20th centuries, or for metropolitan units serving in a light infantry role. The French army currently maintains one tirailleur regiment, the 1st Tirailleur Regiment. This regiment was known as the ''170th Infantry Regiment'' between 1964 and 1994. Prior to 1964, it was known as the ''7th Algerian Tirailleur Regiment'', but changed its name after it moved to France as a result of Algerian independence. History Napoleonic period In the wars of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods, the designation "tirailleur" was a French military term used at first to refer generically to light infantry skirmishers. The first regiments of Tirailleurs so called were part of the Imperial Guard of Na ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spahis
Spahis () were light-cavalry regiments of the French army recruited primarily from the Arab and Berber populations of Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. The modern French Army retains one regiment of Spahis as an armoured unit, with personnel now recruited in mainland France. Senegal also maintains a mounted unit with spahi origins as a presidential escort: the Red Guard. Etymology The name is the French form of the Ottoman Turkish word , a word derived from Persian , "soldier", "horseman", ultimately from Persian meaning "army", "cavalry". Early history Following the French occupation of Algiers in 1830, detachments of locally recruited irregular horsemen were attached to the regiments of light cavalry assigned to North African service. These auxiliaries were designated as '' chasseurs spahis''. Between 1834 and 1836 they were organised into four squadrons of regular spahis. In 1841 the 14 squadrons by then in existence were brought together in a single corps of spahis. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battalions Of Light Infantry Of Africa
The Battalions of Light Infantry of Africa ( French: ''Bataillons d'Infanterie Légère d'Afrique'' or BILA), better known under the abbreviation ''Bat' d'Af, were French infantry and construction units, serving in Northern Africa, made up of men with prison records who still had to do their military service, or soldiers with serious disciplinary records. History Creation Created by King Louis Philippe I on 13 June 1832, shortly after the French Foreign Legion, the ''Bat' d'Af were part of the Army of Africa and were stationed in Tataouine, Tunisia, in one of the most arid and hostile regions of the French colonial empire. The original ''Ordonnance royale'' (Royal order) creating this corps provided for 2 battalions, each of 8 companies. A third battalion was created in September 1833. According to the order the rank and file of these units were to be drawn from: (i) serving soldiers who had been sentenced to existing disciplinary companies and who had not completed their perio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
