
The 2nd Foreign Legion (french: Deuxième legion) was created by the King. On June 29 1835,
Louis Philippe I, the
King of
France ceded the
Foreign Legion to
Queen Isabella II of Spain
Isabella II ( es, Isabel II; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904), was Queen of Spain from 29 September 1833 until 30 September 1868.
Shortly before her birth, the King Ferdinand VII of Spain issued a Pragmatic Sanction to ensure the successio ...
.
Subsequently, 4100 men which included foreigners in service of
France and French officers passed accordingly into the ranks of the Spanish Army, which was in confrontation with the Carlists.
Nevertheless, the campaign of
Algeria required numerous troops, accordingly on December 16 1835, the King signed a Royal Ordinance which created a
New Legion.
Creation of the Second Legion

The format was first limited to one
battalion. The others were later successively constituted, and only if they were required. All the dispositions of the Royal Ordinance of March 10 1831 (date of creation of the
1831 Legion) were placed rigorously in application.
The first battalion was immediately formed in
Pau. On February 3 1836,
chef de bataillon (
Commandant -
Major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
)
Marie Alphonse Bedeau
Marie Alphonse Bedeau (19 August 1804 – 29 October 1863) was a French general and minister.
Life
Bedeau was born on 19 August 1804 in Vertou (Lower Loire). He studied at the military school of Saint-Cyr, from the age of 16, 29 October 1820, unti ...
was entrusted with command. One month later, the general staff headquarters of the battalion and the first two
companies were formed. Six other companies where formed later in June 1836.
New dissolution
However, in the following month of August, the battalion was licensed and the government proposed to the Officers,
Sous-Officiers, and Legionnaires which formed the battalion to serve
Spain in the ranks of the ''
French Auxiliary Division
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...
'', called ex-Legion, which was fighting there for almost a year already. Those who refused were sent back to their foyers. Those which volunteered for service in Spain formed a new battalion which was directed on
Pamplona under the orders of
lieutenant-colonel Conrad.
Recreation and departure to Algeria
Despite the dismissal of the
Foreign Legion, foreigners were still vibrant in their volunteerism at the corps of the French Army. Accordingly, new depot companies were created and in October 1836, a total of six companies were formed, rapidly followed by the formation of two more in November.
This new battalion was placed under the commandment of
chef de bataillon Marie-Alphonse Bedeau
Marie Alphonse Bedeau (19 August 1804 – 29 October 1863) was a French general and minister.
Life
Bedeau was born on 19 August 1804 in Vertou (Lower Loire). He studied at the military school of Saint-Cyr, from the age of 16, 29 October 1820, unti ...
. On December 5 1836, the battalion left Pau to embark on the ''Suffren'', at
Toulon, making its way by sea to
Algeria.
The battalion integrated accordingly the 2nd Brigade of the
Army of Africa, commanded by
général Négrier.
The second battalion was formed on July 1837. The creation of three others were echeloned until 1840. Following the
apprehension of
Constantine
Constantine most often refers to:
* Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I
* Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria
Constantine may also refer to:
People
* Constantine (name), a masculine given na ...
, in October 1837, during which the
Legion battalion illustrated capability,
battalion chief Bedeau was promoted to
Lieutenant-colonel and the formation of elite companies was authorized. To award these arms accomplishments, the Legion received on June 7 1840, the flag which was given in 1832, to the first
Legion.
Notes
* some material sourced from
Képi Blanc (publication)
''Képi Blanc'' is the monthly French magazine of the Foreign Legion in the French Army.
The press magazine is sold exclusively under membership subscription. The subscription fees are channeled to the ''Foyer d'entraide de la Légion étrangè ...
* some material sourced from Division histoire et patrimoine de la Légion étrangère
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French Foreign Legion