This list of military legions is in chronological order where possible. In modern times, most units using the name "military legions" were composed of soldiers from a specific ethnic, national, religious or ideological background, and that background is often specified in the legion's name. Since the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

, many countries have used the term "legionnaire" to refer to recruits who are neither citizens nor imperial subjects of the government whose military they enter. These governments often, but do not always, group these foreign recruits into specific units that bear the name "legion."

Ancient Rome

* List of Roman legions **

Theban Legion The Theban Legion (also known as the Martyrs of Agaunum) figures in Christianity, Christian hagiography as a Roman legion from Roman Egypt, Egypt —"six thousand six hundred and sixty-six men" — consisting of Christian soldiers who were marty ...

, a Roman legion whose members, according to a long-lasting tradition, were massacred for their Christian beliefs

18th century

American Revolutionary War

* Lee's Legion, a military unit of the Continental Army *

Pulaski's Legion Pulaski's Legion was a cavalry and infantry regiment raised on March 28, 1778 at Baltimore, Maryland under the command of Polish-born General Casimir Pulaski and Hungarian nobleman Michael Kovats de Fabriczy for their service with the Continen ...

, a cavalry regiment of the Continental Army * Armand's Legion, a dragoon unit of the Continental Army * British Legion (American Revolutionary War), a military unit of British Provincial Corps * Lauzun's Legion, a military unit of the French Royal Army

French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars

* Légion des Allobroges, an infantry unit of French Revolutionary Army consisting of Swiss and Italian volunteers * Batavian Legion, an infantry unit of French Revolutionary Army consisting of Dutch volunteers * Belgian Legion (1792), an infantry unit of French Revolutionary Army consisting of Belgian volunteers *

Legion of Belgians and Liégeois The Legion of Belgians and Liégeois () was a military unit within the French Revolutionary army composed of volunteers from the Austrian Netherlands and Prince-Bishopric of Liège in modern-day Belgium. Its volunteers were émigrés from the failed ...

, an infantry unit of French Revolutionary Army consisting of Belgian volunteers * Irish Legion, an infantry unit of French Army consisting of Irish volunteers *

King's German Legion The King's German Legion (KGL; ) was a formation of the British Army during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Consisting primarily of expatriate Germans, it existed from 1803 to 1816 and achieved the distinction of being the on ...

, a military formation of the British Army consisting of Hanoverian volunteers * Légion Noire, an infantry unit of the French Revolutionary Army * Polish Legions (Napoleonic era), units of the French Army consisting of Polish volunteers * Russian–German Legion, a military formation of the Imperial Russian Army consisting of German, Dutch and Belgian volunteers

Other 18th century legions

* French Revolutionary Legion, an American mercenary force consisting of Anglophone and Francophone volunteers *

Legion of the United States The Legion of the United States was a reorganization and extension of the United States Army from 1792 to 1796 under the command of Major General Anthony Wayne. It represented a political shift in the new United States, which had recently adop ...

, a temporary reorganization of the United States Army during the Northwest Indian War

19th century

* Belgian Legion, the name of several units of Belgian volunteers who fought in various 19th century conflicts *

British Legions The British Legion () or British Legions were Foreign volunteers, foreign volunteer units which fought under Simón Bolívar against Spain for the independence of Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador, and under José de San Martín for the independen ...

, foreign volunteer units, established in 1819, who fought against Spain in South America's independence wars * British German Legion, a group of German soldiers recruited to fight for Britain in the Crimean War, 1855–1856 * Greek Legion (Septinsular Republic), a Septinsular Republic unit active between 1805 and 1807, taking part in the

War of the Third Coalition The War of the Third Coalition () was a European conflict lasting from 1805 to 1806 and was the first conflict of the Napoleonic Wars. During the war, First French Empire, France and French client republic, its client states under Napoleon I an ...

and the Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812) * Royal Foreign Legion (''Légion royal étrangère''), infantry corps of mostly German mercenaries forming part of the restored French Bourbon army in 1815, renamed the Hohenlohe Regiment after 1821 * British Legion (1835), officially the Auxiliary Legion, a British military force sent to Spain to support the Liberals and Queen Isabella II against the Carlists in the

First Carlist War The First Carlist War was a civil war in Spain from 1833 to 1840, the first of three Carlist Wars. It was fought between two factions over the succession to the throne and the nature of the Monarchy of Spain, Spanish monarchy: the conservative a ...

* Italian Legion, commanded by

Garibaldi Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi ( , ;In his native Ligurian language, he is known as (). In his particular Niçard dialect of Ligurian, he was known as () or (). 4 July 1807 – 2 June 1882) was an Italian general, revolutionary and republican. H ...

in the

Uruguayan Civil War The Uruguayan Civil War, also known in Spanish as the ''Guerra Grande'' ("Great War"), was a series of armed conflicts between the leaders of Uruguayan independence. While officially the war lasted from 1839 until 1851, it was a part of armed ...

* Academic Legion (Vienna), a revolutionary students' group in Vienna in 1848 * Academic Legion (Lviv), Polish nationalist students at the

University of Lviv The Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (named after Ivan Franko, ) is a state-sponsored university in Lviv, Ukraine. Since 1940 the university is named after Ukrainian poet Ivan Franko. The university is the oldest institution of highe ...

in 1848 * Greek Volunteer Legion, helping Russia in the

Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...

International Legion The International Legion was created in Italy by Giuseppe Garibaldi, on October 5, 1860 – in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of the Volturno, where the forces of the Bourbon Kingdom of the Two Sicilies were decisively broken. It had b ...

, a military force formed by Garibaldi in 1860 during the wars of Italian unification ** The British Legion (1860) British contingent of the above *

Nauvoo Legion The Nauvoo Legion was a state-authorized Latter-day Saints Militias and Military Units, militia of Nauvoo, Illinois, United States from February 4, 1841 until January 29, 1845. Its main function was the defense of Nauvoo and surrounding Latte ...

, a significant militia in early Mormon history * List of American Civil War legions, both Confederate and Union * Guelphic Legion, Hanoverian paramilitary unit supporting

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

, deposed king of

Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...

, from 1866 to 1870 *

Carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign poli ...

legions, the regional units of the Italian

gendarmerie A gendarmerie () is a paramilitary or military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (). In France and so ...

, established following the unification of the country.

20th century

World War I

* Czechoslovak Legions, Czech and Slovak volunteer forces fighting on the Allied Powers side * French Armenian Legion, part of the French Army; also involved in the Franco-Turkish War of 1918–21 * Georgian Legion (1914–1918), a unit of the German Army recruited from Georgians * Infantry Regiment of the Academic Legion, formed by volunteer Polish students in 1918, later taken into the regular Polish Army * Italian ''Legione Redenta'', an Italian military formation that participated in the Siberian Intervention during the Russian Civil War * Jewish Legion, in the British Army at Gallipoli and Palestine * Polish Legion in Finland, fighting for the Finns against the Russians *

Polish Legions in World War I The Polish Legions () was a name of the Polish military force (the first active Polish army in generations) established in August 1914 in Galicia (Central Europe), Galicia soon after World War I erupted between the opposing alliances of the Trip ...

, part of the Austro-Hungarian Army * Puławy Legion, a Polish formation that was part of the Imperial Russian Army * Legion of

Ukrainian Sich Riflemen Legion of Ukrainian Sich Riflemen (; ) was a Ukrainian unit within the Austro-Hungarian Army during the First World War. Scope The unit was formed in August 1914 on the initiative of the Supreme Ukrainian Council. It was composed of members o ...

, a corps of the

Austro-Hungarian Army The Austro-Hungarian Army, also known as the Imperial and Royal Army,; was the principal ground force of Austria-Hungary from 1867 to 1918. It consisted of three organisations: the Common Army (, recruited from all parts of Austria-Hungary), ...

Interwar period

* 2nd Legions Infantry Division (Poland), elite unite of the Polish Army, mostly composed of veterans of the

Condor Legion The Condor Legion () was a unit of military personnel from the air force and army of Nazi Germany’s Wehrmacht which served with the Nationalist faction during the Spanish Civil War. The legion developed methods of strategic bombing that were ...

, a unit of "volunteers" from the German Luftwaffe serving with the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War * British Legion Volunteer Police Force, a short-lived police force established in response to the outcome of the Munich Agreement in September 1938 * Aviazione Legionaria, Italian air force in the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

World War II

* Czechoslovak Legion opposing the Germans in Poland, 1939 Note: Except for the above, all World War II legions fought on the German side. * Free Arabian Legion, Arab volunteers, notably from

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

, and

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

fighting on the German side. * Armenian or Armenische Legion, name given to the 812th Armenian Battalion of the German Army, made up largely of Armenian Red Army prisoners of war * Azerbaijani Legion (Azerbaijan legion), made up largely of Azerbaijani Red Army prisoners of war * Blue Legion, Spanish volunteers fighting against the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front * '' Crna Legija'' (Black Legion), the name given to the 1st and 5th Croatian Ustaše Brigades * Croatian Legion * Croatian Air Force Legion * Croatian Anti-Aircraft Legion * Croatian Naval Legion * Estonian Legion, a unit in the ''Waffen SS'' created in 1942, mainly consisting of Estonian soldiers * Flemish Legion (Dutch: Vlaams Legioen), recruited among Dutch-speaking volunteers from German-occupied Belgium, notably from Flanders. * Walloon Legion (French: Légion Wallonie), recruited among French-speaking volunteers from German-occupied Belgium. *

Légion française des combattants The French Legion of Veterans (, or LFC) was a paramilitary association established in Vichy France and French colonial empire, Vichy's colonial territories in World War II. Legion Shortly after the Battle of France, French defeat, the newly es ...

(French Legion of Fighters), a pro-Nazi Vichy French unit * Legion of French Volunteers Against Bolshevism (LVF), pro-Nazi French * Georgian Legion (1941–1945), a unit of the German army recruited from Georgians * '' Indische Legion'', also known as the Free India Legion or Tiger Legion, an Indian unit raised in 1941 and attached to the German Army * Latvian Legion, a formation of the ''Waffen-SS'' created in 1943 and consisting primarily of ethnic Latvians * Legion of St. George, the original name of the British Free Corps * '' Ostlegionen'' (literally "Eastern Legions"), conscripts and volunteers from the occupied eastern territories recruited into the German Army * '' La Légion Tricolore'', a pro-Nazi French unit which was absorbed into the LVF after six months * Volga Tatar Legion, one of several units formed by the ''Wehrmacht'' out of Soviet prisoners of war according to their ethnicity

Other

Arab Legion The Arab Legion () was the police force, then regular army, of the Emirate of Transjordan, a British protectorate, in the early part of the 20th century, and then of the Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, an independent state, with a final Ar ...

(''al-Jaysh al-Arabī'') (1920–56), the regular army of Transjordan, predecessor of the present Jordanian Army * Foreign legion (disambiguation) **

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (, also known simply as , "the Legion") is a corps of the French Army created to allow List of militaries that recruit foreigners, foreign nationals into French service. The Legion was founded in 1831 and today consis ...

, a unit of the French Army mainly composed of foreigners wishing to fight for France (1831–present) * Polish Legions (disambiguation), eleven units at different times between the 18th and 20th centuries (some of which are listed separately above) *

Spanish Legion For centuries, Spain recruited foreign soldiers to its army, forming the foreign regiments () such as the Regiment of Hibernia (formed in 1709 from Irishmen who fled their own country in the wake of the Flight of the Earls and the Penal la ...

, an elite unit of the Spanish Army (1920–present)

21st century

* International Legion of Territorial Defence of Ukraine, a volunteer foreign legion military unit created by the

Government of Ukraine The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (), commonly referred to as the Government of Ukraine (), is the highest body of state Executive (government), executive power in Ukraine. As the Cabinet of Ministers of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republi ...

to fight in the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

References

External links

{{Military units Legions