page_title: French Foreign Legion
section_title: Generals' Putsch and reduction of Foreign Legion
hierarchical_section_title: French Foreign Legion / History / Algerian War 1954–1962 / Generals' Putsch and reduction of Foreign Legion
caption_attribution_description: tenue de parade des compagnies sahariennes portées de la Légion étrangère.Soldiers name: Lichtwarck
context_page_description: The French Foreign Legion is a military service branch of the French Army established in 1831. Legionnaires are highly trained infantry soldiers and the Legion is unique in that it is open to foreign recruits willing to serve in the French Armed Forces. When it was founded, the French Foreign Legion was not unique; other foreign formations existed at the time in France. The Foreign Legion is today known as a unit whose training focuses on traditional military skills and on its strong esprit de corps, as its men come from different countries with different cultures. This is a way to strengthen them enough to work as a team. Consequently, training is often described as not only physically challenging, but also very stressful psychologically. French citizenship may be applied for after three years' service. The Legion is the only part of the French military that does not swear allegiance to France, but to the Foreign Legion itself. Any soldier who gets wounded during a battle for France can immediately apply to be a French citizen under a provision known as "Français par le sang versé". As of 2018, members came from 140 countries.
context_section_description: Coming out of a difficult Indochinese conflict, the French Foreign Legion, reinforced cohesion by extending the duration of basic training. Efforts exerted were successful during this transit; however, entering in December 1960 and the revolt the generals, a crisis hit the legion putting its faith at the corps of the Army.
  For having rallied to the generals putsch of April 1961, the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment 1ᵉʳ REP of the 10th Parachute Division was dissolved on 30 April 1961 at Zeralda.
  In 1961, at the issue of the putsch, the 1st Mounted Saharan Squadron of the Foreign Legion(French: 1ᵉʳ Escadron Saharien Porté de la Légion Etrangère, 1ᵉʳ ESPLE) received the missions to assure surveillance and policing.
  The independence of Algeria from the French in 1962 was traumatising since it ended with the enforced abandonment of the barracks command center at Sidi Bel Abbès established in 1842. Upon being notified that the elite regiment was to be disbanded and that they were to be reassigned, legionnaires of the 1ᵉʳ REP burned the Chinese pavilion acquired following the Siege of Tuyên Quang in 1884. The relics from the Legion's history museum, including the wooden hand of Captain Jean Danjou, subsequently accompanied the Legion to France. Also removed from Sidi Bel Abbès were the symbolic Legion remains of General Paul-Frédéric Rollet ( The Father of the Legion ), Legion officer Prince Count Aage of Rosenborg, and Legionnaire Heinz Zimmermann (last fatal casualty in Algeria).
  The Legion acquired its parade song "Non, je ne regrette rien" ("No, I regret nothing"), a 1960 Édith Piaf song sung by Sous-Officiers and legionnaires as they left their barracks for re-deployment following the Algiers putsch of 1961. The song has remained a part of Legion heritage since.
  The 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment 1ᵉʳ REP was disbanded on 30 April 1961. However, the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 2ème REP prevailed in existence, while most of the personnel of the Saharan Companies were integrated into the 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment, 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment and 4th Foreign Infantry Regiment respectively.
caption: Tenue of a Legionnaire of the Saharan Mounted Companies of the Foreign Legion (CSPLE). Often blue or red and worn by all the soldiers of the Army of Africa; the Legion however, officially adopted the Ceinture Bleue (blue sash) in 1882.
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