The infamous French Foreign Legion was formed by King Louis Philippe on March 10, 1831, to help the French control Algeria using mercenaries who were more expendable than native young Frenchmen.
To this day a magnet for men who want a clean break from their past, the Legion famously did not ask many questions about where their recruits came from - or if they ... Show More
Sep 2023
#402 | The French Foreign Legion
It is, by some measures, the toughest fighting force in the world – yet it continues to attract people from across the globe through the promise of a fresh start and adventure. In this episode, we'll be talking about the origins of the French Foreign Legion, how you join it, and ... Show More
22m 12s
May 2024
L'antimilitarisme, une passion française [Le Fil de l'Epée #17]
<p>Invité : Eric Fournier, maître de conférences à l’université Panthéon-Sorbonne, co-directeur de "A bas l’armée. L’antimiliarisme en France du XIXe siècle à nos jours" (Editions de la Sorbonne, 2023)</p><br><p>Définition et balbutiements de l’antimilitarisme au XIXe siècle (1:3 ... Show More
1h 15m
Jun 2021
Franco Part 4: The Cold War & the President
The ‘White Terror’ continues. Spain’s strongman assumes power in Madrid, herding his defeated enemies into concentration camps. Franco commissions a movie to tell his own life story. Up in the mountains, die-hard rebels continue to resist. After World War Two, Franco seeks to re- ... Show More
34m 55s
Nov 2023
383. Young Napoleon: The Shadow of the Guillotine (Part 2)
Within the turmoil of the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte stands out to his military superiors, first by defeating the British at Toulon, then by putting down a royalist mob in Paris when outnumbered four to one, with a “whiff of grapeshot”. Having finally shaken off the hu ... Show More
51m 52s
<p>Invité : Pierre Salmon, maître de conférences en histoire à l’ENS de Paris, auteur d’<em>Un antifascisme de combat. Armer l’Espagne révolutionnaire (1936-1939)</em>, éditions du Détour, 2024.</p><br><p>La défaite républicaine (1:30)</p><p>Le Front populaire français face à la ... Show More
