1831 Formation of the French Foreign Legion
The 1830 revolution that toppled the Bourbon dynasty brought with it the disbanding of the regiments of foreign troops who had served those kings. In March 1831 the new French king Louis-Philippe created a Foreign Legion from those soldiers and quickly dispatched it to aid in the conquest of Algeria. Since then the mercenaries of the Legion – whose motto is Legio Patria Nostra, the Legion is our Homeland – have fought with distinction in every French war. Their toughness is legendary and their casualties were heavy, especially in Mexican, North African, and Vietnamese conflicts.
As with every elite unit, esprit de corps is essential. This can be seen in the eccentric lyrics of their marching song, “Le Boudin”. A boudin is a sausage and refers to the rolled pack carried on the soldiers’ backs.
Chorus:
Hey, here’s blood sausage, here’s blood sausage, here’s blood sausage,/ For the Alsatians, the Swiss, and the Lorrains, /For the Belgians, there is none left,/ For the Belgians, there is none left, They are ass shooters. [des tireurs au cul]
1st verse:
We are crafty,/ We are rogues, Not ordinary guys,/ We often have our dark moods/ We are Legionnaires./ In Tonkin, the Immortal Legion/ Honoured our flag at Tuyen Quang./ Heroes of Camarón and model brothers/ Sleep in peace in your tombs.
(Chorus)
2nd verse:
Our ancestors knew how to die/ For the glory of the Legion./ We will all know how to perish/ Following tradition./ During our far-off campaigns,/ Facing fever and fire,/ Let us forget, along with our sorrows,/ Death, which forgets us so seldom./ We the Legion.
The slandering of the Belgians refers to the incident in 1870 when the King of Belgium requested that his subjects in the Legion not take part in the Franco-Prussian War. These troops were left at their home base much to the disgust of their comrades sent to the fighting.