Lesson53
The French Foreign Legion was founded by a Royal Ordinance, written on a small piece of official French War Office notepaper dated March 9th, 1831, and signed by the then reigning monarch of France, Louis-Philippe. He had been on the throne for barely eight months when he authorized this measure, which was as much a product of necessity as of careful planning, although there may be divided views on this.
The reasons for forming the French Foreign Legion were probably twofold. In the first place the men of the disbanded royal bodyguard and the Regiment of Hohenlohe, suddenly turned loose on to the street of a capital seething with un-rest, unemployed and perhaps disgruntled at their abrupt dismissal, were a potentially dangerous element. They were trained to the use of arms, and should
they become tools of the politically ambitious or discontented they would present a distinct menace to the new regime, not yet too firmly established and sure of itself.
For some time Paris had been swarming with countless other discharged foreign soldiers who had served in the French army at various times under the Empire and the Republic, many of whom were in needy circumstances and open to suggestion, whilst others were openly looking for trouble and always ready to take part in any disturbance. It was clearly both expedient and desirable to re-move these dangers as far away from the capital as possible.
Next, the Algerian adventure had begun, and it appeared that this might prove expensive in lives. The more Frenchmen killed in North Africa, the less popular the government at home would be, so if foreign cannon fodder was available so much the better. The Algerian landing had been viewed with mixed feelings in a politically divided France, but there does not seem to have been, any marked indication on the part of the politicians that they were unanimous that the occupation should be abruptly terminated; most were wary and many apprehensive as to how the Algerian business would turn out.
The formation of a foreign legion seemed therefore to be an ideal method of killing these two birds with one stone. Once the conditions were made clear there does not seem o have been any serious opposition. Marshal Soult was reputed to be the man behind the scheme both for removing and using the unemployed foreign ex-soldiers. He could not have failed to recognize, once they were formed into disciplined units, how useful they would be, both for garrison duty and for active operations in Algeria, nor the fact that if their casualties were heavy or their conditions not of the best, there would be no embarrassing reaction for agitation in France on their behalf.
The Royal Ordinance decreed that there should be a legion formed foreigners for service outside France, which was to be called the 'Foreign Legion' and it was to be part of the French army and under the control of the War Minister. It laid down that as far as possible companies should be composed of men of the same nationality or who spoke a common language. Algeria was not specificall y mentioned but as it was the only scrap of foreign territory of any size possessed by France at that moment, there was no doubt as to the meaning of the phrase 'outside France'.
In the anxiety to get dubious, restless characters out of the country no questions were asked as to nationality, previous record or history, and no proof of identity was required. The name and particulars given by the recruit were accepted at face value and many gave noms de guerre,* for understandable reasons. Thus the practice began, and the tradition started of 'asking no questions'.
This tradition of guaranteeing anonymity began to develop quickly, although it was not until later that it was carried to the extreme of denying all knowledge of any individuals who were in its ranks and of refusing point blank to answer questions or to allow any outside contact with the legionnaires.
* Pseudonyms.
EDGAR O'BALLANCE The Story of the French Foreign Legion
参考译文
法国外籍军官是根据一项皇家法令创建的。该法令书写在一张法国陆军部的正式便签上，日期是1831年3月9日，由当时法国的统治君主Louis-Philippe签署。他授权这一措施时刚在位8个月，它既是需求的产物，又经过精心策划，
虽然对此存在不同的看法。
组建法国外籍军团的理由或许是双重的。首先，因被解散而突然三两成群出现在群情激昂的首都街头的皇家卫队和Hohenlohe 团的官兵们既无所事事，又对被突然解雇心怀不满，确是一种潜在的危险因素。他们受训的目的就是使用
武器，如果他们成为政治野心家或不满者的工具，则对尚未立稳脚跟，对自身信心还不足的新政权将构成明显的威胁。
相当长的一段时间里，巴黎群集着无数其他被解雇的外籍士兵，他们曾于不同时期在王朝和共和国的法国陆军里服役，其中有许多人相当贫困，易受鼓动；另一些人则公开寻衅，准备参加任何骚乱。因此很清楚的是，把这些危险尽
可能远地移离首都是既合时宜又极吸引人的事。
其次，阿尔及利亚的冒险已经开始，看来得付出很大的牺牲代价。在北非战死的法国人越来越多，对本土政府的拥护就会越少，如果找到外籍炮灰，肯定越多越好。在政治上分裂的法国，人们对阿尔及利亚登陆的看法有复杂的感情。
现在看来，一致认为占领应立即停止的那帮政客似乎没有什么明确的表示；大多数人在担心，许多人则在考虑阿尔及利亚事件到底会有什么结果。
因此，创建外籍军团看来是一种一箭双雕的理想方法。情况一旦弄清，似乎没有出现过严重的对立。
人们认为调遣和使用失业的外籍退役士兵规划的幕后人物是Soult元帅。他当然不会不知道，一旦把他们组织成纪律严明的部队，对警卫任务和赴阿尔及利亚积极参战方面会多么有用，当然他也知道，如果他们伤亡惨重或是处境不是
最好时，在法国也没有理由会因不安而为他们做出令人为难的反应。
按照皇家法令规定，如果有由外籍士兵组成的军团在法国境外服役，则应称为“外籍军团”，它是法国陆军的一个组成部分，隶属陆军部。法令还规定连队应尽可能由同国籍士兵或讲同种语言者组成。未专门提及阿尔及利亚，但由于
它是当时法国拥有的唯一一片外国领土，“法国以外”一词的含意也就明确无误了。
为急于把可疑、不安定的人员送出法国，既不问国籍和以前的记录或历史，也无须提交身份的证明。应征者填写什么名字和详情都无所谓，许多人甚至用假名，理由自明。一经实行，“不担问题”的传统也就开始。这种保证匿名的传统
开始迅速发展，虽然只是到了后来才发展到登峰造极的地步：拒绝相信各军阶士官的所有情况、拒绝直截了当地问答问题，以至于不允许军团成员同外界有任何来往。
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