Frères d’armes et de destin. Les volontaires juifs et arméniens dans la Légion étrangère (1914-1918)

Abstract

France entered the war in August 1914. Thousands of foreigners wanted to defend their new land as “volunteers.” Among them, Jews from Central Europe having fled pogroms, Romanians, Ottomans and Armenians. These volunteers were immediately incorporated into the Foreign Legion. In spite of humiliations and heavy losses, they fought with courage in Artois and Champagne. During the same period, Russian troops were abusing Jewish masses, just as the Ottoman army was massacring the Armenian people. Coincidence ? Several Jewish and Armenian Legionaries rebelled in June 1915. Nine of them were shot to “provide an example.” This article will show why the history of these foreign volunteers represents the larger tragedies of the XXth century.