List of foreign volunteers

The armed forces of many nations have, at one time or another, used foreign volunteers who are motivated by political, ideological or other considerations to join a foreign army.[1] These may be formed into units of a given nationality or may be formed into mixed nationality foreign units. Sometimes foreign volunteers were or are incorporated into ordinary units. The practice has a long history, dating back at least as far as the Roman Empire, which recruited non-citizens into Auxiliary units on the promise of them receiving Roman citizenship for themselves and their descendants at the end of their service.[2]

Emir Abdelkader, wearing the sash of the Legion d'Honneur presented to him by the French government.
The exiled Muslim Algerian, along with his 1,000 volunteers, protected most of the diplomats and thousands of Christians during the 1860 Mount Lebanon civil war. He was awarded the highest decorations by European governments.

Mixed nationality units

Historic

Also including nationals

  • Tercio de Extranjeros, or Tercio, or Spanish Legion - prior to 1987 and in the 2000s, after the abandonment of conscription, the Spanish Army is again accepting foreigners from select nationalities. The Legion today accepts male and female native Spanish speakers, mostly from Central American and South American states. Recruits are required to have a valid Spanish residence permit.

Only including foreigners

Units by nationality

American

During both world wars, American volunteers served on the allied side before the US joined the war. During World War I, there were even a few Americans who volunteered to fly for the Imperial German Flying Corps.[4]

Bangladeshi

  • 8,000 young men from Bangladesh volunteered to enlist in the PLO in 1987

Belgian

British

Bulgarian

Bosnian

Chinese

Croatian

Czech

Estonian

Filipino

  • In the 1770s, the Spanish colonial army in the Philippines had an Infantry Company of Cavite Malabars
  • Filipinos served in the French military during the Cochinchina Campaign.
  • Filipinos served in the Ever Victorious Army.
  • The Philippine Revolutionary Army included commissioned officers who were American, Chinese, Cuban, English, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish.
  • The Philippine Constabulary in its early years had commissioned officers from Belgium, Cuba, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey.
  • Twenty-four Filipinos served in the French Army during World War I.
  • Filipinos fought on both sides of the Spanish Civil War.
  • During the Pacific War, Filipinos served in various pro-Japanese militias:
    • The Bisigbakal ñg Tagala (Tagalog "Iron Arm of Tagala") was formed in January 1945 to assist the Japanese in maintaining peace and order in Manila. The Bisig Bakal received weapons, uniforms, and training from the Japanese.
    • About five thousand Filipinos served in a militia called the Makapili, which was under Japanese command. The unit was formed on 10 November 1944 and was issued around two thousand rifles by the Japanese. Its headquarters was located at the Christ the King compound in Quezon City. The organization was active in the Manila area, and in the nearby provinces of Rizal, Laguna, Bulacan, and Nueva Ecija. This militia made its last stand at Marikina in 1945. Other militias similar to the Makapili were: the Borong-Borong Gang, Kaigun Hatai, and Nishimura Butai.
    • The Pambansang Pag-asa ng mga Anak ni Rizal (Tagalog "National Hope of the Children of Rizal") consisted of Ganáps in Pililla, Rizal, who were organized into a semi-military unit with the assistance of the Japanese. Also known as Pampar, they wore blue denim uniforms with short pants and were drilled along Japanese military lines. They performed sentry duties for the Japanese, and functioned as auxiliary troops of the Japanese army. They independently conducted raids against guerrilla camps.
    • The Yoin, incorrectly known as U.N. or United Nippon, were members of the Japanese Auxiliary Army drawn from the ranks of the Ganáp Party. They were trained for military purposes and wore Japanese regular uniforms. They were used as replacements in the ranks of Japanese infantry. Their counterparts in the Japanese Empire were the Koreans, Formosans, and Manchuokuans pressed into the Japanese army.
  • Filipinos, recruited by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, fought in the Soviet–Afghan War.
  • Filipinos fought in the Syrian Civil War.
  • Forty foreign fighters, from Indonesia, Malaysia, Yemen, and Chechnya, fought in the Siege of Marawi.

Finnish

French

German

Greek

Indian

Irish

See also Irish military diaspora.

Israeli

  • Mahal – Program for non-Israelis between the age of 18–24 to serve in the IDF.

Italian

Japanese

  • Former Japanese Soldiers fought alongside the Viet Minh.

Moroccan

Nepalese

Polish

Portuguese

Rhodesian

Russian

  • The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have since 2010 or so begun to recruit CIS volunteers. See Armed Forces of the Russian Federation#Personnel.
  • A number of Russian soldiers would fight for Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War as part of the Freedom of Russia Legion.
  • Soviet Volunteer Group, between 1927-1941 as part of the Republic of China Air Force during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
  • Some Russians fought for the Allies on the Western Front of WW1 as part of the Russian Legion. They were former members of the Russian Expeditionary Force.
  • A small group of White Russian emigres fought for Nationalist Spain as part of the Spanish Legion.
  • Asano Brigade, a unit of White Russian Emigres in Manchukuo.
  • Various Russian collaborators, nicknamed Hiwis fought in both the Wehrmacht and the Waffen SS.
  • Russian Emigres served in the Shanghai Volunteer Corps, a multinational volunteer force of the Shanghai International Settlement.

Serbian

Scottish

  • Scots have a long history of service in the armies of Kings of France since at least the ninth century. The Scottish Guard was formally created by the French King Charles VII in 1422, and existed until the end of the Bourbon Restoration period in 1830.

South African

Spanish

  • The Blue Division of World War II fighting with Germany against the USSR.
  • The Blue Legion was formed late in the Second World War out of Blue Division soldiers who refused to leave after Franco required all Spaniards to leave Axis forces.
  • The 9th Armoured Company of the Free French Forces.
  • The Spanish Legion accepts foreign recruits.

Swedish

Swiss

Taiwanese

Ukrainian

Yugoslav

See also

References

  1. Grasmeder, Elizabeth M.F. "Leaning on Legionnaires: Why Modern States Recruit Foreign Soldiers". International Security. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  2. Webster, Graham (1979). The Roman Imperial Army (Second ed.). London: A & C Black. p. 144. ISBN 0-7136-1909-0.
  3. "Ukraine appeals for foreign volunteers to join fight against Russia". The Guardian. 27 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  4. Herris, Jack (2010). Aircraft of World War I, 1914-1918 (2017 reprint ed.). London: Amber Books Ltd. p. 55. ISBN 978-1-906626-65-5.
  5. Webcast Author Interview Rachel Cox Into the Fire 2012 ISBN 9780451234759
  6. Graciela Iglesias Rogers, British Liberators in the Age of Napoleon: Volunteering under the Spanish Flag in the Peninsular War (Bloomsbury Academic, London and New York, 2013) ISBN 978-1-4411-3565-0
  7. Richard Baxell, Unlikely Warriors: The British in the Spanish Civil War and the Struggle Against Fascism (Aurum Press, London, 2012)
  8. Arielli, Nir. "In Search of Meaning: ForeignVolunteers in the Croatian Armed Forces, 1991–95". Academia.edu.
  9. "Bosnia struggles with return of ISIS widows". POLITICO. 2018-11-06. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  10. Grgurinovic, Matea (February 28, 2022). "Croatian Volunteer Fighters Head for Ukrainian Frontline". Balkan Insight.
  11. "Serbian, Croatian volunteers fight on Ukraine's front line – DW – 01/31/2023". dw.com. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  12. Braniteljski (2020-12-08). "Strani dragovoljci u Domovinskom ratu (I. DIO)". Braniteljski (in Croatian). Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  13. admin (2020-08-04). "Croatian Volunteers in the Wehrmacht in WWII". Feldgrau. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  14. Robert (2019-09-29). "Les Français en Croatie - 1809-1813". Histoire du Consulat et du Premier empire (in French). Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  15. Bogros, Denis (1996). "Les chevaux de la Cavalerie française à la fin du XVIIe siècle". Histoire, Économie et Société. 15 (1): 105–112. doi:10.3406/hes.1996.1855. ISSN 0752-5702.
  16. Krott, Rob (2008). Save the Last Bullet for Yourself: A Soldier of Fortune in the Balkans and Somalia. Casemate. pp. 168–69. ISBN 978-1935149712.
  17. Krott (2008, p. 148)
  18. "Venezuela's Irish Legacy Copyright 1991 by Brian McGinn". Archived from the original on 2013-02-16. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
  19. "Garibaldi Division". Vojska.net. Retrieved 2013-09-17.
  20. Kuloglija, Nermina (March 8, 2022). "Serb Volunteers Answer Call to Fight in Ukraine". Balkan Insight.
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