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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.\nTo 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 had a criminal record.\xa0\nIn this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discover if they could meet the tests to join this notorious fighting force; expose the bloody history of the legion\u2019s ill-fated battles in Mexico; and reveal the deadly games Russian Legionnaires played in their downtime\u2026\nFurther Reading:\xa0\n\u2018Why young men queue up to die in the French Foreign Legion\u2019 (Aeon):\xa0\nhttps://aeon.co/essays/why-young-men-queue-up-to-die-in-the-french-foreign-legion\n\n\u2018The Expendables\u2019 (Vanity Fair, 2012): https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2012/12/french-foreign-legion-expendables\xa0\n\n\u2018French Foreign Legion: A Soldier\u2019s Story\u2019 (POVCAST, 2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uC2EYK2qbnk\xa0\n\n\xa0\nWe'll be back on Monday - unless you join\xa0\U0001f334CLUB RETROSPECTORS\U0001f334, where we give you ad-free listening AND a full-length Sunday episode every week!\nPlus, weekly bonus content, unlock over 70 bonus bits, and support our independent podcast.\nJoin now via\xa0Apple Podcasts\xa0or\xa0Patreon.\xa0Thanks!\nThe Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.\nTheme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Sophie King.\nCopyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2023.\n Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices