Foreign legion

Foreign legion or Foreign Legion is a title which has been used by a small number of military units composed of foreign volunteers.

It usually refers to the French Foreign Legion, part of the French Army, established in 1831.

It can also refer to:

In military

Polish Legions, several Polish military units that served with the French Army from the 1790s to the 1810s.
Portuguese Legion, a Portuguese military force integrated in the Napoleon's Imperial Armies, mobilized after the occupation of Portugal, in 1807.
King's German Legion (KGL), a British Army unit of expatriate German personnel during the Napoleonic Wars
Russian–German Legion, a Russian Army unit of expatriate German personnel during the Napoleonic Wars
Foreign volunteers, a general term for troops joining a foreign army
Mahal (Israel), foreigners serving in the Israeli army, both during the 1948 war of independence as well as in the present IDF
Spanish Legion, a quasi-independent unit of the Spanish Army originally intended as an equivalent to the French Foreign Legion
Brigade of Gurkhas, light infantry unit of the British Army largely manned by ethnic Nepali.

The title Foreign Legion has been applied commonly but unofficially to:

Royal Dutch East Indies Army (KNIL), informally known as "Dutch Foreign Legion" (1830–1950)
Rhodesian Light Infantry, informally known as "Rhodesian Foreign Legion" (1961–1980)
International Legion, created in 1860 by Giuseppe Garibaldi
International brigades, of the Spanish Civil War
Recruited Foreigners Regiment, Värvat främlingsregemente, Swedish Regiment made up of Polish deserters during the Great Northern War