List of foreign volunteers explained

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]

Mixed nationality units

Historic

Current

Also including nationals

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]

Albanian

Bangladeshi

Belgian

British

Bulgarian

Bosnian

Chinese

Croatian

Czech

Estonian

Filipino

Finnish

French

German

Greek

Indian

Irish

See also Irish military diaspora.

Israeli

Italian

Japanese

Korean

Moroccan

Nepalese

Polish

Portuguese

Rhodesian

Russian

Serbian

Scottish

South African

Spanish

Swedish

Swiss

Taiwanese

Ukrainian

Yugoslav

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Leaning on Legionnaires: Why Modern States Recruit Foreign Soldiers . Grasmeder. Elizabeth M.F.. 30 July 2021 . International Security.
  2. Book: Webster, Graham. The Roman Imperial Army. 1979. Second . A & C Black. London . 0-7136-1909-0 . 144 .
  3. News: McKernan . Bethan . 27 February 2022 . Ukraine appeals for foreign volunteers to join fight against Russia . 28 February 2022 . The Guardian.
  4. Book: Herris . Jack . Aircraft of World War I, 1914-1918 . 2010 . Amber Books Ltd . London . 978-1-906626-65-5 . 55 . 2017 reprint.
  5. http://www.pritzkermilitarylibrary.org/Home/Rachel-Cox.aspx Webcast Author Interview
  6. Book: Mojzes, Paul . 2011 . Balkan Genocides: Holocaust and Ethnic Cleansing in the 20th Century . 94–95 . Rowman & Littlefield . Lanham, Maryland . 978-1-4422-0665-6 .
  7. 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)
  8. [Richard Baxell]
  9. Web site: 2018-11-06 . Bosnia struggles with return of ISIS widows . 2023-08-22 . POLITICO . en.
  10. Web site: Grgurinovic . Matea . February 28, 2022 . Croatian Volunteer Fighters Head for Ukrainian Frontline . Balkan Insight.
  11. Web site: Serbian, Croatian volunteers fight on Ukraine's front line – DW – 01/31/2023 . 2023-08-22 . dw.com . en.
  12. Web site: Braniteljski . 2020-12-08 . Strani dragovoljci u Domovinskom ratu (I. DIO) . 2023-08-22 . Braniteljski . hr.
  13. Web site: admin . 2020-08-04 . Croatian Volunteers in the Wehrmacht in WWII . 2023-08-19 . Feldgrau . en.
  14. Web site: Robert . 2019-09-29 . Les Français en Croatie - 1809-1813 . 2023-08-19 . Histoire du Consulat et du Premier empire . fr-FR.
  15. Bogros . Denis . 1996 . Les chevaux de la Cavalerie française à la fin du XVIIe siècle . Histoire, Économie et Société . 15 . 1 . 105–112 . 10.3406/hes.1996.1855 . 0752-5702.
  16. Web site: In Search of Meaning: ForeignVolunteers in the Croatian Armed Forces, 1991–95. Academia.edu. Arielli. Nir.
  17. Book: Krott, Rob. Save the Last Bullet for Yourself: A Soldier of Fortune in the Balkans and Somalia. Casemate. 2008. 978-1935149712. 168–69.
  18. Krott (2008, p. 148)
  19. Web site: Venezuela's Irish Legacy Copyright 1991 by Brian McGinn . 2019-01-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130216231428/http://www.illyria.com/irish/irishven.html . 2013-02-16 . dead .
  20. Web site: Garibaldi Division . Vojska.net . 2013-09-17.
  21. Web site: Kuloglija . Nermina . March 8, 2022 . Serb Volunteers Answer Call to Fight in Ukraine . Balkan Insight.
  22. Book: Kumm, Otto. Vorwärts, Prinz Eugen!: Geschichte d. 7. SS-Freiwilligen-Division "Prinz Eugen". 1978. Munin. 978-3-921242-34-6. 79. de.