French Foreign Legion: Arms Contexts

[gp]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

David,

When you mention the 'riffs', does this refer to the Berber tribes in Morocco?
While the Foreign Legion was not officially situated in Morocco, they certainly had occasions for forays into these areas, and actually occupied Oudja, near the border.
It seems Berber tribesmen often had captured rifles, many of course Spanish Mausers, but also French weapons.
As always said, weapons transcend geographic borders, as well as cultural.

Thank you again!
Jim

there is more to it; the riff is actually ( a most beautiful) mountain region which was quite independent since the Romans and prior the Kingdom, when Sultans pf several dynasties rules the Magreb, the riff was not or hardly under the influance of the sultan with even a temporary Berber republic 1920 when the Spanish who had the North occupied and the many tribes ( > 20 became united, each Beni is a tribe...and it doesn't stop at the present border; it continues into Algeria where a century prior the riff wars, emir Abedelkadir united the riffians against the occupying forces : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emir_Abdelkader) and the Riff Republic under Muḥammad bin ‘Abd al-Karīm al-Khaṭṭābī,AKA Abd el-Krim , Arabic: عبد الكريم
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abd_el-Krim

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IYF8JUEAIQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DmlRWbD3DA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6etYtGtD1rM

Next to the fact that Morocco has not only many tribes but also many different peoples ( like Arabs, Berbers, riffians, etc.)
and many of whom joined the French Foreign Legion and also the spanish ( think of Franco's invasion into Spain during the Civil war)
https://foreignlegion.info/category/morocco/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moroccan_Division_(France)