The Legion was involved in the war as the main force.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Franco-Dahomean_War
"Colonel Dodds arrived with a force of 2,164 men, including Foreign Legionnaires, marines, engineers, artillery and Senegalese cavalry known as spahis plus the trusted tirailleurs."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Foreign_Legion#Second_Franco-Dahomean_War_1892%E2%80%931894
"In 1892, King Behanzin was threatening the French protectorate of Porto-Novo in modern-day Benin and France decided to intervene. A battalion, led by commandant Faurax Montier, was formed from two companies of the First Foreign Regiment and two others from the second regiment. From Cotonou, the legionnaires marched to seize Abomey, the capital of the Kingdom of Dahomey. Two and a half months were needed to reach the city, at the cost of repeated battles against the Dahomean warriors, especially the Amazons of the King. King Behanzin surrendered and was captured by the legionnaires in January 1894."
Any data that they were not involved in the battle of Adégon?
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whynotwriteme (7725)
2 years ago
Well, seeing as the FFL were the most famed of France's soldiers, the absence of any reference to them in what few accounts of the battle that are available would seem to indicate they were not at Adegon.
I found this quote: ” A French Marine, Henri Morienval, thought them “remarkable for their courage and their ferocity… flung themselves on our bayonets with prodigious bravery.”
https://africaglobalradio.com/african-women-warriors-from-dahomey-kingdom-17th-century-that-inspired-black-panther/
A Marine, not a Legionnaire.
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asom (6865)
2 years ago
And as I posted above:
"Colonel Dodds arrived with a force of 2,164 men, including Foreign Legionnaires, marines, engineers, artillery and Senegalese cavalry known as spahis plus the trusted tirailleurs."
So yeah, probably there were marines. But apparently the bulk of the armed forces where the Legion. And I would think that they marched as a more or less compact block due to the guerilla warfare that the tribes were doing.
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whynotwriteme (7725)
2 years ago
However, as I said, The Legion is the most famous of France's armed forces. You would think they would be specifically mentioned in any account of that battle, but all accounts I have found just refer to French soldiers.
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asom (6865)
2 years ago
However, as I said and it's recorded: the armed forces were comprised mainly from Legionnaires.
But the point still remains: in that battle they got their asses badly kicked. BADLY.
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BeaSouth (3350)
2 years ago
The thing is, I know you and whynotwriteme would be the first to concede that there is no racial or national monopoly on great warriors. You’re shining the light on the history of this group and I respect this. But we all know that black, white, Asian, Native American, etc. can all be effective and devastating warriors when well led. The FFL proves it. Andrew Jackson proved it at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815
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asom (6865)
2 years ago
The thing is, no one said that it’s a racial trait.
It was just about this particular instance and the way they are depicted in the movie. By stressing that most likely it was the French Foreign Legion that defeated them I’m even giving them more credit as warriors. The Legion is famous for its combat training and ferocity …
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whynotwriteme (7725)
2 years ago
Yes, it's exactly as Asom said. There are many, many cases of highly effective non-European fighting forces in the history of the world, but the Dahomey Amazons, contrary to the superheroics in this movie, were definitely not one of them.
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BeaSouth (3350)
2 years ago
I was trying to compliment that you were not making a racial point. Apologies if it came across the wrong way. I was trying to preempt the angry race-baiters who are going to read the thread and mischaracterize it
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Miyagido (2944)
2 years ago
No-one ever said Temujin wasn't a great warrior or leader, not sure why you think there is some implied racial or national monopoly.
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BeaSouth (3350)
2 years ago
I didn’t mean my comment to make that suggestion. I was trying to express a compliment that there were no racial subtexts in this thread as I’ve seen in many other threads for this movie. I was impressed with the nature of the historic dialogue in this thread. Please see my clarification above.
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