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Why did the 13th Demi-Brigade of the French Foreign Legion join Charles de Gaulle’s Free French forces in 1940?

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French Foreign Legion soldiers in uniform with white hats and rifles stand in formation during a Bastille Day parade on the Champs Elysees in Paris. — French Foreign Legion Soldiers of the French Foreign Legion in a parade celebrating Bastille Day in Paris.

The 13th Demi-Brigade of the French Foreign Legion joined Charles de Gaulle’s Free French forces in June 1940 following France’s capitulation to Germany.1

Organized earlier that same year, the unit chose to rally to de Gaulle’s cause to continue the war against Germany, aligning itself with the leader of the Free French movement rather than the collaborationist Vichy government. Following this decision, the 13th Demi-Brigade became a key component of the Free French military effort, spearheading campaigns to secure French colonial territories in sub-Saharan Africa and Syria.1