The (, ) or TDM, sometimes simply referred to as "French Marines" in English, are one of the major components of the French Army and comprise several specialties: infantry, airborne, armoured cavalry, artillery, engineering, and transmissions (signals). Characterized by their fundamental vocation for service beyond the seas, including in French overseas territories and, formerly, in French colonies, the Marines have taken part in all French military campaigns since the corps' foundation, both on home soil and in theaters of operations around the world. They are stationed in Metropolitan France, in many French overseas departments and territories, as well as in Africa.
Historically amphibious warfare specialists, the French Marines were pioneers of professionalization since the late 1960s and are well suited for military campaigns abroad. From Gabon in 1964 to Afghanistan in 2002, and from the First Gulf War in 1990 to Mali in 2013, their units took part in more than sixty military operations over six decades. As they represent a core asset of French expeditionary capabilities, they are highly trained soldiers and noted for their professionalism and strong esprit de corps. With a strength of over 17,000 men as of 2022, the Troupes de Marine consist of 26 regiments and amount to around 15% of the French Army.
History
The were formerly known as the , with origins dating back to the French Navy's . The French colonies were under the control of the (the equivalent of the British Admiralty), accordingly, Marines defended the colonies.
Ancien Régime Origin Renamed then during the dismantling of the French Union (1958), their origin can actually be found in the () (Ordinary Sea Companies), created in 1622 by Cardinal Richelieu. These companies were used to embark on royal naval ships to serve the naval artillery and participate in the boarding of enemy ships. These companies were also in charge of guarding the various sea ports. Despite the fact that the artillery of the marines was limited in numbers compared to those of the infantry marines (fusiliers and grenadiers), the ship's marine artillerymen were the determining factor for the , being in charge of displacing and mounting the naval guns under the orders of the respective marine artillery officer in charge. In the 18th century, they constituted the who essentially spread to (in particular: these marines were recruited in Europe, with marine officers recruiting them on the spot due to an excellent knowledge of the local environment). Since then the anchor has been with the Troupes as their official symbol because of the former links to the French Royal Navy.
Following France's defeat in the Seven Years' War, these troops, along with the rest of the Marines, were transferred to the French Army under the Choiseul ministries, and after their emancipation at the end of 1760, they retained a large number of officers issued from the Ministère de la Guerre, which would reproduce and compensate for the losses endured assisting the colonies during the American Revolutionary War. An evolution in the mentality of the troops and an increasingly pronounced separation between the marines and their officers followed. A tentative close-up merger was attempted by two naval ship corps and their troops in 1786 with the companies of naval gunners assigned to ships of the Navy; however, the experiment came to little conclusion.
Ordinary Sea Companies and Troupes de la marine (1622–1673)
The separate companies of the and the founded by Colbert were based in Dunkerque, Le Havre, Brest, Rochefort and Toulon. They wore an off-white/grey uniform with blue facings.
The 1670s saw significant changes in the organisation of the new corps, administered by Ministers Colbert and François-Michel le Tellier, Marquis de Louvois, respectively Naval State Secretary and the Secretary of State of War. The four regiments of the la marine were transferred from the secretariat of La Marine to that of the secretariat of La Guerre. The regiments were no longer directly part of the French Navy although the designation was retained. During the Revolution, the La Marine, Royal-Marine, Royal-Vaisseux, and the ( re-baptized ) regiments were integrated definitively into the French Army, becoming respectively, the 11e, 60e, 43e and 61e regiments of de Ligne in 1791.
The Marine Royale was a substantial force in 1671, consisting of 196 naval vessels. Colbert decided to create 100 companies of "guardian-soldiers" intended to form part of the crews of the larger naval vessels (). However, these men were redirected towards the French Army by Louvois in 1673. Starting from this date, senior naval and marine officers were obliged to separately recruit crews and marines for each ship. Using a system of «levées» (selective conscription) in the various sea ports, similar to the « marine press », the naval and marine officers were able to man their ships. However, the system reached its limitations quickly. The recruits often lacked discipline and experience, and were discharged or deserted following their first voyage, wasting months of training. Until 1682 there was a serious shortage of experienced sailors and soldiers in the French Navy.
Free Marine Companies and Marine Artillery Corps (1690–1761)
The Marine units were recreated at the end of the 17th century by re-organization of the infantry units dedicated to guarding military harbors (the Warden-Soldiers Companies or , created in 1671) and the artillery units dedicated to coastal battery service (Bomb Companies or , created in 1689), naval artillery training (Apprentice Gunner Companies or , created in 1689) and naval artillery administration (Artillery Commissaries or , created in 1631). (Free Marine Companies) created in 1690. Each company was tasked to guard a military harbor and its immediate coastline. Beginning in 1695, the Companies were organized in battalions around the major harbors (Brest, Rochefort, Toulon). The Marine Companies and Battalions were dissolved in 1761. (Marine Artillery Corps), created in 1692 to oversee the training and use of coastal artillery. The Corps was disbanded in 1761.
Royal Marine Corps (1769–1786) The infantry and marine artillery units were briefly merged into a single marine corps in 1769. Some colonial units were created at the same time, organized along the same lines of artillery and infantry units. (Royal Marine Artillery and Infantry Corps), created in 1769. Its name was changed in 1772 to (Royal Marine Corps). The Corps was organized in eight regiments, each centered on a harbor: (Bayonne, Bordeaux, Brest, Le Havre, Marseille, Rochefort, Saint-Malo and Toulon). The corps was broken down in 1774, in line with Antoine de Sartine's reform of the navy. ("Royal Marine Infantry Corps), created in 1774 with the infantry units of the Royal Marine Corps, organized in three divisions centered on the only three military harbors remaining: Brest, Rochefort and Toulon. The Corps' name was changed to in 1782, but it remained an infantry-only unit. The corps was disbanded in 1786. (Marine Artillery), created in 1774 with the artillery units of the Royal Marine Corps, organized in three divisions centered on the same three military harbors: Brest, Rochefort and Toulon. The Marine Artillerymen were tasked to serve aboard Navy ships as well as manning the coastal batteries. The commanding officers of the Marine Artillery were naval officers. The corps was dispanded in 1786. Colonial Regiments "Cap", created 1766, became the 106th Infantry Regiment "Pondichéry", set up 1772, became the 107th Infantry Regiment "Martinique et Guadeloupe", created 1772, became the 109th Infantry Regiment "Port-au-Prince", created 1773, became 110th Infantry Regiment
Revolution and First French Empire (1786–1816) After 1786, the Marine units were often reduced to artillery units, except for some short-lived infantry regiments (1792–1794). (Royal Sailors-Gunners Corps), created on 1 January 1786. The was an early attempt to use sailors for duties previously done by marines – soldiers specializing in naval and amphibious combat. This naval artillery corps was suppressed in 1792 and its duties transferred to a new marine unit. (Marine Artillery and Infantry Corps), created in 1792. The Corps had four infantry regiments, two artillery regiments, two engineer companies and two training companies. The infantry units were transferred to the Army in 1794. (Marine Artillery Corps), created in 1794 from the artillery units of the Artillery and Infantry Corps. It was organized in seven half-brigades and re-organized in four regiments in 1803. The Corps gained the title Impérial at Napoléon I's coronation (1804) and Royal at Louis XVIII's return (1814 and 1815).
These units fought for France during the French Revolutionary Wars and in all the Napoleonic Wars.
19th century The colonial expansion of the 19th century saw the extensive use of French sailors and marines serving together in Southeast Asia, the Pacific, and West Africa. The were tasked with insuring the French presence in its Asian, African, and American colonies.
The revolutionary period saw a definite division in 1792 between the reconstituted and the ships of the navy. Under Napoleon, the were used primarily as line infantry. Following the disbandment of the Imperial Guard, under the Restoration, separate marine artillery () and marine infantry () units were created as part of a reorganization between 1818 and 1822. These two corps were popularly known as « bigors » and « marsouins » respectively. Starting in 1831, these two arms ceased to serve on board naval ships and were exclusively armed with regular army equipment and weapons. Their role was now to serve on land in the new French colonial territories, as well as defending the large naval ports and bases in France itself.
The diverse colonial or exterior operations administered by the July Monarchy, essentially conducted by the Marines and their troops, led to the rehabilitation and the increase of the latter in 1846. The revolution of 1848 led to a draconian reduction in size. The Crimean War saw them, along with the equipment of naval vessels of the fleet, illustrating their capability during the Siege of Sevastopol while aiding the heavy artillery pieces ( to constitute a siege artillery ) to disembark from the naval vessels under the orders of Admiral Charles Rigault de Genouilly.
Honored since 1855, with the return of their staff of 1846, the marines demonstrated their capability during the expeditions of the Second French Empire.
In 1870, marine artillery and infantry were for the first time regrouped in a grand unit: Blue Division of general Élie de Vassoigne, named after the blue uniforms worn by the soldiers to differentiate them from the line troops. Following the Franco-Prussian War, the marines participated to the construction of the second colonial empire of France.
Marine Infantry and Marine Artillery Regiments (1816–1900) The 21 February 1816, royal ordinance of Louis XVIII re-establishing authorized two regiments. This was increased to three regiments in 1838 and four in 1854. The 1st Regiment was located in Cherbourg, the 2nd in Brest, the 3rd in Rochefort and the 4th in Toulon. In 1890, was increased to eight regiments. , created in 1793, was formed into a single regiment in 1814. A second was added on 8 July 1893. Battles fought in this era included Bomarsund (1854) in the Baltic, Sea of Azoff and the Crimea (1855–56), Ki Hoa in China (1860), and the Battle of Puebla in Mexico (1863). Their most famous battle was Bazeilles (1870) in the Franco-Prussian War.