French Foreign Legion: Arms Contexts

gp · Today, 09:26 AM

to make it more complicated....during my 2 years stay in Morocco 1980/81, I travelled along the Atlantic coast from Tanger to Agadir ( also an Amizigh/Berber city) and noticed that all fortresses had canons with either Portugese or Dutch VOC marks on them....

Root cause: what Russia and the US is doing know, was done by the Dutch and Portugese since 1600/1700: biggest guntraders to the local sultans of the Magreb.
And also later by the English French rivalery, weapons of these two "culprits" can be found; whatever and by whomever was available, was sold and bought in the Magreb
Next to the plural dynasties

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6etYtGtD1rM

To add... as Spain occupied the North; the Riff , France made the rest of the country a protectorate since 1912 , locals joined the French army

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moroccan_Goumier

This resulted in a huge variety of weapons...

when visiting Morocco, I can recommend to visit these fortresses and local museums like the Borj Nord Arms Museum in Fez
https://safarway.com/en/property/borj-nord_13752

Jim McDougall · Today, 01:22 PM

Thank you so much GP for this brilliantly explained and detailed perspective and information on the complexities of the Maghreb! as well as the links and maps. This truly brings to light how these many weapon forms came into these regions and became so widely diffused.

In trying to determine the nationality of many of the indigenous weapons it seems nearly impossible to determine the nationality of them, let alone the regional or tribal affiliations. With the military weapons such as rifles as previously noted, the embellishments or added markings etc. are perhaps the only means of presumably reliable identification.

Your insights on this very esoteric area of study are so much appreciated here, especially with your field experience there in Morocco. That had to have been a remarkable time!!! This really helps. Thank you again,

All the best
Jim

Today, 09:26 AM	#1
gp Member Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 889	to make it more complicated....during my 2 years stay in Morocco 1980/81, I travelled along the Atlantic coast from Tanger to Agadir ( also an Amizigh/Berber city) and noticed that all fortresses had canons with either Portugese or Dutch VOC marks on them.... Root cause: what Russia and the US is doing know, was done by the Dutch and Portugese since 1600/1700: biggest guntraders to the local sultans of the Magreb. And also later by the English French rivalery, weapons of these two "culprits" can be found; whatever and by whomever was available, was sold and bought in the Magreb Next to the plural dynasties https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6etYtGtD1rM To add... as Spain occupied the North; the Riff , France made the rest of the country a protectorate since 1912 , locals joined the French army https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moroccan_Goumier This resulted in a huge variety of weapons... when visiting Morocco, I can recommend to visit these fortresses and local museums like the Borj Nord Arms Museum in Fez https://safarway.com/en/property/borj-nord_13752 Attached Images Last edited by gp; Today at 10:04 AM.

Today, 01:22 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,588	Thank you GP! Thank you so much GP for this brilliantly explained and detailed perspective and information on the complexities of the Maghreb! as well as the links and maps. This truly brings to light how these many weapon forms came into these regions and became so widely diffused. In trying to determine the nationality of many of the indigenous weapons it seems nearly impossible to determine the nationality of them, let alone the regional or tribal affiliations. With the military weapons such as rifles as previously noted, the embellishments or added markings etc. are perhaps the only means of presumably reliable identification. Your insights on this very esoteric area of study are so much appreciated here, especially with your field experience there in Morocco. That had to have been a remarkable time!!! This really helps. Thank you again, All the best Jim