Page "Zouave" Paragraph 6

By 1852, the French Army included three regiments of Zouaves.

Each of the three line regiments of Zouaves was allocated to a different province of Algeria, where their depots and peace-time garrisons were located.

The Crimean War was the first service which the regiments saw outside Algeria.

They subsequently served in the Franco-Austrian War of 1859, the Mexican Intervention ( 1864 – 66 ) and the Franco-Prussian War ( 1870 ).

The distinctive dress and dash of the Zouaves made them well known outside France and they were frequently portrayed in the illustrated publications of the period.

The 2nd Zouaves ( popularly known as " the Jackals of Oran ") had their eagle decorated with the Legion d ' Honneur following the Battle of Magenta in 1859.