Why was the French Foreign Legion exclusively created for foreign nationals and not for French nationals?

star_gazer

The French Foreign Legion was created by Louis Philippe, the King of the French, on 10 March 1831. The direct reason was that foreigners were forbidden to serve in the French Army after the 1830 July Revolution, so the foreign legion was created to allow the government a way around this restriction. The purpose of the foreign legion was to remove disruptive elements from society and put them to use fighting the enemies of France. Recruits included failed revolutionaries from the rest of Europe, soldiers from the disbanded foreign regiments, and troublemakers in general, both foreign and French. Algeria was designated as the foreign legion's home. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Foreign_Legion#History Sep 30 11, 6:56 PM