France's colonial wars in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia were very largely fought by an organization completely separate from both the home-defense Metropolitan Army and the Armée d'Afrique in Algeria. The Naval Troops (Troupes de la Marine) were volunteers, and earned a reputation for greater toughness and hardiness than the conscripted Metropolitan Army.
Spread throughout the French Empire, Naval Troops in this period were characterized by very large infantry and artillery regiments based in France, mixed race regiments (Régiments Mixtes), and entire native regiments raised in West Africa, Madagascar, and Indochina. The latter, the so-called "Tirailleurs," were organized and led by officers and cadres from the Naval Troops, and wore very varied and colorful uniforms based on formalized versions of traditional local costumes.
French Naval & Colonial Troops 1872–1914 uses rich and detailed full color plates as well as thorough analysis to detail the story of these tough colonial units which bore the brunt of French colonial campaigns in Africa and Vietnam.

René Chartrand was born in Montreal and educated in Canada, the United States and the Bahamas. A senior curator with Canada's National Historic Sites for nearly three decades, he is now a freelance writer and historical consultant. He has written numerous articles and books including almost 20 Osprey titles and the first two volumes of ‘Canadian Military Heritage’. Also a student of wines, he currently lives in Hull, Quebec, with his wife and two sons.

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“A really fine study of a turbulent time in world history.” —IPMS / USA