The Spanish Foreign Legion has never had the same fame and glamour as the French Foreign Legion, perhaps because at least in its early history it never fought outside of Spanish colonial territory or perhaps because foreigners never made up more than 1/4 of the force.

The Legion was founded in 1920. The founding father of the Legion Jose Millán Astray, the son of a prominent government lawyer. Jose Millán Astray was born in Corunnano on the 5th July of 1879 & entered the army at the age of 15 becoming a Second Lieutenant at the age of 16, shortly after that he was sent to the Philippines when his exploits made him a (Spanish) national hero. He then return to Spain to study at the army academy. In year up to 1920 he spends his time either at the army academy of commanding Spanish colonial forces, throughout this period he campions the idea of a military unit composed of foreigners. In 1920 he gets the chance to put his ideas into practice when he is made Lieutenant Colonel and put in charge of the newly formed Spanish Foreign Legion.

On the 7 of January of 1921, the Legion got it's first taste of combat in Morocco during the Riff War where Balthasar Queija Vega becomes the first Legionnaire to die in combat.