Rank comparison chart ofofficers forgendarmeries ofFrancophone states. InFrance and someFrancophone nations , the gendarmerie is abranch of thearmed forces that is responsible forinternal security in parts of the territory (primarily in rural areas and small towns in the case of France), with additional duties asmilitary police for the armed forces.[ 1] In the mid-twentieth century, a number of former Frenchmandates and colonial possessions adopted gendarmeries after independence.[ 2] [ 3] [ 4]
Through theFrench colonial empire the gendarmerie was employed as a military and policing force throughout French colonies,[ 5] [ 3] with Gendarmes from France being deployed in every colony in 1900.[ 6] The gendarmerie would also recruit personnel from the local populations, entrenching the idea of a gendarmerie in the colonial societies.[ 7] [ 8]
In the mid-twentieth century, a number of former French mandates and colonial possessions adopted gendarmeries after independence.[ 2] [ 3] These includedAlgeria ,[ 9] Chad ,[ 10] Djibouti ,[ 11] theIvory Coast ,Lebanon ,Madagascar ,Morocco ,[ 9] [ 12] Senegal ,[ 13] Syria ,[ 14] Tunisia ,[ 9] [ 15] and theRepublic of the Congo .[ 16]
^ Lioe, Kim Eduard (2010).Armed Forces in Law Enforcement Operations? – The German and European Perspective (1989 ed.). Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. pp. 52– 57.ISBN 978-3-642-15433-1 . ^a b Lutterbeck 2018 , p. 8.^a b c "La gendarmerie dans le monde" [The Gendarmerie in the world].Ministère de l’Intérieur (in French). Archived fromthe original on 25 April 2024.^ Kirisci, Mustafa (2020). "Who Fights Terror: Gendarmerie Forces and Terrorist Group Termination".Terrorism and Political Violence .34 (4):746– 771.doi :10.1080/09546553.2020.1741355 . ^ Haberbusch, Benoît (2014)."La gendarmerie de l'outre-mer en 1914" [The Overseas Gendarmerie in 1914](PDF) .Histoire et Patrimoine des Gendarmes (in French) (9):62– 71. Archived fromthe original (PDF) on 12 June 2024. ^ Haberbusch, Benoît (2000)."La gendarmerie coloniale au début du siècle" [The colonial gendarmerie at the beginning of the century].Revue historique des Armées (in French).218 (218):98– 107.doi :10.3406/rharm.2000.4908 . ^ Kalman, Samuel (Summer 2020)."Introduction Policing the French Empire: Colonial Law Enforcement and the Search for Racial-Territorial Hegemony" .Historical Reflections/Réflexions Historiques .46 (2).Berghahn Books :1– 8.doi :10.3167/hrrh.2020.460201 .ISSN 1939-2419 . ^ Thomas, Martin (Summer 2010). "The gendarmerie, information collection, and colonial violence in French North Africa between the wars".Historical Reflections/Réflexions Historiques .36 (2).Berghahn Books .doi :10.3167/hrrh.2010.360206 .ISSN 1939-2419 . ^a b c Lutterbeck 2018 , p. 38.^ "Gendarmerie nationale tchadienne" [Chadian National Gendarmerie].force-publique.net (in French). Archived fromthe original on 20 June 2019. Retrieved12 June 2020 .^ "National Gendarmerie of Djibouti" .FIEP . Archived fromthe original on 13 November 2024.^ "The Moroccan Gendarmerie Royale at the service of citizens" .FIEP . Archived fromthe original on 14 May 2024.^ "Senegalese National Gendarmerie" .FIEP . Archived fromthe original on 8 August 2024.^ Deep, Daniel (2012).Occupying Syria Under the French Mandate: Insurgency, Space and State Formation .Cambridge University Press . p. 204.ISBN 978-1-107-00006-3 . ^ "Tunisian National Guard" .FIEP . Archived fromthe original on 20 May 2024.^ Clark, John; Decalo, Samuel (2012).Historical Dictionary of Republic of the Congo . Lanham:Scarecrow Press . pp. 44– 49.ISBN 978-0-8108-7989-8 . ^ "Grades designations" .Ministry of Defence . Archived fromthe original on 13 October 2024.^ "Ranks of the Force" .rcmp-grc.gc.ca .Royal Canadian Mounted Police . 21 May 2015. Retrieved25 January 2021 .^ "Grades appellations distinctions" .defense.gouv.cg (in French). Ministry of National Defense (Republic of the Congo). Retrieved7 June 2021 .^ "Décret n° 2018-190/PR/MD portant révision du décret de la commission « marathon » n° 88-043/PR/DEF du 31 mai 1988 révisé en 2002 relatif au Statut Général des Militaires (SGM)" [Decree No. 2018-190/PR/MD revising the Decree of the "Marathon" Commission No. 88-043/PR/DEF of 31 May 1988 revised in 2002 relating to the General Status of the Military (SGM).] (in French). 31 May 2018. Archived fromthe original on 14 November 2025.^ "Quels sont les grades et les évolutions de carrière dans la Gendarmerie Nationale ?" [What are the ranks and career progression in the National Gendarmerie?].Police Nationale (in French). Archived fromthe original on 9 November 2024.^ Bureau international des droits des enfants (December 2012)."État des Lieux: Formation des forces de défense et de sécurité sur les droit de l'enfant au Niger" (PDF) (in French). p. 34. Retrieved28 September 2020 . ^ "Comment reconnaître les grades dans la gendarmerie togolaise?" .24heureinfo.com (in French). 12 August 2020. Retrieved13 January 2022 .^ "Statut particulier des agents de la Garde nationale" .interieur.gov.tn (in French). Tunisian Ministry of the Interior. Retrieved10 June 2021 .
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