In December 1870, the Tours delegation created the 19th Army Corps which was formed in Alençon.
[1] Elements were also in Tunisia, forming the 'Tunisian occupation division', located mainly in Tunis, Bizerte and Sousse.
The other twenty military regions of the Metropolitan army covered mainland France, hence the distinction this was the 'Army of Africa'.
They saw action in the Gallipoli campaign, and thereafter on the Salonika front, fighting alongside British troops in both theatres of war.
The 85th DIA occupied covering positions along the Libyan border until the end of May 1940 and was then shipped to Marseille by 3 June 1940.
[11] The Oran, Constantine, and Algiers Divisions existed on 8 November 1942 as Operation Torch began; the corps was commanded by Lieutenant General fr:Louis Koeltz[12] while the Algiers Division was under Charles Mast.