Spahis were native cavalry raised by the French in North Africa. The term derives from the Turkish sipahi (soldier), also the root of sepoy, the word used by Europeans for native Indian soldiers. Spahis were raised in Algeria during the French conquest, and were subsequently recruited in Tunisia and Morocco as well. Officers and NCOs were both French and North African, and troopers largely native. The spahis tended to attract Arabs of good family, and French ability to offer commissions to the sons of local magnates played a useful part in the pacification of Algeria. Their counterparts were the Chasseurs d'Afrique, raised from the white settler population.
Although the spahis did not fight in the Franco-Prussian war, a provisional regiment of Algerian light cavalry, which was sent to France, included many spahis. The spahis had a distinguished record in both world wars, first as cavalry and latterly as armour. A spahi mounted brigade's defence of the village of La Horgne against German tanks in May 1940 was a remarkable, though unavailing, feat of arms.
The spahis were perhaps the most colourful of France's North African units, wearing a red and white burnous and riding little barb stallions with traditional North African horse furniture. The name and traditions of the spahis have been preserved in a French armoured regiment.
— Richard Holmes
