Monument to the Czechoslovak Legions, Palacky square, Prague.

The Czechoslovak Legions (Československé legie in Czech and Slovak) were Czech and Slovak volunteer armed forces fighting together with the Entente powers during World War I. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1224x1632, 752 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Czechoslovak Legions Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1224x1632, 752 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Czechoslovak Legions Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to... European military alliances in 1914. ... Combatants Allied Powers: Russian Empire France British Empire Italy United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary German Empire Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Ferdinand Foch Herbert Henry Asquith Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Franz...

Overview

Small armed units were organized from 1914 onwards by volunteer Czechs and Slovaks. Their purpose was to help the Entente and thus to enable the creation of an independent country of Czechoslovakia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Later, many Czech and Slovaks captured during the war joined these units; with help of émigré intellectuals and politicians (Tomáš Masaryk, Milan Rastislav Štefánik and others) the Legions grew into force of tens of thousands. The independence of Czechoslovakia was finally obtained in 1918. European military alliances in 1914. ... Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ... Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, portrait by Josef JindÅ™ich Å echtl, 1918 Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (IPA: ), sometimes called Thomas Masaryk in English, (March 7, 1850 - September 14, 1937) was an advocate of Czechoslovak independence during WW I and became the first President of Czechoslovakia. ... Å tefániks statue on Pragues Petřín Milan Rastislav Å tefánik (born July 21, 1880 in KoÅ¡ariská - died May 4, 1919 in Ivánka pri Dunaji) was a Slovak politician, diplomat, and astronomer. ...

Czechoslovak Legions in Russia were created in 1917 (see below), in France in December 1917 (including volunteers from America), and in Italy in April 1918. Their membership consisted of Czech and Slovak war prisoners in Russia, Serbia and Italy, and Czech and Slovak emigrants in France and Russia who had already created the "Czech company" in Russia and a unit named "Nazdar" in France in 1914. Anthem: Bože pravde (English: God of Justice) Capital (and largest city) Belgrade Serbian written with the Cyrillic alphabet1 Government Republic  - Prime Minister Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica  - President Boris Tadić Establishment    - Formation 814   - First Serbian Uprising 1804   - Internationally recognized July 13, 1878   - Kingdom of SCS created December 1, 1918   - SCG dissolved...

The Legions were actively involved in many battles of World War I, including Vouziers, Arras, Zborov, Doss Alto, Bakhmach, and others. Vouziers is a commune of the Ardennes département, in France. ... Arras (Dutch: ) is a town and commune in northern France, préfecture (capital) of the Pas-de-Calais département. ... Memorial of the killed legionnaires in battle, Kalinivka, Ukraine Battle of Zborov (bitva u Zborova in Czech and Slovak language) was a small part of the Kerensky Offensive (the last Russian offensive in World War One, taking place in July 1917). ... Memorial plaque of Battle of Bakhmach in Olomouc (Czech Republic) Battle of Bakhmach (Bitva u Bachmače in Czech) was a battle between Czechoslovak Legion in Russia and German forces occupying Ukraine. ...

The term "Legions" was not widely used during the war but was adopted shortly afterwards.

Czechoslovak Legions in Russia

As World War I broke out, the ethnic Czechs living in the Russian Empire petitioned Emperor Nicholas to let them set up a national force to fight against Austria-Hungary and he gave his assent. Anthem: God Save the Tsar! Russian Empire in 1913 Capital Saint Petersburg Language(s) Russian Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1721-1725 Peter the Great  - 1894-1917 Nicholas II History  - Established 22 October, 1721  - February Revolution 2 March, 1917 Area  - 1897 22,400,000 km2 8,648,688 sq mi Population  - 1897... Nicholas II of Russia (May 18, 1868–July 17, 1918)[1] (Russian: , Nikolay II) was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Poland,[2] and Grand Duke of Finland. ... Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ...

A "Czech company" (Czech sotnya or Czech Druzhina, Česká družina) arose in 1915 and was attached to the Russian army. From May 1915, the force was composed of many prisoners and deserters from the army of Austria-Hungary which were from the territories of Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia. In February 1915 it was turned into the Czechoslovak Riflemen Regiment (Československý střelecký sbor) and in May 1916 into the Czechoslovak Riflemen Brigade (Československá střelecká brigáda, 7,300 persons). Masaryk and Štefánik came to Russia (spring and summer 1917) to negotiate expansion of the units, to bring them under their control and to turn them into an independent Czechoslovak army, which they succeeded in. The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. ... Flag of Bohemia Bohemia (Czech: ; German: ) is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western and middle thirds of the Czech Republic. ... Flag of Moravia Moravia (Czech and Slovak: Morava; German: ; Hungarian: ; Polish: ) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic. ...

The brigade consisted of three regiments:

• 1st Riflemen Regiment (of Jan Hus), created in February 1916 from the "Czech company"
• 2nd Riflemen Regiment (of Jiří from Poděbrady), created in May 1916
• 3rd Riflemen Regiment (of Jan Žižka from Trocnov), created in March 1917

In September 1917 the brigade was turned into the First Hussite Riflemen Division and in October 1917 it was merged with Second Riflemen Division (created in July 1917) into the "Czechoslovak Corps in Russia", numbering some 38,500 men, which was already a genuine Czechoslovak army. The corps peaked at around 61,000 men. Jan Hus ( ) (IPA: , alternative spelling John Huss) (c. ... George of Podebrady - statue in KunÅ¡tát (Czech Republic). ... Jan Žižka (or John Zizka of Trocnov or Johann Ziska Czech: Jan Žižka z Trocnova) (c. ...

4,112 Czech and Slovak legion members lost their lives in Russia in World War I.

The transit through Siberia

After the Russian Revolution of 1917 the Bolshevik government concluded the separate Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, and it was agreed between the Bolsheviks and the corps to evacuate the Legion to France to join the Czechoslovak corps and continue fighting there. Because the ports in European parts of Russia were not safe enough, the evacuation was to be done by a long detour via Siberia, the Pacific port of Vladivostok and the USA. To increase their fighting power all available Czech and Slovak prisoners of war were forced to serve in the Legion. (Note; this does not seem accurate - joining the Legion was voluntary and numerous Czechs and Slovaks declined this risky decision and returned home.) The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a series of political and social upheavals in Russia, involving first the overthrow of the tsarist autocracy, and then the overthrow of the liberal and moderate-socialist Provisional Government, resulting in the establishment of Soviet power under the control of the Bolshevik party. ... Bolsheviks (Russian: IPA , derived from bolshinstvo, majority) were members of the Bolshevik faction of the Marxist Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split apart from the Menshevik faction[1] at the Second Party Congress in 1903 and ultimately became the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. ... The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, at Brest, formerly Brest-Litovsk, between Russia and the Central Powers, marking Russias exit from World War I. The treaty was practically obsolete before the end of the year but is significant as a chief... Siberian Federal District (darker red) and the broadest definition of Siberia (red) Udachnaya pipe Siberia (Russian: , Sibir; Tatar: ) is a vast region of Russia constituting almost all of Northern Asia. ... Vladivostok (Russian: ) is the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia, situated close to the Russo-Sino border and North Korea. ...

Masaryk advised the Legion to stay out of Russian affairs but, as it turned out, this was not possible.

The slow evacuation by the Trans-Siberian railway was exacerbated by transportation shortages – as agreed in the Brest-Litovsk treaty, the Bolsheviks were at the same time returning German, Austrian and Hungarian POWs from Siberia back home. Around this same time Leon Trotsky, the then People's Commissar of War, under intense pressure from the Germans, ordered the disarming of the Legion - going back on his initial promise of safe passage. Trans-Siberian line in red; Baikal Amur Mainline in green. ... Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... Note: This page is very long. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with: :Sovnarkom. ...

It was a confusing time. Various governments along the way, requested that the Czechs give up increasing numbers of their guns. It all came to a head in May 1918 with what is generally referred to as The Revolt of the Legions. There are a number of versions of how it all started. Clearly, there was a bit of conflict between trains of Legionnaires going to fight on the Allied side and German and Austro-Hungarian prisoners (including some Czechs and Slovaks) going back to fight for their side. As one version goes, the legionnaires stopped a Hungarian train at Chelyabinsk and shot a soldier who had apparently thrown something at their train. Then, the local Bolshevik government arrested some of the Czechs. To free them their comrades had to storm the railway station, and subsequently occupied the whole city. This incident triggered hositilities between the Legion and the Bolsheviks. All up and down the line, the Legion - clearly being denied their safe passage - fought back. Year 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Chelyabinsk Theatre. ...

In the beginning, the various parts of the Legion were strung out and separated on the railway. A complicated series of battles took place with the primary objective of re-connecting the various groups and getting to Vladivostok - for their exit to the Western front. As it became clear that this was the only organized fighting force in Russia (the Red Army under Trotsky was still small and disorganized), various Allied groups thought that the Czechs might be useful re-opening an Eastern Front. Other Allied groups, concerned about the Bolsheviks, had a different agenda. And the Czechs, of course, had their agenda - do what the Allies said (they were technically reporting to the French and General Janin) so that they would be on the winning side.

At its peak, the Legion took over a considerable area around the railway from just east of Volga River all the way to Vladivostok. In the process, they captured large amount of military and civilian equipment and material and tried to provide a fair and orderly presence in the middle of the chaos of Russia and revolution. Their existence played a role in the rise of other anti-Bolshevik groups and Siberia-based independence movements. The Allies instructed the Czechs to push back up the line, which they did - reaching Ektarinaberg. The fact the the Czech Legion was just a day away appears to have been one of the motivating forces behind the hasty execution of the Czar and his family. The Volga, widely viewed as the national river of Russia, flows through the western part of the country. ...

Meanwhile, Masaryk and others were working to achieve Allied recognition. This was achieved (these details deserve their own section), capped by the Pittsburgh Accord and the Oppressed Nations Treaty.

With the need to fight the Czech Legion as a clear motivation, Trotsky got his act together and the Red Army grew - with a number of those German and Austro-Hungarian POWs as troops. Eventually, there were 3 million men under arms and the Czech Legion was pushed back.

Meanwhile, World War One now over, the Allies began the Siberian Intervention, with troops from the US, France, Great Britain, and Japan landing in Vladivostok, where the Czechs had been in charge for some time. The chaos in Siberia included the arrival of eight train cars of gold bullion from the Imperial reserve in Kazan. The chaos also included atrocities by both Red Army and White Russian forces - particularly Ataman Semenov and his Wild Cossacks, now in the pay of the Japanese. Kazan (Russian: ; Tatar: Qazan, Казан) is the capital city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, and one of Russias largest cities. ...

Exhausted by their trek across Siberia, disgusted by the brutality around them, and eager to return to their brand new nation, the Czechs cut a deal with the Bolshevik – gold and the then leader of the anti-Bolshevik army Admiral Kolchak. for the free passage home (1920). Eventually, with the help of the American Red Cross, and their own funds, most of the Legion - altogether 67,739 soldiers - were evacuated via Vladivostok and returned to become the core of the army of the First Republic. Aleksandr Vasiliyevich Kolchak (Александр Васильевич Колчак in Russian) (November 4 (November 16 NS), 1874 - February 7, 1920) was a Russian naval commander and later head of part of... Year 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... Vladivostok (Russian: ) is the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia, situated close to the Russo-Sino border and North Korea. ...

A small number of Czech and Slovak communists stayed behind. (One early Legionnaire to join the Russian side was the author of Good Soldier Svejk - he returned to Czechoslovakia a more comfortable way, with a Russian bride to boot - which surprised his Czech wife, but not others who knew him.) A few others stayed with the White Russian forces for a while, and, as an interesting sidebar, General Gajda provided significant arms to the Korean independence movement. These arms helped the Koreans win an initial set of battles around Chon Son Ri

^[1]

The retreat through Siberia became an element of the heroic military cult around the legions.

Czechoslovak Legions in France

Enrollment of Czechoslovak volunteers in the French Foreign Legion started in Paris on August 21, 1914. August 31 marked the creation of the 1st Company, Battalion C of the 2nd Infantry Regiment of the Foreign Legion in Bayonne (In some sources this company is noted as "compagnie C1, 2e Régiment de Marche Étranger"). Meeting in the city the soldiers greeted each other with „Na zdar!“ (a greeting used by members of the Sokol movement) and hence arose the name „Nazdar!“ Company ("rota Nazdar" in Czech). The company was part of the French army Moroccan division, and took part in heavy combats during assaults near Arras on May 9 and June 16, 1915, where it suffered heavy casualties. Because of these, Battalion C, as well as "Nazdar!" Company, was disbanded, and volunteers continued to fight in various French army and Foreign legion units. Warning: Value not specified for common_name Motto: Czech: Pravda vítÄ›zí (Truth prevails; 1918-1989) Latin: Veritas Vincit (Truth prevails; 1989-1992) Anthem: Kde domov můj and Nad Tatrou sa blýska Capital Prague Language(s) Czech, Slovak Government Republic President  - 1918-1935 Tomáš Masaryk  - 1989-1992 V... The French Foreign Legion (French: Légion Étrangère) is a unique unit within the French Army established in 1831. ... August 21 is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Year 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining. ... A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 100-200 soldiers. ... Symbol of the Austrian 14th Armoured Battalion in NATO military graphic symbols A battalion is a military unit usually consisting of between two and six companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel. ... Bayonne (French: Bayonne, pronounced ; Gascon Occitan and Basque: Baiona) is a city and commune of southwest France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département, of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... Sokol is the Slavic word for falcon. The word can be used to refer to any of the following: Sokol movement, the physical education organization founded in Prague in 1862 the Sokol train, the high speed train planned in Russia Sokol, Russia, the town in Russia SOKOL, a notable manufacturing... Arras (Dutch: ) is a town and commune in northern France, préfecture (capital) of the Pas-de-Calais département. ... May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (130th in leap years). ... June 16 is the 167th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (168th in leap years), with 198 days remaining. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

An autonomous Czechoslovak army was established from December 19, 1917 by decree of the French government. On January 12, 1918 the 21st Czechoslovak Rifle Regiment was formed in the town of Cognac. It fought as part of the French 53rd Infantry Division. On May 20, 1918 the 22nd Czechoslovak Rifle Regiment was created, initially fighting as part of the French 134th Infantry Division. On June 29 the government of France officially acknowledged the right of Czech and Slovaks to independence, and the next day both regiments took an oath of allegiance in presence of the French president Poincaré as well as Czechoslovak independence movement officials, including Edvard Beneš. Today, June 30 is celebrated as the "Day of Czech Armed Forces". December 19 is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... January 12 is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Cognac is a commune in the French département of Charente, of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... Year 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... June 29 is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 185 days remaining. ... Raymond Poincaré, President of the French Republic during the Great War. ... Edvard BeneÅ¡ Edvard BeneÅ¡ with wife 1921, autochrome portrait by Josef JindÅ™ich Å echtl Edvard BeneÅ¡ (May 28, 1884 - September 3, 1948) was a leader of the Czechoslovak independence movement and the second President of Czechoslovakia. ... June 30 is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 184 days remaining. ... The Czech Armed Forces (Czech: Armáda ÄŒeské republiky) consists of Land and Air Forces and of specialized support units. ...

In 1918 a Czechoslovak brigade, under command of the French general Philippe, consisting of the 21st and 22nd Rifle regiments, was formed in France, and saw combat near Vouziers. The brigade returned home in the autumn of 1918. It had about 9,600 soldiers. Year 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Vouziers is a commune of the Ardennes département, in France. ... Year 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ...

650 Czech and Slovak legionnaires died in France during WW I.

Sources

• Article about the legionnaires in France (in Czech)
• Czech inter-wiki

Czechoslovak Legions in Italy

Czechoslovak Legions in Serbian forces

After the war

Members of the Legions formed a significant part of new Czechoslovak Army. Many of them fought in the 1919 war with Hungary over Slovakia.

Miscellaneous

Only seven train cars of the seized Imperial gold were returned to Moscow. The Legion kept the eighth to buy or lease ships in Vladivostok, and what was left was used to set up the Legion Bank (Legionářská banka or Legiobanka) in Prague. Its headquarters on Prague's "Na Poříčí" street is a masterpiece of Czech Cubist architecture and its façade features scenes of the Legion's retreat through Siberia. (Update: the building is actually more art deco than cubist, but a truly terrific building. It has been restored by the current tenant, the Czech Export Bank. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Woman with a guitar by Georges Braque, 1913 Cubism was an avant-garde art movement that revolutionised European painting and sculpture in the early 20th century. ...

The Legion Bridge (Most legionářů) in Prague is named after the Czechoslovak Legions.

The last legionnaire died in 2001. 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Some Legion-related pictures and text can be found in the street display-windows of the 'Hotel Legie' (near the Prague Metro station of I.P.Pavlova). map of the Prague Metro The Prague metro is an underground public transport network in Prague, Czech Republic. ... I. P. Pavlova I. P. Pavlova is a Prague Metro station on Line C. It was opened on the 9th May 1974. ...

See also

• The Tsar's family execution
• Polish 5th Rifle Division

Nicholas II of Russia (May 18, 1868–July 17, 1918)[1] (Russian: , Nikolay II) was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Poland,[2] and Grand Duke of Finland. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ...

References

1. ^ Bradley, John F.N., The Czechoslovak Legion in Russia, 1914-1920,East European Monographs, Boulder, 1991, p. 156.

External links

• Czechoslovak legions
• Czech Legion Project Page (pictures from the Czech Military History Museum; these photos are from a book published in the 1920s - the Soviets destroyed all the negatives)

• Czechoslovak legions 1914-1920