Czechoslovak Legions in Russia
Czech Drushina
The Czech Drushina, established in Kiev on August 12th, 1914 and in the beginning above all from Czech emigrants with Austria-Hungarian citizenship, who wanted to fight on the side of Russia against the Austro-Hungarian Empire was the base of the Czech Legions in Russia.
The Czech Drushina experienced its baptism by fire near Tarnow (now Poland) on November 19th, 1914. This event started a long chain of successful intelligence and propagational actions of individual Czech Drushina units within the IIIrd Russian Army at the Galician front.
On December 12th the Czech Drushina consisted of 992 "olddrushiniks" including 16 Slovaks and the Russian command corps. Volunteers - prisoners of war from the Austro-Hungarian Army henceforward joined the Czech Drushina.
Czechoslovak Brigade
On the base of the Czech Drushina the Czechoslovak Brigade was established in 1916, but its units still acted in extended formations, above all as reconnaissance squads
The brigade was concentrated only before the battle at Zborov, where its 3.200 troops distinguished themselves by a crushing assault on Austro- Hungarian and German positions on July 2nd, 1917. 197 Cz. legionaries lost their lives, more than 3.000 enemy troops were taken prisoners. Because of the Russian units failure a hard Tarnopol retreat subsequently followed.
Czechoslovak Army Corps
During the year 1917 the brigade was enlarged to a division in Kiev and at the beginning of October a second division and following the Czechoslovak Army Corps came into existence.
In connection with the Brest-Litevsk-Peace-Treaty signed in March 1918 between the Russian bolshevik government and the Central Powers made Masaryk in February 1918 with the soviet representatives an agreement on the transfer of the Cz. Army Corps via Siberia to France. But the Cz. Legions had to fight against the German units at Bakhmach in March 1918 to be able to leave Ukraine.
Towards Vladivostok
But Trockiy sabotage the agreement and attempted to get the Cz. Army Corps to the Red Army. Therefore it came to an armed conflict between the Cz. legionaries and the Red guards, starting the open battle of legionaries with the Bolsheviks for the transit of Cz. units via Siberia.
Cz. legionaries fought many famous battles (e.g. at Lipjag, Baikal, Mariinsk) at some fronts (Volga, Ural, Ussurijsk), took control of many important towns (Samara, Kazanj, Chelyabinsk, Ekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Char bin, Vladivostok), gained control of the whole Trans-Siberian railway and continued their movement to the East.
On the basis of the agreement between Masaryk and the Entente Powers a change occurred ant the Cz. legionaries ought to become a vanguard of the anti-German and anti-bolshevik front at the Volga and Ural. Unfortunately, the intern disputes of the Russian anti-bolshevik forces and unfulfilled promises of French, American and British allies, whose forces did not effectively take action against the Bolsheviks caused the Cz. Legions heavy losses, exhaustion and retreat.
Homeward
In February 1919 yet a third division came into being, but the task of the Cz. Army Corps was only the protection of the Trans-Siberian railway and securing its traffic capacity.
The evacuation of the 60 000 men strong unit to the homeland started gradually. The last vessel leaved Vladivostok in September 1920.
More than four thousand legionaries did not return to the Czechoslovakia, their graves line their famous combat way from Tarnow in Poland via Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, the whole Russia and China and Japan. Some of them died during the navigation and rest on the ground of the Indian and the Pacific oceans.
Czechoslovak Legions in France
In Bayonne in France the 1st company "Nazdar" of the C-2 battalion of the French Legion Regiment was created on August 23rd, 1914 in Paris, above all from Czechs - members of the Sokol sporting organization and the social-democratic association Rovnost (Equality). The first employment of the company took place at the French-German front near Champagne on October 23rd, 1914 as part of the Moroccan Division. The 250 men strong company distinguished itself above all in the battle at Arras on May 9th, 1915, where it suffered heavy losses (at leas 42 soldiers lost their lives).
After further heavy losses at Arras was the C-2 Battalion on May 16th, 1915 disbanded, the "Nazdar" company discontinued to exist as a Czech unit and the Czech soldiers were transferred to other Foreign Legion units.
By a Decree of the president Poincaré the Czechoslovak Rifle Brigade was created on December 19th, 1917. Its 21st Regiment was formed on January 12th, 1918 in Cognac, mainly from Czechs who voluntarily became Serbian prisoners of war and joined the Serbian army (in the autumn 1915 they with it retreated to Albania and from there to Italy and France) and from Czech members of the Foreign Legion. It distinguished itself above all in combats at Terron.
On May 20th, 1920 the 22nd Regiment was formed in Jarnac, the base of it were Cz. volunteers from Russia and reserve units from the 21st Regiment. The newly formed regiment fought mainly in the Vouziers region. Both regiments of the brigade took an oath and received the colours from the French president on June 30th, 1918 at Darney.
Till the war end the 23rd and 24th Regiments were formed, above all from American Czechs and Slovaks and other Cz. members of the Foreign Legion.
The brigade had 9.600 men during its transport to Czechoslovakia in January 1919. During fights in France 630 Cz. legionaries lost their lives. On our territory the brigade got heavy weapons and became the 5th Division, which distinguished itself above all in fights for the Tesin region and in Slovakia in the first half of the year 1919.
Czechoslovak Legions in Italy
In the prisoner of war camp Santa Maria Capua Vetere near Naples the Czechoslovak Volunteer Corps was founded on "Sokol" ideals on January 17th, 1917. But the Italian government did not allow the formation of combat units and the corps members were used as labour force. Only after the defeat of Italians at Caporetto in October 1917 Cz. reconnaissance units were gradually formed within Italian formations.
Thanks to the diplomatic effort of M. R. Štefánik the formation of independent Cz. units in Italy was allowed on April 27th, 1918. Till June 1918 the 6th Division consisting of four regiments was formed. It distinguished itself at fights at the Piava River.
With the formation of further two regiments in September 1918 the 7th Division and the Army Corps with six rifle (31st, 32nd, 33rd, 34th, 35th and 39th) and one artillery regiment came into being. It became famous after the fight at Doss Alto near Padova on September 21st, 1918.
From the 20.000 men of the Cz. Army Corps 355 legionaries fell in combat. Further 55 men were executed after being captured by the Austro-Hungarian forces.
The Corps returned at the end of December 1918 to the homeland and played an important role in the liberation of Slovakia from Hungarian Bolsheviks in spring 1919.
Legions legacy
The Cz. Legions were created above all as a tool in the struggle for the gaining of independence of Czechs and Slovaks from the Austro- Hungarian dominance. This task was fulfilled by the Legions and their combat activity became the main argument during negotiations of the Masaryk's political representation on the Czechoslovak independence.
The legionaries as soldiers of a non-existing state in the end fought its existence out at the Russian, French and Italian fronts and after that defended its existence if fights in the Tesin region and in Slovakia.
The Czechoslovak Legions became in the independent Czechoslovak Republic the base of the Czechoslovak Army and gave it a number of outstanding generals and officers.
The anniversary of the battle at Zborov was celebrated as the Czechoslovak Army day. At present the Army of the Czech Republic's day is the day when the Cz. Legions got their colours in Darney on June 30th, 1918.
