Legions in the eastern front

In summer 1914 the Czech Company was established in Russia as a military formation under a Russian leadership, made up by Czech compatriots. In September 1914 when the members took a vow in Kiev and shortly afterwards left for the front, the Company comprised 720 men. The volunteers (the overall appellation ‘Legionaries’ took off after the War) were originally intended to promote and interpret after the planned breakthrough of the front. However, they were divided into platoons to serve in the regiments of the third Russian army and to explore the rear of the enemy. The Czech Company was extended by Czechs from Volyně and Czech (as well as Slovak) captives from Austrian-Hungarian army to become in January 1916 the Czechoslovak Shooting Regiment. Yet the companies and semi-companies continued to operate separately as exploratory formations in individual sections of the front.

The turning point for the national army’s prospects came in early July 1917, after a victorious offensive of the newly formed Czechoslovak Shooting Brigade near the Ukrainian Zborov. The unexpectedly successful military operation fundamentally changed the attitude of the Russian leadership and government towards the formation of new Czechoslovak units. With the inflow of volunteers from prison camps arose a military body consisting of nearly 40 000 men. One part was to depart to the western front.

The execution of these intentions was complicated by the Bolshevik revolution and the consequential truce between Russia and the Central powers. During the initial political contest in the country the brigade was to retain strict neutrality and head off to France. In March 1918 the Czechoslovak units participated in a series of defensive fights at the Ukrainian Bachmač, which enabled them an organized retreat from the penetrating German army and a transfer by the Siberian arterial railway across the entire Russian territory to the distant Vladivostok. The Soviet attempt to stop and disarm the transports was answered by the Legionaries by force. In a number of exceptionally successful military operations the Legionaries temporarily managed to free the extensive Russian land from the Soviet power.