The Czech Legion

History time again, and yes, WWI is part of the story...again.  And yet again the source of my story is another Osprey Men-At-Arms book, The Czech Legion, written by David Bullock and illustrated by Ramon Bujeiro. 

This also ties into my earlier blog about Austria-Hungary.  The countries we now know of as the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and which from 1919 to recently were bound together as Czechoslovakia (not to be confused with Wisconsin), were during World War I the northern parts of Austria-Hungary.   Bellicose males of military age and inclination and Czech and Slovak ethnic origin who found themselves NOT drafted into the Austro-Hungarian army, realized that a victory of the Central Powers would mean continued subjugation of their lands by Austria-Hungary, whereas an Allied victory would likely mean independence at last.   So with the war in full swing, many volunteered for Allied armies.

In France, the Czech Legion wore French horizon blue uniforms with some Czech/Slovak insignia on their Adrian helmets.  They fought on the Western Front against the Germans, although not in sufficient numbers to cause any strategic impact on that part of the war.

In Italy, the Czech Legion wore the greenish-grey Italian uniforms – also with Adrian helmets - and fought in the Italian Army against the Austrians, way up in the mountains.  Since many Czechs and Slovaks were conscripts in the Austrian army, the Legion hoped to induce desertions from active units as well as recruitment from Austrian POWs.  However, here again the numbers were too small to make any strategic impact on the war in this sector.  In fact, this war was mostly a deadly stalemate until Rommel showed up and won it practically single-handedly – earning his Pour Le Merite (Blue Max) – even if Germany would later lose the war.

In Russia, the Czechs persuaded the Tsar (aka the Czar) to allow them form a larger unit, the Druzhina.  These troops wore Russian uniforms and – you guessed it – Adrian helmets.  Also fighting against Austrians, this unit likewise had the goal of inducing defections from their army.   Unfortunately for the Legion at this point, the Bolshevik Revolution took Russia out of the war and handed Germany a huge victory on the Eastern Front.  Yet again Germany decisively won the war in this theater but still lost the war.

However, the Czech Legion in Russia was not quite done yet.   Before WWI had even ended (November 1918), the Russian Civil War began (January 1918).  The Allies hoped to get the Czechs over to Western Europe now that the Germans were able to swing their whole army westwards to knock out the Allies before the Americans showed up.  The problem was that the Czechs were stranded in the middle of Russia with no way to get west. 

The next bright idea was to have them travel all the way EAST – to Vladivostok – and put them on ships headed back for western Europe.  In fact, the Legion was so large (80,000+ troops), and middle Russia so large and vacant, that the Legion did indeed take large stretches of Russia and its railways, and a few armored trains which they painted colorfully.  The US forces sent to Vladivostok under General Graves – not to be confused with the North Russia expedition – were sent there partly to assist the Czechs, but Graves noted that there weren’t even any ships available at Vladivostok even if the Legion were somehow able to get there, which contributed to his “so what are we doing here?” befuddlement.   Moreover, in November 1918 the war ended, and with that the need for the Czechs to assist in the Western Front battles. 

Politically, the Czechs had no “dog in the fight” in the battle between the Reds and Whites, neither officially nor as a practical matter, thus amidst a bloody civil war there was a huge neutral army trapped inside with no compelling reason to support one side or the other.  Thus the unit made deals with the Whites or the Bolsheviks as the local conditions dictated.  Ultimately the Bolsheviks allowed them passage to Vladivostok and they finally left, returning by sea and forming the nucleus of Czechoslovakia’s army, though not before assisting the Hungarians in putting down their Red uprising.   And there was much rejoicing….