525:
413:. A whole army of the Empire would thus remain isolated from the national territory and in Carzano it would have been possible for a great and decisive battle. But this incredible opportunity was lost due to delays, distrust and hesitation of the Italian army. The attempt was suspended. Thus, in the autumn of 1917, Italy collected a substantial number of Slovenian ethnic refugees, including Pivko, who were not allowed to form a real foreign legion on the French model. The Slovenian defectors brought Italian uniforms with a special mark and were assigned to tasks ranging from the recognition of the territory to propaganda among the cross-border populations. From a formal point of view they were prisoners of war with a special status: free to move, use the railways and receive a financial contribution.
567:. After some disagreements with the Italian-led Czechs in Slovakia. As an example, General Piccione did not consider the agreed demarcation line to be militarily advantageous. Therefore, he decided to move his troops to the south into Hungary. Although he notified the Hungarian government, he advanced, on 16 January 1919, before any reply. The Hungarians disagreed with the new demarcation action. At the order of the Czechoslovak government, Piccione returned his troops to the original demarcation line. President Masaryk, eventually replaced Piccione with Pellé on 4 July 1919 and essentially ended the Italian connection to the Legion.
122:
317:
aforementioned geopolitical concerns, the
Italians resisted the establishment of a Czechoslovak Legion. However, there were recurring incidents of Czech desertions that were being utilized by Italian army intelligence to aid the war effort. In 1916, Václav Pán aided the Italian 2nd Army. Later that year JaromĂr Vondráček (a company commander) was crucial to Italian war successes by the 3rd Army. . That summer, an event took place that would really begin to change some minds in Italy about a Czechoslovak Legion.
399:, of Slovenian ethnicity… In Trentino, in 1917, Pivko and the others began to probe the front line, and at the risk of their lives reached the Italian trenches to meet "Captain Finzi" (the cover name for Major Pettorelli Lalatta), an officer in the secret services. The Austrians explained that they wanted to pick up apples abandoned in no man's land and avoid the danger of friendly fire. In the morning the small group of officers returned to their lines with baskets of apples for everyone. Pivko met
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268:. At this time about 70,000 Czechs and Slovaks were living or working in Russia. The druzhina were deployed as reconnaissance units and also began a propaganda campaign to convince their fellow countrymen who had been conscripted into the Austro-Hungarian army to defect. Under Štefánik's guidance, large numbers of Czechs and Slovaks defected on the Russian front and formed the
418:
673:(cs) PreclĂk, Vratislav. Masaryk a legie (Masaryk and legions), váz. kniha, book 219 pages, first issue vydalo nakladatelstvĂ Paris Karviná, Ĺ˝iĹľkova 2379 (734 01 Karvina, Czech Republic) ve spolupráci s MasarykovĂ˝m demokratickĂ˝m hnutĂm (in association with the Masaryk Democratic Movement, Prague), 2019,
340:
to detail the plan. Although nothing much came about because of the plan at that time, the local operation which did take place, engendered a reaction by the Austro-Hungarian troops there wherein an entire battalion of Czech troops deserted to the
Italians. Soon enough Italian officers were believers
172:
finally agreed to form reconnaissance squadrons from
Czechoslovak and Southern Slav volunteers. In September 1918, the 39th Regiment of the Czechoslovak Italian Legion was formed from those volunteer reconnaissance squadrons. The following regiments of Czechoslovak Italian Legion were formed in April
570:
The French military mission's role was to integrate the existing
Czechoslovak Foreign Legions with the home units of the Army and develop a professional command structure. On 15 October 1919 the main staff of the Czechoslovak Army was officially formed. French officers were installed as territorial
504:
Czechoslovakia declared its independence from the disintegrating
Austria-Hungary, on 28 October, during the Battle of Vittorio Veneto. By the beginning of December, the troops of the Czechoslovak Corps were concentrated in Padua (ready to be repatriated) under the command of General Luigi Piccione
287:
The
Czechoslovak Legion in Italy arose under different circumstances than in France or Russia. First, there were only a small number of expatriate Czechs and Slovaks living in Italy. Second, the Italians were a late-comer to the World War, declaring war in May 1915 against Austro-Hungary (but not
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The
Czechoslovak Italian Legion formed two divisions: VI. Division, which included 31st, 32nd, and 35th Regiments; and VII. Division, which included 33rd, 34th, and 39th Regiments. Their total strength was around 25,000 men. The Czechoslovak Italian Legion was commanded by General Andrea Graziani
316:
Beginning in April 1916, on a political-diplomatic visit to Italy, Milan Štefánik's continued to advance the
Czechoslovak cause (for independence), to establish a basis for its support and to activate mechanisms for the formation of a military force in support of the Allied troops. Because of the
449:
and
Colonel Štefánik, representing the Czechoslovak National Council, an agreement that created the Italian Czechoslovak Legion. During the negotiations, General Štefánik told the Prime Minister: "I do not request anything from you, but to allow our people to die for their ideals." Štefánik then
484:
However, soon the
Czechoslovak Regiments were actively deployed in some important battles on the Italian Front. After June, the Legion participated in Battles at Monte Valbella, Monte Asolone and Cima Tre Pezzi. Starting on 18 August 1918 the Legion had the task of defending the sector of Mount
555:
On 1 January 1919 the Legion troops took control of the city of Bratislava and Italian Colonel Riccardo Barreca was appointed military commander of the city. Several clashes (which killed at least nine Hungarian demonstrators) took place and Barreca himself was injured. The Italian officers
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Regardless, the main task of the Italian Legion was to police the demarcation line that the Foreign Minister of the new Czechoslovak Government, Edvard Beneš, had agreed in Paris to form a temporary Slovak-Hungarian border before setting definitive boundaries at the peace conference.
465:
From the prisoner work battalions, four Infantry Regiments were formed, consisting of 13,653 soldiers and 489 officers, which then merged into two Brigades, taking the name of the Sixth Division Czechoslovak. They were placed under the command of General Andrea Graziani.
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In this regard, in 1917, these efforts of the Czech deserters began to bear other fruit. The following (although instigated by a Slovene, involved numerous Czechs from his unit) is instructive and was reported in the Italian newspaper La Stampa (translated from Italian):
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PreclĂk, Vratislav. Masaryk a legie (Masaryk and legions), váz. kniha, 219 pages., vydalo nakladatelstvĂ Paris Karviná, Ĺ˝iĹľkova 2379 (734 01 Karviná, Czechia) ve spolupráci s MasarykovĂ˝m demokratickĂ˝m hnutĂm (Masaryk Democratic Movement, Prague), 2019,
551:
General Piccione divided the demarcation line into two sections. The western section, which extended from the Morava River to OĹľdany, occupied the 7th Legionary Division (Gen. Boriani) and the eastern section of the 6th Legionary Division (Gen. Rossi).
378:
By the beginning of 1917, there were substantial numbers of Czech and Slovak prisoners of war in Italy. In late 1916, Italy had begun creation of internment camps according to nationality. One of the first camps designated for Czechs and Slovaks was
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324:, and demonstrated to the Italian field commanders and intelligence officers, the usefulness and viability of a Czech Legion. Hlaváček had, crucially, information about an offensive in the planning stages. His information concerned the
300:). These lands were also the home of Slavic peoples and thus there was some concern about supporting the Czechs and Slovaks (also Slavs) who supported the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. (At the conclusion of the war the
532:
That day the Legion troops began to leave Italy, transferred to Slovakia along the border with Hungary. The two divisions (6th and 7th) were still under the command of General Piccione, who was appointed as commander-in-chief in
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commanders and commanders of some divisions. Over the course of time, there were 200 French non-commissioned officers, over 100 commissioned officers and 19 Generals. General Pellé and his immediate replacement, General
367:. As in Russia, these units were also tasked with a propaganda campaign to convince their fellow countrymen, who had been conscripted into the Austro-Hungarian army for a cause they did not support, to defect.
263:
A similar volunteer effort began in Russia. Under the leadership of Masaryk, expatriate Czechs asked the Russians to accept Czech and Slovak applicants into Russian Army in August 1914. They formed a distinct
312:
with the Italians.) There were, however, eventually, by 1916–17, a great number of enemy combatants as prisoners of war in Italy, who were Czechs and Slovaks. These individuals were to become the Legion.
341:
that a full scale offensive at Bainsizza was planned and, during this period, Hlaváček became the first prisoner of war actually freed from captivity. The attack on Bainsizza was a main objective of the
405:, stationed in Carzano, after having convinced all the soldiers (including many Czechs) of that group to comply: thus allowing the Italians to penetrate the Austro-Hungarian lines, breaking through the
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near Salerno and this became the internment point for more than 10,000 Czech and Slovakian prisoners in 1916-1918. This prisoner of war camp became the center of the Czechoslovakian volunteers.
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However, other border incidents were taking place. In the Tešin mining basin, where the Poles wanted to seize these assets, troops from Slovakia came to support the main force in that
524:
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These Esploratori units were limited to intelligence, propaganda and other defensive actions, and they would later become the 39th Regiment of the Czechoslovak Italian Legion.
664:
At that time about 10,000 Czechs and Slovaks were students or others living or working in France. See, Bullock, David, The Czech Legion 1914-20, Osprey (2009), p. 10.
42:
642:
Dziak, Major Robert, Army of the Czech Republic, The Czechoslovak Legions in World War I, Thesis for Master of Military Studies, Marine Corps University (2012)
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Altissimo di Nago, between Lake Garda and the Adige River. It was in this area that the Legion, in September 1918, participated in the battle of Dosso Alto.
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would become an independent country. These ideas led to the formation of the Czech Committee Abroad (in 1915). The Czech Committee Abroad then became the
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The reaction of the Italian politicians was now turning positive and on 11 January 1917 deputy Pietro Lanza, prince of Scalea, with the patronage of the
383:, near Naples. Here the Czechoslovak Corps of Volunteers was created under the leadership of Jan ÄŚapek, a Sokol leader. Another camp was located at the
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Finzi" several times and together they designed and signed a desertion agreement. … Pivko's plan was to deliver to Italy the Bosnian battalion of the
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Hanzal, W., Il 39° Reggimento esploratori cecoslovacco sul fronte italiano , Roma: Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito-Ufficio Storico, 2009, pp. 16-17.
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Germany until 28 August 1916). The Italians' main reason for entry was to annex Italian-speaking lands in Austria including territories in
89:
345:, an Italian victory. Hlaváček was awarded the military cross and later lobbied on behalf of establishing a Czechoslovak Legion in Italy.
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544:. This Slovakian force was the 35th Regiment from Italy, led by Colonel Graselli and later reinforced with another Regiment from Italy.
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256:Štefánik, who had become a French citizen in 1912 was one of thousands of expatriate Czechs and Slovaks who volunteered for
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and later by General Luigi Piccione. After the war, the Legion was repatriated to Czechoslovakia in 1919 and most went to
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Cornwall, Mark, The Undermining of Austria-Hungary: The Battle for Hearts and Minds, Basingstoke, Macmillan (2000), p.126
57:
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876:
Kelly, C., and Laycock, S., Italy Invades: How Italians conquered the world, Book Publishers Network, Bothell, WA (2016)
237:, who at the outbreak of World War I supported the idea wherein the Austro-Hungarian Empire should be broken up so that
856:. Also see Somigliana, L., La Legione italo-czeco-slovacca in Slovacchia, in La Vita Italiana, XXII, CCLIV, maggio 1934
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A French military mission also began in Czech territories after January 1919. The head of the mission was General
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Thus Czechoslovak scouts (or intelligence operatives) entered the fight as a part of the Italian forces as the
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328:. Initially, nothing was done about the information and Hlaváček was sent to an officers' prison camp near
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Wandycz,P., France and her Eastern Allies 1919-1925, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis (1962)
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http://www.lagrandeguerrapiu100.it/la-legione-cecoslovacca-e-litalia-czechoslovak-legion-and-italy
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On 11 August 1916 a Czech officer, František Hlaváček, deserted his post in the Isonzo during the
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of the Czechoslovak Republic (on 16 and 17 December) and the Chief of the Italian Army General
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272:. These forces were later supplemented by recruitment of Czech and Slovak prisoners of war.
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Kalendárium: 20. ledna 1919 – dokonÄŤeno osvobozovánĂ Slovenska ÄŤs. armádou a dobrovolnĂky
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The Czechoslovak Legion in Italy was formed as a result of the efforts by Slovak leader
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35th Regiment was formed in October 1918 from new Czechoslovak prisoners of war in Italy
681:, pages 36 - 39, 41 - 42, 106 - 107, 111-112, 124–125, 128, 129, 132, 140–148, 184–209.
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Becherelli, Volunteers against Austria-Hungary: The Czechoslovak Legion in Italy
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received, on 24 May from Orlando, the Legion colors in a solemn ceremony at the
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who had taken the command of the Corps on 26 November 1918. On 8 December King
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in late 1917 altered the whole dynamic in Italy for the Czechs and Slovaks.
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The members of the Czecho-Slovak Legion were also heavily influenced by the
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continued to assist in the operations against the Hungarians during the
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332:. Then several months later in April 1917, he was recalled to General
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844:, pages 101-102, 124–125, 128, 129, 132, 140–148, 168- 169, 184–190.
655:, Translated by Paul Selver, Houghton Mifflin, 1928, pp. 81-83, 90.
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473:. However, some reconnaissance battalions were deployed at the
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After Caporetto, the Czechoslovak Legion of Italy Is Established
360:, formed the "Italian Committee for Czech-Slovak independence".
537:. Essentially, Piccione was running the Czechoslovakian army.
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On 21 April 1918 the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Italy
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http://www.buongiornoslovacchia.sk/index.php/archives/33497
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714:"Quando la Certosa di Padula diventò campo di prigionieri"
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The Czechoslovak Legion from Italy at Komárno (May 1919)
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The Czechoslovak Legion was also in reserve during the
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near Salerno. In January 1918, the headquarters of the
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was a legion of Czechoslovak volunteers formed late in
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Jan ÄŚapek died in that Battle on his birthday, 17 June
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La Citta, Quotidano di Salerno e Provincia 2 giu 2015
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concluded the Great War in Italy on 3 November 1918.
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Czechoslovak Corps of Volunteers in Italy Before 1918
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
575:(also French), were the first chiefs staff of the
148:. The first formal Czechoslovak Volunteers Group (
918:Military units and formations established in 1918
913:Expatriate units and formations of Czechoslovakia
756:Edvard Benes visited the camp in September 1917.
469:The Infantry Units were initially placed in the
128:uniform worn by the Czechoslovak Italian Legion
744:Dziak, The Czechoslovak Legions in World War I
794:Dalla Slovenia con Ardore" by Demetrio Volcic
260:when the war began, as early as August 1914.
8:
445:signed, together with the Minister of War
492:in October 1918. Shortly thereafter, the
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
500:The Post-war Czechoslovak Italian Legion
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429:Then the massive Italian defeat at the
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47:adding citations to reliable sources
302:State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
712:Alessandro Bonvini (2 June 2015).
619:it:Cesare Pettorelli Lalatta Finzi
14:
808:Bullock, The Czech Legion 1914-20
308:) was in fact created and led to
154:ÄŚeskoslovenskĂ˝ dobrovolnickĂ˝ sbor
16:Legion of Czechoslovak volunteers
395:… from Austro-Hungarian captain
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866:Vojenske zabezpecenie Slovenska
34:needs additional citations for
928:Czechoslovakia–Italy relations
799:. (in Italian) 31 January 2011
243:Czecho-Slovak National Council
58:"Czechoslovak Legion in Italy"
1:
604:Czechoslovak National Council
589:Czechoslovak Legion in France
521:prior to their repatriation.
343:Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo
164:, near Naples and matured at
136:Czechoslovak Legions in Italy
336:'s 2nd Army Headquarters in
699:Cornwall (2000), pp.126-127
421:Capt. Ljudevit Pivko - 1917
358:Dante Alighieri association
142:Czechoslovak Italian Legion
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558:Hungarian–Czechoslovak War
215:Hungarian–Czechoslovak War
494:Armistice of Villa Giusti
490:Battle of Vittorio Veneto
443:Vittorio Emanuele Orlando
365:Esploratori Cecoslovacchi
304:(which later merged into
447:Vittorio Italico Zupelli
381:Santa Maria Capua Vetere
227:Milan Rastislav Štefánik
162:Santa Maria Capua Vetere
156:) was formed in Italian
609:cs:Jan Čapek (legionář)
517:reviewed the Legion at
461:General Andrea Graziani
770:"Buogiorno Slovacchia"
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511:Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk
477:(Piave) in June 1918.
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594:Czechoslovak Legion
573:Eugène Mittelhauser
475:Battle of Solstizio
452:Altare della Patria
431:Battle of Caporetto
352:Prince Pietro Lanza
298:Italian irredentism
270:Czechoslovak Legion
624:it:Andrea Graziani
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229:and Czech leaders
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842:978-80-87173-47-3
679:978-80-87173-47-3
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577:Czechoslovak Army
519:Prato della Valle
385:Certosa di Padula
326:Bainsizza Plateau
322:Battle of Gorizia
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41:Please help
36:verification
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146:World War I
907:Categories
780:2018-06-02
630:References
306:Yugoslavia
221:Background
69:newspapers
797:La Stampa
454:in Rome.
407:Valsugana
403:Landsturm
374:Jan ÄŚapek
718:La Citta
583:See also
535:KroměřĂĹľ
330:Bibbiena
310:conflict
294:Dalmatia
266:druzhina
211:Slovakia
542:dispute
338:Cormons
199:Spoleto
192:Foligno
179:Perugia
83:scholar
840:
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599:Maffia
411:Trento
290:Istria
258:France
186:Assisi
166:Padula
126:Alpini
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
150:Czech
90:JSTOR
76:books
838:ISBN
675:ISBN
292:and
233:and
140:The
62:news
409:to
160:in
45:by
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761:^
735:^
716:.
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