The Czech Legion was not just a single military unit, but a volunteer army that fielded up to 100,000 troops on the Allied side on all three main fronts of the war.
Since only the defeat of Austro-Hungary and Germany offered any hope for Czech national independence, they were amongst the most motivated and steadfast of the Allied forces. After the Bolshevik Revolution, they fought their way across Russia, captured the Russian national gold reserves and used this as a bargaining chip to force the Bolsheviks to allow them to return home. Today the Legion is recognised as the founding fathers of Czech nationhood.
This very colourful force of World War I has never before been detailed in English and is illustrated with an astonishing array of never-before-published photographs.
Autorentext
David Bullock holds a PhD in European Military History and has been an officer in the U.S. Air Force. Currently, he writes official histories as a military historian for the Department of Defence and is an adjunct Associate Professor at Colorado Technical University, Colorado Springs. He is the author of New Vanguard 83 Armoured Units of the Russian Civil War: White and Allied and New Vanguard 95: Armoured Units of the Russian Civil War: Red Army
RAMIRO BUJEIRO has become a frequent and popular Osprey contributor for over ten years. He is an experienced commercial artist who lives and works in his native city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. His professional background includes many commissions as a figure illustrator and strip cartoonist for clients all over Europe and the Americas. His main interests are the political and military history of Europe in the first half of the 20th century.
Inhalt
Historical background - the Czech independence movement in the Austro-Hungarian Empire
Czech troops in the Austro-Hungarian Army
Recruitment of Czech volunteers, and Czech former Austro-Hungarian prisoners, by the Allied (Entente) Powers
Czech Legion in France
Czech Legion in Italy
Czech Legion in Russian
The long journey home
Aftermath: nationhood - betrayal - occupation and persecution
Uniforms, insignia, weapons and equipment