Italian Legione Redenta
Encyclopedia
Italian Legione Redenta was an Italian
military formation that participated in the Siberian Intervention
during the Russian Civil War
. It was formed with 2500 prisoners of war who had been captured by the Russians from the Austro-Hungarian Army
.
The Legion fought against Bolshevik forces in Siberia
and Manchuria
, and was instrumental in protecting the Transiberian Railway necessary for the Allied support to the White forces
.
A number of these prisoners were of Italian ethnicity, primarily from Trentino, Istria
and Dalmatia
(Italian nationalists considered these areas part of the Italia irredenta
). The Italian government decided to form units from these prisoners (even because many of them declared to be Italian irredentists). They were allowed to fight for Italy and swore an oath to the King of Italy.
They were placed in a special new military unit called "Legione Redenta": this name was related to the word "redenta" (Italian for "redeemed") as a reference to the fact that the soldiers were "redeemed" from Austrian control and now were Italian legionaries.
As a result the "Legione Redenta" was created in the summer of 1918 in China
and attached to the "Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Estremo Oriente" (Italian Expedition in the Far East). Initially they were stationed in the Italian Concession in Tientsin. They were trained in Tientsin by Major Cosma Manera, an official of the Italian Carabinieri
who chose the name "Redenta" for the unit.
The Italian legionaries played a small but important role during parts of Siberian Intervention, fighting alongside the Czechoslovak Legion
.
The main areas of operations were Irkutsk
, Harbin
and Vladivostok
.
The Legione Redenta fought until November 1919 when as part of the general Allied withdrawal from Russia, it returned to Italy
, where it was welcomed with military honors.
Those with the red ribbons were recruited initially by Andrea Compatangelo in an irregular Brigate Savoia and after heavy fighting, occupied the important railway hub of Krasnojarsk for nearly two months before reaching Tientsin in summer 1918.
They fought alongside the Czech legion and by using special armoured trains, reached the Italian concession in Tianjin, where they were officially made part of the Corpo di Spedizione Italiano.
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
military formation that participated in the Siberian Intervention
Siberian Intervention
The ', or the Siberian Expedition, of 1918–1922 was the dispatch of troops of the Entente powers to the Russian Maritime Provinces as part of a larger effort by the western powers and Japan to support White Russian forces against the Bolshevik Red Army during the Russian Civil War...
during the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
. It was formed with 2500 prisoners of war who had been captured by the Russians from the Austro-Hungarian Army
Austro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint army , the Austrian Landwehr , and the Hungarian Honvédség .In the wake of fighting between the...
.
The Legion fought against Bolshevik forces in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
and Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
, and was instrumental in protecting the Transiberian Railway necessary for the Allied support to the White forces
White movement
The White movement and its military arm the White Army - known as the White Guard or the Whites - was a loose confederation of Anti-Communist forces.The movement comprised one of the politico-military Russian forces who fought...
.
History
With the Russian withdrawal from the war in 1918, German and Austro-Hungarian prisoners were allowed to return home as a result of the Brest-Litovsk treaty. Many of the Austro-Hungarian prisoners were of various nationalities reflecting the multi-ethnic composition of the empire.A number of these prisoners were of Italian ethnicity, primarily from Trentino, Istria
Istria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
and Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
(Italian nationalists considered these areas part of the Italia irredenta
Italia irredenta
Italian irredentism was an Italian Irredentist movement that aimed at the unification of all ethnically Italian peoples....
). The Italian government decided to form units from these prisoners (even because many of them declared to be Italian irredentists). They were allowed to fight for Italy and swore an oath to the King of Italy.
They were placed in a special new military unit called "Legione Redenta": this name was related to the word "redenta" (Italian for "redeemed") as a reference to the fact that the soldiers were "redeemed" from Austrian control and now were Italian legionaries.
As a result the "Legione Redenta" was created in the summer of 1918 in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and attached to the "Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Estremo Oriente" (Italian Expedition in the Far East). Initially they were stationed in the Italian Concession in Tientsin. They were trained in Tientsin by Major Cosma Manera, an official of the Italian Carabinieri
Carabinieri
The Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations, and is a branch of the armed forces.-Early history:...
who chose the name "Redenta" for the unit.
The Italian legionaries played a small but important role during parts of Siberian Intervention, fighting alongside the Czechoslovak Legion
Czechoslovak Legions
The Czechoslovak Legions were volunteer armed forces composed predominantly of Czechs and Slovaks fighting together with the Entente powers during World War I...
.
The main areas of operations were Irkutsk
Irkutsk
Irkutsk is a city and the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, one of the largest cities in Siberia. Population: .-History:In 1652, Ivan Pokhabov built a zimovye near the site of Irkutsk for gold trading and for the collection of fur taxes from the Buryats. In 1661, Yakov Pokhabov...
, Harbin
Harbin
Harbin ; Manchu language: , Harbin; Russian: Харби́н Kharbin ), is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River...
and Vladivostok
Vladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
.
The Legione Redenta fought until November 1919 when as part of the general Allied withdrawal from Russia, it returned to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, where it was welcomed with military honors.
Irregular Brigate Savoia
The Italian legionaries were divided in 2 groups, one with black ribbons the other with red ribbons.Those with the red ribbons were recruited initially by Andrea Compatangelo in an irregular Brigate Savoia and after heavy fighting, occupied the important railway hub of Krasnojarsk for nearly two months before reaching Tientsin in summer 1918.
They fought alongside the Czech legion and by using special armoured trains, reached the Italian concession in Tianjin, where they were officially made part of the Corpo di Spedizione Italiano.
See also
- Siberian InterventionSiberian InterventionThe ', or the Siberian Expedition, of 1918–1922 was the dispatch of troops of the Entente powers to the Russian Maritime Provinces as part of a larger effort by the western powers and Japan to support White Russian forces against the Bolshevik Red Army during the Russian Civil War...
- Allied intervention in the Russian Civil WarAllied Intervention in the Russian Civil WarThe Allied intervention was a multi-national military expedition launched in 1918 during World War I which continued into the Russian Civil War. Its operations included forces from 14 nations and were conducted over a vast territory...
- Concessions in TianjinConcessions in TianjinThe Concessions in Tianjin were concession territories ceded by the Chinese imperial Qing Dynasty to the great powers in Tianjin, also known as Tientsin or Tien-Tsin.-General context:...