The Russian Legion of Honor ( French Legion Russe pour I 'Honneur ) is a special (special) formation of military personnel of the Russian Imperial Army , which participated in the First World War , as part of the French Armed Forces . Among those who stood at the origins of the creation of this legion are named General N. A. Lokhvitsky and Colonel G. S. Gotua .
It was formed after the February Revolution in Russia, from among the volunteers of the disbanded Russian Expeditionary Force .
In the literature there is also a name - “Russian Legion” , “Legion of Honor” .
Content
History
It was created as part of the Expeditionary Force of the Russian Army in France at the end of 1917, led by Colonel George Gotua of 300 people. He was part of the Moroccan division of the French troops. He fought near Paris , and later the Russian Legion passed Lorraine , Alsace , Saarland and entered Germany. He was entrusted with the occupation of the German city of Worms on the Rhine.
Georgy Semenovich Gotua at the head of the legion was the first of the allied armies to break through the famous “ Hindenburg Line ” in the battle of September 1–14, 1918 at Terni-Sorni and entered Mainz [1] . The Russians threw the first line of fortifications with hand grenades, the second took in a bayonet battle. On the third, last trench of the enemy, the legion rushed with the Russian "Hurray!", Dumbfounded the Germans who threw weapons. The losses of the Russian legion in this breakthrough amounted to 9 killed and 25 wounded.
Although the Russian army did not officially exist by 1918, the legionnaires continued to wear the Russian uniform - with insignia and cockades , and the officers did not take off their golden epaulettes.
At the end of December 1918, the Russian Legion from Germany was transferred to Marseille , boarded a ship and landed in Novorossiysk . In 1919, the Legion of Honor was sent to the Volunteer Army of General Denikin . Some of the soldiers subsequently switched to the side of the Reds , and the remaining legionnaires formed the 1st Caucasian Rifle Regiment, which until the end of the Civil War fought on the side of the Whites.
Famous Legionists
- Bogoslovsky, Andrei Alexandrovich (1869-1918) - Russian military priest .
- Lupanov, Mstislav Fedorovich (1885-1976) - Russian colonel, holder of the Order of the Legion of Honor [2] [3] .
- Malinovsky, Rodion Yakovlevich (1898-1967) - Soviet military leader and statesman, Marshal of the Soviet Union .
- Urvachev, Sergey Matveevich (1893-1973) - Russian and Yugoslav (lieutenant colonel) military, later - painter.
Notes
Literature
- Memo "Russian Expeditionary Corps", staff captain of the 2nd Special Regiment V. Vasiliev.