Romanian Legion of Italy

The Romanian Legion of Italy was a military body made up of Romanian soldiers in Italy, formed in June 1918, towards the end of World War I.

Romanian Legion of Italy
Legione Romena d'Italia
Artistic raffiguration
ActiveJune 1918 to August 31 1919
Country Romania
AllegianceItaly and Romania
Garrison/HQAvezzano
EngagementsBattle of Vittorio Veneto, 2nd Battle of Monte Grappa
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Gen. Luciano Ferigo, col. Camillo Ferraioli

History edit

 
Representatives of the Legion

In 1916 the Romanian prisoners present in Italy were divided as it follows: 3,600 in the prison camp of Mantua, 2,000 in Cavarzere, 800 in Ostiglia and 800 in Chiaravalle, zones sufficiently distant from the areas of military operations.[1] These came from Transylvania, Banat and Bucovina.

During the "Congress of Oppressed Nationalities in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy", held in the Capitol hall in Rome between 27 March and 10 April 1918, some Romanian delegates managed to obtain the possibility of forming autonomous armed units from the Italian ones. On June 6, 1918, the "Romanian Legion of Italy" was formed with headquarters at Avezzano concentration camp.[2][3]

The Legion fought in the "Second battle of the Grappa" on 24 October 1918 and in the Vittorio Veneto offensive. It consisted of 830 soldiers and 13 officers.

It ended its function on August 31, 1919.

Order of battle edit

  • Company I (250 soldiers) - framed in the 52nd Italian Alpine Division (VIII Army); battles of Montello and Vittorio Veneto;
  • Company II - framed in the VIII Army; battles of Sisemoled, Val Vella and Cimone;
  • Company III - framed in the IV Army; 2nd Battle of Monte Grappa.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Stefan Delureanu, Voluntarii români în Italia şi idealul reîntregirii naţionale , în „Tomis“, an XXIII, 1988, nr. 8 (222), p. 13
  2. ^ Marco Baratto, /home/italia_romania_guerra.htm Romanian collaboration in the Italian war , Italo-Romanian cultural horizons, n. 1, December 2011, year I
  3. ^ Ștefan Damian, War leaflets: the Romanian language in Italy in the propaganda of the First World War , Italo-Romanian cultural horizons, n.1, January 2012, year II

Bibliography edit

  • Cappellano, Filippo; Bertè, Tiziano (2009). La legione romena (1918-1919).
  • Cappellano, Filippo; Formiconi, Paolo (2018). Le relazioni militari italo-romene nella Grande Guerra: esportazioni di materiale bellico e legione romena. Rovereto. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)