page_title: Czechoslovak Legion in Italy
section_title: After Caporetto, the Czechoslovak Legion of Italy Is Established
hierarchical_section_title: Czechoslovak Legion in Italy / After Caporetto, the Czechoslovak Legion of Italy Is Established
caption_attribution_description: English: Posed Photo of Gen. Andrea Graziani
context_page_description: The Czechoslovak Italian Legion was a legion of Czechoslovak volunteers formed late in World War I. The first formal Czechoslovak Volunteers Group was formed in Italian prisoner-of-war camps in Santa Maria Capua Vetere, near Naples and matured at Padula near Salerno. In January 1918, the headquarters of the 6th Italian Army 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 and May 1918:
  31st Regiment in Perugia
  32nd Regiment in Assisi
  33rd Regiment in Foligno
  34th Regiment in Spoleto
  35th Regiment was formed in October 1918 from new Czechoslovak prisoners of war in Italy
  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 and later by General Luigi Piccione.
context_section_description: On April 21, 1918 the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Italy Vittorio Emanuele Orlando signed, together with the Minister of War Vittorio Italo Zupelli 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 received, on May 24 from Orlando, the Legion colors in a solemn ceremony at the Altare della Patria in Rome.
  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.
  The Infantry Units were initially placed in the Euganean hills.  However, some reconnaissance battalions were deployed at the Battle of Solstizio (Piave) in June 1918. In a bit of irony, Jan Čapek died in that Battle on his birthday, June 17.
  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 from August 18, 1918 the Legion had the task of defending the sector of Mount 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.
  The Czechoslovak Legion was also in reserve during the Battle of Vittorio Veneto in October 1918. Shortly thereafter, the Armistice of Villa Giusti concluded the Great War in Italy on November 3, 1918.
caption: General Andrea Graziani
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