Romanian Legion of Italy explained

Unit Name:Romanian Legion of Italy
Native Name:Legione Romena d'Italia
Dates:June 1918 to August 31 1919
Allegiance:Italy and Romania
Garrison:Avezzano
Battles:Battle of Vittorio Veneto, 2nd Battle of Monte Grappa
Notable Commanders:Gen. Luciano Ferigo, col. Camillo Ferraioli

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.

History

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

See also

References

  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