 At the request of Chinese merchants, 2,300 Chinese troops were sent to Vladivostok to protect Chinese interests there.The Chinese army fought against both Bolsheviks and Cossacks.The "Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Estremo Oriente" was made of Alpini troops, supported by 2,500 Italian ex-POWs who had fought in the Austro-Hungarian Army and enrolled in the Legione Redenta.