romanian russia romanian volunteer corps russia romanian din military formation world war created ethnic romanian prisoners war held russia officially established february comprised mainly contingents obliged fight romania russian custody volunteered service self determination union romania passed political resolutions tone scope announced adopted union day corps effectively active military reserve regularly dispatched new units romanian june helped defend stretches romania unified offensive met success battle lacked command structure october revolution russia romanian armistice took romania camp corps left backing purpose inspired creation similar units countries successfully mobilized volunteers prisoners symbolically tied corps left russia russian civil war ignited individuals formed resisted cooperation white movement units ultimately repatriated origins romania entered world war country alliance russian_empire austria-hungary central powers romania began investigating fate austria hungarian held russian camps estimates period place total population facilities russia romania thousand romanian refugees austria-hungary immediately signed service russia romanian captives complained worse prisoners austro hungarian backgrounds matter contributed decision romanian service russian authorities letting join initially prohibited initiatives insisted establish contact romania arrested russian police forces year romania russian executive reverted policies decided russia free demographic group transferring romania exchange similar number non romanian prisoners romanian camps subsequently chose enlist relocated special camp suburb known december facility held officers non commissioned officers formed nucleus general command romanian corps elected senior camp year old legal professional rank file member opinion journalist came members camp leadership body regardless initiatives romania tended little attention potential recruitment russia decision makers uncertain devotion worried welcoming austro hungarian spies army ranks additionally probably half men excluded pool recruits austrian loyalists men reason fear austria-hungary retaliation support romania weak russian play january camp visited lieutenant colonel mission evaluate recruitment project reversal fortunes romanian brought central powers invasion southern romania romanian military authority pressured finding new soldiers defensive action february revolution shortly events russia experienced february revolution brought power liberal consequence transfer project delayed russian acceptance self determination facilitated renewed political action according veteran soldiers inspired revolutionary promises american entry world war seemingly official policy order march february romania minister war created special formation national army day tasked chief staff new recruits organizing units honorary command assigned military russia month negotiated corps recognition received permission number recruits longer clearly specified march issued pledge regulated status corps soldiers relation recruits sign integrated austro hungarian officers equivalent ranks austrian service including time spent camps active duty romanian banners pledge ended words god help blood liberate lands create greater romania unified substance backed signing document considered demand remained considerable rumor spread austro hungarian repression forces murdering families volunteers property corps veteran later state class conflict characteristic formation intellectual leaders better paid assignments april met agreement reached maximum total troops enlisted answering special pleas romanian premier allowed recruitment prisoners custody order revised reduced number prisoners noting needed working hands russia agriculture industry practice allowed recruitment place moscow military district ordering prisoners taken account manifesto revolutionary examples inspired prisoners political goals openly demand union romania manifesto april april reviewed publishing poet signed officers soldiers probably statement issued representative body document states like nations grown aware carry lives frame austro hungarian state demand incorporation romania form single national romanian state sake ideal throw balance lives fortunes women children descendants life happiness stop text survives slightly different versions included brief analysis international scene paid homage russia democratic program referenced generous doctrine self determination looked forward congress national democratic states manifesto ample reference activity cause later recounted disguised reference moderate leaders ostensibly loyal austro hungarian monarchy tried achieve austrian argued home deeply bound government signed declaration loyalty civilian refugee transit russia supposed left copy appeal argue subsequent largely owed work publicist accounts contradicted activist appeal supposed handed reason stopped day circumstances designated hold version passed romania executive king ferdinand general russian french translations document distributed institutions presented individually representatives russian political life foreign press agencies circulated national emancipation movements poles serbs copy later taken united_states romania special delegates reprinted romanian american community press according account included airborne propaganda dropped austro hungarian trenches italian soldiers soon gave special banner based romanian added slogan long live greater romania seven items kept born soldier arrival recruiting commissions dispatched romania russia received romanian volunteers relocated girls work began new romanian uniforms newly formed battalion quickly sent romania reinforce defense comprising men unit traveled chartered train stopping largely romanian inhabited russian city gave warm welcome battalion received romanian war flag presented orthodox icon battalion arrived city romania provisional capital volunteers welcomed heroes june marching ground took oath officially integrated ceremony attended premier general representatives missions ambassadors neutral countries spain recalled sermon act national later banquet public rally union square addressed civilian population describing corps arrival rescue mission duty coming day living hardships left foreign country thought minds coming home road meant leading ahead reach high hearts elevated politician recalled speech left deep impression public speech pure simple marvel unforgettable noted effort corps staff etc encourage rapid integration formed units romanian line defense quick session corps units attached recovering decided formations particularly kept distinguished rest common command structure official act explained rationale act fight hungarian state assert clearly doubt romanian nationals hungarian state recognize authority fought hungary war end ought badge honor romanian nation hungary moral reinforcement battles come proposed men corps assigned avoid execution captured reacted strongly intend army aim conscience absolute freedom union want receive conquered land wish liberate forces let hang let aware fighting liberty union july corps offices circulated issue recruitment gazette greater romania essential component propaganda effort russia new edition gazette founded new form managed team pro union activists successful despite fact copies published issue recruitment continued steady pace romanian general staff created bureau evidence austro hungarian founding members sub assisted intellectuals politicians backgrounds represented russia officers units earned distinction defense eastern romania postponed advance summer participated battles time split regiments 11th division 2nd 3rd 5th 19th 26th battles hold central powers ended early autumn time dead wounded volunteers received distinction survived engagements legend went combat banner left reserve duty join 10th combat fell severely ill reassigned offices divisive command structure disappointment volunteers complaint sent september requested special corps arguing free oppressed citizens expressing common isolated individuals entire people free austrian like army staff monarch disapproved initiative informing units overseen expect form special regiments existing divisions parallel negotiations continued russia romania total number volunteers allowed leave russian soil early june approved release romanian austro hungarian prisoners moscow according historian approval creating problems romanian soldiers question majority held deep inside russia employed agricultural regions industrial centers southern russia western siberia etc battle romanian government called russian leadership allow recruits sent received confirmation earlier directly chief staff result recruiting commissions relocated pacific port set motion plan recruiting volunteers russia promise romanian high command took measures creating single distinct division comprising passed refugees romanian service replaced answering early december corps reformed final time division sized formation colonel placed charge central based early days new regiments command 1st commander 3rd prisoners war formed large section approximately austria hungarian citizens registered active romanian late time stopped recruiting january corps enlisted men order came late war significant contribution romanian effort october revolution romanian truce october revolution shook russia placed government intention continuing war romanian presence set november uprising january rebellion dispersed anti regime small force remained new ukrainian people republic signed group romanian volunteers efforts hampered diplomatic tensions romania ukrainian officials refused rally negotiate border treaties romania permitted activists worked austria-hungary work territory gazette chief editorial manager closed december having published issues family left temporary home corps chaplain group romanian units left headed romanian friendly power local volunteers dressed russian soldiers passage recognized romanian units garrisoned train stopped january skirmish followed killed kidnapped corps soldiers survivors held captive place founder released later day republican troops years later suspicion arose fact helped alleged enemy romanian interests romania armistice recruitment project complete diminished effort soldiers single new force according account attempted quickly dispatch troops western project vetoed romanian commander chief romania faced future corps subject propaganda spread romanian intellectuals capitals nations temporary home france romanian politics aspirations joined crossed territory finland false papers claiming veteran legacy units cut troops spring prisoners held france italy proceeded form units based existing commander newly formed italy took ceremonial flag july contributed austrians defeat western similar formation created mainly romanian citizens resented country surrendering soldiers left romania continue fight membership small reflecting number austro hungarian prisoners france taken mainly serbian operations signed october refusal french officials recognize austro hungarian officer ranks unit attached joined categories romanian recruits effort stopped midway november victory germany ended world war france romania dissolution austria-hungary taking effect october units spontaneously formed austrian territory mainly rogue components helped gain upper hand anti austrian uprising romanian units breaking away austrian command vienna formed distinct segment kriegsmarine personnel austrian adriatic complex situation reigned russia early april romanian volunteer groups joined taking orders members continued serve nationalist cause june number romanian prisoners signed cut romania left fend crossed hoping repatriated romanian took areas controlled white movement reaching escaped northern routes sweden groups monitored french public opinion plans drafted merge western open new eastern tandem larger czech national units romanian prisoners involved creating new armed formations original goal eager fight defended line skirmishes cells resisted especially russian government asked surrender weapons regiment romanian legion siberia prisoners drifting units russia joined new arrivals created strong battalion effectively romanian officers clubs organizing lands held democrats original force emerge schemes formed criticized eccentric idea imitating practices away military ranks sparked conflict arrested conservative officer escaped imprisonment fled support cause continued eroded growing support result activity supported romanian loyalists created battalion regiment major assigned lead orders new reserve battalions sent mission time recruiting commissions reactivated arrival international force propaganda drafted reached camps region urging volunteer way city emerged main site romanian political military activity reported population liberated july major stop influence arresting ordering unit complex set sanctions imposed hope dissent ranks reintroduced uniforms model distributed patriotic cultural section began function taking long journey officers original joined mid autumn moment romanian soldiers celebrating breakup austria-hungary union new arrivals western camps second grouping volunteers alliance formed anti romanian national contribution international coalition reluctantly relocated late volunteers expressed lack interest fighting colonel czech technical adviser corps placed romanian legion siberia formed structure soldiers volunteered ranks progressively transferred combat zone shipped romania taken prisoner war camps notes western victory opened way union thought regain fast possible families places origin special case october killed soldiers partly retaliation arrest legion defended trans forced truce established reputation brutality nickname wild division formation romanian non combatants eventually retrieved russian far east end foreign intervention fully repatriated court legion cleared charges higher authority killed sentenced assassins late echoes original volunteers corps went service december soon german defeat facto union romanian volunteers rally support self determination judged romanian authors direct predecessor great national assembly union endorsed principles corps april meeting 1st opinion divided shortly hungarian romanian war erupted members corps required present old rivals led allegedly refused welcome corps single unit plans dropped new volunteer corps reportedly formed river line defense old corps set veterans association carried reputation fascist inspired section strongly dismissed accounts stated union good cause reject handling issue sympathetic president complained tensions union ran seats parliament general election formed electoral successors assigned non eligible positions electoral lists praise corps contributions toned romania communist state according communist historiography presented story usually truncated context events wave repression touched figures associated corps beaten death prison interest activity revived romanian revolution relics left corps banner probably seven survived volunteers union reunion referred donated local church exhibited flag donated
Romanian Volunteer Corps in Russia