Romanian Legion of Italy

Romanian Legion of Italy
Legione Romena d'Italia
Artistic raffiguration
Active	June 1918 to August 31 1919
Country	Romania
Allegiance	Italy
Branch	Royal Italian Army
Size	843
Garrison/HQ	Avezzano
Engagements	2nd Battle of Monte Grappa Battle of Vittorio Veneto
Commanders
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

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

• 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 Sisemol, Val Vella and Cimone;
• Company III - framed in the IV Army; 2nd Battle of Monte Grappa.

See also

• Avezzano concentration camp
• Czechoslovak Legion
• Polish Legions in World War I
• Romanian Volunteer Corps in Russia

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

• 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: Museo storico italiano della guerra.