EducationHistory

Sich Riflemen: History. The Battle and the victory of the Sich Riflemen on Mount Makowka

One of the heroic pages of Ukraine is occupied by such warriors as Sich Riflemen - history knows them as good soldiers. These soldiers were endlessly devoted to their homeland, and even in the most difficult time they continued to fight for it. The article will consider the history of the legion, as well as many interesting facts, in particular, the famous victory of the Sich Riflemen on Mount Makovka.

How did the Sich Riflemen appear?

The first mention of the Sich Riflemen dates back to 1911. It was at this time that some of the Galician leaders had the idea of creating a paramilitary group from the youth of Galicia (then controlled by Austria). In the context of the escalating relations between Austria and the Russian Empire, this idea was actively developed. Due to circumstances, the first such organizations secretly existed at schools or universities. A little later, the idea of fighting Russia was also picked up by such movements as Sokol, Plast and Sich.

The official date of the birth of Sich Riflemen can be called March 18, 1913. On this day K.Trilevsky achieved that the first organization "Sich Riflemen" was approved at the official level. A little later, the same groups were organized under the partnership "Sokol", as well as in the city of Lviv. But, as expected, the active actions of the Ukrainians were troubled by the Austrian government, which began to actively impede the development of the idea, especially since young people in the camps were trained in the treatment of weapons and other military duties. It is not known how everything would have turned out, but soon the First World War broke out. After Franz-Ferdinand was killed, and the first hostilities began, the Ukrainian parties united and created the "Main Ukrainian Council," and they also decided to approve the Ukrainian Combat Administration, which would command the Legion of Sich Riflemen.

Participation of the Legion of Sich Rifles in the First World War

Very soon a corresponding manifesto was proclaimed, in which the Council called on young people to join the legion and fight on the side of the Triple Alliance. This idea was supported very actively, not only by young people, but also by more mature people. In connection with the influx of volunteers, the call points were located in the county towns, then the volunteers left for Lviv, and when the city was relocated - moved to Stryi.

First difficulties

However, several serious problems arose in the way of the formation of the legion. The most acute was the lack of finance for the maintenance of the army, as well as experienced army instructors. In addition, the authorities still did not want the creation of a Ukrainian military unit.

But it was possible to solve the problems - the money for equipping, arming and maintaining the legion was collected by the people all over Galicia, the authorities sent 20 senior officers to the Sich Riflemen, who became instructors. But in response to the legion, instead of the existing 10 thousand people there should be only 2 thousand. To further weaken this combat unit, they were armed with weapons that had been discontinued from production, which were already obsolete (rifles of the Verndle system), and also did not issue military ammunition and uniforms. In order for the legion to exist, its leadership had to take an oath of allegiance to Austria-Hungary, after which the strength of the division was increased to 2.5 thousand people, new rifles - Mauser systems, as well as uniforms and footwear. September 3, 1914 Sich Riflemen swore an oath of Austria-Hungary, and a few hours later - and Ukraine, for whose freedom they swore to fight to the end.

Since the Austrian army surrendered to Lviv, and the Russian troops were already standing in the foothills of the Carpathians, they remembered the Sich archers immediately. On September 25, in a battle near the village of Syanki, a group of musketeers under the command of O. Semyonyuk successfully fought against the Kuban Cossacks, even taking the Cossack horse and many weapons. But, later, the Russians began to break through the defense of Xianok. Two four out of a hundred V. Diduska, together with the Austrians, defeated the artillery battery, thereby stopping the offensive. Nevertheless, the victory of the Sich Riflemen did not give a result - on the same day Syanki were taken, and a hundred suffered losses - 5 killed and several prisoners.

Warsaw operation

Another episode, where Sich warriors took part - battles near Warsaw in the same year of 1914, when the Russians gathered forces for a breakthrough. The result of these battles was the liberation of Peremyshl and a number of settlements. In these battles took part a group of Sich Riflemen from the corps of General Hoffmann, who was advancing on Stryi. Sagittarians excelled in this battle, as they were the vanguard of the advancing Austrian army.

After these battles, the commanders undertook a campaign to the Carpathians, which was conducted by German and Austrian troops. During the fighting, Russian troops retreated from the mountains, and the Austrians occupied part of Galicia. The Sich Riflemen showed examples of courage and heroism, more than once saving situations seemingly hopeless. One of the glorious episodes of the Galician campaign was the battle of the streltsy for Mount Makovka.

Sich Riflemen on Mount Makowka

This mountain was an important position of the Austrian troops on the west front. Russian troops on April 28, 1915 began her fierce assault, as a result of which the mountain was abandoned. The Sich Riflemen, who were then in reserve, were immediately given the task of knocking the enemy out of the mountain. They were picked up at night and sent to a counter-offensive as part of 5 hundred. An hour later the summit was already occupied, and the Russian troops were driven back to the river. After that, some of the hundreds withdrew to their positions, and two of them dug in on the top, taking up defense. On April 29 fierce assaults on the positions of the streltsy began. The enemy's first attempts to occupy the mountain were stopped. May 1, with the support of guns, the Russians took the right flank and defeated the Streltsy units on the summit. However, those archers who retired to their positions, undertook one more assault, together with the Austrians. And once again took up the mountain.

The battles for the Makovka lasted continuously for 60 days. At that time it became a really important defensive point of the South Army, since it closed convenient exits to the Hungarian plain for the Russians. Her defense was key, as the Russians lost the chance to defeat the Southern Army. In addition, the victory of the Sich Riflemen on Mount Makowka also enabled the subsequent breakthrough of the positions of the Russian army, which fled Galicia.

In these battles, the losses of the legion were especially severe - about 50 killed, 76 wounded, and several dozen soldiers were taken prisoner. Nevertheless, their feat did not go unnoticed. The corps command admired the bravery of the Ukrainians and saluted them. The Battle of the Sich Riflemen on Mount Makowka is an important part of the offensive operation in Galicia.

Further participation in the First World War

Among the significant battles in which the Sich Riflemen participated, history singles out a battle on Mount Lysonya, the Brusilovsky breakthrough, the defense of Potutor. The battles on Lyson are especially important, since the bold actions of the Streltsi saved virtually the entire South Austrian army from encirclement and defeat.

In 1917, the legion was expecting a joyful event - it was increased to the size of a regiment. F. Kikal became the new commander of this division. The regiment was immediately transferred to Berezhany, but it did not take part in the battles, since this sector of the front was stable. February 27 in Russia began the February Revolution, which shook the power, but the war was still in progress. During the fighting that began in June, the legion was trapped and taken prisoner. At that time, 444 fighters and 9 officers remained from him. Subsequently, the legion was re-formed, and in the new composition it reached the end of the fighting on the Zbruch River. This is the end of the story of the Sich Riflemen in the First World War.

The period of revolution and independence of the UPR

After the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia, an independent Ukrainian People's Republic formed. The Sich Riflemen during these events made a campaign to the Naddnipryansky Ukraine, as they helped the young republic in the war with the Bolsheviks. This was agreed by the leadership of Austria and the UNR. Then they participated in the suppression of uprisings in the Kherson region, and managed to resolve the issue without a single shot. The authorities did not like this, as a result of which the legion was transferred to Bukovina, where it was located before the collapse of Austria-Hungary.

His last fight took the legion during the defense of Lviv, when the Western army attacked the Western People's Republic. After that the Ukrainian Cash Corps was rassofrmirovana, and the legion is scattered in other units. This was the end of one of the most famous Ukrainian military units.

The composition of the OSS legion

When the unit had just begun its combat history, it was divided into two and a half Kuren, which were headed by the courtesans. The Kuren was divided into hundreds, of which there were 4. In every one hundred, on the same principle, there were 4 prisoners (platoon), and in each couple there were 4 swarms (divisions) for 10-15 people. Each hundred, in the end, consisted of 100-150 people.

In addition, the legion had special units. Among them, the cavalry, the engineering and the machine-gunning hundred are distinguished as auxiliary ones. In the cavalry there were only 112 people and 4 sergeants. The machine-gun unit had 4 machine guns of the Schwarzlose system, their servants, even commanders and hundreds. In the engineering hundred there were four brothers. There was also a medical service, an office, an intendant service, as well as departments responsible for the recruitment, training and distribution of recruits, a train and a field kitchen. Also in the legion, a special unit was allocated, which was armed with heavy weapons - mortars, grenade launchers and flamethrowers. Her task was mainly defense of positions and support of the advancing.

Importance for the Present

Now that Ukraine is an independent state, Sich Riflemen is one of the glorious pages of the memory of the past. In the historical sense, the Legion of Sich Riflemen is unique fighting unit, since it was formed exclusively from Ukrainians, and knowing the attitude of the Austrian authorities to armed popular uprisings or ethnic groups, its creation, as well as a fairly successful application in combat, can be considered surprising. Impressive and heroism, which manifested Sich Riflemen. Mount Makovka is proof of this.

Similar articles

 

 

 

 

Trending Now

 

 

 

 

Newest

Copyright © 2018 en.unansea.com. Theme powered by WordPress.