Polish Legion in Turkey
Polish people who fought on the side of the Ottomans in their wars against Russia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Polish Legion in Turkey (Polish: Legion Polski w Turcji, Turkish: Türkiye'deki Polonya Lejyonu) was a military force formed in Istanbul by emigrants from Partitioned Poland to fight with the Ottoman Army in the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878) against Russia. The legion numbered around 200 men.
| Polish Legion in Turkey | |
|---|---|
| Legion Polski w Turcji Türkiye'deki Polonya Lejyonu | |
| Active | June 1877 – November 1877 |
| Country |  Ottoman Empire |
| Allegiance | Ottoman Army |
| Size | 200 |
| Campaigns | Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) |
| Commanders | |
| Commanders |  Józef Jagmin † |
It was divided into two branches: European and Asian. The Asian division fought on the Caucasian front. The European branch, with about 70 people under the command of Józef Jagmin, became part of the division under Salha Pasha.[1] The legion partook in the Battle of Eski Zagra in Bulgaria, where many legionnaires, including Jagmin, were killed in action.
The legion was intended to play a moral and diplomatic role: diplomatically, it was to represent Polish nationalism, whilst morally, it was to express a Christian character by refraining from killing fellow Christians and even preventing such killings by the Turks, which were considered likely.[2] This vision failed, as the legion was not allowed to demonstrate any Christian emblems and instead was forced to depict a crescent moon, a star and a white eagle.[2]
The legion was very unpopular. Contrary to the measly 200 troops it amassed, over 10,000 Polish troops took part in the war against the Ottomans and on the side of Russia in the Tsarist Army.[3] It was disbanded in November 1877.[4]
