Vzpomínky italského legionáře. K 125. výročí narození italského legionáře Jaroslava Boučka (1898-1957)
Notebook of an Italian Legionnaire

Summary/Abstract: The memoirs of Jaroslav Bouček (1898–1957), a member of the Czechoslovaklegions in Italy, were originally published in 1921 in the regional Slovak daily Slovenskývýchod. They depict his wartime experience as a private soldier in World WarI on the Italian front, his capture as an Austrian soldier during the Italian offensiveat Selo in May 1917, his stay in a prisoner of war camp in Sicily, his enlistment in theCzechoslovak Army and training in the military camp in Padula, his participationin the battles of 1918: on the Piave in June, at Doss Alto in September and in the finalbattles in October of the same year. They continue with the return to Czechoslovakiain December 1918 and the subsequent battles with the Hungarian Republic in1919. Compared to the published memoirs of the official Czechoslovak representativein Italy, Eng. Jan Šeba (Memoirs of a Legionary and Diplomat. Prague 2016), theyshow the view from below: the way in which ordinary legionnaires faced danger inthe trenches, the manifestations of their patriotism, their attitude towards Italiansoldiers and civilians, and the response to the executions of Czechoslovak legionnaireswho fell into Austrian captivity, and finally the disillusionment with the finalbattles in Slovakia.

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