Off the Beaten Path - France Travel Guide

The Russian Expeditionary Force was sent to France in 1916 in exchange for badly-needed munitions that went to Russia. Many of the Russians would claim to have been ‘sold’ as a result of the trade. Four brigades were originally sent – almost 32,000 men – and many in France thought it was just the vanguard of a huge force to come, but developments in Russia negated that idea. As soon as the REF arrived, two of the brigades were sent on to the Allied beach head at Salonika in Greece leaving the 1st and 3rd brigades – just under 20,000 men – in France. Despite foreign food, homesickness, no mail and a belief that the French were using them as cannon fodder, the Russians fought hard and well until early 1917. With the fall of the Czar came elected Soldier’s Councils claiming the right to approve or disapprove Russian troop actions. They did vote to take part in the Nivelle Offensive of April 1917 and were given the opportunity to attack Fort Brimont just north of Reims. After some 6,000 casualties, the Russians said enough was enough and they were withdrawn to a rest camp at Neufchateau south of Verdun. The French had become concerned with the effect the Russians were having on French units serving alongside in the line – this was also a period of unrest and mutiny within the French army – and the Russians were withdrawn further to the south to an old French army base at La Courtine near Ussel, between Dijon and Bordeaux which was cleared to house the now-fractious Russians. Of the two brigades, the 1st was made up of mainly factory workers from around Moscow and they were very susceptible to the Bolshevik message of peace at any price. The 3rd brigade consisted of peasantry from the Urals who were more willing to fight on for a more suitable peace. The men of the 3rd decided to part company with the 1st and some 6,500 strong, they marched north camping out on a nearby plateau near Felletin, refusing French orders to return. By now, the French were glad to offer shipping –which they were desperately short of because of the need to bring Americans into France – but the Kerensky government in Russia already had enough mutinous troops on hand and refused to take them back. The 1st brigade refused to give up their weapons and became more revolutionary in spirit. On 10 Aug, the 3rd brigade was marched away to a camp near Bordeaux while French troops – and, it is thought other Russians from the 3rd brigade and reliable units from Salonika – encircled the 1st brigade troops. The rebellious Russians were given an ultimatum on 14 Sept to surrender within two days after which a careful bombardment brought about the eventual capitulation. About 500 ‘hard’ cases were sent to French prisons or penal battalions in Africa. The other 7,500 were given the choice of ‘voluntary’ labor in France or African prison camps – to which almost 3,000 were sent and very few returned. The remaining Russians loyal to the French cause were reorganized into the Russian Legion which fought all over the Western Front during 1918 – April/Villers Bretonneaux in the Somme; May/Chemin des Dames; July/Chateau Thierry.

The Russian cemetery contains some 1,000 graves from the battles fought by the REF and the Russian Legion out of a total of 4,000 who died. Two ossuaries hold some 426 men while there are 915 individual graves. Located across the road from the Russian Memorial Church is a monument to the 2nd Special Russian Regiment which was part of the original 1st brigade. “Children of France, when the enemy is vanquished and you can freely gather flowers on these fields, remember us, your Russian friends and bring us some flowers.”

Off the Beaten Path in France

France Off the Beaten Path

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