The Czechoslovak Legion: An Epic Train Journey Across Siberia

In 1918, a force of 50,000 former prisoners of war became the unlikely masters of the Trans-Siberian Railway. The Czechoslovak Legion, formed from Czech and Slovak soldiers who had fought for the Russian Empire, found themselves caught between the Bolsheviks and the White Army after the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Their desperate attempt to reach Vladivostok and sail to France turned into a two-year odyssey across Siberia, involving pitched battles, the seizure of the imperial gold reserve, and a strange alliance with Admiral Kolchak. This episode follows the Legion's dramatic journey, from the uprising in Chelyabinsk that sparked the Russian Civil War to their eventual evacuation by ship in 1920. Along the way, we explore their iconic armored train 'Orlik', the controversial handover of Kolchak to the Bolsheviks, and how this forgotten army shaped the future of Czechoslovakia.

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