Page:Albert Beaumont - Heroic Story of the Czecho-Slovak Legions - 1919.djvu/59



MILAN, March 28.

The Czecho-Slovak National Assembly in Russia, after the Bolshevik revolution of October, 1917, acted very prudently, waiting for further developments. The leaders had to maintain relations with two separate Governments, the one at Petrograd and the other at Kieff, for Ukrainia had declared her independence before the end of the year. The two Czecho-Slovak divisions amounted, with their additional formations of artillery and engineers, to about 50,000 men. They had to be fed and clothed, and they had to use a good deal of tact in obtaining supplies. Both divisions being stationed in Ukrainian territory, the first in Volhynia and the second in the government of Poltava, the Ukrainian Government, which continued friendly to the Czechs, consented to supply the CzechoSlovak legions. There was no trouble till it was known that Ukrainia had decided to make separate peace overtures to Germany and Austria. Events then followed very rapidly, and the story is told by Captain “S.,“ who was then at Borispol, as follows:

The Ukrainian Government had taken over the control of the Russian troops in its territory when it proclaimed its independence, and it was therefore also obliged to keep our army. Our leaders, however, insisted on it being understood they took no part in the interior disputes of Russia. We agreed to hold a part of the front and to guard the depots in the interior.

The situation remained very critical during the months of December, 1917, and January, 1918. It was sometimes difficult to discern between Bolsheviks and Bolsheviks, some from Greater Russia and some from Ukrainia. They all worked in one direction as regarded the war, and that was to come to separate peace with the enemy. It soon became apparent that German influence was at work at Kieff, and that German