4th Rifle Division in Kuban and Odessa as Part of Polish Army in France (1918–1919)
4th Rifle Division in Kuban and Odessa as Part of Polish Army in France (1918–1919)

Summary/Abstract: This paper outlines the history of the 4th Rifle Division led by General Lucjan Żeligowski, which was established in the autumn of 1918 in Kuban in southern Russia. It was initially under the command of the Russian Volunteer Army, but soon afterwards it became a part of the Polish Army in France. After the agreement between the French government and the Polish National Committee was concluded in September 1918, the 4th Rifle Division was subordinated to the command of the allied forces and in December it was transported to Odessa. During the talks with the French government, it was established that from January 1919 the French side would take over upkeep of the division. The division was then subordinated to the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in the Balkans. From that point on, the division has officially become a part of the Polish Army in France. At the same time, however, General Lucjan Żeligowski established close contacts with the command of the Polish Army in Warsaw and de facto subordinated himself to the authority of Józef Piłsudski, as the Commander in Chief. The 4th Rifle Division eventually returned to Poland in June 1919, where it was transformed into the 10th Infantry Division. This concluded the history of the of the 4th Rifle Division, which was the only Polish tactical unit formed in Russia that managed to return to Poland.

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