Polish Legion in Turkey
| Polish Legion in Turkey | |
|---|---|
| Legion Polski w Turcji Türkiye'deki Polonya Lejyonu | |
| Country | Ottoman Empire |
| Allegiance | Ottoman Army |
| Size | 20,000 |
| Campaigns | Crimean War Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) |
| Commanders | |
| Commanders | Józef Jagmin † (European branch) Michał Czajkowski (European branch) Władysław Czajkowski (European branch) Stanislas Saint Clair (European branch) |
The Polish Legion in Turkey (Polish: Legion Polski w Turcji, Turkish: Türkiye'deki Polonya Lejyonu) was a military force formed in Istanbul by emigrants from Partitioned Poland to fight with the Ottoman Army in their wars against Russia (especially the Crimean and Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878). At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the unit consisted of around 20,000 troops.
It was divided into two branches: European and Asian. The Asian division fought on the Caucasian front. The European branch, with about 70 people under the command of Józef Jagmin, became part of the division under Salha Pasha. The legion partook in the Battle of Eski Zagra in Bulgaria, where many legionnaires, including Jagmin, died.