The exact size of the legion is unknown, but just under 70,000 soldiers and civilians were evacuated. Most sources list about 4,000 dead in Russia and Siberia, though one source claimed closer to half of the legion died. Approximately 1,600 legionnaires married local women during their journey, though, at various times, new marriages were prohibited due to limited space for families. The bulk of the legion served in Russia, but there were also contingents serving in the Italian Front and on the Western Front.
The Great War and the Sovietization of Russia were responsible for multiple name changes. Saint Petersburg became Petrograd early in the war, then later became Leningrad, and is now once again Saint Petersburg. Pressburg became Bratislava (1919), Novonikolayevsk became Novosibirsk (1926), Verkhne-Udinsk became Ulan Ude (1934), Troitskosavsk became Kyakhta (1934), and Mysovaya became Babushkin (1941). Doch was listed by that name in one of my research books, but I could find it on a map only as Velyka Doch. Also, although Ukraine is the correct current usage, I have chosen to use the Ukraine and Kiev (rather than Kyiv) throughout this manuscript because that was the most common usage at the time of the story. I also simplified things by referring to Ukrainian Nationalists rather than to the Rada.
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Sincere thanks to Terri Ferran, Ron Machado, Tina Peacock, Charissa Stastny, Jaime Theler, Bev Walkling, and Linda White for reading all or parts of the manuscript and providing feedback. Thanks also to Covenant for taking a chance on a longer-than-normal manuscript, especially to my editor, Samantha Millburn.
Thanks also to my readers for making it possible for me to write what I love. If you enjoyed this book, I would be very grateful for your review on websites where books are sold or discussed.
About the Author
A. L. Sowards is the author of multiple historical fiction novels, with settings spanning the globe from the fourteenth to twentieth centuries. Her stories have earned multiple awards and nominations, including a Whitney Award and a Readers’ Favorite gold medal. Sowards grew up in Washington State, spent a few decades in Utah, and now resides in Alaska with her husband, three children, and ever-growing library. She enjoys hiking and swimming, usually manages to keep up with the laundry, and loves it when someone else cooks dinner.
Sowards enjoys connecting with readers and can be found online at ALSowards.com or on Facebook, Goodreads, and Instagram. Readers can sign up for her newsletter at ALSowards.com/newsletter.
Other Books by A. L. Sowards
Duchy of Athens Series
Of Sword and Shadow
Of Daggers and Deception
The Ley Brothers Series
The Rules in Rome
Defiance
Espionage Series
Espionage
Sworn Enemy
Deadly Alliance
Stand-Alones
The Spider and the Sparrow
The Redgrave Murders
Heirs of Falcon Point
Before the Fortress Falls
Short Stories
The Perfect Gift