I Corps (Czechoslovakia)
| 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps 1. československý armádní sbor |
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Banner of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps
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| Active | 5 May 1944–15 May 1945 |
| Country |
 Czechoslovak government-in-exile; formation equipped and supplied by  Soviet Union
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| Allegiance |
Czechoslovak government-in-exile
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| Branch |
Red Army
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| Type | Corps |
| Size | 16,171 (September 1944) |
| Motto(s) | "Věrni zůstaneme" Loyal We Will Remain |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| First commander | Jan Kratochvíl |
| Last commander | Karel Klapálek |
| Notable commanders |
Ludvík Svoboda |
The 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps was a military formation of the Czechoslovak Army in exile fighting on the Eastern Front alongside the Soviet Red Army in World War II.
The corps was the largest of the Czechoslovak units that fought on the Soviet side on the Eastern Front.
The First Czechoslovak Independent Field Battalion, which was formed in Buzuluk in the Urals, was the first Allied unit fighting alongside the Red Army in Soviet territory. It was formed from former members of the Czechoslovak Legion, Czechoslovak citizens (mostly refugees) living in the Soviet Union, Slovak prisoners-of-war and defectors, and Volhynian Czechs (Soviet citizens of Czech origin). Lieutenant-colonel Ludvík Svoboda was appointed to become the commander of the unit on 15 July 1942.
Despite the plans of the Czechoslovak political leadership, who intended to keep the unit intact to help with the future liberation of the Czechoslovakia, the officers of the battalion tried to bring the unit into the fight as soon as possible. After sending a personal letter to Joseph Stalin, they eventually succeed and the battalion was sent into action. Notably, it took part in the defensive battle of Sokolovo, a part of the larger Third Battle of Kharkov, in March 1943. At the time, it was one of the most well armed infantry battalions on the East Front – fully equipped with automatic guns and semiautomatic infantry weapons. However, the battalion lacked heavier anti-tank weapons and artillery, which was to be provided by supporting Soviet units. Because of this, during the battle, when facing parts of the German armored division, the battalion suffered heavy losses and was later withdrawn from the front line.
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