4th “Iron” Brigade

The 4th “Iron” Brigade
(brief historical note)

During the First World War, the 4th “Iron” Brigade was part of the 8th Army of General Brusilov (South-Western Front). On September 3, 1914, at the height of the Battle of Galicia, General Denikin was appointed head of the brigade.

Anton Denikin (1872–1947)

As a commander, Denikin immediately achieved notable success. The brigade took part in the battle at Grodek, and as a result of this fight Denikin was awarded the St. George Weapon.

When the 8th Army got stuck in a positional war, Denikin, noticing the weakness of the enemy’s defense, on October 24, 1914, without artillery preparation, transferred his brigade to the attack on the enemy and took the village of Gorniy Luzhk, where the headquarters of the Archduke Joseph was, from which he was hastily evacuated. As a result of the capture of the village, a direction was opened for an attack on the Sambor-Turk highway. "For a brave maneuver" Denikin was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree.

The commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade, General Denikin (center) with the headquarters, the city of Osek, 1914

In November 1914, the “Iron” Brigade captured the city and the station of Mesolóborch in the course of combat missions in the Carpathians. In February 1915, the Iron Brigade, aimed at helping the consolidated detachment of General Kaledin, captured a number of commanding heights, the center of the enemy’s position, and the village of Lutovysko, capturing over 2,000 prisoners and dropping the Austrians across the River San. For this fight, Denikin was awarded the Order of St. George, 3rd degree.

In early 1915, Denikin was offered the post of division head, but he refused to part with his brigade. As a result, in April 1915, Denikin’s Infantry Brigade was transformed into a division with the name of the 4th Infantry Division, and the honorary prefix “Iron” passed to it. In May 1916, the division as part of the 8th Army took part in the Brusilov (Lutsk) Offensive.