General of the Army Jan Sergěj Ingr (2 September 1894 – 17 June 1956) was a

Czechoslovak Czechoslovak may refer to: *A demonym or adjective pertaining to Czechoslovakia (1918–93) **First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–38) **Second Czechoslovak Republic (1938–39) **Third Czechoslovak Republic (1948–60) ** Fourth Czechoslovak Repu ...

Army five star

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

and the Minister of National Defense in the

Czechoslovak government-in-exile The Czechoslovak government-in-exile, sometimes styled officially as the Provisional Government of Czechoslovakia (; ), was an informal title conferred upon the Czechoslovak National Liberation Committee (; ), initially by Government of the Unit ...

during the

Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was a partially-annexation, annexed territory of Nazi Germany that was established on 16 March 1939 after the Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945), German occupation of the Czech lands. The protector ...

Early life

Ingr was born in Vlkoš in the

Margraviate of Moravia The Margraviate of Moravia (; ) was one of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown within the Holy Roman Empire and then Austria-Hungary, existing from 1182 to 1918. It was officially administered by a margrave in cooperation with a provincial diet. I ...

(present-day

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

) in 1894 to his father Jan, mayor of the municipality. He had four brothers and three sisters. He attended the gymnasium (secondary school) in Kyjov and in 1913 became a member of the cadet school in Královo Pole.

First World War

After the outbreak of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

he went as a Sergeant to the Eastern Front. In the fall of 1915 he was captured by the Russians at

Caricyn Volgograd,. geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn. (1589–1925) and Stalingrad. (1925–1961), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. The city lies on the western bank of the Volga, covering an area o ...

. He then joined the 1st Serbian Voluntary Division and fought against the Bulgarians in

Dobruja Dobruja or Dobrudja (; or ''Dobrudža''; , or ; ; Dobrujan Tatar: ''Tomrîğa''; Ukrainian language, Ukrainian and ) is a Geography, geographical and historical region in Southeastern Europe that has been divided since the 19th century betw ...

. In 1916 he transferred to the 2nd Artillery Regiment of George of Poděbrady with the rank of Lieutenant and joined the famous

Czechoslovak Legions The Czechoslovak Legion (Czech: ''Československé legie''; Slovak: ''Československé légie'') were volunteer armed forces consisting predominantly of Czechs and Slovaks fighting on the side of the Entente powers during World War I and the ...

. He adopted the name Sergěj and became a member of the

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church, is List of Christian denominations by number of members, one of the three major doctrinal and ...

. In 1917 he fought in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and in 1918 took part in battles in the

Ardennes The Ardennes ( ; ; ; ; ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, extending into Germany and France. Geological ...

and in

Foligno Foligno (; Central Italian, Southern Umbrian: ''Fuligno'') is an ancient town of Italy in the province of Perugia in east central Umbria, on the Topino river where it leaves the Apennine Mountains, Apennines and enters the wide plain of the Clit ...

. By the end of the war he had risen to Captain and was able to speak five foreign languages (German, Russian, Serbian, French and Italian).

Between wars

In December 1918 he returned to Czechoslovakia to battle the Hungarians, who were claiming a part of Czechoslovak territory, as a part of the Hungarian–Romanian War of 1919. Following those engagements, he moved to

Cieszyn Silesia Cieszyn Silesia, Těšín Silesia or Teschen Silesia ( ; or ; or ) is a historical region in south-eastern Silesia, centered on the towns of Cieszyn and Český Těšín and bisected by the Olza River. Since 1920 it has been divided betwe ...

and helped the army to solve the disputes with Poland. He then saw further victories in

Jablunkov Jablunkov (; , ) is a town in Frýdek-Místek District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 5,300 inhabitants. The town has a significant Polish minority in the Czech Republic, Polish minority. It is inhabited by a la ...

, as well as in

Třinec Třinec (; ; ) is a city in Frýdek-Místek District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 34,000 inhabitants, making it the least populated Statutory city (Czech Republic), statutory city in the country. The city ...

and was promoted to Major. During the mobilization in 1938 he was already a

divisional general Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French Revolutionary System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corps ...

and commander of the 3rd Czechoslovak Army Corps.

Second World War

At the behest of president

Edvard Beneš Edvard Beneš (; 28 May 1884 – 3 September 1948) was a Czech politician and statesman who served as the president of Czechoslovakia from 1935 to 1938, and again from 1939 to 1948. During the first six years of his second stint, he led the Czec ...

, Ingr moved into exile in France. In

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, he established an Army Office and began mobilising Czechoslovak troops in the town of

Agde Agde (; ) is a commune in the southern French department of Hérault. It is the Mediterranean port of the Canal du Midi. It is situated on an ancient basalt volcano, hence the name "Black Pearl of the Mediterranée". Location Agde is locate ...

, becoming Commander of the Czechoslovak Army in France. In 1940 he and his 11,405 volunteers took part in the

Battle of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...

which saw combat on the

Marne Marne can refer to: Places France *Marne (river), a tributary of the Seine *Marne (department), a département in northeastern France named after the river * La Marne, a commune in western France *Marne, a legislative constituency (France) Nethe ...

, the

Seine The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plat ...

and the

Loire The Loire ( , , ; ; ; ; ) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône. It rises in the so ...

. After the establishment of the

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, Ingr was appointed

Minister of National Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divided ...

. In 1944, after intervention by the Communists, he was removed from office, but was instead appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Czechoslovak Armed Forces.

Post-war

On 6 July 1945 Ingr was promoted to

army general Army general or General of the army is the highest ranked general officer in many countries that use the French Revolutionary System. Army general is normally the highest rank used in peacetime. In countries that adopt the general officer fou ...

and retired, becoming his country's ambassador in

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

. In 1949 he established The Council of Free Czechoslovakia as the attempt to reestablish the democracy in Czechoslovakia after the Communist's victory. He died in 1956, officially of heart failure.

Decorations

Awarded by Czechoslovakia * Czechoslovak War Cross, three tilia sprouts (1919) * Czechoslovak War Cross (1940, 1945) * Milan Rastislav Stefanik Order (1991) *Czechoslovak Revolution Medal (1919) *Allied Victory Medal (1919) *Medal of Distinguished Service, 1st class (1944) *Medal of Valor (1945) *Memorial Medal of Czechoslovak Foreign Army (1944) *Commemorative medal of the Battle of Zborov (1947) *Commemorative medal of the second national resistance (1947) *The Commemorative Medal of the 2nd Shooting Regiment "Jiri z Podebrad" (1947) Awarded by Czech Republic *

Order of the White Lion The Order of the White Lion () is the highest order of the Czech Republic. It continues a Czechoslovak order of the same name created in 1922 as an award for foreigners (Czechoslovakia having no civilian decoration for its citizens in the 192 ...

military group I. Class (2024) Awarded by France *

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

, Grand Officier (1950) *

, Commandeur (1947) *

, Officier (1940) *

, Chevalier

night Night, or nighttime, is the period of darkness when the Sun is below the horizon. Sunlight illuminates one side of the Earth, leaving the other in darkness. The opposite of nighttime is daytime. Earth's rotation causes the appearance of ...

(1926) * Médaille des services militaires volontaires (1928) Awarded by Great Britain *

Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...

, Knight Commander (1944) * 1939–45 Star (1945) * Defence Medal (1945) *

War Medal 1939–1945 The War Medal 1939–1945 is a campaign medal which was instituted by the United Kingdom on 16 August 1945, for award to citizens of the British Commonwealth who had served full-time in the Armed Forces or the Merchant Navy for at least 28 days ...

(1945) Awarded by Greece *

Order of the Redeemer The Order of the Redeemer (), also known as the Order of the Saviour, is an order of merit of Greece. The Order of the Redeemer is the oldest and highest decoration awarded by the modern Greek state. Establishment The establishment of the Orde ...

, Grand Commander (1932) Awarded by Italy * Allied Victory Medal, (1928) *

Commemorative Medal of the Unity of Italy The Italian Risorgimento was celebrated by a series of medals set up by the three kings who ruled during the long process of unification – the Commemorative Medal for the Campaigns of the War of Independence and the various versions of the Com ...

, (1930) Awarded by the Netherlands *

Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau () is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has performed acts of special merits for ...

, Commander (1949) Awarded by Norway *

Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav (; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II, known to posterity as St. Olav. Just be ...

, Commander (1949) Awarded by Poland *

Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta (, ) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on alien (law), foreigners for outstanding achievements in ...

, Grand Cross (1941) Awarded by Romania *

Order of the Star of Romania The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: ''Ordinul Steaua României'') is Romania's highest civil Order and second highest State decoration after the Order of Michael the Brave. It is the oldest Order of Romania. It is awarded by the Preside ...

, Commander (1930) Awarded by Russia *

Order of Saint Stanislaus The Order of Saint Stanislaus (, ), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Poniatowski of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It remained under the Congress Poland, Kingdom of Pola ...

, 3rd class (1917) Awarded by USA *

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...

, Commander (1945) Awarded by Yugoslavia * Order of White Eagle, Officer's Cross (1936) * Order of White Eagle, Knight's Cross (1930) * Order of the Yugoslav Crown, Second Class (1941) * Order of St. Sava, Commander *

Albanian Commemorative Medal Commemorative Medal for Loyalty to the Fatherland 1915 () or Commemorative Medal of the Great Serbian Retreat, better known as the Albanian Commemorative Medal () was a single-classed military medal awarded to all Serbian military personnel who ...

(1923)

References

External links

*
Ingr na totalita.cz
Profile on totalita.cz *
Stránky muzea věnovaného Ingrovi
Museum of Sergej Ingr {{DEFAULTSORT:Ingr, Sergej 1894 births 1956 deaths People from Hodonín District People from the Margraviate of Moravia Eastern Orthodox Christians from the Czech Republic Converts to Eastern Orthodoxy from Roman Catholicism Government ministers of the Czechoslovak government-in-exile Czechoslovak generals Chiefs of the General Staff (Czechoslovakia) Czech military leaders Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I Austro-Hungarian prisoners of war held by Russia in World War I Czechoslovak Legion personnel 20th-century Czech people Grand Crosses of the Order of the White Lion Recipients of the Czechoslovak War Cross Recipients of the Order of the Yugoslav Crown Recipients of the Milan Rastislav Stefanik Order Grand Officers of the Legion of Honour Honorary Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Commanders of the Order of Orange-Nassau Grand Crosses of the Order of Polonia Restituta Commanders of the Order of the Star of Romania Commanders of the Legion of Merit Commanders of the Order of St. Sava