Talk:Sich Riflemen

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This article confuses two seperate units: the Ukrainian Sich Rifles set up by Austro-Hungary during the First World War (on A-H soil) and the Sich Rifles created by Austro-Hungarian prisoners of war in the Russian Empire in 1917. For a quick point of reference, they are dealt with seperately in Вікіпедія. I am also intrigued as to what is meant by the claim that at first they were thought of as a paramilitary group with policing functions. Salo - sila 22:20, 23 August 2006 (UTC)

That wouldn't be that hard to believe as A-H created lots of such national units intended as paramilitary rather than anything else. //Halibutt 06:59, 24 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Sich "..."

I would like to suggest moving this article under a different title. "Sich Rifles" as a translation of Sichovi Striltsi seems less than optimal. A number of titles would better reflect the subject matter. For example, (and in no specific order):

Sich Marksmen Sich Riflemen Sich Sharpshooters Sich Shooters

etc, etc,...

Riflemen or Sharpshooters seems closest to the meaning of Striltsi (my opinion). Further Sich Rifles as an article can discuss just that -- a type of rifles used by the Striltsi or for that matter even the Sich Host. Your thoughts?..--Riurik 21:10, 26 August 2006 (UTC)

‘…’ Rifles is a perfectly normal way of referring to a military formation – for example the Bengali Rifles. It is clear, therefore, from the English that the article refers to the military unit and not the equipment they carry. In fact, I thought it was quite a good translation. The only problem is that I’ve never come across this way of translating Січові Стрільці before. Magocsi (A History of Ukraine), Wilson (The Ukrainians. Unexpected Nation) and Hunczak (The Ukraine 1917-21) all have Sich Riflemen, while Motyl (The Turn to the Right) uses Sich Sharpshooters. It would clearly be better to use a translation which is in common use rather than think up one’s own translation, however good it is. If ‘Sich Rifles’ is used in a respectable English-language work on the subject, then it can be included. ‘Sich Riflemen’ and ‘Sich Sharpshooters’ should be mentioned as alternative translations. If ‘Sich Rifles’ is simply an invention by the author, then clearly one of the others should be taken. Salo - sila 11:11, 28 August 2006 (UTC)