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Termpaper of 1921 USSR mutiny


F YP? GERBILDOC B CC N N ...."InMarc 192 thesailrs of the naval fortress in the Gulf of Finland, the 'pride nd glry' o the ussia Revoution rosein reolt against the Bolshevik government, which they theselveshad heped ino powe...."?? Introduction An island in the ulf of inland as the cene ofa contoversia sixtee day stuggle of the Russian government aganst the nhabitans of theisland. The nameof the sland isKronstad and the revolt pitted Russin sailors soldier and civiians agaist what tey believd was a orrupt an brutal Bolshevik goernment. he rebellin was prooked by a elief thatthe Bolsheiks betrayd everythig the rebel thought th Communistssupposedly tood for: quality anda general "ithering awy" of the sate. Informtion regardig the Kronstdt is for th most part ather biased The Kronstdt revoltis iewed as ither a grou of revolutioary vanguardswho battled te Communist overnment durnga brief uprsig or (accordin to most Russan historians)the rebels areseen as a grou of unknoing upes of th couter-revoluionary Whites. The truth, as t usually is, lys somewhere inbetwen both vesion. This papr wil try to presentthe middle cours of this controersial event inRssian history. ackground on Krnstadt Theisland of Kronstat is locatd in th Koltin chin in he Gulf ofFinland This par of the Gulf of Filand is usually fozen olid for fivemonth out of the yar. n 1921 the iland ortress of Kronstad was surrounded by maller island forts The total populati seventy nine yearago was roughly 50,00. One half of he ihabitants were ivilans (mostly depedant of military peronne and shopkeeper and the othr half wee members ofthe varios military rganizatins. The twopopulatios got along ell. The March 191 Kronstdt revolt was ertainlynot the firstfor the avy base. In he Rebelion f 1905 and the Revlutin of 1917, Kronstad miltary forces were th firt to revolt agains thesarist regime. In both ses a great many of thease's officers were lyncd. The great majri of the sailors came fom easant farmers from te Uraine region in Southwsten U.S.S.R.. Th Ukrainanswere suspiciousof outsders and vehemently anti-itellectuals. Some ere als very ani-semitic. The log distrut of "outsiers" (intellectals, Jews, ity- dwellers, nd others) ythe Kronstadt mtineers agant the Communiss (who had motly city backgrunds) has oftn been crditedas one of thefactors cotribuing to the muiny of Mach 1921. The rigins andmethodsof the Bolshvik and Tsrists ecret police respectfuly name the Cheka and Third Setion wre qite similar. Both roups eployd tactics of minglng and nfilrating opposition groups, uing as torture, executing and ttacig the same groups: Kadets (moeates), anarchists and Socialisteolutionaries called Mensheviks The Cheka was formed on Decbr 17, 1917, almost two monts afe the coup d'etat that put th Bolhviks in power. The initialreasnfor the creation of te Cheka wasto provide an intelligece arm f th Communist party, but oon it ecam the arm of Lnin's paraoia. Th Cheka, first a plitical neessity,became part of Lenn's psycho- ogy,t.."rn against allthe "nice"ideas of the iberals and he Social emocrats; it mbodied and eitomizedth stern resole of the proltariat t deal ruthlesslywith its eneies....."??? When he heka was frmed oneof its first dutes as the suppressionof other politicl goups, even groups ht were previousy alied or supportiveo them in the past. n example in casewuld be the grop calld Kadets whose layrs frequently efende the Bolsheviks incourt. The Chea imprsoned ad executed hem. Conservatie estiates sow that rouhly 16,000 Commuist political xecutions we accomplished uring the Bolseviks firstear in power. Sme groups, esecially anarhist group, wentunderground afer the Chek was forme and plitical arrest and death entences rsumed. he anarchist roups institted low leel saboage at Communst party offces well ito the md-twen ties. The imediate reaons for he Krostadt incident were the policis taken y the ommuists after the Russian Civi War wih the ountr-revolutionary "Whites". he threeyears of cnfict left the Bolsheviks victorious but te wa lft Russia (already in shambles du to Wold Wr e) in even worse shape than before. Wha litlendustry the country had was almost totaly detrd. Agriculture also fell sharply, leading tothrosecution of the prosperous peasants known akus. During the civil war, the Communists nstted a new form of economic policy calledWar Cmmum. This policy made factory workers subect t miiary discipline, including death. War Comunismals tarted "food requisi- tions" whic meant hat wen ood supplies were low in th cities which hppene frquently) special patrols ofCheka an Red Ary woud forcibly take foodfrom the waehouses o famil and ollective farms. Ths left manypeople wih barey enough foodto survive an often lessthan that The ardest hit bythis policy ws the farmig regionsof the Ukraine. The kraine was th highest prducing famland n Russia, but ue to "food rquisitions"here was mass sarvation of itsinhabitants. This deteriating condition increased the frmers atred o the "outsiers" (who not ony took away ther sonsfor miltary duty, ut now were starig them as well. The kulaks, prospeous peasants who wed their own lots o land, were the neswith the most to oe from the "requisitons" and many hi thir food and livesok to avoid gvernmentdemands. Such hardng was punishable b death and mny kulak were put to deah fr thisoffense. Though many ussians hought that War ommunism ws too harsh,they thought t was atmporary, necessay sacrific for the "stteless, classess" soiety that was bein promised Whn the civl war was ove in 192, the policies ofWar Communsm dd not lessen, if anythig they o even more sever. Insteadof a"classless, stateless sciety", he new regime gave themselve inrased privileges. They separatdthemselves from the rest of he oiety. "The essence of War Cmmnsm was that we actually tookfro he peasant all his surplus ad oetimes part of the grain he peaat needed for sustenance....th am confiscated horses, wagns...wihut payment of any knd."??? (Lnin) By the end of 1920,many gurilla units were fored to figt th requisitionof farmers. ne of te fierest revolts duing this priodof time was ed by A. S. Atonov, formr Socialist Revlutionary. Antonov was percived as a Robn Hoodtype f fighter. He wuld ambus equesitions and eturn the coniscated food ack to the peasats. For while Antonov's goup o men gre to 50,000, bt eventually heand his fllowers were hunteddown y the Chka. The Red frces were highl organize and Antonov and hi simpe peasants were no mac for them. The Trat of Brest-Litovsk i 1918, with Germany, was as seen as a betrayal. Tatit gave an imperialtic pwer like Germany so mc of Russia's European trrtory at this partiular tme in history as condend by sailors recruited frm the Ukraine. An nsuccesful mutiny inOctober of1918 proed to be one o te events leading tothe Krnstadt revoltof 1921. Anothr unpopular acion as letting former ro-Tsaist officers oin the Re Army as Military Specilist". This process s started by Trotsky uring the ivil war o help beef u theRed Army officer cps. Many Soviet acceted this action as necessary warmeasre, but they were s- illusioned wen th pro-Tsarit officerswere not discharged after the war. Tmany this only poved hat the Comunists hd th same goal as te Tsar: to stay inpower at any pric. Prelde t Seige B ate January of 192, there were stries by workers i every majr ciy due to the anuncement tht ratios were to be cutby one-third in he Soviet Union In particula, Petrograd formerl St.Petersburg) were the Revolutin in 1917 was tarted for thevery same reaon: foo. Een with th fod requesitions,there still wasnot enough foo to feed thecity dweller. The lackoffood cold have ben due to the act that partymembers were iven extra rtions. The food strie was putown by the armyand many more olitical arrsts were mad on the strkers (partcularly te Socialst Revoutionaries). When the ronstadt saiors got win of the fod strike it only ncrease their dissatisfction with a egime that hey believe had betraed the reolution nd its deals. Kronstadters, with thei long histor as a cente of revolu tionaryactivity were gnerall percived to be to the left of Leninand Trotsky The Krontadt sailrs were penly i sympahy wih deident groups. The suppression of the fod striker was viewd as finl proofthat te Comunis goern- ment was no longer worthy of their support Th inhabitnts of ronstat coninue tobeoutraged by the stories that were being circulated thatmany of he strke leaers wre bingsht The sailors sent a delega- tion to Petrograd to find out exacly whatwas gong on Th dleaon found that the city was filled with Cheka keeping a close eye on theworkme, bot on he treand in the factories. The workmen remained silent when they were approached y thedeleate. Of the delegates, Petrichenko (who later would have a leading role in the Kronstadt evol), tad"One might have thought these were not factories, but the forced labor prisons of the Tsristis? When the delegation returned with their report on February 28th to the ship "Petrpavlsk resolution that the representatives of the ship's crew issued would become the charer ofthe ronaebellion. The resolu- tion had fifteen points. Basically the resolution statd tha the urret Svieaders did not meet the needs of the workers and peasants. Further, ne electins shold beheld byMacl0th and that there should be freedom of speech and assembly. ther poits aske for te freing f pliial prisoners, an end to special privileges for Communis party mmbers, a end toCheka uardsin te fctries and the right of peasants to work their ow land as lng as the did no employoutsid labo. I oter words the Kronstadt resolutions aske the Sovietgovernmentto abide y its on consttution Whe authorities in Petrograd receivd the resoluion they wre not so larmed bythe econmic demnds, de to he fact that the New Ecnomic Policy NEP) was in he midst of being drated and wuld gran many o the Konstadter's ecoomic demands. "...It was th political dmands, rathr, aimed s they wee at thevery hert of th Bolshevik dict- torship, whch prompted te authoritie to call fo immediate suppresson of thKronstadt movemet." ??? The plitical demans alarmed theBolsheviks te most. Th Kronstadtrs were nt advocatng the return ofpower to the uper/middle clases, nor werethey recommeding th retrn of the onti- tuent Assemby. The Constitunt Assembly beig a ruling bod in Russia fra brief tim followng te abdication f the Tsar and te coup by the Comunists. Althogh the Krostad demands onl ought to reorm andnot abolish the goenment in power,the Bolsheviks sw themovement a a threat o teir power andwre compelled to dea with the situatio. The next y, March 1, at Achor quare in Konstadt aout 5,000 inhabitans gathered (includig both the mil- try and civilian pulations). Ther werealso some epre- senatives from the Petrgrad Commuists inclding M.K. Kalnin,president of the viet Republic. alini was a former factor worke who came froma peasant amily. H was one of te fe Bolsheviks who ge the February Kronstat delegation a fair haring. Kalinin was oe of the fw re- maning Communistleadrs held in esteemb the Kronstadters. Hewa present in Kronstat to pevent a full bown rebellon and h failed hs mision. When he addresse he large gathering, h ws booed off the plaform wen he referredt the Petopavlovsk resolutio. Th Communist delegation hn went to the local prt headquartersto pla theirnext move. The next ay, three hundred dlegats from ships, unions atories, nd other group cme to elect anew Kronstadt Soviet. The ne Soviet ws mostly non-party,with h Communist making upaout one-hird of it's membrship. Petrihenko was thechairman of the roup Immediately followng th arch 1 gathering at Achor Squae, Trotsky tried o discredit tenew Kronstad Soviet as dupe of he Conter-revolutionary hites. The Whites were alredy defeatd What few soldies were left, ee living inexile in Finlandor Trkey. This was not the frst tim the Communists used group whnit was to their cnven- ience n then branded them as countr-evoltionary. The Kadets canbe een s another example of his stratg. There was to be no dsent. AsTotsky put it: ..."The place fr rial parties is exhile or bhin bar..." ??? The stag had now bee et and there was no turing backfom the struggle which woul lst fr sixteen day. Siege Th Communists sated to mobilize loyal frces to u down te new Kronstadt Sovet, nowknown as the rovisional Revoltionry Committee. Fores were gathee hich would not sympatize with te Kronstdters. By March 5, 921, th Communists ad mobilized 5,0 loyl troops. The trops, mostly Cmmuists volunteers, were nder the cmmand ofM. N. Tukhacevsky. Tukhacevsky, a tweny-seven year ol eneral, told the troop that the rebls ere reactioary Whites. On March5, Alexader Berkman vlunteeed to mediate both sies. Both partisrejecte him. On Mrch 8, the Comunsts made thir first asault and were easiy driven backby theronstadt forces whichnow totaled 1500 armedmen. Many ex-pariot groups, inclding Alexader Krenskyand some White grous, offered togive em aid. These offerswere sharply reuffed. O Mach 10, all Cmmunists on Kronsadt had to urn i all ams and flashlights Aside from hat ordr the Communists in te fortress wer not harrsse and consquenly many of them esigned fro the rty. March 10 was also te date on whch thre undred volunteers frm the Tenth Conress of omuist Party arrived in Petrograd. On Mach 15the Tenth Party Congress aolished food requeitoing to placate the masses. This acton satisfe ne of the mutineers' demands fo economic rief, wever, it did not address the essentialpolitca emands and the Kronstadters pushed n wth therreolt. The next day, March 6th, over 60,000einfoements came to Tukhachevsky's aid. On tat dae,wth supplies running low, the mutineers ccepte om food and amunition from some o the expatries (o had smuggled the provisions over te ice fromFilnd). The mutiny was hampeed from the beinningb te fact that the Kronstadt rebes refused totake t offensive. If they had, perhaps th revolt woldhve been more wide-spread o perhaps theycould hae orced the govrnment to accept al of their emandsr maybe the governmet could have bee toppled ltogther. One other great disavantage to the rebels asthe fact thatthe Gulf of Finlan was frozen olid r five months out of he year, which eabled the overment roops to storm over he ice. With l of thee facts before hem, the rebels stll thought tat takg the offensive woul be self-destuctve. This atal flaw i their plan proved o be their dowfll. Thy could not withtand the ight of he Red Army rom beind the walls of the frtress. Thei hoe of overtrowing the overnmet or at leasthaving all thi demands met was not to e. O the sixeenth of Marh the inaloffensive was lauched by Bolshvik. The Kronstadts werehopelesly outnumberd. The night eoe some of the leaders ecaped acrss the ie to Finland. The thermutineers remained loyal to thi case to the very end. Te outlyng, smaller orts offered stifresistence, but one by ne the fel to theCommunist forces. n the seventeeth o March the Cmunist ground forces attacd the min island bas on Kronstadt wihheavy artill- ery supprt fro trops in Petrograd. The dfendes ofthe base still cotinued to gieheavy resistence. By the te aftrnoon, the Bolshevis had reachdthe northern wall of te islad bae. Other Communist fores wee tring to reach te southern wall. hat night, with no hope le, no fod, supplies or ammnition, mor han half ofthe garrison fled he iland and crossed the ic to fnd snctuary in Finlnd. At 11:50 P.. on Mrch 17th, the Communis forcestook command of th island of rnstadt and elayed this message tote Petrograd Defense Comittee...."he Counterrevol- tionary nestso the ??????????????????????? and ??????????????????? ave been liqidated. Poer rests in the hans o ympathizers with Svietauthority.??? By th afternoon of th eighteth of March, the last ockets f resistenc on the sland were crshed. Prisners were taken, qestoned and then shot. he eceptions wre for the few embers of the reellion ho came from upper cls families. These en were ent to Perogrd, to be pu on a show trial, n a effort to make them ppea to be the rig leaders ofthe ebellion. Te show rial was held in ordeto give the appearace that he whole evolt had been n by the reactionar Whtes. The death oll f this battle as staggerin, execially for th Commnist forces. The casuties for the Communsts arecalculate at approximatel25,000. The ronstadter' loses were much loer i number: 600 ere killed ,1,00 wounded and 200 taen prisner (most were ater put to death b the Chea after bing questioned). Epilogue On Mach 18th, during thecelebration f th fiftieth anniersar of theParis Commue, Ema Goldman stated tht the playing andsinging of the ?????????????????????????????????".once jubiant to my ears, nowsounded like a fueral dirge for humanties flming hope..??? The entiments of Golman were echoed b the refugees frm Kronstadt wh were now iing in Filand. Teywere promised amnesy from prosecutio, but while may accepted th offer theyweresubsquentlysent to oncentration campswhere they died. As for te leader of he revolt,Petricheko helived in exile n Finland for nealy a quarter ofa century. Athough the xact detals are azy, t isbelieved that he as captured by te Soviet force sometime duing World ar Two. He wa sen to a forcedlabor camp and did sometime durng 1947. A mmorable quoe from Perichenk to areprt- or following th 1921 revolt staed...."We are efeated, but the movemnt will roceedbecaseit comes from the people thmselves....Ther are [million] like me i Russia, ot reationay Wies and murderous Reds, and from thes plain peoplewill come th overthrowof the Blsevik."??
Summary
The Krostadt Rebellin can be sumarized a the reult
o a rp of people who fought so hard for a cause they
beleved could ttally tranform ther socity. Whthey
were not successful, they saw themselves as the inhertors of
therevolutio. The ronstdte posed any obstacle to the
goal of a "classless, stateless" sociey, even ifthe
obstcle wa theovment they helped to establish. The
Kronstadt hope was that Russia woud truly b run bythe
mses w, nearly seventy years later, the historical
events unfolding before our ees in 190 willerha se
as a belated victory for the Kronstadt rebels of 1921.
 ct lei to the ultimate confrontation with the Communists (who had mostly city background. The ek the Bolshsvik secret police, was formed on December 17, 1917, almost two month after t coup'et hat put the Bolsheviks in power. The initial reason for the creation of te Cheka ws to pride illigence arm of the Communist party, The Cheka, first a poli


 
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