Table of contents:
- The first Russian revolution and the despondency of the sailors-recruits
- Fatal dinner and false start on the battleship
- The course for Odessa and the failed sailor revolution
- The hunt for sailors and the verdict for the rebels
Video: How the battleship Potemkin became the ship of the revolution, and where did the red flag come from on the ship?
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
The revolutionary actions that swept through the large cities of the Russian Empire in 1905 did not leave indifferent the sailors of the Black Sea Fleet. The rebels, mostly recruits, sympathized with the Social Democrats, regularly read anti-government newspapers and dreamed of ideas of justice. For 11 days the battleship Potemkin sailed in disorderly throwing between the seaside cities, on the deck of which a red flag was suddenly raised. But there were no people willing to support the riot, and the crew had to disembark on the Romanian coast.
The first Russian revolution and the despondency of the sailors-recruits
By the summer of 1905, the 1st Russian revolution had reached high speed. The battleship Potemkin was considered one of the most powerful and modern ships of the Black Sea Fleet. The tragedy on the ship happened due to a whole chain of events. First, the Russian fleet failed military operations in the war with the Japanese. Against the background of the May failures at Tsushima, despondency reigned among the sailors. Rumors spread that the Black Sea men were being prepared to be sent to the naval front after the Baltic. Many sailors did not like this option, because everyone was sure that the war was lost. 14 Potemkin men previously had combat experience as part of the Varyag crew and took part in the famous battle at Chemulpo.
But most of the sailors were recruits, and the Potemkin became their service launch. Their political views were also at the appropriate level. There were fewer experienced officers in the battleship's crew. In addition, among the rank and file sailors there were many civilians mobilized for the fleet with the advent of the war. Professional naval officers with combat experience on the Potemkin were numbered in units. They emphasized the harsh discipline familiar to the military and did not waste time analyzing complaints from subordinates. And the sailors did not like the officers for this.
Fatal dinner and false start on the battleship
Of course, an armed uprising in the Black Sea Fleet was being prepared, the corresponding sentiments were warmed up, and pro-revolutionary associations were created. The Revolutionary Committee was planning an organized riot for the autumn of 1905. The sailors' performance was viewed as an integral part of the all-Russian uprising. But on the Potemkin there was a false start. On June 27, when the guns were being tested on the battleship, a conflict broke out that grew into a bloody riot. Historians consider the reason for the attempt of the ship's command to punish the instigators of the protest against the spoiled meat dinner. In response to a possible reprisal by the officers, the sailors with the captured rifles disarmed their superiors. The commander of the ship, the senior officer and several of the most hated colleagues were shot at once. The remaining officers were taken into custody. In those days, skipper Zubchenko threw a letter in a bottle overboard saying goodbye to his family and saying that death could come at any moment. The bottle was caught by the Crimean border guards, but Zubchenko still survived.
The organizer of the Social Democrats on Potemkin was NCO Vakulenchuk, who maintained constant contacts with similar revolutionary organizations in Russian cities. Vakulenchuk believed that a lone riot would not bring results, but the situation developed rapidly, and he led the raging sailors. When he was wounded during the shootout, the revolutionaries were subordinated to the Bolshevik Matyushenko.
The course for Odessa and the failed sailor revolution
The revolutionary team that captured the battleship Potemkin had no idea how to proceed. The ship headed for Odessa, provoking riots in the port and even firing several shots in the direction of land. But the city authorities promptly cordoned off the harbor with troops, preventing the rebels from landing and spreading the riot. By this time, the Black Sea squadron was already approaching Odessa. "Potemkin" was threatened with encirclement, and the rebels were forced to go to sea. But the warships - pro-government and rebellious - had to meet face to face. The revolutionaries were already preparing for imminent death, but not a single gun of the squadron fired.
According to the testimony of historians, the fraternal spirit lifted up, and the sailors refused to shoot at each other. The Potemkin continued to rush along the coast, threatening ports with its 12-inch guns and demanding fuel and food. In Odessa, Feodosia, Yalta, Sevastopol and Novorossiysk, martial law was declared in connection with these events. And if the insurgents were provided with food, then it did not work out to get hold of coal. On July 8, the battleship's crew had no choice but to surrender, approaching the Romanian shores. The team, disguised as political emigrants, landed on the shore, and the battleships "Chesma" and "Sinop" soon approached the ship. Before towing the empty Potemkin to Sevastopol, it was decided to expel the "devil of the revolution" by sprinkling it with holy water. The ship was even given a new name: "Potemkin" became "Panteleimon".
The hunt for sailors and the verdict for the rebels
The fate of the rebellious sailors developed in different ways. Some remained to wander around Romania, hiring laborers and laborers, someone went to seek refuge in other countries. Some decided to return to Russia, where they had to answer for what they had done according to the law. They were hunted until 1917. As a result, 173 people were convicted, and only one was executed - the instigator of the riot, sailor Matyushenko. The rest went to Siberia. In the fall of 1907, the battleship "Panteleimon" was transferred to the class of battleships. At the end of the February Revolution, they first gave it back its previous name, and then renamed it again. Now the ship has become a "Freedom Fighter". The outdated and worn-out battleship stood idle in Sevastopol. During the events of the Civil War, the ship was disabled by a powerful explosion. In 1924, it was scrapped: partially metal structures turned into agricultural implements, and the armor of the rebellious ship was used for drills for Baku boreholes.
At the same time, post-revolutionary sentiments in society developed under the strong influence of propaganda. So, For a long time the red commissars determined the fashion and customs of socialist society.
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