18th March 1921: Kronstadt Rebellion ends following a final assault by Bolshevik forces скачать в хорошем качестве

18th March 1921: Kronstadt Rebellion ends following a final assault by Bolshevik forces

The Civil War had left Soviet Russia as a nation in crisis where economic hardships and political repression led to growing unrest. Although War Communism had helped the Bolsheviks win the war, it led to food shortages, forced grain requisitioning, and widespread discontent. As peasant risings spread through the countryside, strikes and protests broke out in Petrograd in February 1921. Sailors in the port city of Kronstadt, who had been key supporters of the Bolsheviks during the October Revolution, expressed solidarity with the striking workers. Led by Stepan Petrichenko, they issued a series of demands including free elections to the soviets and the restoration of civil liberties. The Soviet government viewed the rebellion as a serious threat. A military response was ordered by Trotsky, and 60,000 Bolshevik troops were sent to crush the uprising. On 7 March 1921, the Red Army launched an attack on Kronstadt across the frozen Gulf of Finland. The battle lasted for nearly two weeks, with heavy casualties on both sides. Despite strong resistance from the rebels, the Bolsheviks benefited from superior numbers and resources. On 18 March, government forces secured control of Kronstadt. Many rebels were killed in the fighting and, while some managed to flee to Finland, others were captured and executed. The suppression of the rebellion consolidated Bolshevik rule but also highlighted dissatisfaction with their rule. Although not directly prompted by the rebellion, Lenin soon introduced the New Economic Policy, which replaced War Communism with a more market-oriented approach.