Tambov province is about 200 miles South East of Moscow. It is the site of one of the largest, if not the largest, peasant revolts in human history.
Men with the same style hats descended on Tambov in 1918 & 1919 to confiscate the peasant harvests. They returned in 1920 but Aleksandr Stepanovich Antonov was there to meet them. These ushanka-wearing communists were slaughtered in raids, ambushes and in battle with a peasant army that was likely 22k in strength, but estimates go as high as 50k.
The timeline is interesting: shortly after the new leadership in the nation's capitol, the people realized they had been fooled with empty promises of "change" and "hope" and equal ownership of property. Their lot had been steadily improving over the past 20 years under Tsar rule and they expected this improvement to continue. Forced food requisitions proved the good times were over. There were peaceful protests, sorta like tea parties. And then there was Aleksandr Stepanovich Antonov, who saw the communists for who they were and prepared. He hid arms throughout the province, led three regiments of peasant soldiers, and nearly broke Lenin's grasp on power.
A good thing this would never happen here. Right?
Actually Aleksandr Stepanovich Antonov was a commie as well. Maybe even more left wing than the Bolsheviks themselves !
ReplyDelete