The peasant population of Russia has always had a hard life. People endured oppression, deprivation and humiliation. When the cup of patience of the common people overflowed, a war began, a revolution, protests against the arbitrariness of the bosses, leaders and the entire government.
There have been many such uprisings in the history of Russia. One of them is Antonovshchina in the Tambov region. Consider previous events. Let's talk about the person thanks to whom Antonovism appeared. It was a truly terrible time - in the fight for justice, equality and freedom, they fought to the death.
A little background
In 1917, after the adoption of the decree "On the Land", the Russian peasantry had an illusory hope for a better life. They gave him land, liquidated the oppression of landlords and agriculture, promised freedom.
But hopes were dashed. One misfortune has been replaced by another. The Bolsheviks introduced the surplus appraisal. Now everything that the peasants sowed and harvested from their lands was subject to strict accounting.
The norms of personal consumption of products were legally established. Above these norms, nothing could be left for yourself. The surplus had to be honestly given to the state fora fixed price - of course, the cheapest.
And thunder struck
This state of affairs did not suit the village population. The thunder of peasant indignation and indignation struck. In many cities, and even entire regions and provinces, uprisings began to break out. The peasants went to rallies, staged riots.
In response, the Soviet authorities established harsh punitive measures for those who disagreed. Food detachments were also organized.
Those who voluntarily did not want to give away surpluses of bread and other agricultural products were supposed to be punished. There were few options. Physical force was used against "negligent" peasants, food and bread were taken away without paying a fixed price, and they were shot on the spot for armed resistance.
They also punished those who covered up dissenting peasants and their families, including children. People were evicted from their homes, property was looted, and the last piece of bread was taken away.
Those who reported about the family hiding the surplus were supposed to receive a cash reward - half of the value of the hidden good.
A big conflict was brewing, which could no longer be avoided. Another peasant war was approaching, Antonovshchina was a bloody dispute between the peasants of the Tambov province and the Soviet authorities.
Start of civil resistance
The response of the peasantry to the lawlessness of power was the reduction of the sown area. People refused to go out into the fields, harvest grain andprepare bread. The work of the common people was not valued, which means that there was no incentive for work and effort either. Hard earned money was taken away.
Famine raged in the villages, villages, villages and provinces. People ate nettles, bark, any herbs were eaten. There were cases of cannibalism and animal eating.
At this time, the discontent of the peasants reached its peak. Strong resistance began. This is how the Antonovshchina arose in the Tambov region.
Who was the peasant leader
Soviet propaganda turned Alexander Antonov into an inveterate bandit, murderer and sadist. And this is not surprising. History is written by the winners. We will find out who the person really was, thanks to whom the concept of "Antonovism" appeared. Let's take a quick look at some facts from his biography.
Alexander Stepanovich Antonov was born on July 30, 1889 in Moscow. His father was from Tambov. Mother is a native Muscovite. After some time, the family leaves the capital and moves to Tambov. And from there - to Kirsanov. Antonov spent his childhood in this city.
At about the age of 13, Alexander Stepanovich entered the school. Historians believe that it was here that Antonov absorbed the Socialist-Revolutionary ideas. After graduating from an educational institution, he joined the society of the Tambov Independent Socialist-Revolutionaries.
Antonov worked in this organization for several years. Carried out the tasks and instructions of the management. He was distinguished by humanism, on his account there was not a single murder or robbery. After some time, according to fabricated data, he was arrested and convicted. Went to hard labor. AT1917 was released under an amnesty.
Under the new government, Antonov had the opportunity to somehow change his life, start a career. And he joined the police. At first he was just an assistant chief. He was noted by the management as a courageous and enterprising worker. Soon he was promoted - Alexander Stepanovich became the head of the Kirsanov militia.
It took Antonov about six months to put things in order on his territory. He made thoughtful and effective decisions, he did his job well. During his service in the police, he tracked down and arrested the most authoritative robbers of the county. Foiled an attempted coup of power during one of the anti-Bolshevik uprisings.
Probably, he would have worked for the Soviet government, if not for a number of circumstances. When Antonov went on vacation, several documents were fabricated against him. The Chekists did it. They did not like the young, ambitious and reckless policeman.
At the same time, several people were arrested by the police. Antonov found out about this and decided not to return to the authorities. He went to the Volga region, thinking to start a new life there.
But by the will of fate, he soon returned to the Tambov province. Arriving, he learned that the Bolsheviks accused him of reprisals against the Communists. Of course he was innocent. Antonov was shocked. He did not expect such betrayal from the people for whom he honestly worked for so long.
With a few of his supporters, Antonov began to work against the Bolsheviks. The most presumptuous, those who robbed and exceeded their powers, he mercilessly destroyed.
At the same time, he did not give up hope to go over to the side of the Soviet regime again. He was ready to serve if he was accepted. Antonov wrote letters to the authorities several times. But the Bolsheviks called him a bandit and did not want to deal with him. In the end, he was sentenced to death. The paths of Antonov and the Bolsheviks diverged forever.
He began to seriously work against them. With his, so far few, supporters, Antonov administered justice. Soon, among the people, his name began to be associated with justice, courage and anti-communist sentiments. And gradually became a household name.
Antonovshchina. Peasant uprising
Prodrazvyorzka was gaining momentum. The population was starving. Entire families died, children swelled from hunger. More and more people opposed the Bolshevik regime.
Approaching the topic of the article, it is worth saying: Antonovism is, in fact, the anti-Bolshevik protest of Alexander Stepanovich. Speech against infringement of rights, oppression and humiliation. There were more and more supporters of this regime.
In 1920, the government imposed on the Tambov province such a norm of surplus appropriation that after its full implementation, the peasant population had to run out of bread. This threatened a new wave of hunger and death. Food detachments began to use torture, bullying, and rape. They burned houses. In a word, they did everything to fulfill the plan.
People couldn't take it anymore. The peasants put up strong resistance, as a result of which one food detachment was disarmed. Then they defeated the second, who came to the rescue of the first. Thus began the Tambov uprising. Antonovshchina was ardently supported by the local population.
These spontaneous protests were led by local SRs. The number of those who were close in spirit to Antonovism grew rapidly. The civil war, which was only gaining momentum, was declared on August 21, 1920. Antonovshchina - it seemed to be the only solution for the peasants who were tired of oppression. They had nothing to lose.
How Antonov was involved in the uprising
We figured out how Antonovism appeared. It happened spontaneously. Now let's see how Antonov became involved in the uprising.
For lack of weapons and certain knowledge, the peasants sent a courier to Antonov asking for help. August 24, 1920 he arrives. There is a big meeting. The peasants are asked to lead the uprising. And Antonov agrees.
A week later, the entire Tambov region was infected with anti-Bolshevik sentiments. The communists were all kicked out. Someone was shot.
Antonov brilliantly led the resistance. Without special weapons, his fighters still managed to win resounding victories. Antonov's army already consisted of several tens of thousands of peasants. And new recruits came every day. Soon the Soviet government became seriously worried.
Methods of dealing with the Antonov detachments were developed. Into the woods where they hidresistance fighters released poisonous gases. They set up ambushes. Ruthlessly de alt with not only the Antonovites, but also their families.
Not as fast as planned, but there are fewer and fewer Antonovites. Their morale began to decline. Open resistance turned into a conspiratorial phase. Antonov himself went underground. The Bolsheviks were able to liquidate it only in 1922.
This last fight was not easy. Antonov, as a reckless and courageous man, kept the defense to the last. Despite the wound in the arm, head and chin, he steadfastly held on. Was killed along with his brother.
The results of Antonovism
The resistance has been broken. But the leadership understood that this was not the end. And if we continue the program for surplus appropriation, the collapse of Soviet power will come. Therefore, the surplus appraisal was canceled.
As Lenin later said: "Peasant uprisings are worse than Denikin, Wrangel and Kolchak combined."
