August 19, 1920 · Tambov Province, central Russia Theater
August 19, 1920
The peasants of Tambov province, driven to desperation by Bolshevik grain requisitioning that left them starving, rose in revolt under SR leader Alexander Antonov. At its peak in 1921, the Green Army rebellion numbered 40,000 fighters and controlled the entire province. Tukhachevsky was sent to crush the uprising with 50,000 Red Army troops and a decree authorizing the use of poison gas against villages sheltering rebels — the first use of chemical weapons against a Russian population. By 1922 the revolt was suppressed through mass executions, deportations, and the taking of hostages.
Commanders