Kotor Rebellion of 1918

(also the Cattaro Rebellion), a revolutionary uprising of sailors of the Austro-Hungarian fleet in Kotor on Feb. 1–3, 1918.

The rebellion began on the cruiser St. George, on which the sailors, inspired by the ideas of the Great October Socialist Revolution in Russia, raised a red flag. The rebellious cruiser was joined by the crews of 40 other ships that were in the Gulf of Kotor (about 6,000 sailors—Croats, Slovenes, Czechs, Hungarians, and others), as well as workers at the port. Revolutionary committees were created on the ships. The principal demands of the insurgents were the immediate conclusion of peace on the basis of the proposals set forth by the government of Soviet Russia and the right of nations to self-determination. After concentrating troops and transferring submarines from Pula, the Austro-Hungarian command (Admiral M. Horthy and others) suppressed the uprising. About 800 men were arrested; the leaders of the uprising—F. Raš, A. Grabar, M. Brničević, and J. šižgorić—were shot.