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Rebellion at Sea: The Tale of the Potemkin Mutiny
And how an angry crew seized and stole a battleship
On June 27th, 1905, a Russian navy doctor aboard the battleship Potemkin was asked to examine a portion of meat. The meat was rancid and filled with maggots, and the hungry crew was demanding that the food be deemed inedible so that they could get fresh provisions. The doctor squinted down at the meat and then dismissed the concerns of the crew. The meat was edible, maggots and all.
The meat was put into large tubs of borscht and served for lunch. When the crew arrived and saw the maggot-filled meat floating before them, many refused to eat. In response, First Officer Ippolit Gilyarovsky lined up a large group of the disgruntled men on the deck, determined to make an example out of them. He demanded that anyone who was willing to change their mind and eat the borscht step forward. Some did, but many didn’t. Gilyarovsky said anyone who refused the order to eat their prescribed meal would be shot for mutiny. Instead, the ship erupted into violence. The enlisted men raided the armory and seized the gun turrets.
Within hours, the enlisted men had deposed the offending officers. They seized the ship and set sail into an uncertain future.
