page_title: Cattaro mutiny
section_title: The first day of the uprising, 1 February 1918
hierarchical_section_title: Cattaro mutiny / Course of events / The first day of the uprising, 1 February 1918
caption_attribution_description: Italiano: La nave appoggio austroungarica Gaa a Cattaro
context_page_description: The Cattaro mutiny occurred during World War I. Sailors of the Austro-Hungarian Navy in the Adriatic Bay of Cattaro, which at that time belonged to Austria-Hungary started it on 1 February 1918. The mutiny remained isolated and had to be abandoned after three days due to the arrival of loyal troops. Four sailors were subsequently executed according to martial law. The naval historian Halpern portrays this event as the last victory of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy over the social forces that would eventually overwhlem it.
context_section_description: The uprising, which apparently had been prepared by various loose groups, started from the flagship "SMS Sankt Georg" on 1 February 1918 at about 12 noon.
  The officers had lunch in their mess. The crew armed themselves, fired a cannon shot and raised a red flag. The chief officer (Austrian: Gesamt Detail Offizier) Zipperer, who rushed on deck, received a shot to the temporal bone. Medical assistance was initially prevented before he could be taken to the ship's hospital. In addition, a non-commissioned officer was shot through the chest and a sailor was injured by a ricocheting bullet. There were also shots fired at the ship's commander, but without hitting him. At the request of the crew, the ship's commander brought Rear Admiral Hansa, the commander of the Cruiser Flotilla, on deck. Anton Grabar demanded the immediate end of the war according to the Fourteen Points of Woodrow Wilson and he complained about the bad treatment especially by the young cadets and the insufficient rations. The officers were now ordered to eat the same food as the crew. 
  Another centre of action was aboard SMS Gäa. Gäa was a depot and workshop ship with a large number of older workers on board, who had come into contact with social democratic ideas more intensively.
  The movement spread quickly. The red flag was hoisted on all larger ships. Only on the ships that were more frequently sent out for warfare, on which therefore the crews were treated much better by the officers, it encountered discomfort (on the fast cruisers) or resistance (on the destroyers, torpedoboats and submarines). Under the threat from the battlecruisers that the ships would be taken under fire, some of the smaller units, partly with the agreement of their commanders, hoisted the red flag. 
  The destroyer Csepel had earlier received a sailing order for 15 o'clock, to escort a convoy to Durazzo. The commander had the boilers fired up. Thereupon Gäa signalled that in case of leaving the bay fire would be opened. The commander of the Csepel, however, ordered the ship to be cast off and threatened to torpedo the Sankt Georg. The Sankt Georg and the Gäa then fired one cannon shot each. When the Csepel drew nevertheless nearer, the chief of staff on Sankt Georg ordered the Csepel back to the berth.
  Altogether about 30 warships and about 3,000–4,000 men, out of a total of 5,000 naval personnel in Cattaro, took part in the uprising. Also the submarine base, the telegraph magazine, the naval mine command and the naval air station in Kumbor as well as the back-up battery in Gjenović (today: Đenovići) and the naval station Caballa were involved.
  In place of the officers, sailors’ councils or crew committees, usually designated by acclamation, took over, and continued to organise the service in the normal way. A central committee was formed on SMS Sankt Georg. In the evening the committee handed over a note with the demands of the crews to the cruiser flotilla commander Rear Admiral Alexander Hansa, which contained both general political and crew-specific points:
  "What we want
  Measures to initiate an immediate general peace.
  Complete political independence from other powers.
  Peace based on the Russian democratic proposal, 'without annexation etc.'
  Complete disarmament (demobilisation) and establishment of the voluntary militia.
  Right of self-determination of the peoples.
  An answer in good faith to Wilson's note.
  Greater support and adequate food and clothing for the relatives of the conscripted.
  Democratisation of the government.
  -----------------------------
  Due to malnutrition, omitting all unnecessary work and drill. For Korvees separate food allowance.
  More shore leave and of longer duration.
  Home leave strictly within 6 months once in the duration of 21 days without travel days. Same conditions for staff.
  Introduction of a humane, faster transport for those on leave, increase of the boarding allowance for home leave and possibly delivery of the food in kind.
  Equitable distribution of the ship's food. Same food for staff and crew.
  Better supply of smoking materials, the same for s
caption: SMS Gäa with torpedoboats and submarines in the middle bay of Cattaro, off Gjenović (Đenovići).
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