Talk:Cattaro mutiny

I am currently revising and expanding the article; mainly by translating the comprehensive German article, but addressing some special issues for English readers. I will take out the photo “A mutineers' meeting aboard an Austro-Hungarian warship at the Bay of Cattaro in February 1918” because the description of this photo as well as of other related photos on wikimedia commons are questionable and sometimes contradictory. It seems that most of the photos were originally published by Veselý in 1958 (Povstání v Boce Kotorské), and he gave different descriptions. In case of the photo in question: “Surrender of the sailors on ‘St. Georg’ February 3, 1918 in the morning. Officers take power again.” I wrote a request to the archives in Vienna and Prague and as soon as I get an answer, I will share the information here. --Kuhl-k (talk) 08:36, 18 April 2020 (UTC)

Wikimedia photos

I have made a request to Vojenský ústřední archiv Praha (Military Central Archives in Prague) and to the Austrian State Archives, BKA - KA (ÖSTA Kriegsarchiv) concerning the photos published on Wikimedia in connection with the Cattaro Mutiny (category:Cattaro Mutiny). Both archives have replied in the meantime. The Austrian archives informed me that unfortunately no information about the photos is available there (letter dated 9 June 2020). The Czech archives wrote to me on 28 April 2020 that there are index cards with the photos, whereby the descriptions recorded on the index cards would follow approximately those published by Vesely in 1958 (Jindřich Veselý: Povstání v Boce Kotorské. Historická kronika (Czech: Rebellion in the Bay of Kotor. Historical Chronicle). Prague 1958, appendix. Available online (April 10, 2020) as a PDF document with a different page count at [1].). However, from my point of view even these are not fully reliable, because the Czech index cards obviously contain greatly exaggerated to false information and Veselý does not indicate any sources.

The photo “Pobuna_u_Boki_Kotorskoj.jpg” is decribed by Veselý as follows: Kapitulace námořniku na "St. Georgu" 3. února 1918 ráno. Důstojnici znovu přejimaji moc. [Czech: Capitulation of the sailors on "St. George" February 3, 1918 in the morning. Officers take power again].

The description in the Prague archives (summarized): The crew of the cruiser "St. Georg" gathered at the stern of the ship, after the expiration of the ultimatum on 3 February 1918 at 10 a.m. and released the imprisoned officers. In the middle of the meeting, the commander of the cruiser, von Scheibenheim (correct: von Scheibenhain), spoke with the Germans and Hungarians standing beside him. The text also falsely states that the ultimatum had been issued by the German submarines and that one in ten had been chosen to be shot.

Conclusion: There is good reason to assume that the photo documents the surrender of the sailors aboard “SMS St. Georg”. But this is not certain, as there are no further sources available so far. In the articles using this photo, a corresponding remark should be given.

For the photos “Vzpoura_námořníků_v_Boce_Kotorské.jpg” and “Boka Kotorská, vzpoura - Fr. Koucký.jpg” Veselý’s description is: Námořnik Mrs. Koucký (*) mezi svými kamarády na palubě torpedoborce. [Czech: sailor Fr. Koucký (*) among his friends on board the torpedoboat].

The description in the Prague archives (summarized): Czech sailors on an Austrian torpedo boat: Frant. Koucký (*) was executed on 11 May 1918. At first it was noted on the card that this was carried out in Kotor, later it was added that this was carried out in Pula.

Conclusion: It is very likely that the photos show František Koucký on board an Austrian-Hungarian torpedo boat. However, this is not certain, as there are no further references to the photo so far.

Two sailors, the Czech Frantisek/Franz Koucký and the Dalmatian Ljubomir Kraus, planned an escape with a torpedo boat (Tb 80) from Pola to Italy in May 1918. The motive was probably more nationalism than social reasons. They were betrayed by a Sudeten German, sentenced to death by martial law on 10 May 1918 and shot on 11 May (after Paul, G. Halpern: The Cattaro Mutiny, 1918. in: Christopher M. Bell./Bruce A. Elleman (ed.): Naval mutinies of the twentieth century. An international perspective. London 2003, pp. 54-79, here p. 73 f.). See also Fitl, where, on the occasion of the appointment of the Hauptmann auditor Grünnewald as military prosecutor (public prosecutor) in Cattaro, this case is mentioned because Grünnewald was a prosecutor there (Peter Fitl: Meuterei und Standgericht. Die Matrosenrevolte im Kriegshafen Cattaro vom Februar 1918 und ihr kriegsgerichtliches Nachspiel. Wien 2018, p. 214). Plaschka also speaks of investigations against 11 defendants (Richard Georg Plaschka: Avantgarde des Widerstands. Modellfälle militärischer Auflehnung im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert. 2 volumes. Vienna 2000, p. 257).

The two photos thus most probably have nothing to do with the events in Cattaro in February 1918.
--Kuhl-k (talk) 10:35, 13 June 2020 (UTC)