Rebels Among the Zaporozhian Cossacks during the Danube Campaigns of 1771–1773

There is highlighted the involvement of the Cossacks by the Russian government in the Danube campaigns of 1771–1773, the formation of the Danube Thousand Commands, their role in the Russo-Turkish war, in particular, in conducting military intelligence and participation in joint military operations with the Russian army. The reaction of the Russian authorities and Kosh to the riots among the Cossacks of the Danube teams is shown. In addition, reports of the Zaporozhian offi cer to Kosh Ataman P. Kalnyshevsky and Kosh, Kosh warrants, military reports to the commander of the First Army P. Rumyantsev about the revolt of the Cossacks of the Danube teams due to late payment, lack of provisions, unfair distribution of awards are published. Most documents, including reports by Generals G. Potemkin and A. Suvorov, are published for the fi rst time. The purpose of the study is to clarify the events, to reveal unknown facts, in particular: the formation of the Cossacks of the Danube thousand teams, the implementation of the Cossacks military intelligence and landing operations; mechanisms of material encouragement of Cossacks; clarifi cation of the circle of persons who were involved in the organization of the uprisings; establishing the causes and consequences of the uprisings among the Cossacks of the Danube teams. The research methodology is based on general scientifi c methods of analysis, historicism, comparison, detailing using archival heuristics. The scientifi c novelty of the study lies in the introduction into scientifi c circulation of a much larger amount of archival material than researchers of the 19 – early 20 centuries, which allowed to show a broader picture of the Cossack uprisings against the background of the Russo-Turkish war of 1768–1774. Prospects for further research on the participation of the Cossacks in Russia's war with the Ottoman Porte in 1768–1774 became clearer due to the clarifi cation of the list of colonels and offi cers of the Danube teams and the publication of archeographically processed documents. The conclusions show that the revolts among the Cossacks of the Danube thousand teams were due to reduced discipline, late payment of money, unfair distribution of rewards, supply disruptions and lack of provisions, which in turn was caused by corruption and abuse of offi cers and clerks. However, all this does not detract from the contribution of the Cossacks to the victory of the Russian army in the war with the Ottoman Porte of 1768–1774.