Polonsky conspiracy

Polonsky conspiracy
Part of the Bolshevik–Makhnovist conflict
TypeConspiracy
Location
PlannedOctober–November 1919
Planned byCommunist Party of Ukraine
Commanded byYevgeny Polonsky
TargetNestor Makhno and other insurgent commanders
Date4–5 December 1919 (1919-12-04 – 1919-12-05)
Executed byPro-Bolshevik units within the Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine
OutcomeFailure
Casualties5 conspirators executed

The Polonsky conspiracy, also known as the Polonsky plot or Polonsky affair, was an attempt by Ukrainian Bolsheviks to overthrow the Makhnovshchina during the autumn of 1919.

Prepared by the revolutionary committees of Oleksandrivsk and Katerynoslav, the plan was to assassinate Nestor Makhno and other members of the insurgent high command, following which pro-Bolshevik units of the insurgent army would seize power in the region. However, the plot was uncovered and suppressed by the Kontrrazvedka, the Makhnovist counterintelligence division. Yevgeny Polonsky and other members of the conspiracy were arrested and sentenced to execution by firing squad.

The planned coup and the fallout that resulted from its suppression exacerbated the worsening relations between the Makhnovists and Bolsheviks, which culminated in the outbreak of an all-out conflict between them in January 1920.