At the end of 1918 and beginning of 1919 the Tsaritsyn Front of the Don Army suffered a serious defeat against the Bolsheviks in the Voronezh–Povorino Operation.

But the Red Army ordered the Cossacks to surrender all weapons within 24 hours under the threat of execution.

The district was flooded with Red units passing south to the front, leading to requisitioning of bread, horses and ordinary robbery.

This led to a spontaneous uprising in the whole district, of which Pavel Kudinov became the leader.

The insurgents, whose strength was estimated at 30,000, tied down roughly the same number of Soviet troops, diverting them from checking the advance of the Don Army.