The history of such a totalitarian superpower as the Soviet Union contains many heroic and gloomy pages. This could not but leave an imprint on the biographies of those who performed it. Kliment Voroshilov is among such personalities. He lived a long life, which was not devoid of heroism, but at the same time he had a lot of human lives on his conscience, since it was his signature that stands under many execution lists.
Kliment Voroshilov: biography
One of the darkest pages in Voroshilov's biography was his participation in the suppression in 1921. After these events, he was appointed a member of the South-Eastern Bureau of the Central Committee of the Party, as well as the commander of the North Caucasian Military District.
From 1924 to 1925 he was the commander of the Moscow Military District and a member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR.
Few people know that during the same period Voroshilov patronized the Bolshoi Theater and was known as a great ballet lover.
At the post of People's Commissar of Defense
After the death of M. Frunze, Voroshilov became chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR and led the country's naval department, and in 1934-1940 - the People's Commissariat of Defense of the Soviet Union.
In total, he spent almost 15 years in this post, which is a kind of record for the Soviet period. Voroshilov Kliment Efremovich (1881-1969) had a reputation as the most devoted supporter of Stalin and provided him with effective support in the fight against Trotsky. In October 1933, he went with a government delegation to Turkey, where, together with Ataturk, he received a military parade in Ankara.
In November 1935, by decision of the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, he was awarded the newly established rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union.
After 5 years, he was removed from the post of People's Commissar, as he did not live up to Stalin's expectations during the Finnish War. However, Voroshilov was not dismissed, but appointed to the post of head of the Defense Committee under the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union.
Participation of Kliment Voroshilov in the Stalinist repressions
Death and funeral
Kliment Voroshilov, whose career growth in the last decades of his life was suspended due to senile infirmities, died on December 2, 1969 at the age of 89. They buried the marshal in the capital, near the Kremlin wall, on Red Square. According to contemporaries, this was the first such large-scale funeral ceremony of farewell to a statesman of the USSR in the twenty years that have passed since Zhdanov's funeral.
Family and Children
The wife of Voroshilov Kliment Efremovich, Golda Davidovna Gorbman, was of the Jewish faith, but for the sake of her wedding with her beloved, she was baptized and took the name Catherine. Such an act aroused the anger of the girl's Jewish relatives, who even cursed her. In 1917, Ekaterina Davidovna joined the RSDLP and for many years worked as deputy director of the Lenin Museum.
It so happened that the friendly Voroshilov family did not have their own children. However, they took in the upbringing of the orphaned children of M.V. Frunze: Timur, who died at the front in 1942, and Tatyana. In addition, in 1918, the couple adopted a boy, Peter, who later became a famous designer and rose to the rank of lieutenant general. From him, the couple had 2 grandchildren - Vladimir and Klim.
Awards
Klim Voroshilov is a holder of almost all the highest awards of the USSR. Including he twice received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
He has 8 Orders of Lenin and 6 Orders of the Red Banner and many other awards, including foreign ones. In particular, the military leader is a hero of the Mongolian People's Republic, a holder of the Grand Cross of Finland, and an honorary citizen of the Turkish city of Izmir.
perpetuation of memory
Even during his lifetime, K. E. Voroshilov became the most celebrated military leader of the Civil War, in whose honor songs were composed, collective farms, ships, factories, etc. were named.
Several cities were named after him:
- Voroshilovgrad (Lugansk) was renamed twice and returned the historical name only in 1990.
- Voroshilovsk (Alchevsk). In this city, the marshal in his youth began his labor and party activities.
- Voroshilov (Ussuriysk, Primorsky Territory).
- Voroshilovsk (Stavropol, from 1935 to 1943).
In addition, the Khoroshevsky district of the capital and the central district of the city of Donetsk bore his name.
To this day, there are Voroshilov streets in dozens of cities of the former USSR. Among them are Goryachiy Klyuch, Tolyatti, Brest, Orenburg, Penza, Ershov, Serpukhov, Korosten, Angarsk, Voronezh, Khabarovsk, Klintsy, Kemerovo, Lipetsk, Rybinsk, St. Petersburg, Simferopol, Chelyabinsk and Izhevsk. In Rostov-on-Don there is also Voroshilovsky Prospekt.
Deserves special mention for rewarding the most accurate shooters, approved at the end of 1932 and named "Voroshilovsky shooter". According to the recollections of people whose youth fell on the pre-war years, it was prestigious to wear it, and young people aspired to be awarded such a badge.
In honor of Klim Efremovich, a series of KV tanks produced at the Putilov plant was also named, and in 1941-1992 the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR bore his name.
A monument to Kliment Voroshilov is erected on his grave. And in Moscow, at house number 3 on Romanov Lane, there is a memorial plate notifying about this.
Now you know some facts of the biography of the famous Soviet military leader and party leader Klim Efremovich Voroshilov. A wonderful family man and a great patriot of his Motherland, nevertheless, during the years of Stalinist repressions, he sent several thousand people to their deaths, most of whom were not guilty of what they were accused of and were told to be shot.
Order of the NPO of the USSR No. 0037 "On the structure of the People's Commissariat of Defense"
1. In connection with the formation of the main directorates of the People's Commissariat of Defense in order to improve the leadership of the troops as part of the People's Commissariat of Defense of the USSR, to have: 1) the General Staff of the Red Army, 2) the Main Directorate of Political Propaganda of the Red Army, 3) the Main Directorate of the Air Force of the Red Army , 4) Main Artillery Directorate of the Red Army, 5) Main Armored Directorate of the Red Army, 6) Main Military Engineering Directorate of the Red Army, 7) Main Quartermaster Directorate of the Red Army, 8) Combat Training Directorate of the Red Army, 9) Air Defense Directorate of the Red Army , 10) Communications Directorate of the Red Army, 11) Directorate of Military Chemical Defense of the Red Army, 12) Fuel Supply Directorate of the Red Army, 13) Directorate of Higher Military Educational Institutions of the Red Army, 14) Directorate of Military Educational Institutions of the Red Army, 15) Directorate personnel of the Red Army, 16) Sanitary Department of the Red Army, 17) Veterinary Department of the Red Army, 18) Administration under the People's Commissar of Defense, 19) Financial Department under the People's Commissar of Defense.
Inspections under the People's Commissar of Defense: 1) Red Army Infantry Inspectorate, 2) Red Army Cavalry Inspectorate, 3) Red Army Artillery Inspectorate, 4) Red Army Armored Troops Inspectorate, 5) Red Army Air Force Inspectorate, 6) Engineer Troops Inspectorate Red Army, 7) Communications Inspectorate of the Red Army.
2. Appointed: Head of the Communications Department - Major General Gapich I.I. Head of the Military Chemical Defense Department - Major General of Technical Troops Melnikov P.G. Head of the Fuel Supply Department - Major General of Tank Troops Kotov P.V. Head of Department higher military educational institutions - Lieutenant General Safronov G.P. Head of the Department of Military Educational Institutions - Lieutenant General Smirnov I.K. Administration of Affairs under the People's Commissar of Defense - Major General Dratvin M.I.
3. I order: 1) Rename: a) The Political Directorate of the Red Army into the Main Directorate of Political Propaganda of the Red Army. b) Directorate for the commanding staff of the Red Army in the Directorate of Personnel of the Red Army.
2) Include the 5th Directorate of the Red Army in the General Staff of the Red Army.
3) Disband: a) Transfer the Main Directorate of the Red Army, its functions and affairs to the General Staff of the Red Army. b) Office of the chief of infantry, with the appeal of the personnel for the staffing of the Inspectorate of Infantry. c) The Department of Inventions of the NCO of the USSR, with the transfer of its functions and personnel to the corresponding main departments. I entrust the dissolution and transfer of the affairs of the Department of Inventions of the NCO of the USSR to the main departments on my Deputy Marshal of the Soviet Union Comrade Kulik. d) the Control Group under the NPO of the USSR, transferring its affairs and correspondence to the Administration of Affairs under the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR. e) the Inspectorate of Osoaviakhim, transferring the affairs and functions of the Inspectorate of the Infantry.
4) Transfer: a) The Physical Training and Sports Inspectorate of the Red Army to the Infantry Inspectorate. b) Inspectorate of military bands of the Red Army to the Infantry Inspectorate. c) Economic Department of the Central Administration of the NPO in the Administration under the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR.
4. To the Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army, submit to me by August 5 the states, and by August 25, a draft regulation on the People's Commissariat of Defense of the USSR.
6. Orders of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR of 1939, No. 0156 and No. 0223, cancel.
Which of the leaders of the revolution was objectionable to M.V. Frunze?
Ninety years ago, on October 31, 1925, Mikhail Vasilyevich Frunze, People's Commissar of the USSR Navy and Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council, died. He was an unusually gifted and strong-willed person, it was people like him who made up the "golden fund" of the Bolsheviks.
Frunze took part in the armed uprising in Moscow in December 1905 and October 1917. An underground revolutionary, a functionary of the RSDLP - he was twice sentenced to death, but it was nevertheless replaced with hard labor, in which Frunze spent six years. He had a chance to prove himself in a variety of positions. He headed the Shuisky Soviet of Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies, was a deputy of the Constituent Assembly from the Vladimir province, led the Ivano-Voznesensk provincial committee of the RCP (b) and the provincial executive committee.
But, of course, in the first place, Mikhail Vasilyevich became famous as an outstanding commander-nugget. In 1919, at the head of the 4th Army of the Red Army, he defeated Kolchak. In 1920 (together with the Insurrectionary Army of N.I. Makhno) he took Perekop and crushed Wrangel (then he led the “cleansing” of the Makhnovists themselves).
And in the same year he led the Bukhara operation, during which the emir was overthrown and the People's Soviet Republic was established. In addition, Frunze was a military theorist and creator of the army reform of 1924-1925. He lived a colorful life, and his death raised many questions.
1. Unclear reasons
Frunze died after an operation caused by a stomach ulcer. According to the official version, the cause of death was blood poisoning. However, later another version was already put forward - Mikhail Vasilyevich died of cardiac arrest, as a result of anesthesia. The body tolerated it very badly, the operated patient could not fall asleep for half an hour. At first he was given ether, but it did not work, then they began to give chloroform. The influence of the latter is already quite dangerous in itself, and in combination with the ether everything was doubly dangerous. Moreover, the narcotic (as anesthesiologists were then called) A.D. Ochkin also overdosed. At the moment, the “narcotic” version prevails, but not everyone shares it. So, according to the Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor V.L. Popov, the immediate cause of Frunze's death was peritonitis, and anesthesia death is just an assumption, there is simply no evidence for this. Indeed, the autopsy showed that the patient had widespread febrinous-purulent peritonitis. And the severity of peritonitis is quite sufficient to consider it the cause of death. Yes, even in the presence of inferiority of the aorta and large arterial vessels. As suggested, it was congenital, Frunze lived with this for a long time, but peritonitis aggravated the whole thing. (Transmission “After death. M.V. Frunze”. Fifth TV channel. 21. 11. 2009).
As you can see, so far there is no way even to accurately determine the cause of Frunze's death. Therefore, it is impossible to talk about murder, at least for now. Although, of course, a lot of things look very suspicious. A year after Frunze's death, People's Commissar of Health N.A. Semashko said the following. It turns out that the surgeon V.N. Rozanov, who operated on Frunze, suggested not to rush into the operation. As, however, and his attending physician P.V. Mandryk, who for some reason was not allowed to the operation itself. In addition, according to Semashko, only a small part of the council that made the decision on the operation was competent. However, it should be noted that Semashko himself presided over this consultation.
In any case, one thing is clear - Frunze had very, very serious health problems. By the way, the first symptoms he experienced back in 1906. And in 1922, a council of doctors at the Central Committee of the Russian Communist Party strongly recommended that he go abroad for treatment. However, Frunze "sabotaged" this recommendation, so to speak. It seemed to him that this would greatly distract him from business. He went to Borjomi for treatment, and the conditions there were clearly not enough.
2. Trotsky trail
Almost immediately, talk began that the people's commissar had been killed. Moreover, at first the murder was attributed to the supporters of L.D. Trotsky. But very soon they went on the offensive and began to blame everything on I.V. Stalin.
A powerful literary "bomb" was made: the writer B.V. Pilnyak published The Tale of the Unextinguished Moon in Novy Mir magazine, in which he subtly hinted at Stalin's involvement in Frunze's death.
And, of course, he did not name either one or the other, the People's Commissar was withdrawn under the name of Commander Gavrilov - a completely healthy man, but almost forcibly put under the surgeon's knife. Pilnyak himself considered it necessary to warn the reader: “The plot of this story suggests that the death of M. V. Frunze served as the reason for writing it and as material. Personally, I hardly knew Frunze, I barely knew him, I saw him twice. I do not know the actual details of his death - and they are not very significant for me, because the purpose of my story was by no means a report on the death of the people's commissar. All this I find it necessary to inform the reader so that the reader does not look for genuine facts and living persons in it.
It turns out the following. On the one hand, Pilnyak dismissed all attempts to connect the plot of the story with real events, and on the other hand, he nevertheless pointed to Frunze. For what? Maybe so that the reader does not have any doubts about who and what they are talking about? The researcher N. Nad (Dobryukha) drew attention to the fact that Pilnyak dedicated his story to the writer A.K. Voronsky, one of the leading theoreticians of Marxism in the field of literature and a supporter of the Left Opposition: “The archives have evidence of how the idea of the Tale arose. It began, apparently, with the fact that Voronsky, as a member of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, was introduced to the “Commission for organizing the funeral of comrade. M.V. Frunze. Of course, at the meeting of the Commission, in addition to ritual issues, all the circumstances of the “unsuccessful operation” were discussed. The fact that Pilnyak dedicated The Tale of the Unextinguished Moon to Voronsky speaks for the fact that Pilnyak received the main information about the reasons for the "unsuccessful operation" from him. And clearly from the "point of view" of Trotsky. Not without reason, already in 1927, Voronsky, as an active participant in the Trotskyist opposition, was expelled from the party. Later, Pilnyak himself would also suffer. So, Pilnyak was a member of the literary circle of Voronsky, who, in turn, was a member of the political circle of Trotsky. As a result: these circles closed. (“Who killed Mikhail Frunze” // Izvestia.Ru)
3. Opponent of the “demon of revolution”
Let's not rush to conclusions about Trotsky's involvement in the commander's death. We are talking about an attempt by the Trotskyists to push everything onto Stalin - everything is completely clear here. Although Lev Davidovich had every reason to dislike Frunze - after all, it was he who replaced him as People's Commissar of the Military Sea and Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council. However, the strings can be pulled during the civil war.
Relations between Trotsky and Frunze were then, to put it mildly, strained. In 1919, a serious conflict broke out between them.
At that time, the Kolchak army was conducting a successful offensive, rapidly and aggressively advancing towards the regions of Central Russia. And Trotsky at first generally fell into pessimism, declaring that it was simply impossible to resist this onslaught. (By the way, it is worth recalling here that at one time the vast expanses of Siberia, the Urals and the Volga region moved away from the Bolsheviks during the uprising of the White Czechs, which was, to a large extent, provoked by Trotsky, who ordered their disarmament.) However, then he nevertheless gathered with spirit and gave the order: to retreat to the Volga and build fortifications there.
The commander of the 4th Army, Frunze, did not obey this order, having received the full support of Lenin. As a result of a powerful counteroffensive, units of the Red Army pushed the Kolchak troops far to the east, freeing the Urals, as well as certain regions of the Middle and Southern Urals. Then Trotsky proposed to stop and transfer troops from the Eastern Front to the Southern. The Central Committee rejected this plan, and the offensive was continued, after which the Red Army liberated Izhevsk, Ufa, Perm, Chelyabinsk, Tyumen and other cities of the Urals and Western Siberia.
Stalin recalled all this in his speech to trade union activists (June 19, 1924): “You know that Kolchak and Denikin were considered the main enemies of the Soviet Republic. You know that our country breathed freely only after the victory over these enemies. And so, history says that both of these enemies, i.e. Kolchak and Denikin were finished off by our troops DESPITE the plans of Trotsky. Judge for yourself: The case takes place in the summer of 1919. Our troops are advancing on Kolchak and operating near Ufa. Central Committee meeting. Trotsky proposes to delay the offensive along the line of the Belaya River (near Ufa), leaving the Urals in the hands of Kolchak, to withdraw part of the troops from the Eastern Front and transfer them to the Southern Front. There are heated debates. The Central Committee does not agree with Trotsky, finding that it is impossible to leave in the hands of Kolchak the Urals with its factories, with its railway network, where he can easily recover, gather his fist and find himself again at the Volga - you must first drive Kolchak beyond the Ural ridge, into the Siberian steppes , and only after that do the transfer of forces to the south. The Central Committee rejects Trotsky's plan ... From this moment on, Trotsky moves away from direct participation in the affairs of the Eastern Front.
In the struggle against the troops of Denikin, Trotsky also showed himself to the full - from the negative side. At first, he very "successfully" commanded that the Whites captured Orel and moved to Tula. One of the reasons for such failures was a quarrel with N.I. Makhno, whom the "demon of the revolution" outlawed, although the fighters of the legendary Batka fought to the death. “It was necessary to save the situation,” notes S. Kuzmin. - Trotsky proposed to strike the main blow against Denikin from Tsaritsyn to Novorossiysk, through the Don steppes, where the Red Army would meet complete impassability and numerous White Cossack gangs on its way. Vladimir Ilyich Lenin did not like this plan. Trotsky was removed from command of the Red Army's operations in the south." ("Contrary to Trotsky")
One gets the impression that Trotsky did not want the victory of the Red Army at all. And it is quite possible that it was. Of course, he didn't want to lose either. Rather, his plans were to drag out the Civil War as long as possible.
This was also part of the plans of the "Western democracies" with which Trotsky was associated, who persistently offered for almost the entire first half of 1918 to conclude a military-political alliance with England and France. So, in January 1919, the Entente proposed that the Whites and the Reds hold a joint conference, make peace and maintain the status quo - each dominates within the territory controlled at the time of the truce. It is clear that this would only prolong the state of split in Russia - the West did not need it strong and united.
4. Failed Bonaparte
During the civil war, Trotsky showed himself to be an inveterate Bonapartist, and at some point even came close to seizing power, relying on the army.
On August 31, 1918, an attempt was made on the life of the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars V.I. Lenin. He was in the most difficult condition, and this inevitably raised the question: who will become the head of the country in the event of his death? Very strong positions were held by the chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK) Ya.M. Sverdlov, who at the same time headed the rapidly growing apparatus of the RCP (b). But Trotsky also had the strongest resource - the army. And so, on September 2, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee adopts the following resolution: “The Soviet Republic is turning into a military camp. The Revolutionary Military Council is placed at the head of all fronts and military institutions of the Republic. All the forces and means of the Socialist Republic are placed at his disposal.
Trotsky was placed at the head of the new body. It is indicative that neither the Council of People's Commissars nor the Party participate in the adoption of this decision. Everything is decided by the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, or rather, its chairman, Sverdlov. “It is noteworthy that there was no decision of the Central Committee of the RCP (b) on the creation of the Revolutionary Military Council, notes S. Mironov. - It is not known about any plenum of the Central Committee these days. Sverdlov, who concentrated all the highest party positions in his hands, simply removed the party from deciding the question of creating the Revolutionary Military Council. A "completely independent state power" was created. Military power of the Bonapartist type. No wonder contemporaries often called Trotsky the Red Bonaparte. ("Civil War in Russia").
When Lenin recovered from his illness and again took up state affairs, an unpleasant surprise awaited him. It turned out that the power of the Presovnarkom was severely curtailed, and the creation of the Revolutionary Military Council played an important role in this. Ilyich, however, was not so easy to cut off, and he quickly found a way out of the situation. Lenin responded to one apparatus maneuver with others by forming a new body - the Union of Workers' and Peasants' Defense (since 1920 - the Union of Labor and Defense), at the head of which he himself stood. Now the RVS megastructure was forced to submit to another - SRKO.
After the death of Lenin, throughout 1924, supporters of Trotsky were removed from the top army leadership. The greatest loss was the removal from the post of Deputy RVS E.M. Sklyansky, who was just replaced by Frunze .
Commander of the Moscow Military District N.I. Muralov, with no hesitation, suggested “the demon of the revolution to raise troops against the leadership. However, Trotsky did not dare to do this, he preferred to act by political methods - and lost.
In January 1925, his opponent Frunze became People's Commissar of the Navy and Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council.
5. Thinker of the new army
The new People's Commissar of the Navy was not only an outstanding commander, but also a thinker who created a coherent system of ideas about what the army of the new state should be like. This system is rightly called "Frunze's unified military doctrine."
Its foundations are set forth in a series of works: "Reorganization of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" (1921), "Unified Military Doctrine and the Red Army" (1921), "Military-Political Education of the Red Army" (1922), "Front and Rear in the War of the Future "(1924), "Lenin and the Red Army" (1925).
Frunze gave his definition of "a unified military doctrine". In his opinion, it is "a doctrine that establishes the nature of the development of the country's armed forces, the methods of combat training of troops, on the basis of the views prevailing in the state on the nature of the military tasks facing it and the method of their resolution, arising from the class essence of the state and determined by the level of development of productive forces of the country.
The new, Red Army differs from the old armies of the bourgeois states in that it is built on ideological foundations. In this regard, he insisted on the special role of party-political organizations in the army. In addition, the new army should be people's, to avoid any caste. At the same time, she must be characterized by the highest professionalism.
Ideology is ideology, but you can't rely on it alone. “... Frunze did not accept the Trotskyist idea of a “revolution on bayonets,” notes Yuri Bardakhchiev. - Back in the autumn of 1921, he argued that it was unreasonable to rely on the support of the foreign proletariat in a future war. Frunze believed that "it is quite probable that an enemy will appear in front of us, who will very hard succumb to the arguments of the revolutionary ideology." Therefore, he wrote, in the calculations of future operations, the main attention should be paid not to hopes for the political decomposition of the enemy, but to the possibility of "actively physically crushing him." (“The Unified Military Doctrine of Frunze” // “The Essence of Time”).
In addition, it should be noted that if Trotsky did not endure national patriotism, then Frunze was not alien to him. “There, in the camp of our enemies, there can be no national revival of Russia, which is precisely from that side that there can be no question of the struggle for the well-being of the Russian people.
Because it is not because of the beautiful eyes that all these French, the British help Denikin and Kolchak - it is natural that they pursue their own interests. This fact should be clear enough that Russia is not there, that we have Russia...
We are not a weakling like Kerensky. We are fighting to the death. We know that if they defeat us, then hundreds of thousands, millions of the best, staunchest and most energetic in our country will be exterminated, we know that they will not talk to us, they will only hang us, and our entire homeland will be covered in blood. Our country will be enslaved by foreign capital.”
Mikhail Vasilyevich was sure that the offensive was at the heart of military operations, but the most important role also belonged to defense, which should be active. We should not forget about the rear. In a future war, the importance of military equipment will only increase, so this area needs to be given great attention. It is necessary to develop tank building in every possible way, even if "to the detriment and expense of other types of weapons." As for the air fleet, "its importance will be decisive."
Frunze's "ideocratic" approach was clearly different from Trotsky's approach, which emphasized its non-ideological nature in matters of army building. CM. Budyonny recalls the military conference at the XI Congress of the RCP (b) (March-April 1922) and the shocking speech of the “demon of the revolution”: “His views on the military question were directly opposite to those of Frunze. We were all literally amazed: what he claimed contradicted Marxism, the principles of the proletarian construction of the Red Army. “What is he talking about? I wondered. “Either he doesn’t understand anything about military affairs, or he deliberately confuses an extremely clear question.” Trotsky declared that Marxism, they say, is generally inapplicable to military affairs, that war is a craft, a set of practical skills, and therefore there can be no science of war. He poured mud on the entire combat experience of the Red Army in the Civil War, saying that there was nothing instructive there. It is characteristic that during the whole speech Trotsky never once referred to Lenin. He bypassed the well-known fact that Vladimir Ilyich was the creator of the doctrine of just and unjust wars, the creator of the Red Army, that he led the defense of the Soviet Republic, developed the foundations of Soviet military science. But, in fact, noting in his theses the need for decisive offensive actions and the education of soldiers in the spirit of high combat activity, Frunze relied precisely on the works of V.I. Lenin, in particular, was guided by his speech at the VIII Congress of Soviets. It turned out that it was not Frunze who "refuted" Trotsky, but Lenin!
It is unlikely that Trotsky can be reproached for indifference to questions of ideology, especially in such an important area as the military. Most likely, he simply wanted to enlist the support of broad army circles, positioning himself as a supporter of their independence from party political bodies. Trotsky, in general, very easily "rebuilt", based on tactical considerations. He could demand the militarization of the trade unions, and then, after a while, act as an ardent champion of inner-party democracy. (By the way, when in the 1930s there was an internal opposition in his Fourth International, the "democrat" Trotsky crushed it quickly and ruthlessly.) It is quite possible that it was precisely this "non-ideological" Trotsky in military affairs that supported his popularity in the army environment.
Frunze, on the other hand, honestly and openly defended the ideocratic line, he did not need populist gestures, his popularity was firmly won by brilliant victories.
6. Kotovsky factor
The mysterious death of Frunze can be put on a par with the murder of the hero of the Civil War and commander of the 2nd Cavalry Corps G.I. Kotovsky. Mikhail Vasilyevich and Grigory Ivanovich were very close. The latter became the commander's right hand. And after Frunze headed the military people's commissariat and the Revolutionary Military Council, he planned to make Kotovsky his first deputy. And he fully deserved it, and not only because of his past merits during the Civil War. In 1923, Kotovsky won the largest military maneuvers, and then spoke at the Moscow meeting of the command staff and proposed to transform the core of the cavalry into armored units.
In 1924, Grigory Ivanovich proposed to Frunze a daring plan for the reunification of Russia with his native Bessarabia. It was assumed that he, with one division, would cross the Dniester, defeat the Romanian troops with lightning speed, raising the population there (among which he himself was very popular) to revolt. After that, Kotovsky will create his own government, which will offer reunification. Frunze, however, rejected this plan.
It is impossible to ignore the fact that Kotovsky was in a very conflicting relationship with I.E. Yakir, who was a relative of Trotsky and enjoyed his support in moving up the career ladder. Here is what the son of Kotovsky, Grigory Grigorievich, says: “During the Civil War, there were several clashes between my father and Yakir. So, in 1919, at a large station, it seems, Zhmerinka, a detachment of former Galicians rebelled. Yakir, who happened to be at the station at that time, got into the staff car and drove off. Then Kotovsky applied the following tactics: his brigade began to dangle at a fast gait through all the streets of the town, creating the impression of a huge amount of cavalry. With a small force, he crushed this uprising, after which he caught up with Yakir on a steam locomotive. My father was a terribly quick-tempered, explosive person (according to my mother, when commanders came home, they first of all asked: “How is the back of the commander’s head - red or not?”; if red, then it was better not to approach). So, my father jumped into the car to Yakir, who was sitting at his desk, and shouted: “Coward! I'll kill you!" And Yakir hid under the table ... Of course, such things are not forgiven. (“Who killed the Robin Hood of the revolution?” // Peoples.Ru).
Thus, it can be assumed that the murder of Kotovsky in 1925 was somehow connected with the activities of the Trotsky group. Frunze took up the investigation himself, but death did not allow him to complete this case (as well as many other cases) to the end.
Today it is impossible to answer the question: was Frunze killed, and who benefited from his death. It is unlikely that Stalin was interested in this, who had a strong and reliable ally in the person of Mikhail Vasilyevich. Perhaps new documents will be discovered that will shed new light on the circumstances of that ill-fated October operation.
Special for the Centenary
ORDER OF THE PEOPLE'S COMMISSAR OF DEFENSE OF THE USSR ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES BETWEEN THE DEPUTY PEOPLE'S COMMISSIONER OF DEFENSE OF THE USSR No. 0113
In accordance with the decision of the Government of March 8, 1941, I establish the following distribution of duties between my deputies:
1. To the First Deputy Marshal of the Soviet Union Comrade S.M. Budyonny in addition to the duties of the first deputy, I entrust the management of the quartermaster supply, non-defensive construction, planning and distribution of NPO material funds, housing and operational issues, and the sanitary and veterinary condition of the Red Army troops.
In direct subordination of the first deputy to have:
a) Main Quartermaster Directorate of the Red Army;
b) Sanitary Directorate of the Red Army;
c) Veterinary Directorate of the Red Army;
d) Department of material funds.
2. On the Deputy People's Commissar of Defense, Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army, Army General Comrade Zhukov G.K. in addition to directing the activities of the Directorate of the General Staff of the Red Army, I entrust the management of fuel supply, organization of communications, air defense of the country and the Academy of the General Staff.
In direct subordination to the Deputy People's Commissar of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army, have:
a) the General Staff of the Red Army;
b) Management supply of fuel to the Red Army;
c) Communications Department of the Red Army;
d) Main Directorate of Air Defense of the Red Army;
e) General Staff Academy.
3. On the Deputy People's Commissar of Defense and the Head of the Main Directorate of Political Propaganda of the Red Army, Army Commissar of the 1st rank Comrade Zaporozhets A.I. in addition to managing the activities of the Main Directorate of Political Propaganda, I entrust the management of:
a) the Office of the State Military Publishing House;
b) the newspapers Krasnaya Zvezda and Combat Training;
c) the Central House of the Red Army;
d) the Central Theater of the Red Army;
e) Military-Political Academy. Lenin;
f) Military Law Academy;
g) military-political schools of the Red Army.
4. In addition to the direct leadership of the Main Artillery Directorate of the Red Army, I entrust the leadership of the Artillery Academy and the activities of the Chemical Defense Directorate of the Red Army to the Deputy People's Commissar of Defense for Artillery Marshal of the Soviet Union Comrade Kulik G.I.
Directly subordinated to the Deputy People's Commissar of Defense Comrade Kulik to have the Department of Chemical Defense of the Red Army.
5. To the Deputy People's Commissar of Defense for the Air Force, Lieutenant General of Aviation Comrade Rychagov P.V. I am entrusting leadership of the Red Army Air Force and maintaining direct contact with the aviation industry in regard to aviation armament and ammunition of the Air Force.
The Deputy People's Commissar of Defense for the Air Force, Lieutenant-General of Aviation Comrade Rychagov, is the head of the Main Directorate of the Air Force of the Red Army.
6. On the Deputy People's Commissar of Defense for Combat Training, Army General Comrade Meretskov K.A. I entrust the leadership of the combat training of the ground forces, all land higher military educational institutions, except for the Artillery Academy, the Military-Political Academy, the Military Law Academy and the General Staff Academy, and the ground military educational institutions, except for military-political schools.
In the direct subordination of the Deputy People's Commissar of Defense, General of the Army Comrade Meretskov, to have:
a) the Combat Training Department of the Red Army;
b) Directorate of Military Educational Institutions of the Red Army;
c) inspections of all types of troops and, in addition, to manage the activities of the combat training departments of all main departments, except for the Main Directorate of the Air Force.
7. To the Deputy People's Commissar of Defense Marshal of the Soviet Union Comrade Shaposhnikov B.M. I am entrusting the leadership of the construction of fortified areas and the activities of the Main Military Engineering Directorate.
In the direct subordination of the Deputy People's Commissar of Defense Marshal of the Soviet Union Comrade Shaposhnikov to have:
a) Management of the construction of fortified areas,
b) The Main Military Engineering Directorate of the Red Army.
8. The Main Armored Directorate of the Red Army, the 3rd Directorate, the Personnel Directorate of the Red Army, the Financial Directorate under the NPO, the NPO Affairs Directorate I leave in my direct subordination.
9. I grant the right to the First Deputy People's Commissar of Defense, Marshal of the Soviet Union Comrade S.M. Budyonny. and Deputy People's Commissar of Defense, Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army, Army General Comrade Zhukov G.K. to enter the Government to resolve issues of the People's Commissariat of Defense of the USSR.
People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR
Marshal of the Soviet Union S. TIMOSHENKO
A) Tymoshenko. ✔
B) Stalin.
2. During the Great Patriotic War, the Germans called the "Black Death":
A) Soviet tankers.
B) Soviet fighter pilots.
B) Soviet marines. ✔
3. The Soviet Union became a participant in the Second World War:
A) In June 1941 ✔
b) September 1939
B) In March 1940
4. The code name of the plan for the capture of Moscow developed by the German command:
A) Barbarossa. ✔
B) typhoon.
B) Blau.
5. The highest body of state power in the USSR during the Great Patriotic War:
A) State Defense Committee. ✔
B) the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
C) Council of People's Commissars.
6. Commander-in-Chief of the Anglo-American Forces in Europe 2 World War was:
A) Field Marshal Smuts.
B) General de Tom.
B) General Eisenhower. ✔
7. Who and when placed responsibility for the defeat and retreat of the Red Army on soldiers and officers - "alarmists and cowards" and ordered the formation of penal battalions and companies, barrage detachments with machine guns?
A) I.V. Stalin in July 1942 order number 227. ✔
B) K. Zhukov in October 1941. during the battle for Moscow.
B) L.Z. Mehlis in May 1942 during the Kerch operation.
8. Dates of the counteroffensive of the Soviet Army near Stalingrad:
9. Strategic plan of the Soviet command in 1942. assumed:
A) Conducting active defensive battles with the subsequent transition to a counteroffensive in all decisive directions ✔
B) Defense along the entire front line.
B) Tactical retreat to the Volga in order to lure the enemy deep into the territory.
10. The Anglo-American landing, which opened a second front in Europe, landed:
A) In July 1943 in Bavaria (Germany).
B) June 1944 in Normandy (France). ✔
B) In February 1945. in Wales (UK).
A) I.V. Stalin. ✔
B) K.G. Zhukov.
B) K.S. Voroshilov.
12. Defense of Moscow in 1941 supervised:
A) I.V. Stalin.
B) K. Zhukov.
B) A.M. Vasilevsky.
D) all three ✔
13. The blockade of Leningrad was broken:
A) November 1942
B) January 1943 ✔
B) In January 1944
A) S.M. Budyonny.
B) K.E. Voroshilov. ✔
B) P.K. Ponomarenko.
15. In which city was Tankograd created:
A) Chelyabinsk. ✔
B) Kuibyshev.
B) Stalingrad.
16. The first artillery salute in Moscow during the war took place:
A) March 1942 in honor of the victory near Moscow.
B) In February 1943. in honor of the victory at Stalingrad.
B) In August 1943 liberation of Orel and Belgorod. ✔
Now the task is more difficult. (All questions without answer options)
In whose office did Germany announce to our ambassador that the war with the Soviet Union had begun?
(In the office of Ribbentrop, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nazi Germany.)
Name the Soviet politician who spoke on the radio on June 22, 1941 with the words: “Our cause is just, the enemy will be defeated, victory will be ours!”
(Molotov V.M.)
What name and surname are encrypted in the name of the Soviet tank "IS"?
(Joseph Stalin.)
How is the abbreviation "KV" - the name of the Soviet heavy tank of the Great Patriotic War - deciphered?
(Klim Voroshilov, military leader, statesman of the Soviet Union.)
Name the Belarusian city, under which on July 14, 1941, our army first used Katyushas.
(Orsha.)
During the Great Patriotic War, the BM-13 installation was called "Katyusha", but what was the name of the "PPSh" machine gun (try to guess)?
("Daddy")
Before World War II, most of the mortars in European armies had a caliber of 81.4 mm. How did the Soviet designers justify the proposal to develop domestic mortars with a caliber of 82 mm?
(This mortar will be able to fire captured mines, and enemy mortars will not be able to use its shells.)
The "Tiger" that the Russians hunted with a grenade is... Who?
(German tank.)
What is the animal name of the German T-V tank, which has been used since 1943 in the 2nd World War?
("Panther".)
During the Great Patriotic War, our front-line soldiers called the self-propelled artillery mount SU-152 (later ISU-152) "St. John's wort". For what?
(For the fact that they pierced the armor of the German Tiger tanks.)
Molotov cocktails used by the Russians during WWII often had labels stuck on them. What was written on them?
(Instruction for use.)
Command "Air!" during the Great Patriotic War meant just that. What?
(Alarm, an enemy aircraft has appeared.)
The most famous letter from the fronts of the Great Patriotic War is ... What?
(“Wait for me and I will return ...”, a poem by K. Simonov.)
When did a parade take place on Red Square in Moscow, which began not at 10, but at 9 in the morning and went on for only about half an hour?
This Russian hero city bravely defended itself both in the Time of Troubles, and from the troops of Napoleon, and in 1941. Name it.
(Smolensk)
In the history of the Second World War, this "coniferous" city of the Soviet Union became the first city from which the Germans were expelled. Name it.
(Yelnya, Smolensk region.)
What battle of the Great Patriotic War was before: Kursk or Stalingrad?
(Stalingrad.)
The building of the museum-panorama of what battle was erected on the site of the historical landing of the 13th Infantry Division of General Rodimtsev?
(Stalingrad battle.)
Name the Soviet city, after which the square in Paris is named, in memory of the great victory over fascism?
(Stalingrad.)
What is the name of the sergeant called the Stalingrad house, which the Soviet soldiers defended for several months?
(Pavlov's House.)
"Fields of military glory of Russia" Military Encyclopedia calls Kulikovo, Poltava and this, where the largest oncoming tank battle in the 2nd World War took place. What is the name of this field?
(Prokhorovskoye, Belgorod region of the Russian Federation.)
Name the battle that ended on August 23, 1943 with the capture of Kharkov by the Soviet troops?
(Battle of Kursk.)
Name our famous spy, whose information for Joseph Stalin became decisive for the victory at the Kursk salient.
(Kim Philby.)
This young Russian woman was destined to become, albeit posthumously, the fourth woman - the Hero of the Soviet Union and the first in the Great Patriotic War. Say her name.
(Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya - "Tanya", partisan, intelligence officer.)
About the heroic defense of what Soviet city in 1942 did Olga Berggolts write in her poems?
(Leningrad. "February Diary", "Leningrad Poem", both 1942.)
Which Russian city during the Great Patriotic War withstood a 900-day siege by German troops?
(Leningrad, now St. Petersburg.)
Everyone knows about the kitten Vasily from Lizyukov Street, but who is this famous street of the city of Voronezh named after?
(In honor of General A.I. Lizyukov, commander of the tank army that liberated Voronezh from the Nazis. Hero of the Soviet Union, died a heroic death.)
Voronezh residents erected a monument dismantled in Vilnius. After all, this general liberated both Voronezh and the Baltic states from the Nazis. Name the commander.
(Chernyakhovsky Ivan Danilovich, army general, twice Hero of the Soviet Union. Now there is a square named after Chernyakhovsky in Voronezh.)
Marshal of which troops was Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub, three times Hero of the Soviet Union?
(Marshal of Aviation. During the Great Patriotic War he served in fighter aviation, was a squadron commander, deputy regiment commander. Participated in 120 air battles, in which he shot down 62 enemy aircraft.)
During the Great Patriotic War, the German column was still able to pass through the streets of Moscow. What was this column?
(Column of German prisoners of war.)
During the night attack on which German city did the Soviet troops use 140 searchlights, which blinded the enemy troops?
(To Berlin.)
Who commanded the First Belorussian Front during the capture of Berlin?
(Marshal G.K. Zhukov.)
The day of May 9 is marked by the liberation of Prague. And this most important event happened a day earlier, in the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst. Which?
(Signing of the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany.)
What are the capitals of the three states located on the Danube and liberated by the Soviet Army from the fascist invaders?
(Budapest - Hungary, Bucharest - Romania, Vienna - Austria.)
In which country and in which city is the famous Alyosha monument erected in honor of Russian soldiers who died during the liberation of the country from the Nazis?
(In Bulgaria, in Plovdiv.)
(Victory parade.)
The culmination of the Victory Parade on June 24, 1945 was the march of 200 standard bearers, throwing Nazi banners onto a special platform at the foot of the Mausoleum. What element of the uniform of the standard-bearers after the parade was burned along with this platform?
(Gloves.)
How many military parades took place on Red Square in Moscow during the Great Patriotic War?
How many salutes were fired in Moscow during the Great Patriotic War?
(354 salutes in honor of the victories of the Armed Forces.)
In July 1945, at this conference, the Soviet Union confirmed its consent to enter the war with Japan. The last stage of the Second World War began. What was this conference?
(Potsdam conference, near Berlin.)
In what city of Germany was the trial of the main fascist criminals?
(Nuremberg. Nuremberg Trials at the International Military Tribunal.)
The highest peak of the Tien Shan was named in 1946 in honor of the end of the Great Patriotic War. How?
(Peak Pobeda, 7439 m.)
What is the sum of the serial numbers of the months of the beginning and end of the Great Patriotic War.
(11, because it was June and May.)
(Since 1965.)
On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Victory, a monument depicting four soldiers was erected on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow. What does each of them symbolize?
(Allied army. These are the figures of the Soviet, French, American and British soldiers.)
What order was the first Soviet award established during the Great Patriotic War?
(Order of the Patriotic War.)
The Order of the Patriotic War was awarded to military personnel, partisans and counterintelligence officers for valor in battle, destruction of enemy equipment, and successful attacks. And the pilots received the order automatically: they only had to do exactly that twice. What?
(Shoot down an enemy plane.)
Who became the first holder of the Order of Suvorov, 1st class, established in 1942?
(Marshal G.K. Zhukov.)
What was the name of the highest military commander's order during the Great Patriotic War?
(Order of Victory.)
What Soviet military leader, besides Stalin and Zhukov, was twice a holder of the Order of Victory?
(Marshal of the Soviet Union Vasilevsky A.M.)
What medal, besides the Ushakov medal, was established in 1944 to reward members of the Navy?
(Medal of Nakhimov.)
What award during the Great Patriotic War is called the highest "soldier's" order?
(Order of Glory.)
Twice Heroes of Russia (and earlier of the Soviet Union) are supposed to erect monuments in their lifetime in their homeland. And what is supposed to be installed once by the Heroes of Russia?
(They are supposed to put up memorial plaques.)
During the Great Patriotic War, for valor and courage, units, ships, formations and associations of the Soviet Armed Forces were awarded just such titles. Which?
(Ranks of the guards.)
What are the three Russian cities on the famous Kursk Bulge by the Decree of the President V.V. Putin received the newly introduced honorary title "City of Military Glory" on the eve of the celebration of the 62nd anniversary of the Great Victory (May 2007)?
(Orel, Belgorod, Kursk.)
