Voroshilov history. Voroshilov is the most controversial Soviet marshal
We will not tell his biography, as it is more or less truthful, with more or less details, set out in the books of recent years:
R. Medvedev "They surrounded Stalin", M, 1990,
F. Volkov "The rise and fall of Stalin", Moscow, 1992,
V. Rogovin "Party of the executed", Moscow, 1997,
D. Volkogonov “Sketches of Time“, Moscow, 1998,
O. Souvenirs ”Tragedy of the Red Army. 1937-1938 ", M. 1998,
Yu. Rubtsov “Marshals of Stalin”, R-na-Donu, 2000, etc.
Academician of the Academy of Military Sciences of the Russian Federation, honorary academician O. F. Suvenirov and Yu. Rubtsov in the above books called Voroshilov the executioner of the Red Army.
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For most of his life, Voroshilov was military work Moreover, since 1925, after the death of Frunze, he became the people's commissar for military and naval affairs, and from 1934 to 1940 he was the people's commissar for defense. And before that, in February 1918, in his homeland in Lugansk, he formed a partisan detachment of 600 people. The detachment a few months later turned into the 5th Ukrainian Army, which Voroshilov commanded. Then he commanded the 10th Army, the 14th Army, was a member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the First Cavalry Army. In 1921-1924 he was in command of the North Caucasian and Moscow military districts.
The assessment of his military activities is always negative.
In February 1919, the Cossack magazine “Donskaya Volna” wrote: “We must give justice to Voroshilov that if he is not a strategist in the generally accepted sense of the word, then, in any case, he cannot be denied the ability to stubbornly resist.”
Even earlier, AE Snesarev, military commander of the North Caucasus Military District and commander of the detachments defending Tsaritsyn, wrote in his memorandum addressed to the Chairman of the Supreme Military Council: “... Voroshilov, as a military commander, does not possess the necessary qualities. He is not sufficiently imbued with duty and does not adhere to the elementary rules of commanding troops. "
Speaking at the VIII Party Congress, in 1919, Lenin said: "Voroshilov cited facts that indicate that there were terrible traces of partisanship ... Comrade Voroshilov is to blame for the fact that he does not want to abandon this old partisanism."
In the summer of 1919, the 14th Army, commanded by Voroshilov, defended Kharkov. The army surrendered the city to Denikin's troops. The tribunal, examining the circumstances of the surrender of the city, came to the conclusion that the knowledge of the commander did not allow even the battalion to be entrusted to him.
Chekist Zvederis - early. Special Department of the 1st Cavalry Army, whose path in Ukraine was called bloody and was accompanied by numerous pogroms, especially Jewish ones, came to the conclusion: banditry in the army will not get rid of as long as there is such a person as Voroshilov.
An accurate description of Voroshilov was given by the first chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council and the People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs LD Trotsky: “Voroshilov is a fiction. His authority was artificially created by totalitarian agitation. At a dizzying height, he remained what he always was: a limited provincial without outlook, without education, without military ability and even without the ability of an administrator ”.
And the results are summed up military service the first red marshal in the recently extracted from the archives "Decision of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee (Minutes 36, paragraph 356) On the work of K. Ye. Voroshilov, April 1, 1942"
1. War with Finland in 1939-1940. revealed a great disadvantage and backwardness in the leadership of the NPO. In the course of this war, the non-profit organization was unprepared to ensure the successful development of military operations. The Red Army lacked mortars and machine guns, there was no correct registration of aircraft and tanks, there was no necessary winter clothing for the troops, the troops did not have food concentrates. The great neglect of such important non-profit organizations as the Main Artillery Directorate, the Combat Training Directorate, the Air Force Directorate, the low level of business organization in military educational institutions, etc.
All this was reflected in the protraction of the war and led to unnecessary casualties. Comrade Voroshilov, being at that time the People's Commissar of Defense, was forced to admit at the Plenum of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks at the end of March 1940 that his leadership of the NPO was revealed to be inconsistent.
Taking into account the state of affairs in the NKO and seeing that it is difficult for Comrade Voroshilov to cover such a big matter as the NCO, the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) considered it necessary to release Comrade Voroshilov from the post of People's Commissar of Defense.
2. At the beginning of the war with Germany, Comrade. Voroshilov was sent as commander-in-chief of the North-West direction, with his main task of defending Leningrad. In his work in Leningrad, Comrade Voroshilov made serious mistakes.
In view of all this, the State Defense Committee recalled Comrade Voroshilov from Leningrad and gave him work on new military formations in the rear.
3. In response to Comrade Voroshilov's request, he was sent in February to the Volkhov Front as a representative of the Stavka to help the front command and stayed there for about a month. However, Comrade Voroshilov's stay on the Volkhov front did not give the desired results.
In view of the above, the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) decides:
1. To admit that Comrade Voroshilov did not justify himself in the work entrusted to him at the front.
Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) I. Stalin. "
According to the prominent historian R. Medvedev, both political personality Voroshilov was significantly inferior to many of his “colleagues” in terms of influence: he did not have the intelligence, cunning and business qualities of Mikoyan, he did not have the organizational skills, activity and cruelty of Kaganovich, as well as clerical efficiency and the “stone ass” of Molotov. Voroshilov did not know how to navigate, like Malenkov, in the intricacies of hardware intrigues, he lacked huge energy Khrushchev, he did not have the theoretical knowledge and claims of Zhdanov or Voznesensky.
Such incompetence had to be worked out, and Voroshilov tried.
Already at the 14th Party Congress, in 1925, he said: “Comrade Stalin, obviously, by nature or fate, is destined to formulate questions somewhat more successfully than any other member of the Politburo. Comrade Stalin is - I affirm this - the main member of the Politburo. "
In 1929, on the 50th anniversary of Stalin, Voroshilov wrote an article "Stalin and the Red Army", in which he wrote: "... In the period 1918-1920, Comrade Stalin was, perhaps, the only person whom the Central Committee threw another, choosing the most dangerous places, the most terrible for the revolution ... "
In 1935, speaking at the All-Union Congress of the Stakhanovists, he called Stalin "the first marshal of the socialist revolution", "the great marshal of victories at the fronts and civil war and socialist construction and the strengthening of our party "," a marshal of the communist movement of all mankind "and even a" true marshal of Communism ".
In 1939, in the article "Stalin and the Construction of the Red Army" Voroshilov wrote: "Many volumes will be written about Stalin, the creator of the Red Army, its inspirer and organizer of victories, the author of the laws of strategy and tactics of the proletarian revolution."
By the 70th anniversary of Stalin, in 1949, Voroshilov came to the conclusion that "the victorious Great Patriotic War will go down in history ... as a triumph of the military-strategic and military leader's genius of the great Stalin."
Voroshilov was one of the first to glorify Stalin, to instill his personality cult. And when the tragic thirties approached, Voroshilov turned into a resigned and zealous executor of Stalin's criminal policy.
He was among those who whipped up passions. So, at the February-March Plenum of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) in 1937, he said: “... it is possible, on the contrary, even for sure, and in the ranks of the army there are still many undetected, undisclosed Japanese-German, Trotskyist-Zinoviev spies, saboteurs and terrorists ”.
From June 1 to June 4, 1937, at an expanded meeting of the Military Council under the People's Commissar of Defense, Voroshilov made a report "On the disclosure of a counter-revolutionary conspiracy by the NKVD in the Red Army." He argued in the report:
"The organs of the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs revealed in the army a long-existing and operating with impunity, a strictly conspiratorial counter-revolutionary fascist organization headed by people who stood at the head of the army." Voroshilov called in his report "to check and cleanse the army literally to the very
the last cracks ... “. This speech, like that of Stalin, was perceived by the NKVD as a direct directive for a massive purge of the army and navy.
A little over a year passed and he reported on the results of the purge. At the meeting of the Military Council, which took place on November 29, 1938, Voroshilov said: “When a group of despicable traitors to our Motherland and the Red Army, headed by Tukhachevsky, was discovered and destroyed by the court of revolution last year, it never entered our heads, unfortunately that this abomination, this rot, this betrayal is so widely and deeply entrenched in the ranks of our army. Throughout 1937 and 1938, we had to mercilessly cleanse our ranks ... we cleaned out more than 4 tens of thousands of people ”. Such is the scale of the tragedy, such is the price of Voroshilov's crime together with Stalin. Suffice it to say that after Tukhachevsky, all the other deputy people's commissars of defense, Yegorov, Alksnis, Fedko and Orlov, were arrested and shot. Of the 837 people who were awarded personal military ranks from colonel to marshal in November 1935, 720 were repressed. Of the 16 people who received the rank of commander and marshal, three survived after the great purge: Voroshilov himself, Budyonny and Shaposhnikov. Over the years of the Great Patriotic War The Red Army lost 180 senior command personnel from the division commander and above, and for several pre-war children, mainly in 1937-1938, more than 500 commanders with the rank of brigade commander to Marshal were arrested on trumped-up political charges, of which 412 were shot and 29 died in custody. But none of the prominent military leaders could be arrested without the knowledge and consent of the People's Commissar of Defense.
As you know, Y. Gamarnik - First Deputy People's Commissar of Defense, early. Political administration of the Red Army, committed suicide on the eve of imminent arrest. This happened on May 31, 1937 after the deputy. early PU RKKA Bulin and early. The affairs department of the NCO Smorodinov announced to Gamarnik the order of the NCO to dismiss him from the Red Army. In an order dated June 12, 1937, Voroshilov called him "a traitor and a coward who was afraid to stand trial. Soviet people”. The People's Commissar did not indicate in the order that all the accusations were a figment of the imagination of Stalin and the NKVD investigators, that physical and moral methods of pressure were used against the arrested, brutally knocking out false confessions and testimonies.
By a resolution of the Politburo of April 17, 1937, Voroshilov was included in the "standing commission", which was instructed to prepare for the PB, and "in case of special urgency" to solve "secret issues" herself. Only the members of this commission (Stalin, Molotov, Kaganovich, Voroshilov, Yezhov) developed the strategy and tactics of the great purge and had a complete idea of its scale. In addition, he has been a member of the Politburo since 1926.
At first, he tried to protect some of his subordinates, but after the Tukhachevsky trial, Voroshilov, as a rule, began to endorse the arrest lists without objection. As Khrushchev reported at the XX Congress, Yezhov alone sent 383 lists, including thousands of names of persons whose sentences required confirmation by members of the PB. Of these lists, Stalin signed 362, Molotov - 373, Voroshilov - 195, Kaganovich - 191, Zhdanov - 177.
Voroshilov took an active part in the assassination of Marshal Tukhachevsky, 1st rank commanders Yakir and Uborevich, 2nd rank commander Kork, corps commanders Eideman, Feldman, Primakov, Putna. In April-May 1937, he sent Stalin one after another a series of notes with the following content:
“Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) comrade. Stalin
I ask you to exclude from the Military Council under the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR: Tukhachevsky M.N., Eideman R.P., Longva R.V., Efimov N.A., Appog E.F., as excluded from the ranks of the Red Army.
Then he replaced the “excluded” with the “dismissed”.
In the following days, he sent Stalin the same notes, which included Gorbachev, Kazansky, Kork, Kutyakov, Feldman, Lapin, Yakir, Uborevich, Germanovich, Sangursky, Oshley and others. He apparently did not care that the entire Military Council turned out to be "spy", "fascist."
Before making the final decision on the arrest of Tukhachevsky, Stalin listened to Molotov, Voroshilov and Yezhov. Voroshilov did not hide his long-standing dislike for Tukhachevsky. Voroshilov took part in a meeting with Stalin, where the indictment was considered. Voroshilov predetermined their verdict, in order No. 972 of June 7, 1937, he wrote: “... Agent of Japanese-German fascism, Trotsky, and this time learns that his loyal henchmen are Gamarniki and Tukhachevskys, yakirs, uborevichs and other bastards who served capitalism as lackeys, will be wiped off the face of the earth, and their memory will be cursed and forgotten. " Voroshilov, as well as Stalin and Molotov, were sent all the interrogation protocols, he took part in confrontations and, as it recently became known from V. Leskov's book “Stalin and the Tukhachevsky conspiracy,” personally SHOOTED Yakir. There is a message starting. Directorates of higher educational institutions RKKA A. I. Todorsky that Voroshilov, a few days after the execution, talked about the behavior of those doomed to death before execution. This is another proof of his participation in the execution.
The June 1937 trial, after which Tukhachevsky and others were shot on June 12, 1937, became the signal for the deployment of an extermination campaign against military personnel. Already 9 days after this execution, 980 commanders and political workers were arrested, including 29 brigade commanders, 37 divisional commanders, 21 corps commanders, 16 regimental commissars, 17 brigade commissars and 7 divisional commissars.
And this seemed to Voroshilov insufficient. At a special meeting of the Military Council under the People's Commissar of Defense on November 21, 1937, dedicated to the "purge" of the army, Voroshilov reproached the commander of the Belarusian Military District, IP Belov, who was later shot, that the "purge" in the Belorussian district was poorly carried out.
Here are some of Voroshilov's personal instructions on group arrests:
On May 28, 1937, the NKVD of the USSR drew up a list of workers of the Art Department of the Red Army, who had testimony from those arrested as participants in the Trotskyist military conspiracy. The list contained the names of 26 commanders of the Red Army. The list contains Voroshilov's resolution: “Comrade. Yezhov. TAKE ALL CRASHES. 28. V. 1937. K. Voroshilov ”.
June 5, 1937 early. Leplevsky asks Voroshilov's consent to the arrest of 17 people at once - “participants in the anti-Soviet military-Trotskyist conspiracy” of the special department of the NKVD GUGB. Resolution: “I don’t mind. KV. 15. VI. 37. "
On June 11, 1937, Leplevsky asks Voroshilov for consent to the arrest of the commander of the 26th cavalry division, Zybin. Two days later, a resolution appears: “Arrest. KV. 13. VI. 37 ”.
June 29, 1937 already a new beginning. The special department of the GUGB Nikolayev-Zhurid applies for permission to arrest another victim. We are talking about the head of the department of military communications of the Military Transport Academy of the Red Army, military engineer of the 2nd rank G.E. Kuni. People's Commissar's resolution: “Arrest. KV. 1. VIII. 37 “.
In August 1937, the following letter was sent from the USSR People's Commissariat of Defense to the NKVD of the USSR about the arrest of a number of prominent leading military workers:
“I am reporting the resolution of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR on Leplevsky's inquiries:
1. About the deputy. early of the political department of the KVO to the corps commissar Khorosh M.L.
"To arrest. K.V. ".
2. About the commander-commissioner of the 1st cavalry. corps division commander Demichev.
"To arrest. K.V. ".
3. About the beginning. of the communications department of the KVO brigade Ignatovich Yu.I.
"To arrest. K.V. ".
4. About the Kav commander. corps division commander P.P. Grigoriev
"To arrest. K.V. ".
5. About the commander of the 58th SD, brigade commander G.A. Kaptsevich
"To arrest. K.V. ".
6. About the chief of the 2nd department of the KVO headquarters, Colonel Rodionov M.M.
"To arrest. K.V. ".
Etc., in total on this list were Voroshilov's decisions to arrest 142 leading military personnel. I tried to trace the fate of the named commanders: Khorosh and Ignatovich were shot on October 15, 1937, Rodionov-October 16, 1937, Demichev-November 19, 1937, Grigoriev-November 20, 1937, Kaptsevich-October 17, 1938.
January 29, 1938 Nikolaev-Zhurid sends Voroshilov a submission for the arrest of the brigade commander Khlebnikov. People's Commissar's resolution: “Arrest Khlebnikov. KV. 7. II. 38 “.
May 17, 1938 deputy. People's Commissar of the NKVD Frinovsky writes to Voroshilov "about the need to arrest" 15 people. Resolution of the People's Commissar: “I agree to the arrest of these persons. KV. 19. V. 38 ".
Here are a few of his personal telegrams from many hundreds of similar ones:
“Sverdlovsk. Goilit. At number 117. Find, arrest and judge severely. " July 1, 1937 K. Voroshilov.
“Vladivostok. Kireev, Okunev. At number 2454. Dismiss him, and if there is a suspicion that he is involved in his wife's affairs, arrest him. July 21, 1937 K. Voroshilov "
"Tbilisi. Kuibyshev, Anse. At number 342. Fire. At number 344. Judge and shoot. At number 346. Fire. October 2, 1937 K. Voroshilov “.
On a report that the corps commissar N. A. Savko called the arrest of one of the commanders a misunderstanding at a party meeting, Voroshilov wrote: "Arrest." On October 5, 1937, he was sentenced to death.
There are many other mean actions on Voroshilov's conscience: he summoned Yakir and Uborevich to a meeting in Moscow, ordering them to go by train, - on the way they were arrested in Bryansk and Smolensk, respectively; he sent Marshal Blucher to his dacha to rest in Sochi, and there he and his wife were arrested; Deputy Commander of the PriVO Troops I.S. resisted the agents of the NKVD during the arrest, but after receiving the telegram of the People's Commissar "I order to surrender and go to Moscow", Kutyakov surrendered, was arrested and shot on July 28, 1938; First Deputy People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR I.F. Fedko resisted the NKVD workers during their arrest and called Voroshilov, who offered to stop resistance and promised to sort it out. Fedko was arrested and shot on February 26, 1939, etc. Stalin in a narrow circle - with Molotov and Voroshilov - discussed the results of the "investigation" in the case of Marshal Yegorov. He was arrested and shot on February 23, 1939. On a letter from the 2nd rank commander Dybenko, Stalin wrote: "Voroshilov". Dybenko was shot on July 29, 1938. Etc.
The arrested commanders and their wives turned to Voroshilov, asked to find out and help. On August 21, 1936, Major Kuzmichev wrote to Voroshilov, on September 26 - Corps Commander Primakov, on June 9, 1937 - Army Commander 1st Rank Yakir, on September 12, 1937 - Army Commander 1st Rank I. Belov, in mid-September - Army Commander 2nd Rank Sedyakin, December 5, 1937 - brigade commander Kolosov, at the beginning of 1938 - Marshal Yegorov, in April 1938 - division commander Kokhansky, divisional commissar Kropichev, in May 1939 - division commander Turzhansky, in December 1939 - major Kulik, February 12, 1940 - corps commissar Berezkin, etc. ...
On March 23, 1937, Voroshilov received a letter from the wife of the arrested commander of the Ural Military District Garkavy, on June 3 - the wife of the arrested Yakir wrote, on September 10 - the wife of the arrested commander of the Kharkov Military District Dubovoy, on June 14, 1939 - the wife of the arrested commander of the Kiev Military District Fedko and etc.
There is no evidence that Voroshilov responded to any of these appeals.
All this allowed former member The Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU, the former secretary of the Central Committee A.N. Yakovlev, give the following description to Voroshilov:
“Kliment Efremovich Voroshilov. With his sanction, the destruction of the highest military leaders and political workers of the Red Army was organized. In the 30s, out of 5 marshals were destroyed - 3, out of 16 army commanders - 15, out of 67 corps commanders - 60, out of 199 division commanders - 136, out of 4 fleet flagships - 4, out of 6 flagships of the first rank - 6, out of 15 flagships of the second rank - 9. All 17 army commissars of the first and second ranks, as well as 25 of 29 corps commissars were shot. When Voroshilov was the People's Commissar of Defense in the Red Army, in 1936-1940 alone, over 36 thousand people of middle and higher command personnel were repressed. The FSB archive has revealed more than 300 Voroshilov's sanctions for the arrest of prominent army commanders. In fact, before the Second World War, the country's armed forces were beheaded. ” (“Krestosev”, M., 2000). The result of this is well known: during the war, 27 million Soviet people died.
And in conclusion, one more stroke to the characterization of Voroshilov. Victoria Yanovna (daughter of Gamarnik) recalled many years later: “Upon returning from exile, Anastas Ivanovich Mikoyan helped me a lot. After exile, Anastas Ivanovich helped me and Mira (Vladimir Ieronimovna Uborevich - daughter of I. Uborevich. IP) with money, an apartment, and care. Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev, I know, warmed up the Yakir family. Not everyone, not everyone rushed to our aid even when it became possible. Kliment Efremovich Voroshilov at the same time refused to accept Svetlana Tukhachevskaya. I don’t know why. Maybe you didn't have the courage to look Svetlana in the eyes? "
Voroshilov is a mirror of the policy of the VKPB
plotsi 18.12.2010 04:08:01
Despite my relatively young age by historical standards, I want to add that I was familiar, or rather, I saw in 1974 near the man whom Voroshilov had sent in 1937 as an enemy of the people to the camps to certain death. But this brigade commander (the name can be specified) survived. There were purple bumps on his back, probably formed after being beaten with metal rods. The view is creepy. But, surprisingly, in public he said that our leadership had to do this, otherwise they would not have resisted, built and won. I still cannot understand whether he spoke sincerely or was so scared to death. But then, for the first time, I understood the cost of building our communism. And this was the merit of such sycophants of Stalin as Voroshilov. And for this he and his followers must be held accountable. And no less severe as their "threes".
Voroshilov Kliment Efremovich is a renowned Russian revolutionary and military leader, and later a statesman and party leader. He was an active participant in the Civil War and was among the first to receive the title of Marshal Soviet Union... By the way, Voroshilov holds the record for the length of stay in the Politburo and the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee - in these posts Kliment Efremovich worked for almost 35 years.
Historical truthKliment Voroshilov, whose biography begins on February 4, 1881, was born in the village of Verkhnee, located in the Yekaterinoslav province. Today it is the city of Lisichansk, Luhansk region. Voroshilov's parents were the trackman Efrem Andreevich and his wife, the day-laborer Maria Vasilievna. Clement became the third child in the family, and his childhood was far from easy. The father was often unemployed, the family lived on the brink of poverty. At the age of seven, Klim Voroshilov went to work as a shepherd.
Russian union Having matured a little, Voroshilov got a job at a mine where he collected pyrite. Hard work hardened the boy, made him strong. But Clement understood that he needed to develop, so at the age of 12 he enrolled in a zemstvo school in the village of Vasilyevka. True, a teenager studied only three classes, but this was enough to change the mine to a metallurgical plant. Having gained experience, Voroshilov became a worker at a steam locomotive plant in Lugansk. It is at the last plant that the guy enrolls as a member of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party and begins to move up the career ladder.
Russian newspaper A year later, Klim Voroshilov - a member of the Lugansk Bolshevik Committee, soon he already heads this organization, creates military squads and is delegated to the Bolshevik congresses. Clement carried out underground work for nine years, right up to the Revolution itself, for which he was repeatedly arrested and even served imprisonment. During one of the interrogations, he was severely beaten, resulting in a head injury. Because of her, Voroshilov had auditory hallucinations, and by the end of his life the man was completely deaf.
Portrait of Klim Voroshilov | Historical truth Like most communists in those years, Clement had an underground surname - "Volodin", but, unlike and, at the first opportunity he began to use his real name. By the way, Voroshilov met the leaders in 1906. The leaders made a strong impression on the young worker, and he was finally imbued with their ideas. But Lenin was not impressed by the young man, he even called him "the village" and "balalaika". Clement became close to Stalin during the defense of Tsaritsyn, and this epic played a decisive role in the advancement of Voroshilov: Joseph Vissarionovich fully established himself in the opinion that he was a reliable and loyal supporter.
Joseph Stalin with Voroshilov | Pazitiff During the First World War, Kliment Efremovich managed to evade the draft and continued his work on proletarian propaganda. In days October revolution he became commissar of the Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee and, together with Felix Dzerzhinsky, organized the famous Cheka - the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission. During the Civil War, Klim Voroshilov held many positions, but one of the most significant was the appointment to the post of a member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the First Cavalry Army. Since Clement was involved in the creation of this military unit, which was commanded, who made a huge contribution to the victory of the Bolsheviks, the success also fell on the shoulders of Voroshilov. Since then, he has been invariably ranked among the important figures in the cause of the Revolution.
Career
But today historians find confirmation that Kliment Efremovich did not have any special talents of a commander. He was distinguished by a distrust of military specialists from the old tsarist army, of which there were many under his command. Moreover, it is known from eyewitnesses that Voroshilov personally, in fact, did not win a single serious battle. So thanks to what he was able to make such an amazing, one might say, dizzying career and subsequently remain at the head of the military department for a little less than 15 years, longer than any of his colleagues.
Voroshilov commands the parade | Useful Notes The fact is that Kliment Voroshilov, indeed, without the experience of Semyon Budyonny and the talent of Mikhail Frunze, had a rare ability for that time to work in a team. In addition, the future People's Commissar throughout his life showed great self-criticism and a complete lack of ambition. Against the background of the careerists standing next to him, in the eyes of Lenin and especially Stalin, Voroshilov stood out sharply for the better.
With Joseph Stalin | Wikipedia In the early 1920s, Kliment commanded the troops of the North Caucasian Military District, then headed the Moscow District, and after the death of Frunze became the head of the entire military department of the USSR. When the so-called Great Terror began, Voroshilov was one of those who considered and signed the lists of repressed persons. His signature, meaning a death sentence, documented 185 lists, therefore, by order of Kliment Voroshilov, at least 18 thousand citizens were convicted and shot. Including by order of the People's Commissar of Defense, about 170 commanders of the Red Army were repressed.
With Semyon Budyonny | Useful Notes When in 1935 for the first time in Soviet army introduced personal military ranks, Voroshilov was among the first five military leaders awarded the title "Marshal of the Soviet Union." Clement has always been an ardent supporter of Joseph Vissarionovich and even wrote the book "Stalin and the Red Army" for his 50th birthday, in which he outlined in rather pretentious words all the achievements of "a first-class organizer and military leader." Nevertheless, it is known that Voroshilov had conflicts with the head of state, for example, over politics in China and personality. And after the war with Finland in 1940, which, although it ended with the victory of the USSR, did not go far as the Kremlin authorities planned, Stalin personally removes his old friend and supporter from the post of People's Commissar of Defense. Instead, Klim Efremovich begins to oversee the defense industries.
Troops review | Kommersant During World War II, Voroshilov showed great courage when he personally led the marines into bayonet attacks. But at the same time, he demonstrated a disastrous inability to lead the troops in the new conditions, for which he lost Stalin's respect and was removed from making important decisions. He was consistently trusted by the troops of the North-Western direction, the Leningrad Front, the Volkhov Front, he was appointed commander-in-chief partisan movement, but all posts were removed and replaced by more successful military leaders, including the marshal. At the end of November 1944, Kliment Voroshilov was finally removed from the State Defense Committee, and this is the only case of expulsion during the war years.
Personal life
The family and personal life of Kliment Voroshilov held a special place in his heart. He met his only wife during the years of exile in Nyrob in 1909. His chosen one Golda Davidovna Gorbman fell in love with Klim so much that she abandoned her own family. The fact is that the girl was Jewish by nationality, but for the sake of marriage with Voroshilov she was baptized in Orthodox Church and changed her name to Catherine. Such an act of her daughter was not approved by her parents, and all relations between them ceased.
Golda Davidovna, wife of Kliment Voroshilov | Russian newspaper By the way, Golda Davidovna was also a member of the Party, and later worked as deputy director of the V.I.Lenin Museum. It so happened that Ekaterina Voroshilova could not have children. But her husband never reprimanded his beloved wife. The Voroshilovs adopted an orphan boy Peter, and after the death of Mikhail Frunze they took his children - Timur's son and Tatyana's daughter - to be raised. There is information that Leonid Nesterenko, professor of Kharkov polytechnic institute, the son of Clement's colleague at the Luhansk steam locomotive plant.
Petr, Voroshilov's adopted son | In his personal life, Voroshilov was a role model for many fellow citizens. He lived with his wife for almost half a century, until her death from cancer in 1959. Since the woman asked doctors to hide the disease from her husband, for Kliment Efremovich the death of his beloved wife was a heavy blow. Historians who have studied the correspondence of the People's Commissar confirm that he did not have a single novel "on the side", and Voroshilov's wife always remained his only love.
Last years People's Commissar | Holocaust survivors Klim Efremovich always led a healthy lifestyle, played a lot in sports - he swam well, respected artistic gymnastics, and at the age of 50 he became interested in speed skating and spent every weekend at the rink. By the way, it was Voroshilov who actively contributed to the development of Soviet hockey, and thanks to him, domestic hockey players became one of the best athletes in the world. In the early 1920s, all families of high-ranking officials lived in the Moscow Kremlin. But over time, people gradually moved to separate apartments, and only Kliment Efremovich continued to remain in his former place of residence, leaving the Kremlin as the last of the ruling elite several years before his death.
Death
As mentioned above, Klim Voroshilov has always been a loyal supporter of Stalin. It is all the more surprising that after his death he remained in the government, joined the group and headed the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Not everything went smoothly in his work, for example, in 1957, a major international scandal happened through the fault of Voroshilov. Clement Efimovich, congratulating the Queen of Great Britain on her anniversary, sent a telegram to the Queen of Belgium. The rumors were quite large-scale.
Portrait of Marshal Voroshilov | Komsomolskaya Pravda in Belarus Nevertheless, it was in recent years that Voroshilov's highest awards fell. He received the title of twice Hero of the Soviet Union and Hero of Socialist Labor. But in 1960, Clement was relieved of his post, the official reason for retirement was indicated by his state of health. Voroshilov was replaced by the future head of the country. When Klim Efimovich died, which happened on December 2, 1969, his funeral was given an unprecedented state scale. For the first time in the last 20 years, the burial took place behind the Lenin Mausoleum.
Monument to Voroshilov in Lugansk | InfoPortal In honor of Voroshilov, they began to name cities, streets, and build monuments. Moreover, the sculptures of the People's Commissar were erected not only in the USSR: for example, in Istanbul, on Taksim Square, there is a 12-meter monument "Republic". It was installed on the personal instructions of Mustafa Ataturk as a token of gratitude for the support provided Soviet Russia in the acquisition of independence by Turkey. Clement is referred to there as the "First Red Officer".
Republic Monument in Istanbul | Russian union Also, Klim Voroshilov is dedicated to the lines of such famous Soviet songs as "March Soviet tank crews"," Polyushko-field "," If tomorrow is war "," Budyonny's march "and many others. In the cinema, the People's Commissar was portrayed more than fifty times, and such stars of Russian cinema as, embodied on the screen the image of Voroshilov. The last was Boris Shuvalov in the 2013 series "The Son of the Father of Nations".
Kliment Efremovich Voroshilov was born on January 23 (February 4), 1881 in the village of Verkhnee Bakhmutskiy district of the Yekaterinoslav province (now the city of Lisichansk in Ukraine) in the family of a railway worker Efrem Andreevich Voroshilov (1844-1907).
In 1893-1895, KE Voroshilov studied at a zemstvo school in the village of Vasilyevka, Slavyansk district (now within the city limits of Alchevsk in Ukraine). From 1896 he worked at the Yuryevsky metallurgical plant (station Alchevskaya), from 1903 - in Lugansk (now in Ukraine) at the G. Hartmann steam locomotive plant.
In 1903 K. E. Voroshilov joined the RSDLP, in 1904 he became a member of the Lugansk Bolshevik Committee. In 1905 he was the chairman of the Luhansk Soviet, led the workers' strike, the creation of military squads. In 1906 he was elected a delegate to the IV (Stockholm) Congress of the RSDLP, where he first met with. In 1907 he was a delegate to the V (London) Congress of the RSDLP.
In July 1907, K. Ye. Voroshilov was arrested and in October of the same year he was exiled to the city of the Arkhangelsk province for a period of 3 years. In December 1907, he fled from the stage to the place of exile, was sent by the Central Committee of the party to work in Baku (now in Azerbaijan). In the course of underground work in the city he met with. In 1908 he moved to, where he was arrested and returned to the Arkhangelsk province. In exile in a village in January 1911, KE Voroshilov was arrested again and served in the Arkhangelsk prison until November, then he was exiled to the Mezensk district of the Arkhangelsk province. Freed from exile in 1912, he entered to serve in a workers' cooperative at the Dumo plant in Alchevsk, but a few months later he was arrested again and sent to the village of the Cherdyn district of the Perm province. After his release from exile in 1914, he worked at the Tsaritsyno gun factory. During the First World War he lived in an illegal position.
After February revolution 1917 K. E. Voroshilov was a member of the Petrograd Soviet, was elected a delegate of the VII (April) All-Russian conference and VI Congress of the RSDLP (b). From March to September 1917, he was the chairman of the Lugansk Council and the City Duma. In November 1917, he was the commissar of the Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee (for city administration), together with the work on the organization of the Cheka.
In early March 1918, KE Voroshilov organized the 1st Lugansk Socialist Detachment, which defended Kharkov (now in Ukraine) from the German-Austrian troops. During the Civil War of 1918-1920, he commanded the Tsaritsyn group of forces, was deputy commander and member of the Military Council of the Southern Front, commander of the 10th Army, People's Commissar of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, commander of the Kharkov Military District, commander of the 14th Army and the internal Ukrainian front. In 1919, K. E. Voroshilov became one of the organizers and a member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the 1st Cavalry Army. In 1920, he was awarded an honorary revolutionary weapon for military service.
In 1921, at the head of a group of delegates to the X Congress of the RCP (Bolsheviks), KE Voroshilov took part in the liquidation of the Kronstadt rebellion. In 1921-1924 he was a member of the South-Eastern Bureau of the Central Committee of the RCP (b), commanded the troops of the North Caucasus Military District.
In 1924-1925, KE Voroshilov was the commander of the Moscow Military District and a member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR. After his death, he headed the Soviet defense department: in 1925-1934 he held the posts of People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs and Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR, in 1934-1940 he was the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR. In 1935, one of the first Soviet military leaders K. E. Voroshilov was awarded military rank Marshal of the Soviet Union. Since 1940, he was deputy chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR and chairman of the Defense Committee under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR.
During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, KE Voroshilov was a member of the State Defense Committee, was the commander-in-chief of the North-Western direction, the commander of the Leningrad Front, and the commander-in-chief of the partisan movement. In 1943 he participated in the Tehran Conference.
In 1945-1947 KE Voroshilov headed the Allied Control Commission in Hungary. In 1946-1953 he served as Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR.
In 1953-1960 KE Voroshilov was the chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. From 1960 until the end of his life he was a member of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
In 1921-1961 and 1966-1969 KE Voroshilov was a member of the Central Committee of the RCP (b) (VKP (b), CPSU), in 1926-1952 he was a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee, in 1952-1960 - a member of the Presidium of the Central Committee. IN Soviet years he was elected a delegate to the X - XXIII party congresses, was a deputy of the USSR Supreme Soviet of the first seven convocations.
KE Voroshilov was twice awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (1956 and 1968), was the Hero of Socialist Labor (1960), and also the Hero of the Mongolian People's Republic (1957). Among his awards - 8 orders
Kliment Efremovich Voroshilov (born January 23 (February 4) 1881, death - December 2, 1969) - professional revolutionary, prominent Soviet military leader and politician, Marshal of the Soviet Union (1935), Hero of the Soviet Union (1956. , 1968), Hero of Socialist Labor (1960); Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (1953-1960), Member of the Politburo (Presidium) of the CPSU Central Committee (1926-1960)
During the Civil War, commander and member of the Revolutionary Military Council of a number of fronts and armies. 1925-1940 - People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs and People's Commissar for Defense of the Soviet Union. Deputy Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR. Was in the immediate circle of I.V. Stalin, became one of the organizers of the mass repressions of the late 1930s.
Origin. early years
The future marshal was born in the village of Verkhnee, Bakhmutsky district of the Yekaterinoslav province (now the Luhansk region of Ukraine) in a working class family. Father - Voroshilov Efrem Andreevich (1844-1907), a railway worker. Mother - Voroshilova Maria Vasilievna (1857-1919), day laborer.
From the age of seven he worked as a shepherd and miner. 1893-1895 - Studied at the zemstvo school in the village of Vasilyevka. From 1896 he worked at the Yuryevsky metallurgical plant, from 1903 at the Hartmann steam locomotive plant (Lugansk).
Revolutionary activity. Civil War
During the First World War, he dodged the draft. 1903 - Member of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party (Bolsheviks). 1904 - Member of the Lugansk Bolshevik Committee. 1905 - Chairman of the Luhansk Soviet, headed the workers' strike, created military squads. Delegate of the IV (1906) and V (1907) Congresses of the RSDLP (b). He had the pseudonym "Volodin". 1908-1917 - conducted underground party work in Baku, Petrograd, Tsaritsyn. He was repeatedly arrested and served exile.
February Revolution of 1917 - Voroshilov was elected to the Petrograd Soviet of Workers 'and Soldiers' Deputies. At the III Congress of Soviets, elected to the All-Russian Central executive committee(All-Russian Central Executive Committee), appointed by the commissar of Petrograd and together with creates the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission (VChK).
During the Civil War, Kliment Efremovich is engaged in the formation of units of the Red Army, commands a number of armies, participates in the defense of Tsaritsyn.
1919 - Voroshilov was appointed People's Commissar of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, where he organized punitive operations to eliminate Ukrainian national detachments.
One of the organizers and member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the 1st Cavalry Army, under the command of S.M. Budyonny.
1921 - Voroshilov took part in the suppression at the head of a group of delegates to the X Congress of the RCP (b). Since 1921 - member of the Central Committee of the RCP (b). 1921-1924 - member of the South-Eastern Bureau of the Central Committee of the RCP (b), commander of the North Caucasian Military District. He commanded the destruction of the rebels in the Caucasus.
At the head of the armed forces
1925, November - after the death of Mikhail Frunze, Voroshilov was appointed People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs and Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR. He remained in this position until 1934. Voroshilov's predecessor, Frunze, was appointed to the post (in January 1925) of the highest military leader of the Soviet Union by the Zinoviev-Kamenev-Stalin troika, who were removed from the same position.
The replacement of Frunze with Voroshilov was connected with the beginning of the struggle, already within the "troika" itself. Zinoviev's supporter Frunze was forced to undergo a medical operation to treat an old stomach ulcer, and he died during the operation from an overdose of chloroform. Many historians believe that this operation covered up the murder of Frunze, whose place was now taken by the protege of the "father of nations", Voroshilov. Kliment Efremovich became a full member of the new highest party body - the Politburo in 1926, remaining in it until 1960.
1934 - the People's Commissariat for Military and Naval Affairs was renamed the People's Commissariat for Defense. It was headed again by Kliment Efremovich (until May 1940) 1935 - he becomes (together with Budyonny, Egorov and Blucher) one of the 5 holders of the new title - Marshal of the Soviet Union. Kliment Efremovich Voroshilov played a very prominent role in Stalin's Great Terror of the 1930s, condemning, at Stalin's demand, many of his own military colleagues and subordinates.
The Great Patriotic War
During the Great Patriotic War, Marshal Voroshilov was a member of the State Defense Committee (GKO). 1941, July 10 - was appointed commander-in-chief of the North-Western direction (disbanded on August 27), then commander of the Leningrad Front (from 5 to 14 September 1941, replaced by G.K. Zhukov).
Representative of the Headquarters for the formation of troops (September 1941 - February 1942), representative of the Headquarters on the Volkhov Front (February-September 1942), commander-in-chief of the partisan movement (from September 1942 to May 1943), chairman of the Trophy Committee at the State Defense Committee (May-September 1943), Chairman of the Armistice Commission (September 1943 - June 1944)
After the war. last years of life
1945-1947 - served as chairman of the Allied Control Commission in Hungary.
From 1946 to 1953 - Voroshilov Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR. From March 1953 to May 1960 - Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
After Stalin's death, he supported the opponents of Khrushchev, was a member of the so-called "anti-party group" (1956-1957) 1957, June - at the Plenum of the CPSU Central Committee when the defeat of the "group" became obvious, Kliment Efremovich repented in his speech, admitting the mistakes and condemned the factionalists.
1960, May - Voroshilov was relieved of his post as chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR for health reasons, but he remained a member of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet. 1960, July - he was removed from the Presidium of the Central Committee, and in October 1961 he was no longer elected a member of the Central Committee of the CPSU.
1961 - Voroshilov addressed the XXII Congress of the CPSU with a letter in which he once again admitted his mistakes and his participation in organizing repressions. After Leonid Brezhnev came to power, he again became a member of the Central Committee of the CPSU.
Stalin's favorite. Characteristics of contemporaries
The "Father of Nations" forgave the marshal for such failures that anyone else would pay with his life. At the post of People's Commissar, Voroshilov was unable to prepare the troops for the war with Finland. At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the commander-in-chief of the North-West direction allowed the blockade of Leningrad.
Georgy Zhukov testified: "He, in essence, was an amateur in military matters." Boris Bazhanov, Stalin's secretary, wrote: “This was a very mediocre character who, even during the civil war, stuck to Stalin and always supported him. He was always an obedient and diligent henchman of Stalin and served for some time for decoration after. "
Leon Trotsky said about the red marshal: "Although Voroshilov was from the Luhansk workers, from the privileged elite, in all his habits he always resembled a proprietor more than a proletarian."
Historian Roy Medvedev noted: “In Voroshilov, Stalin valued personal loyalty. The reason is that dictators need decorative figures that, with their insignificance, set off the majestic figure of the leader. " Kliment Efremovich, in fact, is the only one with whom the head of state was on the "you", admitted in communication the party nicknames - "Koba" and "Volodin", allowed in his office to bang his fist on the table and break out in abuse.
Personal life
In Stalin's times, the Voroshilov family lived in the Kremlin. Wife - Golda Davidovna Gorbman (1887-1959), Jewish. Before marrying Clement (1913, in exile in Nyrob), she was baptized, changed her name and became Ekaterina Davidovna. She was a member of the RSDLP (b) since 1917, worked as deputy director of the V.I.Lenin Museum.
There were no children of my own. Since 1918, the family has been raising the adopted son of Peter (1914-1984). Subsequently, Peter became a designer, lieutenant general, from him they had two grandchildren - Klim and Vladimir. Since 1926, they raised the son and daughter of MV Frunze - Timur and Tatiana.
Voroshilov has always led an active lifestyle and played sports. At the same time he smoked. At the age of 50, he became interested in skating and spent almost all weekends at the rink. Later, he would actively contribute to the development of ice hockey in the Soviet Union.
Death
Kliment Efremovich Voroshilov died on December 2, 1969 in Moscow, at the age of 89, and was buried at the Kremlin wall.
1910 - the future marshal received a serious head injury during interrogation, which resulted in auditory hallucinations. Because of them, by the end of his life, he was completely deaf.
1957 - Clement Efremovich mistakenly sent a congratulatory telegram, which was intended to the Queen of England, Queen of Belgium, which resulted in a major international scandal.
Marshal Voroshilov holds the record for the length of stay in the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) (Central Committee of the CPSU), the Presidium of the Central Committee of the CPSU - 34.5 years.
1941, September - as commander Leningrad front, he personally led the Marines in bayonet attacks.
After Stalin's death, Kliment Efremovich was elected "Honorary President" - Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. But even in such a "decorative" post, the marshal could not hold out for a long time. Sergei Khrushchev recalled the incident that caused the resignation: “Voroshilov received the Iranian ambassador. At the end of the reception, there was a short conversation. Thanking the ambassador, Kliment Efremovich perked up. “Why do you all endure the Shah? - slapped the ambassador on the shoulder - We threw off our king, and you have to go. The stunned diplomat mumbled something unintelligible and hurriedly said goodbye. Soon, intelligence intercepted a report from the Iranian ambassador to the Shah, who spoke in the most serious tone about the situation. Khrushchev summoned the marshal to the carpet and greeted him with the words: "You can declare war like that!"
The name of Voroshilov was given to six settlements, more than 100 streets and educational institutions.
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