Kliment Vorochilov

Kliment Iéfremovitch Vorochilov (January 23rd 1881 - December 2nd 1969) is a soldier and Soviet politician.

Biography

A soldier of the Civil war

Vorochilov was born with Verkhneïé (today Dnipropetrovsk) in the province from Iékatérinoslav, in the old Russian empire. It adheres to POSDR in 1903, in the tendency Bolchevik. Delegated Party to several Congresses, like many " old man bolchéviques" , it is stopped several times and continues its actions of militant however. It engages in the army in 1914 and joined Petrograd at the time of the Revolution of February 1917.

After the Russian Revolution, Vorochilov makes party of the provisional government of the Ukraine. It ensures then the station of Commissaire of the People for the Interior matters. It begins there a military career in 1918 against the German troops of occupation, becomes then the friend of Stalin to the seat of Tsaritsine then takes part in the Civil war, period when it has under his orders Ivan Koniev which will owe him later most of its course in the Soviet military hierarchy. Vorochilov is member of the central committee as of 1921, station which it will preserve to the secretariat of Khrouchtchev in the middle of the Sixties.

The Master of the Red Army

In 1925, after the death of Mikhaïl Frounze, Vorochilov takes again its responsibilities for police chief of the people for the businesses military and naval and of president of the revolutionary military council of the USSR, post that it occupies until 1934. He becomes regular member of the new Political office in 1926. There exceptional longevity, it will preserve still this responsibility until in 1952.

Marshal of the USSR in 1935, Vorochilov opposes the modernization of the Red Army carried out by Toukhatchevski and ratifies the policy of liquidation directed by Stalin (cf great purgings). The results of this bleeding - the three fifth of the Soviet marshals and a third of the officers of the Red Army are liquidated - will weigh very heavy to explain the difficulty of the USSR of being defended against the Nazi Germany in June 1941.

In 1939 after the failure of the attack of the Finland, Vorochilov must leave its station the following year. For as much, it preserves a share of its prerogatives. It remains thus until 1953 vice-president of the Conseil of the Police chiefs of the People. The March 5th 1940, with the other members of the political office, he is co-signatory of the decree prepared by Beria, which gives place to the Massacre of Katyń, where approximately 25700 Polish are assassinated, including 14700 officers. Vorochilov becomes ordering armies of the North-West for two months in 1941, but, poor strategist, it does not succeed in preventing the Germans from encircling Leningrad, which precipitates its resignation.

An ultimate witness of Stalinism

Its military role is then finished. There remains however the policy. After the war, it supervises the introduction of the Communist regime in Hungary. In 1952, he became member of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet. The death of Stalin, in March 1953, causes material changes in the leading authorities. Vorochilov is elected president of the Presidium, Khrouchtchev occupying the position of secretary general. They are these three leaders (joined the two first Malenkov) who organize the arrest of Beria. However, of the dissensions with Khrouchtchev lead it to join against this last with Malenkov, Kaganovitch and Molotov. This attempt at setting well off Khrouchtchev shows a failure in June 1957. Always careful, Vorochilov had been able to join in time with the winner.

In May 1960, the Supreme Soviet accepts its resignation and replaces it by Léonid Brejnev like chair Presidium. In the tread, it is évincé Presidium next in July. One year later, in October 1961, at the time of XXIIe congress, its political elimination is complete when it is excluded from the Central committee. After the fall of Khrouchtchev, Brejnev recalls Vorochilov but this last of cheek more than one role of figuration. He is re-elected as substitute at the Central committee into 1966 before being made one second Héros time of the Soviet Union in 1968. He dies in Moscow at the 88 years age the following year.

An exceptional political longevity

Astonishing course which that of Vorochilov if one judges some by his longevity and his maintenance in the higher realms of the Soviet State of 1921 to 1969, with the example, but they are single, of surprising Anastase Mikoyan. The exploit is even larger when one examines the relative incompetence of the marshal in all his sphere of activities at the time of the Patriotic Great War. Failure in Finland, catastrophe in the USSR at the time of the attack of Germany. There is hardly positive during this time that its role - very indirect - to support the material innovations of the Red Army the day before the conflict, to which testifies the name to excellent KV-1, baptized " Kliment Vorochilov " in honor of the chief of the industry of armament. Without any doubt, its proximity with Stalin, very early installed, explains the exception mainly that the course of Vorochilov in the very dangerous world of the communist dictatorship constitutes.

The Khrouchtchev report/ratio revealed at the time of the XX {{E}} congress of the PCUS in February 1956, seems contrary indicating that this favor was weakening with the beginning of the year 1950. According to these revelations, Vorochilov was prevented from attending the meetings of Politburo by Stalin who saw in him a " English agent " to supervise initially and to eliminate then. The death of the General secretary thus perhaps offered to the Vorochilov marshal an end-of-life of which few of his/her comrades profited.

Random links: