Kliment Voroshilov

Lore & Background

Voroshilov was born in the settlement of Verkhnyeye, Yekaterinoslav Governorate, Russian Empire (now part of Lysychansk, Ukraine), to a Russian worker's family. He described a childhood of extreme hardship, working from age six or seven, and received two years of schooling starting at age 12. In 1903, he joined the Bolsheviks while working at a German-owned factory in Lugansk, and acted as a strike leader during the 1905 revolution. He traveled to Stockholm for the Fourth Congress of the RSDLP in 1906, where he shared a room with the delegate from Georgia, Josif Dzhugashvili, later known as Stalin.

During the Russian Civil War, Voroshilov commanded the Fifth Ukrainian Army and later the Tenth Army at Tsaritsyn, where he became a close friend of Stalin. He clashed with Leon Trotsky, who considered him undisciplined. Voroshilov was elected to the Central Committee in 1921, and in 1925 Stalin appointed him People's Commissar for Military and Navy Affairs. He became a full member of the Politburo in 1926 and was named a Marshal of the Soviet Union in 1935. During the Great Purge, he played a central role, denouncing many military colleagues when asked by Stalin.

Reader's Guide

Voroshilov's significance lies in his long tenure as a top Soviet military and political figure during the Stalin era, and his role as a close ally of Stalin. He was one of the original five Marshals of the Soviet Union and served as the official head of state after Stalin's death. However, his military record was mixed: he was held responsible for Soviet failures in the Winter War and for failing to stop the German encirclement of Leningrad in 1941. After the war, he oversaw the establishment of a socialist regime in Hungary. His fortunes declined under Nikita Khrushchev, and he peacefully resigned in 1960, though he re-joined the party in 1966. His legacy is that of a loyal Stalinist who survived the purges and held high office, but whose military competence was questioned.

Did You Know?

• Voroshilov was one of the original five Marshals of the Soviet Union, the second highest military rank.
• He served as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, the official Soviet head of state, from 1953 to 1960.
• He clashed with Leon Trotsky during the Russian Civil War, who considered him undisciplined and unfit to command an army.
• He was held responsible for Soviet failures in the Winter War and was replaced as Defense Commissar by Semyon Timoshenko.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Whoever can lift a rifle, should have one." — Kliment Voroshilov "It's a bad business. There is no firm front. We have separate strongpoints in which our units are holding off the attacks of superior enemy forces. Communications with them are weak." — Kliment Voroshilov "I personally believe that war is highly unlikely." — Kliment Voroshilov "It was necessary to close the front against Germany and that it (victory) depended on us whether it was to be closed or not." — Kliment Voroshilov