Semyon Timoshenko

Lore & Background

Born to a Ukrainian family in Bessarabia, Timoshenko was drafted into the Imperial Russian Army and saw action in the First World War as a cavalryman. On the outbreak of the 1917 Russian Revolution he joined the Red Army. He served with distinction during the Russian Civil War of 1917 to 1922 and the subsequent Polish–Soviet War of 1919 to 1921, which brought him into Vladimir Lenin's and Joseph Stalin's favour. Rapidly rising through the ranks, Timoshenko held several regional commands throughout the 1930s and survived the Great Purge of 1936 to 1938. He led the Ukrainian Front during the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939. In early 1940, Timoshenko took over the command of Soviet troops in the Winter War in Finland from Kliment Voroshilov and turned the tide for the Red Army. In May 1940, he was named a Marshal of the Soviet Union and the People's Commissar for Defence. In the latter capacity, he took steps to modernise the Red Army and to prepare for a likely war with Nazi Germany. On the outbreak of the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, Timoshenko was named chairman of the Stavka. Replaced by Stalin himself a month later, he went on to hold a series of important field commands in the following year. In late 1941, he organised a major counter-offensive in Rostov, which brought him international renown. His fortunes had faltered by mid-1942, in particular after the overwhelming Soviet defeat at the Second Battle of Kharkov, and he was relieved from the command of the newly formed Stalingrad Front. He was recalled later that year and appointed commander of the Northwestern Front, and as a Stavka representative he oversaw and coordinated the activities of several fronts in various times during the last phase of the war, including the Leningrad, Volkhov, and North Caucasus Fronts and the Black Sea Fleet, and the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts. After the war, Timoshenko held commands in several Soviet military districts until his effective retirement in 1960. He died in 1970 at the age of 75.

Reader's Guide

Born in Orman in the Akkerman uezd, Bessarabia Governorate of the Russian Empire (present-day Furmanivka, Odesa Oblast, Ukraine), to an ethnic Ukrainian family. Drafted into the Imperial Russian Army in 1914, served as a cavalryman in the First World War. Joined the Red Army in 1918 and the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks) in 1919. During the Russian Civil War (1917–1922) he served on various fronts; his most important encounter occurred at Tsaritsyn, where he commanded a cavalry regiment and met and befriended Joseph Stalin. In 1920–1921, he served under Semyon Budyonny and Kliment Voroshilov in the 1st Cavalry Army. In April 1920, he was given command of the Sixth Division of the Red Cavalry during the Polish–Soviet War (1919–1921). By the end of the civil and Polish–Soviet wars, he became commander of the Red Army cavalry forces. He held commands in Byelorussia (1933), Kiev (1935), northern Caucasus and Kharkov (1937), and Kiev again (1938). In 1939 he led the Ukrainian Front during the Soviet invasion of eastern Poland. He survived the Great Purge. In January 1940 he took charge of the Soviet armies in the Winter War against Finland, breaking through the Mannerheim Line. In May 1940 he became People's Commissar for Defence and a Marshal of the Soviet Union. In June 1940 he ordered the formation of the Baltic Military District. In the weeks before the German invasion, he and Zhukov asked Stalin for permission to put troops on high alert but were overruled. On 22 June 1941, he instructed that no action be taken against the Germans without Stalin's knowledge. On 23 June he was named chairman of Stavka. In July 1941 Stalin replaced him as Defence Commissar and Stavka chairman. He then commanded the Central Front, later transferred to Ukraine in September to replace Budyonny. In October 1941 he commanded the entire southern half of the Eastern Front. In November–December 1941 he organised counter-offensives in Rostov. In May 1942 he launched the Second Battle of Kharkov, which ended in a major Soviet defeat. He was relieved from command of the Stalingrad Front later that year, then appointed commander of the Northwestern Front, and as a Stavka representative oversaw the Leningrad, Volkhov, and North Caucasus Fronts, the Black Sea Fleet, and the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts. After the war he held commands in several military districts until retirement in 1

Did You Know?

• Timoshenko survived the Great Purge of 1936 to 1938 due to his close association with Stalin and the Cavalry Army clique.
• He served in both the Russian Civil War (1917–1922) and the separate Polish–Soviet War (1919–1921).

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"It is possible that the Germans will attack, and it is necessary that the fleet be in readiness." — Semyon Timoshenko "No actions are to be taken against the Germans without our consent." — Semyon Timoshenko "We'll spin them out like a bobbin thread." — Semyon Timoshenko "The Russians have learned much in this hard war in which the Finns fought with heroism." — Semyon Timoshenko