General Gorbatov and his uneasy fate

In the thirties, Stalin's leadershipMass purge of the Red Army command staff was carried out. A lot has been written about this period, repressions against party leaders and military leaders have long been considered the main cause of the series of defeats of the initial period of the war.

General Gorbatov spent almost two years in the campshalf a year, from October 1938 to March 1941. The reason for the arrest was the courage shown in the dispute with the NKVD investigators who accused his friend of treason. Kombrig, deputy commander of the 6th Cavalry Corps, was deprived of all government awards and became a disenfranchised slave of the Gulag, who was in the prison hierarchy below the level of criminals. The thieves and murderers mocked the deserved order bearer, remembering how the state that he was called to protect was treating him.

He might have been shot, but for some reasondid not. Apparently, the bravest and talented commanders were kept in reserve. They made us suffer, but did not kill Rokossovsky. General Gorbatov also gave a harsh general.

He survived, and before the war was released andreinstated in office. The time of hard trials was approaching. In June 1941, the value of literate and brave commanders proved to be higher than informers and lackeys.

General Gorbatov retained his besthuman qualities, Kolyma did not break it. Having gone through all stages of military career, beginning with the rank-and-file, he valued the soldier and tried to fight so that the funeral had to be sent as little as possible. It was not easy, I often argued. What could have ended objections to the authorities, the commander knew too well.

During the fighting in the Northern Donets, one of thesedisputes led to removal from office. Failure to carry out a senseless order could lead to more tragic consequences, but the Battle of Kursk began, and General Gorbatov was again needed.

In those cases when it was required to show initiative and take responsibility for themselves, this commander did not hesitate. His decisions were true, he acted resolutely, not being afraid of anger.

In 1944, a delegation visited the armyworkers of the rear, Donetsk miners. They told the commanders about the difficulties that had arisen in the liberated territories, and the fact that the lack of fastening wood prevents the full mining of coal. General Alexander Gorbatov gave the order to send to the rear from Poland a train of ownerless logs. The consequences of this act could become the saddest, but here for the resolute commander himself stood up JV Stalin. He figured out the results of the investigation, and closed the case, scrolling at the same time: "Gorbatov's grave will correct ..."

People who served under this wonderfulcommander, were infected from him by directness and honesty. An elderly medical worker, attached to the general in order to treat his spine, injured in camp work, confessed that she was being asked to report all the conversations of the commander of the Third Army. There was an unpleasant explanation with the Supreme himself, after which an overly zealous person, a recruiter of informers, went to the front line.

In April 1945 he brought to Berlin his ownarmy general Gorbatov. A biography without embellishments is set forth in his book "Years and Wars. Notes of the Army Commander, "written after the war. Life turned out to be not easy, but honest, what the fate of a Russian soldier should be.