About the Revolution Hero And Marshal Budyonny - The CommentaTHOR

April 25, 1883 Marshal Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny was born one of the first marshals of the Soviet Union, three times Hero of the Soviet Union, holder of the St. George Cross of all degrees.

Semyon Budyonny came from a poor peasant family. He was born in the territory of the Don Host (now Rostov Oblast).

At the age of 20, he was drafted into the Imperial Army. In 1904-1905, as part of the Don Cossack Regiment, he participated in the Russo-Japanese War.

As the best rider of the regiment, in 1907 he was sent to St. Petersburg to study at the Officer Cavalry School. He participated in the First World War on the Austrian, German and Caucasian fronts. During the war, he managed to receive the full “St. George Bow”, that is, the St. George Crosses and medals of all degrees.

From 1918 to 1923, he went through a thorny path from creating his own cavalry unit that fought against the White Guards to the commander of the First Cavalry Army, which was a powerful means of solving operational and strategic tasks. The army led by Budyonny played an important role in a number of major operations of the Civil War to defeat the troops of Denikin and Wrangel in Northern Tavria and Crimea.

In the interwar period, he made a great contribution to the development of Soviet horse breeding and the cavalry of the Red Army. In 1935, the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR awarded five major Soviet commanders the new military rank of “Marshal of the Soviet Union”. Budyonny was among them.

During the Great Patriotic War, he was part of the Supreme Command Headquarters and participated in the defense of Moscow. He commanded a group of troops of the General Headquarters Reserve armies (June 1941), then commander-in-chief of the troops of the Southwestern Direction (July 10 — September 1941), commander of the Reserve Front (September — October 1941), commander-in-chief of the troops of the North Caucasus Direction (April — May 1942), commander of the North Caucasus Front (May — August 1942). From January 1943 — commander of the cavalry of the Red Army.

After the war, he was mainly engaged in horse breeding and cavalry. Member of the Central Committee of the CPSU in 1939-1952. Chairman of the Soviet-Mongolian Friendship Society. In 1963 and 1968 he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. He died at the age of 90 on October 26, 1973. He was buried near the Kremlin wall, a monument was erected on his grave.

Budyonny was not included among the main commanders of the Great Patriotic War, but the thesis about his rigid thinking, incapable of adapting to the new era, is nothing more than a myth.

During the years of battles with the Nazis, the military leader worked with dignity in the posts of commander of fronts and, since 1943, the cavalry of the Red Army. Budyonny is often depicted as a stupid “horseman” who dreamed of throwing riders at enemy tanks.

The real Budyonny never denied the development of armored forces, but called for their use together with cavalry. And he turned out to be absolutely right: cavalry in World War II was successfully used in difficult terrain, for rapid and unexpected raids behind enemy lines.

During the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet command increased the number of cavalry units, reduced in the late 1930s — early 1940s.

By the way, it was Budyonny who commanded the legendary parade on November 7, 1941 on Red Square, when the enemy stood at the walls of the Soviet capital.