Semyon Timoshenko facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Semyon Timoshenko Семён Тимошенко
Timoshenko in 1945
People's Commissar for Defense of the Soviet Union
In office 7 May 1940 – 19 July 1941
Leader	Joseph Stalin
Premier	Vyacheslav Molotov
Preceded by	Kliment Voroshilov
Succeeded by	Joseph Stalin
Personal details
Born	(1895-02-18)18 February 1895 Orman, Russian Empire (now Furmanivka, Odessa Oblast, Ukraine)
Died	31 March 1970(1970-03-31) (aged 75) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Moscow, Russia)
Resting place	Kremlin Wall Necropolis, Moscow
Nationality	Soviet Union
Political party	Communist Party (1919–1970)
Awards	Hero of the Soviet Union (twice) Order of Victory Order of Lenin (five times) Order of the October Revolution Order of the Red Banner (five times) Order of Suvorov (three times) Cross of St. George
Military service
Allegiance	Russian Empire (1914–1917)  Russian Republic (1917)  Soviet Russia (1918–1922)  Soviet Union (1922–1970)
Branch/service	Imperial Russian Army Workers and Peasants Red Army Soviet Army
Years of service	1914–1970
Rank	Marshal of the Soviet Union
Commands	Kiev Military District Ukrainian Front (1939) Leningrad Military District Western Front Southwestern Front Northwestern Front Belorussian Military District
Battles/wars	World War I Russian Civil War Polish-Soviet War Winter War World War II

Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko (born February 18, 1895 – died March 31, 1970) was an important Soviet military leader. He became a Marshal of the Soviet Union and was one of the most well-known commanders of the Red Army during World War II.

Born in Ukraine, Timoshenko joined the Imperial Russian Army and fought as a cavalry soldier in World War I. When the Russian Revolution began, he joined the Red Army. He showed great skill during the Russian Civil War and the Polish–Soviet War. This helped him gain the trust of Joseph Stalin.

Timoshenko quickly rose through the ranks. In the 1930s, he held several important commands and survived a difficult time called the Great Purge. In 1939, he led the Ukrainian Front during the Soviet invasion of Poland. In 1940, he took command of the Winter War against Finland. He turned the war around for the Soviets, leading to Finland asking for peace.

In May 1940, Timoshenko was made a Marshal of the Soviet Union. He also became the People's Commissar for Defence. In this role, he worked to make the Red Army more modern and prepare for a possible war with Nazi Germany.

When Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, Timoshenko was put in charge of the Stavka, the Soviet High Command. Later, Stalin took over this role. Timoshenko then led several important military groups. In late 1941, he planned a big counter-attack in Rostov, which made him famous around the world. However, his luck changed in mid-1942 after a major defeat at the Second Battle of Kharkov. He was then given command of the Northwestern Front.

After World War II, Timoshenko continued to hold military commands until he retired in 1960. He passed away in 1970 at age 75.

Early Life and Beginnings

Semyon Timoshenko was born in a village called Orman in the Russian Empire. This area is now part of Ukraine. He came from a Ukrainian family.

Military Career Highlights

Fighting in World War I

In 1914, Timoshenko joined the army of the Russian Empire. He served as a cavalry soldier, riding horses into battle on the western front of World War I. When the Russian Revolution started in 1917, he decided to support the Bolsheviks. He joined the Red Army in 1918 and the Communist Party in 1919.

The Russian Civil War

During the Russian Civil War (1917–1923), Timoshenko fought in many different areas. He fought against Polish forces and against other groups like the White Army. A very important moment for him was at Tsaritsyn. There, he led a cavalry group and met Joseph Stalin, who was in charge of defending the city. They became friends, and this friendship helped Timoshenko rise quickly in the army once Stalin gained power.

In 1920–1921, Timoshenko served under other famous commanders, Semyon Budyonny and Kliment Voroshilov. These three became a powerful group in the Red Army, supported by Stalin. In April 1920, Timoshenko led the Sixth Division of the Red Cavalry. They were the first to attack the Polish army during a big offensive.

Rising Through the Ranks in the 1930s

After the civil wars, Timoshenko became a top commander of the Red Army's cavalry. With Stalin's support, he led military forces in different regions, including Byelorussia (1933) and Kiev (1935). He also became a member of the Communist Party's Central Committee.

Timoshenko was a loyal friend to Stalin. This loyalty helped him survive a difficult time known as the Great Purge. During this period, many military leaders were removed or arrested. Timoshenko remained a senior and respected soldier in the Red Army.

World War II: The Winter War

In January 1940, Timoshenko took command of the Soviet armies fighting Finland in the Soviet-Finnish War. This war had started badly for the Soviets under a different commander. Under Timoshenko's leadership, the Soviet forces managed to break through Finland's strong defenses, called the Mannerheim Line. This led to Finland asking for peace in March.

Because of this success, Timoshenko's reputation grew. In May, he was promoted to Marshal of the Soviet Union. He also became the People's Commissar for Defence, which meant he was the Minister of Defence. He replaced Kliment Voroshilov in this important role.

Timoshenko was a skilled military leader. He understood that the Red Army needed to become more modern to prepare for a likely war with Nazi Germany. He worked to add more tanks and other machines to the army. He also brought back strict discipline, similar to the old Russian army rules.

In June 1940, Timoshenko ordered the creation of the Baltic Military District in the Baltic states, which the Soviets had occupied.

World War II: The German Invasion

In the weeks before Germany invaded the Soviet Union (an event called Operation Barbarossa), Timoshenko and another general, Georgy Zhukov, were worried. They had reports of German planes crossing the Soviet border often. On June 13, they asked Stalin for permission to put their troops on high alert. However, Stalin refused, believing Germany would not invade until 1942.

On June 22, 1941, Germany launched its surprise attack. Even as bombs fell and German paratroopers landed, Timoshenko gave orders not to fire back without permission. This was because Stalin had forbidden it.

On June 23, Timoshenko was made chairman of Stavka, the Soviet Armed Forces High Command. But in July 1941, Stalin took over this role himself. Timoshenko was then put in command of the Soviet Central Front. His job was to manage a fighting retreat from the border towards Smolensk.

Later in 1941, Timoshenko was sent to Ukraine to take over the Southwestern Front. He helped restore order there. In November and December 1941, Timoshenko planned major counter-attacks in the Rostov area. He also created a strong position south of Kharkiv in January 1942.

In May 1942, Timoshenko launched a large counter-offensive with 640,000 soldiers. This was the Second Battle of Kharkov. At first, the Soviets had success. But then, the Germans attacked Timoshenko's southern side, stopping the offensive. They surrounded his armies, leading to a major Soviet defeat.

Because he was the most senior Soviet army officer leading troops on the front line during the first year of the German invasion, Timoshenko became famous internationally. People in the USA and UK saw him as a military genius. However, his fame faded quickly. General Georgy Zhukov's success in defending Moscow in December 1941 convinced Stalin that Zhukov was a better commander.

On July 22, 1942, Stalin replaced Timoshenko as Commander of the Stalingrad Front. Timoshenko was then called back into service as the overall commander of the Northwestern Front from October 1942 to March 1943.

In 1945, Timoshenko attended the Yalta Conference, a meeting of Allied leaders. After the war, he visited a camp for people who had survived the Auschwitz concentration camp. He announced that these survivors would soon be able to go home.

After the War and Death

After World War II, Timoshenko continued to lead military districts. He was commander of the Byelorussian Military District and the South Urals Military District. In 1960, he was given an honorary position as Inspector-General of the Defence Ministry. From 1961, he led the State Committee for War Veterans.

Semyon Timoshenko died in Moscow on March 31, 1970, at the age of 75. He received a state funeral. His ashes were buried in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis, a special burial place for important Soviet figures.

In Literature

Semyon Timoshenko appeared as a character in stories written by Isaac Babel. Babel was a writer who rode with a cavalry unit commanded by Timoshenko during the war with Poland. In some of Babel's stories, Timoshenko's name was changed to "Savitsky."

One story, My First Goose, describes "Savitsky" as a very tall and impressive commander. Another story, The Story of a Horse, talks about "Savitsky" being removed from his command.

Awards and Honors

Timoshenko received many awards for his military service.

Russian Empire Awards

• Cross of St. George, 2nd, 3rd and 4th class

Soviet Union Awards

• Hero of the Soviet Union (twice)
• Order of Victory
• Five Orders of Lenin
• Order of the October Revolution
• Five Orders of the Red Banner
• Three Orders of Suvorov, 1st Class
• Medal "For the Defence of Stalingrad"
• Medal "For the Defence of Leningrad"
• Medal "For the Defence of Kiev"
• Medal "For the Defence of the Caucasus"
• Medal "For the Defence of Moscow"
• Medal "For the Capture of Budapest"
• Medal "For the Capture of Vienna"
• Medal "For the Liberation of Belgrade"
• Medal "For the Victory over Japan"
• Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"
• Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"
• Jubilee Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army"
• Jubilee Medal "30 Years of the Soviet Army and Navy"
• Jubilee Medal "40 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
• Jubilee Medal "50 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
• Medal "In Commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of Leningrad"
• Medal "In Commemoration of the 800th Anniversary of Moscow"
• Honorary weapon – a sword with the golden national emblem of the Soviet Union
• Honorary revolutionary weapon – a sword with a special Order of the Red Banner

Foreign Awards

• Military Order of the White Lion "For Victory" (Czechoslovakia)
• Golden Order of the Partisan Star (Yugoslavia)
• Medal "30 Years of Victory in the Khalkhin-Gol" (Mongolia)

See also

In Spanish: Semión Timoshenko para niños