Marshal Timoshenko was born in 1895 in the Bessarabian village of Furmanka, into a poor family. Until the age of 12 he studied at school, then he worked. In 1915 he was taken into the army. He was a machine gunner in the First World War. He took part in the October Revolution. Since 1918 - in the Soviet Army. He showed himself in battles near the city of Tsaritsyn, made a big breakthrough from a simple machine-gun team commander to a brigade commander, fought against the enemies of the revolution. Colleague of Budyonny, from 1919 to 1924 - commander of the cavalry.
The future People's Commissar studied a lot, in 1922-24. graduated from the party school and higher courses at the Military Academy. Tukhachevsky, assessing cadet Timoshenko, spoke of him as one of the brilliant cavalry commanders. He said that he, having the strong qualities of a “slayer”, at the same time constantly studies military affairs and studies new equipment. By 1933, Timoshenko led the cavalry corps. And since August 1933, he has been replacing the commander of the military districts of Belarus and Kyiv, 1937-1940 - he himself leads the troops of the Kharkov, North Caucasian and Kyiv Special Districts, the Ukrainian and North-Western Fronts. InDuring the time of the Soviet-Finnish company, the well-known "Mannerheim Line" was broken through by Soviet troops under his leadership. Career quickly went up the hill. In March 1940, Timoshenko was awarded the Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union, and in May he received the highest rank - Marshal of the Soviet Union.
Bagramyan wrote in his memoirs that this man was created for military service by nature itself: a two-meter height, an impeccable bearing of a cavalry guard. The marshal's uniform suited him surprisingly. The Ukrainian accent made the speech heartfelt and colorful.
Marshal Timoshenko is less known than Voroshilov and Budyonny, although there was a period when he was commander No. 1 in the army. From May 1940 to July 1941, Semyon Konstantinovich held the post of People's Commissar of Defense of the Soviet Union. The People's Commissar launched a large-scale restructuring in the army. Under him, strong mechanized armored corps were formed, the infantry was re-equipped, caterpillar tractors appeared in artillery, and signal troops were technically strengthened.
The German attack provoked confusion in the Kremlin. Stalin did not appear in public for more than a week. And on June 23, it was Marshal Timoshenko who was appointed chairman of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command. Joseph Stalin took all command posts only in July 1941, including the post of people's commissar. And the marshal is transferred to the commander of strategic directions. The history of many battles (near Vyazma, Kharkov, Rostov-on-Don) and victories (Iasi-Kishinev and Budapest operations) is inextricably linked withnamed Timoshenko. The marshal, whose photo is presented here (and confirms the words of Bagramyan), was part of the Stavka. He commanded the fronts, coordinated their actions as her representative.
After the war Timoshenko Semyon Konstantinovich continues to serve. Since 1960 he has headed the General Inspectorate of the Soviet Army. From 1962 to 1970, he permanently led the committee of war veterans. Marshal Timoshenko received the second "Gold Star" for services to the country and in connection with the anniversary already in 1965. The hero died in 1970
