Kliment Voroshilov
Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov (Russian: Климент Ефремович Ворошилов ⓘ; Ukrainian: Климент Охрімович Ворошилов, Klyment Okhrimovych Voroshylov), popularly known as Klim Voroshilov (Russian: Клим Ворошилов; 4 February 1881 – 2 December 1969), was a prominent Soviet military officer and politician during the Stalin-era. He was one of the original five Marshals of the Soviet Union, the second highest military rank of the Soviet Union (junior to the Generalissimus of the Soviet Union, which was a post only held by Joseph Stalin), and served as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, the nominal Soviet head of state, from 1953 to 1960.
Kliment Voroshilov | |
|---|---|
Климент Ворошилов | |
Voroshilov in 1961 | |
| Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union | |
| In office 15 March 1953 – 7 May 1960 | |
| General Secretary | Nikita Khrushchev |
| Preceded by | Nikolay Shvernik |
| Succeeded by | Leonid Brezhnev |
| People's Commissar for Defense of the Soviet Union | |
| In office 31 October 1925 – 7 May 1940 | |
| Premier | Alexey Rykov Vyacheslav Molotov |
| Preceded by | Mikhail Frunze |
| Succeeded by | Semyon Timoshenko |
| Full member of the 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th Presidiums | |
| In office 1 January 1926 – 16 July 1960 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov 4 February 1881 Verkhneye, Bakhmut Uezd, Yekaterinoslav Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Died | 2 December 1969 (aged 88) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Resting place | Kremlin Wall Necropolis, Moscow |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Political party | RSDLP (Bolsheviks) (1903–1918) Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks)/Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1918–1961, 1966–1969) |
| Spouse | Ekaterina Davidovna |
| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union (twice) Hero of Socialist Labour Order of Lenin (eight times) Order of the Red Banner (six times) Order of Suvorov |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Russian SFSR (1917–1922) Soviet Union (1922–1969) |
| Branch/service | Red Army (1917-1946) Soviet Army (1946-1969) |
| Years of service | 1917–1969 |
| Rank | Marshal of the Soviet Union |
| Commands | North Caucasus Military District Moscow Military District Leningrad Front |
| Battles/wars |
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Born to a Russian worker's family in Ukraine, Voroshilov took part in the Russian Revolution of 1917 as an early member of the Bolsheviks. He served with distinction at the Battle of Tsaritsyn, during which he became a close friend of Stalin. Voroshilov was elected to the Central Committee of the Communist Party in 1921, and in 1925 Stalin appointed him People's Commissar for Military and Navy Affairs (later People's Commissar for Defence). In 1926, he became a full member of the Politburo. In 1935, Voroshilov was named a Marshal of the Soviet Union.
At the outbreak of World War II, Voroshilov was held responsible for Soviet failures in Finland during the Winter War and was replaced as Defense Commissar by Semyon Timoshenko. Following the German invasion in June 1941, he was recalled and appointed to the State Defense Committee. Voroshilov failed to stop the German encirclement of Leningrad and was again relieved from his command in September 1941.
After the war, Voroshilov oversaw the establishment of a socialist regime in Hungary. Following Stalin's death in 1953, Voroshilov was appointed Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet. His fortunes declined during the rise of Nikita Khrushchev and the Supreme Soviet turned against him. He peacefully resigned in 1960, although he came out of retirement in 1966 and re-joined the party. Voroshilov died in 1969 at the age of 88.