Was Tukhachevsky really an anti-Stalinist conspirator, and why was the leader in a hurry to shoot

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

On the night of June 12, 1937, a death sentence was executed in the so-called Tukhachevsky case (in the official interpretation - "a military-fascist conspiracy in the Red Army"). True, after 20 years by the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR, the previous decision was canceled with the termination of proceedings due to the absence of a crime in the actions of the sentenced. But the i's are dotted only legally. In the historical context, the questions have only increased. Was there a conspiracy by the military? Did Tukhachevsky use chemical weapons against his own compatriots? Was Tukhachevsky the military leader so valuable and progressive? And was there any real soil under his backstage nickname "Red Bonaparte" …

Three weeks from arrest to execution and unconditional confessions

In addition to Tukhachevsky, there were eight more commanders in the ranks of the accused in the high-profile case. But the army commissar Gamarnik chose not to wait for a logical outcome and shot himself on the eve of his arrest, having learned about his dismissal from the office of the People's Commissariat of Defense. Perhaps the most impressive detail of what was happening was the lightning speed. Some 3 weeks passed from the arrest of Tukhachevsky to his execution. The investigation did not pick up such a pace with any leader who fell into the wheel of terror. The second interesting fact was the humility with which the marshal immediately confessed to all charges. As a rule, the detainees held out for more than one week, and then the whole marshal broke down without resistance.

Supporters of the version of the trumped-up "military case" believe that the reason for such complaisance is the cruel torture. Skeptics, however, deny the use of violence against Tukhachevsky. In fairness, it should be noted that in that historical period, assault during interrogations was not punishable by law.

NKVD officers used special methods absolutely officially, obtaining evidence. But Tukhachevsky took the blame on himself on the very first day, not trying to fight for his honor. Moreover, experts testify that the marshal's handwriting in the first acknowledgment document was firm, which is hardly possible in the event of moral and physical pressure. Marshal recorded on paper that he planned to overthrow the existing government by force of arms in order to restore capitalism. He did not deny his connections with the right-wing conspirators and the Trotskyist center, planning a joint palace coup. The final phrase in the investigation was Tukhachevsky's phrase: "I have no complaints about the investigation."

Captivity and career takeoff after the disaster near Warsaw

For six months of hostilities, the desperate brave man Tukhachevsky earned five orders. But as soon as the Germans surrounded his company in February 1915, the commander raised his hands almost first. The main part of his charges went to certain death in a fierce battle, and the future Marshal of the USSR preferred captivity. This was followed by several unsuccessful attempts to escape, and in the fall of 1917, Tukhachevsky was still able to return home. In the conditions of the revolution raging in Russia, he quickly determined his preferences. From a young age Mikhail Nikolayevich was fond of the personality of Napoleon, and well understood how he took off precisely on the basis of revolutionary events. Having entered the service in the spacecraft, the young commander at first carried out a successful anti-Kolchak operation, earning Lenin's personal gratitude.

The troops subordinate to him distinguished themselves from the good side in operations against Kappel. Tukhachevsky also showed himself in the rank of commander of the Caucasian Front, repelling Denikin's attacks. But having headed the Western Front in 1920, Tukhachevsky was defeated by the Poles. "Red Bonaparte", intoxicated by front-line successes and the looming world revolution, probably overestimated his own strength and got bogged down in his own adventurism. Taking advantage of Tukhachevsky's miscalculations, Pilsudski struck a decisive blow on the flank of the Red Army. The Red Army suffered a catastrophic defeat, and the Poles called this episode "a miracle on the Vistula." Tukhachevsky, on the other hand, blamed Budyonny, who did not come to the rescue, for the incident.

Progressive views and probable motives for arrest

Much has been written about the progressive views of Tukhachevsky, which were vigorously praised in the perestroika times. But some historians deny such statements, citing a simple analysis. In military-historical works, parallels are drawn between the postulates of the marshal's pseudo-authorship of maneuver war, the "war of engines" and the works of German military experts. And the "brilliant foresight" of the development of European and world events, in the opinion of skeptics, was simply gleaned from the book of the Polish Minister of Defense Sikorski "The Future War", published in 1934.

Among the reasons for the elimination of the commander, historians call him excessive popularity and arrogance. Tukhachevsky actually personally took care of the jet research institute of Sergei Korolev, who was engaged in missile weapons. As Deputy People's Commissar Voroshilov, he had much greater authority against the background of his superiors. As Zhukov recalled, in the highest military circles they understood who was assigned the main role in the People's Commissariat. And once flaunting his superiority, Tukhachevsky even allowed himself to openly call the People's Commissar unsuitable.

According to historians, the personality of Tukhachevsky was popular among emigrants as well. Allegedly, in the Russian diaspora, they believed in the political degeneration of Soviet Russia, and the ex-nobleman Tukhachevsky was assigned the leading role in the restoration of the empire. The author of the work "The Military Elite of the 20-30s of the 20th Century" S. Minakov sees the reason for repression in the mutiny of General Franco in 1936. According to the researcher, Stalin made his own conclusions by taking the military leader, authoritative in the society, under the control of the special services. As for the haste with which they got rid of the marshal, this can be explained by fears in possible speeches of Tukhachevsky's supporters. But the marshal, it seems, did not hold such a trump card in his sleeve, instantly surrendering under arrest. Either he relied on leniency, or simply broke down, it is unlikely that it will be possible to establish reliably.

The retired Russian FSB lieutenant general, professor A. Zdanovich in his historical research claims that there was definitely a conspiracy. However, he was not preparing against the Bolsheviks or Stalin. The goal of the underground organization was Voroshilov, in whom the authoritative military saw futility and combat incompetence. Well, for the role of the displaced People's Commissar, Tukhachevsky was prepared with his absolute readiness and consent.

The Tukhachevsky family was persecuted even after. So, his mother was not rehabilitated for another half century. For these reasons.