Nikolai Vashugin
Encyclopedia
Nikolai Nikolaevich Vashugin (Russian: Николай Николаевич Вашугин; - June 28, 1941) was a Soviet general and a political officer
.
at 1919 and took part in the Russian Civil War
. He became a political instructor by 1920. At 1933, he graduated from the Frunze Academy.
, informing on several of his acquaintances and demonstrating "political zeal". At 1937, he underwent advanced officers' training. In 1938, holding the rank of a Regimental Commissar, he was rapidly promoted to Divisional Commissar and posted as the Leningrad Military District
's Member of the Military Council - the district's supervising political officer.
After the Soviet invasion of Finland, Vashugin was designated Member of the Military Council in Kiril Meretskov's 7th Army in 9 December 1939 and given the rank of Corps Commissar. He was given the same role in 15th Army on 7 January 1940, and remained there until the end of the war. Afterwards, he served as Member of Military Council in the Arkhangelsk Military District
. On 16 November, Vashugin was assigned to the Special Kiev Military District
in the same capacity.
, the Kiev District - commanded by Mikhail Kirponos
- was reformed to create the Soviet Southwestern Front
.
At 2300 the same day, a Stavka
directive issued from Moscow ordered Kirponos to launch a counter-offensive towards Lublin
on the 23rd. While the front's chief-of-staff General Maksim Purkayev
argued that its forces were unable to attack and should retreat, Vashugin claimed that a passive defense will damage morale. Eventually, Kirponos convinced his political officer that a less ambitious operation would commence on the early hours of the 24rd.
Soon after, Marshal Georgy Zhukov
and Nikita Khruschev arrived, demanding to attack as soon as possible. By the 25th, Kirponos' poorly organized forces engaged the enemy near Dubno
and Brody
in a hasty counter-offensive
. On the 27th, Vashugin toured the front himself, and encountered General Dmitry Ryabyshev
8th Mechanized Corps, which was ordered to retreat its positions by the front's headquarters in the night. Vashugin ordered the disorganized force to attack at once, threatening to have its commander shot. As the disorganized unit was unable to attack in full strength before the next day, Vashugin instructed its commissar, Nikolai Popel, to take over the available force and head on while Ryabyshev will gather reinforcements. Although the 8th Corps managed to capture Dubno for a short while, it was encircled and destroyed soon after. When he heard of this, Vashugin committed suicide in the front's command post.Khruschev later claimed that Vashugin approached him, told "all is lost... It would end as it had in Poland and France" and shot himself in front of his eyes.
Political officer
Political officer may refer to:*Political officer , Occasionally, a synonym for political commissar*Political officer , in the context of the British Empire, for a pseudo-ambassadorial role in areas bordering imperial territories...
.
Early life
Born in the village of Zaruchie, Vashugin joined the Red ArmyRed Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
at 1919 and took part in the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
. He became a political instructor by 1920. At 1933, he graduated from the Frunze Academy.
Interwar years
Vashugin had reportedly played an active part in the Great PurgeGreat Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
, informing on several of his acquaintances and demonstrating "political zeal". At 1937, he underwent advanced officers' training. In 1938, holding the rank of a Regimental Commissar, he was rapidly promoted to Divisional Commissar and posted as the Leningrad Military District
Leningrad Military District
The Leningrad Military District was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Moscow Military District, the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet to form the new Western Military District.-History:...
's Member of the Military Council - the district's supervising political officer.
After the Soviet invasion of Finland, Vashugin was designated Member of the Military Council in Kiril Meretskov's 7th Army in 9 December 1939 and given the rank of Corps Commissar. He was given the same role in 15th Army on 7 January 1940, and remained there until the end of the war. Afterwards, he served as Member of Military Council in the Arkhangelsk Military District
Arkhangelsk Military District
Arkhangelsk Military District existed from March 26, 1940 to December 15, 1944, and again from February 15, 1946 to June 29, 1951. Command of the district was established from command elements of the 15th Army...
. On 16 November, Vashugin was assigned to the Special Kiev Military District
Kiev Military District
The Kiev Military District was a Russian unit of military-administrative division of the Imperial Russian Army and subsequently of the Ukrainian Army, RKKA, and Soviet Armed Forces...
in the same capacity.
World War II
On 22 June 1941, as Germany invaded the Soviet UnionOperation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, the Kiev District - commanded by Mikhail Kirponos
Mikhail Kirponos
Mikhail Petrovich Kirponos was a Soviet Ukrainian general of the Red Army. Being accorded the highest military decoration, the Hero of the Soviet Union title, for the skill and courage in commanding a division in the 1939-1940 Finnish campaign, Kirponos is mostly remembered for his crucial role...
- was reformed to create the Soviet Southwestern Front
Soviet Southwestern Front
The Southwestern Front was a name given to a Front by the Imperial Russian Army during the First World War, by the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic during the Russian Civil War, and by the Red Army during the Second World War.The Southwestern Front in this article describes several...
.
At 2300 the same day, a Stavka
Stavka
Stavka was the term used to refer to a command element of the armed forces from the time of the Kievan Rus′, more formally during the history of Imperial Russia as administrative staff and General Headquarters during late 19th Century Imperial Russian armed forces and those of the Soviet Union...
directive issued from Moscow ordered Kirponos to launch a counter-offensive towards Lublin
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
on the 23rd. While the front's chief-of-staff General Maksim Purkayev
Maksim Purkayev
Maksim Alexeyevich Purkayev , 1894, in the village of Nalitovo, Dubyonsky Uyezd, Volhynian Governorate, Russian Empire - January 1, 1953, Moscow) was a Soviet military leader, reaching service rank of Army General....
argued that its forces were unable to attack and should retreat, Vashugin claimed that a passive defense will damage morale. Eventually, Kirponos convinced his political officer that a less ambitious operation would commence on the early hours of the 24rd.
Soon after, Marshal Georgy Zhukov
Georgy Zhukov
Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov , was a Russian career officer in the Red Army who, in the course of World War II, played a pivotal role in leading the Red Army through much of Eastern Europe to liberate the Soviet Union and other nations from the Axis Powers' occupation...
and Nikita Khruschev arrived, demanding to attack as soon as possible. By the 25th, Kirponos' poorly organized forces engaged the enemy near Dubno
Dubno
Dubno is a city located on the Ikva River in the Rivne Oblast of western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of Dubno Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...
and Brody
Brody
Brody is a city in the Lviv Oblast of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Brody Raion , and is located in the valley of the upper Styr River, approximately 90 kilometres northeast of the oblast capital, Lviv...
in a hasty counter-offensive
Battle of Brody (1941)
The Battle of Brody was a tank battle fought between the Panzer Group 1's IIIrd, XLVIII Army Corps and five Soviet Mechanized Corps of the Soviet 5th Army and 6th Army in the triangle formed by the towns Dubno, Lutsk and Brody in Ukraine between 23...
. On the 27th, Vashugin toured the front himself, and encountered General Dmitry Ryabyshev
Dmitry Ryabyshev
Dmitry Ivanovich Ryabyshev , was a Soviet military commander, commander of 8th mechanized corps .- Before World War II :Ryabyshev was born in Kolotovka, , Russian Empire. Following the Russian Revolution of 1917 he was a commander of the 42nd Brigade, 14th Division of the 1st Cavalry Army during...
8th Mechanized Corps, which was ordered to retreat its positions by the front's headquarters in the night. Vashugin ordered the disorganized force to attack at once, threatening to have its commander shot. As the disorganized unit was unable to attack in full strength before the next day, Vashugin instructed its commissar, Nikolai Popel, to take over the available force and head on while Ryabyshev will gather reinforcements. Although the 8th Corps managed to capture Dubno for a short while, it was encircled and destroyed soon after. When he heard of this, Vashugin committed suicide in the front's command post.Khruschev later claimed that Vashugin approached him, told "all is lost... It would end as it had in Poland and France" and shot himself in front of his eyes.
External links
- Vashugin's picture on generals.dk.