The commander of the First Cavalry

"Nonresident" Cossack
Semen Budenny was born April 25, 1883 in the family of "non-resident" of the peasants in a remote village Kozyurin Platovskaya Sal district Don Army Region (now Rostov region). By the place of his birth Budyonny was "predisposed" to that to be in the thick of the revolutionary events that unfold in all power after a quarter of a century after his birth.
"Nonresident" peasants who lived on the Cossack lands, but not belonging to the Cossack class, as a rule, people were poor. They had to put up with his "second-class position", as the chances of a large land holdings, "as the Cossacks," they were very small.
As we remember from Sholokhov's "And Quiet Flows the Don", Cossacks, especially the "old school" resented the idea that the "aliens" may be the same rights they have.



Nevertheless, Budyonny, despite the "unequal starting conditions" in the beginning of his life was able to do better than many of its peers the Village.
In 1903, he was drafted into the army and served in the Far East Primorye Dragoon Regiment. There also remained on superurgent. He participated in the Russian-Japanese war of 1904-1905 as part of the 26th Don Cossack Regiment.
In 1907 he was recognized as the best rider of the regiment (a fact in itself surprising: the Cossacks often teased "nonresident" riders for bad skill stay in the saddle "Pig on the fence", and here the most "nonresident" surpassed their horsemanship).
As a result, Budyonny was sent to St. Petersburg, a Cavalry officer school courses for riders of the lower ranks, who graduated in 1908.



George Cross for disobeying orders
The First World War, a century which we commemorate these days, has highlighted many of the features still young non-commissioned officer, which allowed him to become in the future one of the most famous "red commanders." The first of its four George Cross Budyonny received, directly violating strict orders.
November 8, 1914, he led a reconnaissance platoon strength of 33 people, with the task to conduct reconnaissance near the town Brzeziny. Denote a column of German troops moving along the highway seemed Semyon Mikhailovich easy prey. Several times he sent dispatches superior officer with a proposal to attack one of the enemy transports. Received categorical orders to continue secretly to observe, Budyonny still could not resist and decided to attack one of the carts.
In the 18th Dragoon Regiment Seversky. Photo 1915



Cossacks as from the ground up to the amazement adversary. They were opposed by the whole company of notation, armed with two machine gun. Nevertheless, it all happened so suddenly that resistance have tried only two officers who were immediately hacked.
As a result, 33 Cossack captured about two hundred prisoners, wagon with guns of different systems, wagon with surgical instruments and thirty-five wagons with warm winter clothing.
By the way, this is obtained for foolhardiness St. George Cross, Budyonny very soon lost for the next spontaneous manifestation of his nature. Unable to withstand the abuse of senior officer sergeant Hestanova who insulted and hit him in the face, Budyonny "given date».
But in the end all of 1914, he regained the title of Knight of St. George, when the Turkish front in the battle for the city of Van, penetrated deep into the rear of the enemy, and at the decisive moment of the battle captured three enemy guns.
Chest gallant NCO Seeds Budennogo decorated with four crosses of St. George.



Start revolutionary career
Summer of 1917, fate once again throws Budyonny in the thick of things. Caucasian Cavalry Division, where he served with the Turkish front being moved to the city of Minsk.
Budyonny, which, as we recall, the very fact of their origin was inclined to revolt against the established order of things, was elected chairman of the regimental committee and deputy chairman of the divisional committee.



In August 1917 Budyonny resolutely on the side of the Bolsheviks and, together with Mikhail Frunze disarmament five runs (according to other sources - six) Kornilov echelons of troops in Orsha.
However, there are studies showing that Semyon Mikhailovich role in those events were exaggerated Soviet propaganda mid 20s, creating the myth of the invincible Red Army commander.
After the October Revolution Budyonny left decomposition is not without his imperial army, and returned to the Don, in the village Platovskaya. Here he was elected a member of the Executive Committee of the District Council of the Sal.
But Semyon Mikhailovich house clearly can not sit. He sees that the majority of the Cossacks directly or covertly opposed the Soviet regime. Therefore, in February 1918, he creates the "revolutionary cavalry unit».



Unbreakable commander
First group Budyonny teamed with a group of Boris Dumenko, future division commander. Then they took a few more units, and formed a cavalry division.
In the troops Voroshilov Budyonny already joined as a commander of the Special Cavalry Division. With this division, Semyon Mikhailovich made a raid against the whites, defeated twenty three infantry and cavalry regiment captured fifteen thousand men, captured seventy guns, machine guns, two hundred and three thousand and supply of ammunition. For this campaign Budyonny received the Order of the Red Banner, and his division became the backbone of the First Cavalry Army.



Budyonny credibility was high, so in his division in the initial period of the Civil War, when the other Red detachments on Don polubanditskie more like a gang than military units, he was able to maintain the relative order.
By the way, the future commander did not hesitate to assault and battery, from which he himself got it at the beginning of military service. In his memoirs, Khrushchev stated that Semyon Mikhailovich went twice in the face of ordinary soldiers, when he was Marshal of the USSR.
Not accidentally, the best friend Budyonny Kliment Voroshilov and other Bolsheviks suspected him of what he can become Ataman type Makhno and lead some powerful anti-Bolshevik uprising.
Trotsky once said about Budyonny and his horsemen as follows: "It is a modern Razin, and where he will lead his band of - not known today for the Reds, and tomorrow for the whites, and they would move him." There are memories, which explains that the peasants during meetings with Budyonny sought to cut off a piece of his overcoat to buy, so the mascot "for luck».
Even then, many believed in Budyonny as invulnerable to the commander, who "did not take" bullets in battle.



November 19, 1919 South Front Command based on the decision of the Revolutionary Military Council, signed the order to rename the Cavalry Corps in the First Cavalry Army. Commander of the Army was appointed "indomitable" Budyonny. This army has played an important role in a number of major operations of the Civil War. In particular, in the defeat of Denikin and Wrangel's troops in North brands and Crimea. She took part in the largest equestrian oncoming battle, called Ergolykskogo. On both sides there was attended by 25 thousand horsemen.
After the Civil War, the image of famous generals strongly mythologized Soviet propaganda machine. Although it did not save Budyonny of "palace" Stalinist intrigues. He was among those politicians who advocated the "trial of death and" Bukharin, Rykov, Tukhachevsky and JE Rudzutak.
Known story, more like a myth, that Semyon Mikhailovich himself almost became a victim of the "cult of personality". Allegedly one night came after him "on a black funnel." However, morale has not weathered in the former red army commander. He drew his sword, threatening to hack to death anyone who approached him, and rushed to the phone to call Stalin.
Say, secretary-general after that dropped the phrase, "Leave the old fool, it is not dangerous." And from Budyonny actually behind. This story is not even important whether it was actually. It is important for understanding the personality Budyonny that it could be, because there was no accident.



Vestige of the era of the Civil War
Despite the fact that by the beginning of the Great Patriotic War Budyonny had the rank of marshal of the USSR, a significant role in this war, he did not play. Commander of the Second World took a few more than the personal courage and "charisma».
Budyonny was nuggets, who knew how to "grasp the situation on the fly", but the strategic vision of the situation is at the front, the ability to develop multi-way military operations he lacked. That's why you can not name a single major military victory that forces under the control of Budyonny gained during World.



However, one episode of the Great Patriotic says that Simon Mikhailovich remained sane and courageous man, who feared not the wrath of Stalin.
In September 1941 Budyonny sent a telegram to General Headquarters with a proposal to withdraw troops from Kiev because of the threat environment. At the same time, the front commander Kirponos informed Headquarters that he had no intentions of the withdrawal. As a result Budyonny was removed from office by Stalin Commander southwest direction and replaced Timoshenko.
However, history has shown that it was right Budyonny. And if time were withdrawn troops, then most of the nearly 700 thousand Red Army soldiers who died in the "Kiev bag" failed to preserve for future battles.
After the war, Semyon Mikhailovich took more "honorable" than the important positions. However, he increasingly devoted time and attention to his favorite horse breeding. In 1948, under his leadership, has created a new breed of horses Budionovskiy.



Source: ussrlife.blogspot.ru