February 1941

Discussions on all aspects of the USSR, from the Russian Civil War till the end of the Great Patriotic War and the war against Japan. Hosted by Art.
User avatar
Starinov
Member
Posts: 1490
Joined: 18 Apr 2002, 17:29
Location: Québec, Canada.

February 1941

#1

Post by Starinov » 27 Sep 2002, 19:34

I just put together a few facts:

In February 1941, Zhukov is appointed Chief of the General Staff
In February 1941, GUGB NKVD becomes independent and starts its activities as the NKGB.
In February 1941, Fronts are created in the RKKA

Does anyone know what else happened in February 1941?

Gwynn Compton
Member
Posts: 2840
Joined: 10 Mar 2002, 23:46
Location: United Kingdom

#2

Post by Gwynn Compton » 28 Sep 2002, 10:40

In February 1941, GUGB NKVD becomes independent and starts its activities as the NKGB.
Was this an offshot of the NKVD?

Gwynn


User avatar
Starinov
Member
Posts: 1490
Joined: 18 Apr 2002, 17:29
Location: Québec, Canada.

#3

Post by Starinov » 30 Sep 2002, 14:51

Gwynn Compton wrote:Was this an offshot of the NKVD?
What do you mean?

Gwynn Compton
Member
Posts: 2840
Joined: 10 Mar 2002, 23:46
Location: United Kingdom

#4

Post by Gwynn Compton » 01 Oct 2002, 07:54

As in the NKVD functioned throughout the war still as the NKVD, not as the NKGB. So was the NKGB a former branch of Beria's NKVD that gained independence from the main NKVD bureaucracy?

I hope that makes more sense. All these abbreviations just give me a headache :P

Gwynn

User avatar
Starinov
Member
Posts: 1490
Joined: 18 Apr 2002, 17:29
Location: Québec, Canada.

#5

Post by Starinov » 01 Oct 2002, 14:57

The NKVD was the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (Poice, firefighters, prisons, etc)

The GUGB (Main Administration of State Security) was one of several branches of the NKVD and was responsible for State Security. It was the political police. In February 1941 it became independent from the NKVD and was known as NKGB: People's Commissariat for State Security.

It went one step higher in the governemental scale.

Gwynn Compton
Member
Posts: 2840
Joined: 10 Mar 2002, 23:46
Location: United Kingdom

#6

Post by Gwynn Compton » 01 Oct 2002, 23:12

Ahhh, thats what I was after, thanks :)

Gwynn

User avatar
Starinov
Member
Posts: 1490
Joined: 18 Apr 2002, 17:29
Location: Québec, Canada.

#7

Post by Starinov » 17 Dec 2003, 18:07

Does anyone know what else happened in February 1941 in USSR?

Thanks

User avatar
nublu
Member
Posts: 243
Joined: 01 Aug 2003, 12:03
Location: Estonia
Contact:

#8

Post by nublu » 17 Dec 2003, 18:51

In February 1941, Fronts are created in the RKKA
Are you sure about it? Which fronts were created? Far East Front??

As much as I know, in European part of Soviet Union Fronts were created just few days before Barbarossa. There was 3 of them...

rgrds

Toomas

User avatar
Harri
Member
Posts: 4230
Joined: 24 Jun 2002, 12:46
Location: Suomi - Finland

Re: February 1941

#9

Post by Harri » 17 Dec 2003, 19:39

Starinov wrote:In February 1941, Fronts are created in the RKKA
Does anyone know what else happened in February 1941?
Lots of things obviously, but like nublu said Fronts were not created in February but as far as I know on 23.6.1941 when Military Districts changed their names. I think there were initially four Fronts in the west:
Northern Front (Popov -> Meretshkov),
North Western Front (Kuzhnetsov -> Voroshilov, Commissar Zhdanov),
Western Front (Pavlov -> Timoshenko, Commissar Bulganin),
South Western Front (Kirponos -> Budjonny, Commissar Hrusthsev)

Soviets had many wargames at the beginning of 1941, perhaps the largest one at Frunze Military Academy was held in February 1941? It handled Soviet counter-attack after Germans attack. The result of this wargame was that German troops could be bet easily although the numbers attacking soldiers, airplanes and tanks were largely overestimated compared to the real figures (which Soviets knew well).

(After that Zhukov also made a plane of pre-emptive Soviet attack against German forces. That plan was dated on 15 May 1941.)

User avatar
nublu
Member
Posts: 243
Joined: 01 Aug 2003, 12:03
Location: Estonia
Contact:

#10

Post by nublu » 17 Dec 2003, 20:15

Lots of things obviously, but like nublu said Fronts were not created in February but as far as I know on 23.6.1941 when Military Districts changed their names. I think there were initially four Fronts in the west:
Northern Front (Popov -> Meretshkov),
North Western Front (Kuzhnetsov -> Voroshilov, Commissar Zhdanov),
Western Front (Pavlov -> Timoshenko, Commissar Bulganin),
South Western Front (Kirponos -> Budjonny, Commissar Hrusthsev)
Sry, but as much as i remember - 3 fonts (possible that 4) were created just few days before 22nd of June. (19th?? but not sure about date???)

Those were
South Western Front (from Kiev Special Military District)
Western Front (from Western Special Military Distrct)
North Western Front (from Baltic Special Military District)

HQ's were formed from the Military district leaderships.

Not sure about Northern Front and Leningrad Military District. Must check for my sources, and will let you know about them also...

rgrds

Toomas

User avatar
Starinov
Member
Posts: 1490
Joined: 18 Apr 2002, 17:29
Location: Québec, Canada.

#11

Post by Starinov » 17 Dec 2003, 21:09

In february 1941, RKKA General Staff gave order to Border Military Districts to creat Front HQ's. On June 21st, General Staff gave another order to those Border Military Districts HQ's to move into Fronts Command Posts. 4 Fronts were created: Northern, North-Western, Western and South-Western.

Southern Front was created on June 24th from Moscow Military District HQ but Army General Tuleniev who was its commander left Moscow for Odessa prior to June 22nd.

User avatar
nublu
Member
Posts: 243
Joined: 01 Aug 2003, 12:03
Location: Estonia
Contact:

#12

Post by nublu » 17 Dec 2003, 22:36

I looked 2 books now about Fronts.

Meltyuhhov, MI "Upuchtchennyi chans Stalina" - in ammendum he says about Western, Northern West, and Southern West Fronts - were created in June 1941.
About Southern Front it's mentioned in the text - was created on 21st of June 1941.

From the book "1941" - no information on creation on other fronts. But about Southern front. There is published project of decision (Politbureau of Central Bureau of Communist Party) to create Southern front dated on 21st of June 1941. Consisting 2 armies, with HQ in Vinnitsa, nominating Tyulenev the Commander of the Front, and Zaporozhetc as Member of Military Council of Front.

In same project Mehlis would be named the head of GlavPur (insteed of Zaporozhetc), Budjonnyi commander of the 2nd line Armies, and Malenkov has been named as the Member of Military Council for 2nd line Armies. their HQ should be organised in Bryansk.

And Zhukov would be nominated as General Commander for Southern Direction (Southern and Southern West Fronts).

Meretskov would be nominated as General Commander for Northern Front (not Commander of the Front but "Obctcheye rukovodstvo", similar post as Zhukov would get in South), and Kuznetsov as Member of Military Council for Northern Front.

So, from this project it seems so, that other Fronts were already formed and manned. And now there were just last ammendments and changes.

User avatar
nublu
Member
Posts: 243
Joined: 01 Aug 2003, 12:03
Location: Estonia
Contact:

#13

Post by nublu » 17 Dec 2003, 22:51

Some events from February 1941:

1st February - Zhukov became head of the General Staff

12th February - new mobilisation plan was accepted

15th - 20th February - XVIII Conference of Communist Party. Several Generals from the army became members of Central Committe of CP

21st February - Meeting of new Central Committe, several new members nominated into Politbureau of Central Commitee

22nd February - 8th Meeting of Supreme Council of Soviet Union

25th February - Decision on reorganisation of Aviation

26th February - Trade agreement between Soviet Union and Rumenia was signed


Seems all for now...

rgrds

Toomas

User avatar
Starinov
Member
Posts: 1490
Joined: 18 Apr 2002, 17:29
Location: Québec, Canada.

#14

Post by Starinov » 17 Dec 2003, 23:52

Thanks Nublu
nublu wrote:12th February - new mobilisation plan was accepted
Do you have more details about this plan?

nublu wrote:25th February - Decision on reorganisation of Aviation
Do you know what exactly was reorganized?

User avatar
nublu
Member
Posts: 243
Joined: 01 Aug 2003, 12:03
Location: Estonia
Contact:

#15

Post by nublu » 18 Dec 2003, 12:11

Some documents are published in book "1941"

Proposals to Stalin about changes in mobilisation plan, and project of the new plan (what probably was adopted withour changes). What exactly was changed - you must compare it with earlier plans...

"Reorganisation of Aviation" document isn't in this book. I should check perhaps there are some information on it in some other sources.

"1941" you can find online from http://militera.lib.ru
Here is the link to the first part of the book where are documents from February...
http://militera.lib.ru/docs/ww2/chrono/malinovka_1.zip

rgrds

Toomas

Post Reply

Return to “The Soviet Union at War 1917-1945”