There are countless high-ranking generals who have lost battles in the history of World War II, and even famous generals such as Zhukov, Patton, and Manstein will suffer defeats. But there are not many unlucky people who are caught and shot once defeated, and there is only one unlucky ghost, that is, the Soviet General Pavlov, who was executed for dereliction of duty and treason for defeat. So what exactly did he go through? How did you go from general to traitor?
It is hard to imagine what it would be like to be in General Pavlov standing in the courtroom. Maybe he will remember his past life, so this time we will stand in a perspective of Pavlov and sort out Pavlov's life. Let us see how Pavlov, a Soviet armored general, became a sinner guilty of dereliction of duty and treason.
Dmitry Grigorievich Pavlov, born in 1897, was the child of a poor peasant family in the village of Vonik in the province of Kostroma. So he worked for his family from an early age, helping to farm and carpenter work. The family also considered letting him go to school, so Pavlov went to primary school for two years. Of course, he was forced to withdraw from school because he did not have the money to pay further tuition fees.
However, reading changes fate, this statement is not false at all, the typical example is Pavlov. During World War I, Pavlov joined the Russian Army, and because he had two years of primary school education, he was quickly promoted to a senior non-commissioned officer. After all, at that time, there were not many cultural people in the Russian army, and the vast majority of soldiers were illiterate. So he went to primary school for two years, and those who can read and read are highly educated talents.
At this time, Pavlov served in the 202nd Reserve Infantry Regiment, under the command of russian general Brushilov, and participated in the "Brushilov Breakthrough Operation" commanded by General Brushilov. It was a tailwind battle, and basically the Russian army had the upper hand the whole time. If nothing else, Pavlov was almost promoted.
Unfortunately, however, Pavlov was caught by the Germans who had driven from the Western Front in such a tailwind battle. It can only be said that Pavlov's luck was really not good. Of course, this also has the reason that the Russian army is really not good, so the unfortunate Pavlov can only be taken prisoner.
Of course, Pavlov's luck was good, because he was honest and honest, and he had two years of primary school education, so he did not suffer in the German prisoner-of-war camp. Basically, I work as a worker, and I don't have anything but tired and bitter points. After the end of World War I, Pavlov was released back to Russia.
Upon his return to Russia, Pavlov was unfortunately unemployed because of the changes in the internal form of Russia. He basically has no choice but to go back to farming now. Other than that, the only option you can do is to become a soldier again. And his life, it was also at this time of choice, that changed.
At this time, Pavlov, like many in Russia, was faced with two choices: whether to join the Red Army or join the White Army. Pavlov looked left and right, and finally chose the Soviet Red Army, which launched the October Revolution. After all, the Red Army's military discipline and treatment were relatively better. As a man who had served in the old Russian army, he valued this very much.
And his luck came again, because Pavlov was literate and a rare talent in the Red Army at that time, so he was promoted to a non-commissioned officer. In fact, if he had been sent to fight at this time, we would have reckoned that Pavlov would be unlucky again, for at this time there were Germans in the Intervention Army. If the Germans were encountered again, it is estimated that Pavlov would be arrested again. If it falls into the hands of the interventionist, it is estimated that it will only be shot.
Because Pavlov had a few years of primary school education, the Red Army took him very seriously and sent him to the military academy. For him, it was simply a stroke of luck, and being able to study in the military academy basically avoided the battlefield and avoided the doom of possible death. Pavlov was even more lucky to be sent to the military academy repeatedly. It was also here that he came into contact with tanks for the first time, this new thing.
After graduating from military school, Pavlov became a school bully, and with a few skirmishes, he soon became a mainstay of the Red Army. And at that time, he was one of the few cadets studying military transport and strategic command at the Leningrad Military Academy. In this way, Pavlov could easily become an armored commander. After a short period of training, Pavlov was appointed commander of the Sixth Mechanized Regiment, becoming the only commander of the Armored Corps in the Soviet Union (the other being Zhukov).
Pavlov did not live up to expectations, because of the experience of the command of the armored forces, he was frequently transferred by the Soviet General Staff to command a variety of mechanized troops. (The other one who had this treatment was Zhukov), and at the same time, in the 1935 Kiev Military District exercise, because he showed his army organization ability and logistical dispatch ability, Pavlov's identity and status were also raised.
Because of Pavlov's contribution to the development of the Soviet armored corps, plus he went to Spain in 1937 to command the Soviet armored forces to assist the Spanish Republican Army in combat and beat up the Italians. Therefore, Pavlov's rank was further improved, he was promoted to general of the armored corps, and he also wore a gold star medal. At the same time, because of Pravda's reporting and excessive exaggeration, Pavlov was at this time like a national idol of the Soviet Union. After that, he became a big banner of the Soviet Union. And the peak and abyss of his life are coming.
Pavlov was lucky to catch up with Nomenhan in 1939 as a general in the Panzer Corps, and then rushed to Nomenhan as a representative of the base camp, providing Zhukov with some advice on defeating the Japanese. Then, in 1940, together with Marshal Timoshenko, he beat up the Finns. Because of these merits, he was promoted to general of the Panzer Corps in 1940, and he was also sent to the Western Military District as commander.
It must be said that Stalin was still very attached to Pavlov, otherwise he would not have been guilty of giving him pavlov's command of the Western Military District. It should be known that the Western Military Region is a military region with unprecedented strength, with four army groups, 672,000 people, 100087 artillery of various types, 2,201 tanks and 1,909 aircraft. The handing over of such a powerful force to Pavlov shows the importance stalin placed on Pavlov.
Unfortunately, pavlov failed to live up to Stalin's trust and respect for him. On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany launched a brazen attack on the Soviet Union, and the Western Military District bore the brunt of the German attack. When the three German armies were advancing in tandem, Pavlov and his Western Military District were defeated in an instant.
Because Comrade Pavlov was not prepared for battle at all, the troops were not assembled, the equipment was still in the warehouse, and the Germans were killing them. At this time, the Western Military District could not resist at all, and coupled with Pavlov's pre-war arrangement, the powerful Western Military District was eliminated by the Germans almost within a week.
Because of Pavlov's defeat and the rout of the Western Military District, Stalin was so furious that he decided to send Pavlov to court-martial. The military tribunal found Pavlov guilty of dereliction of duty while serving as commander of the Western Military District, which led to the rout of the Western Military District. At the same time, it also allows a large amount of materials to fall into the hands of the enemy, which is regarded as treason. In the end, the court ruled that the charge that was appropriate for Pavlov was the death penalty.
Although Pavlov expressed his grievances and defended that the General Staff had not given him orders to strengthen his guard, and demanded that the military districts should not provoke the Germans, he did not make any defenses. However, it is clear that such a statement will not relieve him of the fate of death. The death sentence of the military court can no longer be reversed. Former heroes of the Soviet Union are now traitors to the Soviet Union.
In the end, nothing was avoided. Pavlov was executed on July 28, 1941. In fact, his charge is really quite unjust, we cannot say that Pavlov did not have any ability, and most of the famous generals in the Soviet-German war experienced defeat. He was executed after only one failure, which did not seem very fair. But history and war have no ifs, so it can only be said that Pavlov was too unlucky.
Reference: World War II Declassification
World War II
The Tragedy of the First Ten Days of the Soviet-German War
The Complete History of World War II