Jun
11

June 11: Cadre rotation, Soviet style

Marshall Semyon Budyonny and his job saving mustache

On June 11 1937, the NKVD (old style KGB) executed eight Soviet high ranking officers (one Red Army Marshal included). A military court found them guilty of anti-Soviet conspiracy.

In order to keep the purge productive and secret, most members of the court later died of pneumonia caused by cold bullets. [Read more…]