(1899-1953)
Head of the NKVD
Worked for the Cheka since 1919. In 1923 became the chief of NKVD in Georgia (he was born there). Later he became the head of the OGPU and ascended to a spot in Central Committee in Georgia. Where he appeared, people died or were reported missing. In 1931 he backed up the communists in Georgia and fought against the "enemies" of the state. Since 1934 he was a member of the Central Committee and since 1939 got into politburo of the CPSU. In early 1938 he replaced Yezhov in the NKVD. During his reign over 500 agents and 30,000 members of the Red Army died. He worked out useful regulations for the service: from the hiring to liquidation of unsuitable persons. It's supposed that he ordered the killing of over 15,000 Polish in Katyna. Thousand of people were send to gulags. Beside the NKVD he led the military industry during the war. He was one of the founders of communism in Czechoslovakia and he is supposed to have organized the assassination of J.Masaryk, whose death hasn't yet been fully explained. After Stalin's death in 1953 he was considered to take over absolute power. He became deputy premier under Gregori M.Malenkov. He didn't get on well with Malenkov and was arrested in July on charges of criminal anti-state activities. Later he, and other six accomplices had been tried and convicted of high treason and executed. In the official version. But it's said that he was shot dead in the first meeting after Stalin's death by Voroshilov. After the revelation of many KGB archives it's evident, that he ordered many of Stalin's cruel actions.Recommended books:
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