The first testing of the strength of the Red Army after the Civil War came in 1939 and when in the winter the Finnish campaign was going very badly Timoshenko was transferred to Finland and was given much of the credit for the campaign which finally broke the Mannerheim Line.
After these successes Stalin appointed him Defence Commissar in succession to Marshal Voroshiloff who became Chairman of the Defence Committee.
Timoshenko thus got active com: mand of the armed forces and was given the task of reforming the Army and ridding it of the weaknesses which the campaign of 1939 winter of 1939/1940 had Seven weeks after receiving his new appointment Timoshenko led the Army of occupation into his old home province of Bessarabia which had been ceded by Roymania and his reunion with his family whom he had not seen for 20 years was A human touch in the dramatic recovery of this former Russian province.
Later his Army was to complete the circuit by marching into Lithuaula, jo and Esthonia when these Battle States were incorporated into, the Union of Soviet Republics Army Proves Self "Kansas City Star"
"Rapidly Getting Nowhere" they grow in with Already, however, Timoshenko had embarked on his programme of reform of the Army which on the personal instructions of Stalin was to be "Based on the experience of recent wars," including, that is to say, the campaigns of the Red Army and the campaigns of the forces of Germany against Britain, France and their allies in Western Europe.
It is now apparent that the fullest use was mi the period that elapsed between the end of thej4 Finnish campaign and the attack by the Nazis on June 22, 1041. ly not so L ing the day, so my it is no trouble to you I would be very pleased if The an oda "Nortn-China." intend fo have it sent regularly 1 later.
The Russians may have been taken by surprise when the first attack was delivered, but the Army has proved itself to be a magnificent "weapon and much of thi
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.