Order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR No. 0250, Announcing the Verdict of the Supreme Court of the USSR in the Case of Army General D.G. Pavlov, Major-Generals V.E. Klimovskikh, A.T. Grigoryev, and A.A. Korobkov, 28 July 1941

Source: Tom 18

Source: Tom 18

By decree of the State Defense Committee, the following were arrested and committed for trial before a military tribunal for cowardice, unauthorized abandonment of strategic points without the permission of the higher command, collapse of troop control, and inaction of authority: the former Commander of the Western Front, Army General Pavlov, D.G.; the former Chief of Staff of that same front, Major-General Klimovskikh, V.E.; the former Chief of Communications of that same front, Major-General Grigoryev, A.T.; and the former Commander of the 4th Army, Major-General Korobkov, A.A.

The Supreme Court of the USSR on July 22, 1941, examined the case against Pavlov, D.G., Klimovskikh, V.E., Grigoryev, A.T., and Korobkov, A.A. The judicial investigation established that:
a) the former Commander of the Western Front, Pavlov, D.G., and the former Chief of Staff of that same front, Klimovskikh, V.E., from the beginning of military operations by the German-fascist forces against the USSR, displayed cowardice, inaction of authority, lack of initiative, permitted the collapse of troop control, the surrender of weapons and depots to the enemy, the unauthorized abandonment of combat positions by units of the Western Front, and thereby gave the enemy the opportunity to break through the front;
b) the former Chief of Communications of the Western Front, Grigoryev, A.T., while having the capability to establish uninterrupted communications between the front headquarters and the operating units and formations, displayed panic and criminal inaction, failed to use radio communications, as a result of which from the first days of military operations troop control was disrupted;
c) the former Commander of the 4th Army of the Western Front, Korobkov, A.A., displayed cowardice, faintheartedness, and criminal inaction, shamefully abandoned the troops entrusted to him, as a result of which the army was disorganized and suffered severe losses.

Thus, Pavlov, D.G., Klimovskikh, V.E., Grigoryev, A.T., and Korobkov, A.A. violated the military oath, dishonored the high title of a soldier of the Red Army, forgot their duty to the Motherland, and through their cowardice and panic-mongering, criminal inaction, collapse of troop control, surrender of weapons and depots to the enemy, and permitting the unauthorized abandonment of combat positions by units, inflicted serious damage on the troops of the Western Front.

By the Supreme Court of the USSR, Pavlov, D.G., Klimovskikh, V.E., Grigoryev, A.T., and Korobkov, A.A. have been stripped of their military ranks and sentenced to death by firing squad.

The sentence has been carried out.

I warn that henceforth all who violate the military oath, who forget their duty to the Motherland, who disgrace the high title of a soldier of the Red Army, all cowards and panic-mongers who abandon combat positions without authorization and surrender weapons to the enemy without a fight, will be mercilessly punished with the full severity of the laws of wartime, regardless of rank.

This order is to be announced to the entire command staff from regimental commander and above.

People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR

I. Stalin

Stalin I.V. On the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union. M., 2002. Pp. 17-18.

TsAMO. F. 4. Op. 11. D. 65. L. 192-193.