Top secret

G.I. Kulik, former Marshal, Hero of the Soviet Union and Deputy People's Commissar of Defense, while serving in November 1941 as the representative of the Stavka of the Supreme High Command for the Kerch direction, instead of honestly and unconditionally carrying out the Stavka's order "to hold Kerch at all costs and not allow the enemy to occupy this area," arbitrarily, in violation of the Stavka's order and of his military duty, without warning the Stavka, on November 12, 1941 issued a criminal order for the evacuation from Kerch within two days of all troops and the abandonment of the Kerch area to the enemy, as a result of which Kerch was surrendered on November 15, 1941.

Kulik, upon arriving in the city of Kerch on November 12, 1941, not only failed to take decisive measures on the spot against the panic moods among the command of the Crimean troops, but by his defeatist conduct in Kerch only intensified the panic and demoralization among the command of the Crimean troops.

This behavior of Kulik's was no accident, since similar defeatist conduct on his part had also taken place during the unauthorized surrender in November 1941 of the city of Rostov, without the sanction of the Stavka and contrary to the Stavka's order.

Moreover, as has been established, while at the front Kulik systematically engaged in drunkenness, led a dissolute way of life, abused the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union and the post of Deputy People's Commissar of Defense, engaged in self-supply and the plundering of state property, squandered hundreds of thousands of rubles from state funds on drinking bouts, and brought decomposition into the ranks of our commanding personnel.

G.I. Kulik, by permitting in November 1941 the unauthorized surrender to the enemy of the cities of Kerch and Rostov, violated the military oath, forgot his military duty, and inflicted serious damage on the cause of the country's defense. Subsequent combat events on the Southern and Crimean fronts, when as a result of the skillful and decisive actions of our troops Rostov and Kerch were soon recaptured from the enemy, proved with complete clarity that there was every possibility of defending these cities and not surrendering them to the enemy. Kulik's crime consists in the fact that he made no use whatsoever of the existing possibilities for the defense of Kerch and Rostov, did not organize their defense, and behaved like a coward frightened by the Germans, like a defeatist who had lost perspective and did not believe in our victory over the German invaders.

For all these criminal actions, the State Defense Committee handed G.I. Kulik over for trial.

The Special Session of the Supreme Court of the USSR established G.I. Kulik's guilt on the charges brought against him. At the trial, G.I. Kulik pleaded guilty.

On February 16, 1942, the Supreme Court sentenced G.I. Kulik to be deprived of the titles of Marshal and Hero of the Soviet Union, and also to be deprived of his orders of the USSR and the medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army."

G.I. Kulik appealed to the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR with a request to annul the sentence. The Presidium rejected G.I. Kulik's request and on February 19, 1942 adopted the following resolution: "In accordance with the sentence of the Special Session of the Supreme Court of the USSR, deprive G.I. Kulik of the military rank of 'Marshal of the Soviet Union,' the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, three Orders of Lenin, three Orders of the Red Banner, and the jubilee medal 'XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army.'"

On the basis of the foregoing, the Central Committee of the CPSU(B) expelled G.I. Kulik from membership in the CC of the CPSU(B) and removed him from the post of deputy people's commissar.

I warn that henceforth resolute measures will be taken against those commanders and chiefs, regardless of persons and past merits, who fail to carry out or dishonestly carry out the orders of the command, display cowardice, demoralize troops with their defeatist moods, and, being intimidated by the Germans, sow panic and undermine faith in our victory over the German invaders.

This order is to be communicated to the military councils of the Western and South-Western directions, and to the military councils of fronts, armies and districts.

People's Commissar of Defense

J. STALIN

Izvestiya TsK KPSS. 1991. No. 8.