1. The war with Finland in 1939-1940 revealed great disorder and backwardness in the leadership of the People's Commissariat of Defense. In the course of this war, the People's Commissariat of Defense proved unprepared to ensure the successful development of military operations. The Red Army lacked mortars and automatic weapons; there was no proper accounting of aircraft and tanks; the troops lacked the necessary winter clothing; and the troops had no food concentrates. Great neglect was revealed in the work of such important directorates of the People's Commissariat of Defense as the GAU (Main Artillery Directorate), the Combat Training Directorate, the Air Force Directorate, the low level of organization in military educational institutions, and so forth. All this affected the prolongation of the war and led to unnecessary casualties.

Comrade Voroshilov, who was then People's Commissar of Defense, was compelled to acknowledge at the Plenum of the CC of the VKP(b) at the end of March 1940 the inadequacy of his leadership that had been revealed.

Taking account of the state of affairs in the People's Commissariat of Defense and seeing that it was difficult for Comrade Voroshilov to encompass such large questions as those of the People's Commissariat of Defense, the CC of the VKP(b) deemed it necessary to release Comrade Voroshilov from the post of People's Commissar of Defense.

2. At the beginning of the war with Germany, Comrade Voroshilov was appointed commander-in-chief of the North-Western Direction, whose main task was the defense of Leningrad. As later became clear, Comrade Voroshilov did not cope with the task entrusted to him and was unable to organize the defense of Leningrad. In view of all this, the State Defense Committee recalled Comrade Voroshilov from Leningrad and gave him work on new military formations in the rear.

3. In view of Comrade Voroshilov's request, he was sent in February (1942) to the Volkhov Front as the representative of the Stavka to assist the front command, and he stayed there for about a month. However, Comrade Voroshilov's stay on the Volkhov Front did not produce the desired results.

Wishing once again to give Comrade Voroshilov the opportunity to use his experience in front-line work, the CC of the VKP(b) proposed that Comrade Voroshilov take direct command of the Volkhov Front. But Comrade Voroshilov reacted negatively to this proposal and did not want to assume responsibility for the Volkhov Front, despite the fact that this front now has decisive importance for the defense of Leningrad, citing the fact that the Volkhov Front is a difficult front and that he does not want to fail in this matter.

The CC recognized that Comrade Voroshilov had not justified himself in the work entrusted to him at the front, and directed him to military work in the rear.

(From: V. Zhukhrai, Stalin: Truth and Falsehood, pp. 225-226.)