Decree of the State Defense Committee on the Reorganization of the Stavka of the Supreme Command and the Appointment of Commanders-in-Chief of the Directional Commands, 10 July 1941

Source: Tom 18

Source: Tom 18

Top Secret

The State Defense Committee decrees:

1. To appoint as Commander-in-Chief of the Northwestern Direction Marshal of the Soviet Union Comrade K. Voroshilov, with the Northern and Northwestern Fronts subordinated to him.

2. To appoint as Commander-in-Chief of the Western Direction Marshal of the Soviet Union, People's Commissar of Defense S. Timoshenko, with the troops of the Western Front subordinated to him.

3. To appoint as Commander-in-Chief of the Southwestern Direction Marshal of the Soviet Union Comrade S. Budyonny, with the Southwestern and Southern Fronts subordinated to him.

4. To reorganize the Stavka of the Supreme Command and define its composition as follows: Chairman of the State Defense Committee Comrade Stalin, Deputy Chairman of the State Defense Committee Comrade Molotov, Marshals Timoshenko, Budyonny, Voroshilov, Shaposhnikov, and Chief of the General Staff Army General Zhukov.

5. To subordinate the Reserve Army to the Stavka of the Supreme Command, with the intention of later, when it has been brought to full combat readiness, subordinating it to the Commander-in-Chief of the Western Direction.

6. To oblige the Commanders-in-Chief to state in a special order to the front and army commands subordinated to them that the observed instances of unauthorized withdrawal and surrender of strategic points without the permission of the higher command are a disgrace to the Red Army, and that henceforth those commanders guilty of unauthorized withdrawal will be punished by execution.

7. To oblige the Commanders-in-Chief to address more frequently the troops of their direction with appeals to stand firm and selflessly defend our land from the German plunderers and enslavers.

8. To oblige the Commanders-in-Chief to drop more frequently from aircraft behind the lines of German troops small leaflets over their own signature, calling upon the population to destroy the rear areas of the German armies, tear up bridges, unscrew rails, set forests on fire, join the partisans, and ceaselessly harass the German oppressors. The appeal should state that the Red Army will soon come and liberate them from the German yoke.

Chairman of the State Defense Committee

I. Stalin

Izvestiya TsK KPSS. 1990. No. 7. P. 208.