Grigori Shtern

Grigori Mihailovich Shtern (Григорий Михайлович Штерн, 24 July (6 August) 1900, Smila, Kiev Governorate – 28 October 1941) was a Soviet officer in the Red Army and military advisor during the Spanish Civil War. He also served with distinction during the Soviet-Japanese Border Wars and the Winter War.

Career
Shtern was born into a Jewish family in Smila, Kiev Governorate in 1900. He started his military career as a Commissar of a Red Army brigade in 1919, the same year he joined the Bolshevik Party. Shtern graduated from the Military Academy of the Red Army in 1929 and was working for the People's Commissariat for Military Affairs. He was appointed as the Commander of the 7th Cavalry Division in 1936. Shtern was a Military Advisor in the Spanish Civil War between January 1937 to April 1938. Shtern commanded the Battle of Lake Khasan as the Chief of Staff of Far Eastern Front in 1938. He commanded the Battle of Khalkhin Gol in July 1939. He was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union in 29 August 1939. It is important to consider the fact that the battle currently is being associated only with Georgy Zhukov who commanded a division and, thus, was under the command of Shtern who was in charge of the front-line.

During the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union, Shtern was appointed as the Commander of the 8th Army on 12 December 1939. After the Winter War, the Red Army restored old military rankings. Shtern was promoted to Colonel General on the 5 June 1940. He was appointed as the Commander of the Far Eastern Front on 22 June 1940.

Shtern was arrested on 7 June 1941 during a new purge of the Red Army, and "confessed" under torture that he had since 1931 belonged to a Trotskyist conspiracy within the Red Army and that he was a German spy. He was shot without trial on 28 October 1941. Shtern was rehabilated in August 1954.