 Sukhomlin akaberekerwa mumusha uri muChernigov Governorate, Russian Empire zvino Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine. Akapedza kudzidza pachikoro chemabhizimisi muIrkutsk muna 1917 uye akashanda semucheki wechiteshi cheTrans-Baikal Railway. Muna 1918 akabatana neRed Guards somupfuri wemapfuti uye akabatsira kudzvinyirira Kumukira kweCzechoslovak Legionuye akashanda mungarava dzinoverengeka dzeSoviet paLake Baikal. Akaendeswa kuAmur Front mushure mekunge Humambo hweJapan uye kufamba kweWhite kwakatora Khabarovsk, iri paRwizi rweAmur. Gare gare akapedza kosi yeVystrel uye akapedza kudzidza paM. V. Frunze Military Academy. Akashanda semukuru wedhipatimendi rekudzidzisa fakaroti paFrunze Military Academy uyezve semutungamiriri wekosi yekugadzirira yechikoro kubva muna 1931 kusvika muna 1933. Muna 1936 akagadzwa kuva mutevedzeri womukuru mukuru wemauto weSpecial Red Banner Far Eastern Army. Muna 1937 akava mutungamiriri wekosi paSoviet General Staff Academy mushure mekupedza kudzidza kubva kuchikoro ichocho muna Gumiguru 1936. Muna February 1941 akagadzwa kuva mutevedzeri wapurofesa. 