Alexander Ilyich Yegorov or Egorov ( , '' Alexandr Iljič Jegorov '' ) ( – February 23 , 1939 ) , was a Soviet military leader during the Russian Civil War , when he commanded the Red Army 's Southern Front and played an important part in defeating the White forces in Ukraine . In 1920 Yegorov was one of the Red Army commanders during the Polish-Soviet War . In this campaign he was a close colleague of Stalin and of Semyon Budyonny . The Soviet authorities accused him of treason and had him shot during the military purges of 1937 – 1938 , but rehabilitated his reputation in the late 1950s
military purges
Great Purge
Alexander Yegorov (soldier)