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Mikhail Frunze

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Mikhail Frunze was an important leader and soldier in the early Soviet Union.

Mikhail Frunze by Isaak Brodsky (1929)
Mikhail Frunze by Isaak Brodsky (1929)

He was a man who studied both politics and how to lead armies. He was born in 1885 in a town called Pishpek. His father was a Romanian medic and his mother was Russian. Frunze was known for being a very creative thinker. Many people in his party admired his strength and his hard work. He became a key figure during a very busy time in history.

Frunze grew up to be a very active member of a political group. He joined the Bolsheviks, which was a group led by Vladimir Lenin. In 1905, he led a strike for workers in the textile industry. This was a very hard job that led to his arrest in 1907. He was sentenced to work hard in Siberia for many years. After ten years, he managed to escape from prison. He then helped lead groups during the revolutions of 1917 in Minsk and Moscow.

During the Russian Civil War, Frunze became a famous army commander. He led many successful missions for the Red Army. In 1919, Leon Trotsky gave him command of the Eastern Front. Frunze won major victories against the White Army in Crimea. He also led troops to take control of places like Khiva and Bukhara.

Béla Kun, Jacques Sadoul, Leon Trotsky, Mikhail Frunze, Sergey Gusev 1920
Béla Kun, Jacques Sadoul, Leon Trotsky, Mikhail Frunze, Sergey Gusev 1920

He even traveled to Turkey in 1921 to help start new relations. The leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk even placed a statue of Frunze in Istanbul.

In 1925, Frunze faced a very difficult and sad time. He had a long-term stomach problem called a chronic ulcer. Doctors said he needed surgery to fix it.

Leon Trotsky attends The October Revolution parade 1924
Leon Trotsky attends The October Revolution parade 1924

Even though he was worried, he went to the hospital. He died during the surgery on October 31, 1925. Some people believe Joseph Stalin arranged the surgery to harm him. They say the doctors used too much medicine during the operation.

19251103-funeral mikhail frunse moscow
19251103-funeral mikhail frunse moscow

Many places and things were named to honor Mikhail Frunze. For a long time, the city of Bishkek was called Frunze.

Frunze-grave-kremlin-wall-necropolis-july 2016
Frunze-grave-kremlin-wall-necropolis-july 2016

A very famous military school in Moscow was also named after him. You can even find metro stations named Frunzenskaya in several big cities. His grave is located in a special place called the Kremlin Wall Necropolis. He remains a well-known name in the history of the Soviet Union.

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🖼️ Images & Media (6)
File:Mikhail Frunze Sophia Frunze 1917.jpg
Mikhail Frunze Sophia Frunze 1917.jpg
File:Béla Kun, Jacques Sadoul, Leon Trotsky, Mikhail Frunze, Sergey Gusev 1920.jpg
Béla Kun, Jacques Sadoul, Leon Trotsky,...
File:Leon Trotsky attends The October Revolution parade 1924.jpg
Leon Trotsky attends The October...
File:19251103-funeral mikhail frunse moscow.jpg
19251103-funeral mikhail frunse moscow.jpg
File:Frunze-grave-kremlin-wall-necropolis-july 2016.jpg
Frunze-grave-kremlin-wall-necropolis-july 2016.jpg
File:Mikhail Frunze by Isaak Brodsky (1929).jpg
Mikhail Frunze by Isaak Brodsky (1929).jpg
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