Stalin's purges in the 1930s had devastated the officer corps of the Red Army; those purged included three of its five marshals, 220 of its 264 division or higher-level commanders, and 36,761 officers of all ranks.
As purgas de Stalin da década de 1930 devastaran o corpo de oficiais do Exército Vermello; entre os purgados estaban tres dos seus cinco mariscais, 220 dos seus 264 mandos de división e rangos máis altos, e 36 761 oficiais de todas as graduacións.