Mikhail Lashevich

Mikhail Lashevich was born in Odessa in 1884. He became involved in politics while still a student and in 1901 joined the Social Democratic Labour Party. He later joined the Bolshevik faction.

Conscripted into the Russian Army during the First World War, he was twice wounded before returning to Petrograd after the abdication of Nicholas II. Lashevich was active in the Petrograd Soviet and helped plan the capture of the Winter Palace and the overthrow of the Provisional Government.

During the Civil War Lashevich was a senior commander in the Red Army and contributed to the defeat of Alexander Kolchak, Anton Denikin, and Nikolai Yudenich.

In 1923 Lashevich was elected to Central Committee of the Communist Party. He was critical of Joseph Stalin was punished by being sent to Harbin to act as chairman of the Chinese Eastern Railway.

Mikhail Lashevich committed suicide in August, 1928.