Soviet marshal, statesman, and president (1953–60), born near Dnepropetrovsk, EC Ukraine. He joined the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1903, but political agitation soon brought about his exile to Siberia, where he remained a fugitive until 1914. He played a military rather than a political role in the 1917 Revolution, and as commissar for defence (1925–40) was responsible for the modernization of the Red Army. He was removed from office after the failure to prevent the German siege of Leningrad, but stayed active in the Party, and became head of state after Stalin's death.