Background
BERZIN, Yan was born on November 13, 1890 in Volgof former small rural district, Kurland Province. Son of a peasant.
BERZIN, Yan was born on November 13, 1890 in Volgof former small rural district, Kurland Province. Son of a peasant.
Until 1905 studied at a teachers’ seminary.
During 1905 revol served with ’’Forest Brethren” partisan detachments. 1906-1909 imprisoned for armed resistance to Cossack punitive squads (sentenced to death, but verdict commuted to imprisonment because he was a minor). 1911 arrested for membership of Russian Social-Democratic Workers’ Party and exiled to Siberia.
1914 fled from exile to Latin 1915-1916 private at front. 1916 deserted to Petrograd, worked as fitter.
1917 took part in February Revol and in Bolshevik coup. 1918-1919 manager, then Soviet Latin Deputy People's Commissar of Internal Affairs. From May 1919 in Red Army as head div political department, then head, Special Department, All-Russian Extraordinary Commission Against Counterrevolution, Sabotage and Speculation, 15th Army.
From December 1920 with Red Army Intelligence Agency. 1924-1935 head, Red Army Intelligence Agency. 1935-1936 assistant, then deputy commander, Special Far Eastern Army.
1936-1937 senior advisor in republican Spain. From June 1937 again head Red Army Intelligence Agency.
Late 1937 arrested by People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs.
Religion divides people, and is a cause of numerous wars and conflicts throughout the human history.
The emphasis on peaceful coexistence doesn’t mean that the Soviet Union accepted a static world with clear lines. Socialism is inevitable and the "correlations of forces" were moving towards socialism.
Former chief, Intelligence Agency, Red Army General Staff and member. Military Council, Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics People's Commissariat of Defense. Communist Party member from 1905.