What was the western commander convicted for? The front at the beginning of the war

The initial period of the Great Patriotic War, as is known, was accompanied by many complex and contradictory events. The defeats of the Red Army after June 22, 1942 required clarification of the reasons for the retreat of Soviet troops, including questions of responsibility of the relevant commanding officials. The article examines the case of the commander of the Western Front, General Pavlov, who was accused of treason. The emphasis is on the analysis of legal acts related to the actions and decisions of General Pavlov, which, taking into account the negative consequences that occurred, were recognized as criminal by the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court. It is noted that the verdict, in the author’s opinion, did not reflect all the factors that determined the military-political situation both on the eve of the invasion of German troops and directly during their offensive on the Western Front.