BUDENNY, SIMEON MIKHAILEVICH ), Russian soldier, was born in southern Russia, the son of a farmer of the Cossack country. He entered the Russian army in 1903 and rose to be a non-commissioned officer. In 1917, after the revolution, he was elected president of the divisional soviet of the Caucasian troops. He did not join the Communist Party until 1919, but soon after the beginning of the civil war found him self in conflict with the Whites and, with only a few friends and relations began to wage guerrilla warfare against the Cossacks in the district. His forces increased and early in 1918 he joined the Red army. With the nucleus of his own men he organized the Red cavalry, and after a rapid series of promotions became com mander of the first cavalry army. In this capacity he took an active part in the operations against Wrangel and in the Polish War (1920). He became eventually chief of the Red cavalry and was a member of the military revolutionary council of the Soviet Union.