 In 1937–1940 he was the Commissar of Defense and the chief of the main political administration of the Red Army.From 1939 he was a member of the Central Committee of the CPSU (he had been a candidate since 1934), in 1938–1952 he was a member of the Orgburo of the Central Committee, in 1940–1941 People's Commissar of State Control (Goskontrolya).In June 1941 he was newly assigned by the chief of main political administration and the deputy of the Peoples Commissar of Defense.