Editing Rodion Malinovsky (section)

===Before and during World War I===
A [[Ukrainian people |Ukrainian]], Malinovsky was born in [[Odessa]] to a single mother, after his father either died or abandoned the family. The ethnic background of his father is disputed. Some claim he was a [[Karaite Jew]];<ref>Сын маршала Малиновского: «Поприветствовав отца матом, Жуков тут же получил адекватный ответ». fakty.ua (13 февраля 2013). Дата обращения: 29 июля 2023. Архивировано 29 июля 2023 года.</ref> however, others claim he was descended from a noble family in the [[Tambov Governorate]].<ref>Соколов Б. В. По линии Буниных? // Родина, 2011, № 5.</ref> Malinovsky's mother soon left the city for the rural areas of [[Russian Empire|Southern Russia]], and married. Her husband, a [[poverty]]-stricken peasant, refused to adopt her son and expelled him when Malinovsky was only 13 years old. The homeless boy survived by working as a farmhand, and eventually received shelter from his aunt's family in Odessa, where he worked as an errand boy in a general store.
After the start of [[World War I]] in July 1914, Malinovsky, who was only 15 years old at the time (too young for military service), hid on the military train heading for the [[Eastern Front (World War I)|German front]], but was discovered. He nevertheless convinced the commanding officers to enlist him as a volunteer, and served in a [[machine-gun]] detachment in the [[Trench warfare|frontline trenches]]. In October 1915, as a reward for repelling a German attack, he received his first military award, the [[Cross of St. George]] of the 4th class, and was promoted to the rank of [[corporal]]. Soon afterwards, he was badly wounded and spent several months in the hospital.
[[file:Rodion Malinovsky ww1.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Malinovsky during WWI]]

After his recovery, he was sent to [[France]] in 1916 as a member of the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] [[Russian Expeditionary Force in France|Russian Expeditionary Corps]]. Malinovsky fought in a hotly contested sector of the front near [[Fort Brion]] and was promoted to [[sergeant]]. He suffered a serious wound in his left arm, and received a decoration from the French government. After the [[October Revolution|Bolshevik Revolution]] in Russia, the French government disbanded some Russian units, but others were transferred to a newly created unit called the [[Russian Legion]], which was attached to the Moroccan Division. Malinovsky fought against the [[German Empire|Germans]] until the end of the war. During this time, he was awarded the French [[Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (France)|Croix de guerre]] and promoted to [[senior NCO]].