Russian Civil War

Shmidt joined the Red Army in 1918. He fought in the Russian Civil War. Shmidt served as commandant in Pryluky from January, attempting to establish Soviet power there. At one point, he was captured by anti-Soviet Ukrainians and was sentenced to death. He was wounded instead of being killed and during the German-Austrian occupation of Ukraine led the Bolshevik underground. In the fall of 1918 Shmidt formed a partisan group in the Pryluky area. The group became the 7th Sudzhansky (later 5th Soviet) Regiment, which became part of the 37th Rifle Division. In February 1919 Shmidt became commander of the 2nd Brigade in the division.^[1] In March, he met Hungarian Communist Tibor Szamuely, who recommended that Shmidt lead an expedition to help the Hungarian Soviet Republic. However, the expedition was never made.^[2]

In April 1919, he took command of the 2nd Consolidated brigade of the 37th Rifle Division. On 19 October 1920 Shmidt was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for his actions in capturing Rylsk, and the Liubotyn rail junction near Kremenchuk during the Red Army's crossing of the Dnieper. The award citation also mentioned the capture of Kryukovo. During heavy fighting near Shepetivka with Symon Petliura's army, Shmidt, according to the citation, had been seriously wounded but remained in the battle, personally operating guns against an armored train.^[2] In August 1919, Shmidt became chief of the VOHR's Yaroslavl district. He then became acting commander of the 37th Rifle Division. In November, he led the brigade in fighting at Tsaritsyn during the Armed Forces of South Russia's retreat. On 19 November, Shmidt personally led the brigade in defeating White units. On 24 November, his unit operated in the White rear and almost entirely captured the White Grenadier Division. On 29 November, during the attack at Tsaritsyn, Shmidt was wounded but stayed in the battle. After being wounded a second time he was evacuated. In 1920, Shmidt became commander of the forces at Kherson. At the end of 1920 he became a student in a course at the Academy of the General Staff.^[1] At this time he met Alexander Barmine, who later defected. On 25 June 1921 Shmidt was awarded a second Order of the Red Banner for his actions at Tsaritsyn.^[2]

Interwar

In 1921, Shmidt was awarded a second Order of the Red Banner. In May, he became chief of staff of the 17th Cavalry Division, fighting against units of the remnants of the Ukrainian People's Army and capturing Ilintsy. Between 1922 and 1923, he studied at the Higher Academic Courses of the Military Academy of the Red Army. Shmidt was commander and commissar of the 2nd Red Cossacks Division was then acting commander of the 1st Red Cossacks Division between 1923 and 1924. In August 1924, he became commander of the 5th Ukrainian Cavalry School. In August 1926, Shmidt became commander and commissar of the 7th Samara Cavalry Division. Shmidt was relieved of command of the division after shooting an officer who insulted his wife in the stomach, and in May 1927 became head of the North Caucasian Mountain Nationalities Cavalry School. He visited Moscow at the time of the expulsion of the Trotskyites and met Stalin walking out of the Kremlin. According to Alexander Barmine, a friend of Shmidt, who heard the story second hand:

Shmidt went up to him and, half-joking, half-serious" manner began to blackguard him as only an old soldier can - that is, in terms that have to be heard to be believed. As he finished, he made a gesture as though to draw his sabre and told the Secretary General that one day he'd lop his ears off. Stalin listened without saying a word, but his face was dead white and his lips were drawn in a tight line. For the time being, he chose to treat Shmidt's insult as beneath contempt.^[3]

In 1928, Shmidt graduated from the Higher Officers' Improvement Courses (KUVNAS) at the Frunze Military Academy. From May 1930, he was deputy chief of staff of the North Caucasus Military District. He helped suppress revolts by the Karachays. Between 1931 and 1933, Shmidt was as a student in the Special Group of the Frunze Military Academy, after which he became commander and commissar of the 2nd Mechanized Brigade. From February 1934, Shmidt was commander and commissar of the 8th Mechanized Brigade.^[1] On 26 November 1935, he was promoted to Komdiv. In May 1936, he was recommended for an award of the Order of Lenin and for appointment as commander of the Automobile and Tank Directorate of the Leningrad Military District.^[2]

Great Purge and death

During the Zinoviev Case, Sergei Mrachkovsky accused Shmidt of terrorism.^[4] Shmidt was arrested on 6 or 9 July 1936. He was accused of conspiring to assassinate Kliment Voroshilov and preparing to use the 8th Mechanized Brigade to overthrow Soviet power in Kiev. On 1 June 1937, after months of interrogation, he confessed to being part of a "Military-Trotsykite Center" conspiring to assassinate Voroshilov and "wrecking" his brigade. Shmidt named B. Kuzmichev, Mikhail Zyuk, Vitaly Primakov, and Semyon Turovsky as members of the conspiracy. He identified Mikhail Tukhachevsky, Ieronim Uborevich, Innokenty Khalepsky, and Iona Yakir as leaders of the conspiracy. On 19 June 1937 he was sentenced to death, charged with involvement in a military conspiracy. Shmidt retracted his confession during the trial. He was executed on the same day, one of the first Red Army officers to die in the Great Terror.^[2] On 6 July 1957, Shmidt was rehabilitated.^[1]