Gordov ended the Russian Civil War as the commander of the 53rd Rifle Regiment, fighting in the campaign against Nestor Makhno, for which he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

[1] Gordov fought in the Winter War as the 7th Army chief of staff, but was removed from command after alleged failures.

[6] General Gordov directed the withdrawal of the battered survivors of the Kharkov battle behind the line of the Chir River to regroup and receive reinforcements.

[7] The German 6th Army attacked Red Army forces west of the Don River before Gordov could fully organize the defenses, and by 15 August the Stalingrad Front units were largely pushed across the Don River, with the loss of some 43,000 dead, wounded and prisoners, 270 tanks and 600 artillery pieces in the Battle of Kalach.

This conversation was sent to Stalin and Gordov was arrested,[9][10] along with Grigory Kulik and Rybalchenko on charges of attempting to commit terrorist acts against the Soviet government.