Commanders of the USSR armies of the Second World War. Great commanders of the Great Patriotic War
Marshals of the Great Patriotic War
Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich
11/19 (12/1). 1896—06/18/1974Great commander
Marshal Soviet Union,
Minister of Defense of the USSR
Born in the village of Strelkovka near Kaluga in a peasant family. Furrier. In the army since 1915. Participated in the First World War, a junior non-commissioned officer in the cavalry. In the battles he was seriously shell-shocked and awarded 2 Crosses of St. George.
Since August 1918 in the Red Army. During the Civil War, he fought against the Ural Cossacks near Tsaritsyn, fought with the troops of Denikin and Wrangel, took part in the suppression of the Antonov uprising in the Tambov region, was wounded, and was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. After the Civil War, he commanded a regiment, brigade, division, and corps. The summer of 1939 spent successful operation encircled and defeated a group of Japanese troops by General. Kamatsubara on the Khalkhin Gol River. G. K. Zhukov received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of the Red Banner of the Mongolian People's Republic.
During the Great Patriotic War (1941 - 1945) he was a member of the Headquarters, Deputy Supreme Commander-in-Chief, and commanded the fronts (pseudonyms: Konstantinov, Yuryev, Zharov). He was the first to be awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union during the war (01/18/1943). Under the command of G.K. Zhukov, troops of the Leningrad Front, together with the Baltic Fleet, stopped the advance of Army Group North of Field Marshal F.W. von Leeb on Leningrad in September 1941. Under his command, the troops of the Western Front defeated the troops of Army Group Center under Field Marshal F. von Bock near Moscow and dispelled the myth of the invincibility of the Nazi army. Then Zhukov coordinated the actions of the fronts near Stalingrad (Operation Uranus - 1942), in Operation Iskra during the breakthrough Leningrad blockade(1943), in the battle of Kursk Bulge(summer 1943), where Hitler’s “Citadel” plan was thwarted and the troops of Field Marshals Kluge and Manstein were defeated. The name of Marshal Zhukov is also associated with victories near Korsun-Shevchenkovsky and the liberation of Right Bank Ukraine; Operation Bagration (in Belarus), where the Vaterland Line was broken and Army Group Center of Field Marshals E. von Busch and W. von Model was defeated. At the final stage of the war, the 1st Belorussian Front, led by Marshal Zhukov, took Warsaw (01/17/1945), defeated Army Group “A” of General von Harpe and Field Marshal F. Scherner with a dissecting blow in the Vistula-Oder operation and victoriously ended the war with a grandiose Berlin operation. Together with the soldiers, the marshal signed the scorched wall of the Reichstag, over the broken dome of which the Victory Banner fluttered. On May 8, 1945, in Karlshorst (Berlin), the commander received from Hitler’s Field Marshal W. von Keitel unconditional surrender fascist Germany. General D. Eisenhower presented G. K. Zhukov with the highest military order of the United States “Legion of Honor”, the degree of Commander-in-Chief (06/5/1945). Later in Berlin at the Brandenburg Gate, the British Field Marshal Montgomery placed on him the Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, 1st Class, with star and crimson ribbon. On June 24, 1945, Marshal Zhukov hosted the triumphal Victory Parade in Moscow.
In 1955-1957 “Marshal of Victory” was the Minister of Defense of the USSR.
American military historian Martin Kaiden says: “Zhukov was the commander of commanders in the conduct of war by mass armies of the twentieth century. He inflicted more casualties on the Germans than any other military leader. He was a "miracle marshal". Before us is a military genius."
He wrote the memoirs “Memories and Reflections.”
Marshal G.K. Zhukov had:
- 4 Gold Stars of the Hero of the Soviet Union (08/29/1939, 07/29/1944, 06/1/1945, 12/1/1956),
- 6 Orders of Lenin,
- 2 Orders of Victory (including No. 1 - 04/11/1944, 03/30/1945),
- order October Revolution,
- 3 Orders of the Red Banner,
- 2 Orders of Suvorov, 1st degree (including No. 1), a total of 14 orders and 16 medals;
- honorary weapon - a personalized saber with the golden Coat of Arms of the USSR (1968);
- Hero of the Mongolian People's Republic(1969); Order of the Tuvan Republic;
- 17 foreign orders and 10 medals, etc.
In 1995, a monument to Zhukov was erected on Manezhnaya Square in Moscow.
Vasilevsky Alexander Mikhailovich
18(30).09.1895—5.12.1977 Marshal of the Soviet Union,
Minister of the Armed Forces of the USSR
Born in the village of Novaya Golchikha near Kineshma on the Volga. Son of a priest. He studied at the Kostroma Theological Seminary. In 1915, he completed courses at the Alexander Military School and, with the rank of ensign, was sent to the front of the First World War (1914-1918). Staff Captain tsarist army. Having joined the Red Army during the Civil War of 1918-1920, he commanded a company, battalion, and regiment. In 1937 he graduated from the Military Academy General Staff. From 1940 he served in the General Staff, where he was caught up in the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). In June 1942, he became the Chief of the General Staff, replacing Marshal B. M. Shaposhnikov in this post due to illness. Of the 34 months of his tenure as Chief of the General Staff, A. M. Vasilevsky spent 22 directly at the front (pseudonyms: Mikhailov, Alexandrov, Vladimirov). He was wounded and shell-shocked. Over the course of a year and a half, he rose from major general to Marshal of the Soviet Union (02/19/1943) and, together with Mr. K. Zhukov, became the first holder of the Order of Victory. Under his leadership, the largest operations of the Soviet Armed Forces were developed. A. M. Vasilevsky coordinated the actions of the fronts: in the Battle of Stalingrad (Operation Uranus, Little Saturn), near Kursk (Operation Commander Rumyantsev), during the liberation of Donbass (Operation Don "), in the Crimea and during the capture of Sevastopol, in the battles in Right Bank Ukraine; in the Belarusian Operation Bagration.
After the death of General I.D. Chernyakhovsky, he commanded the 3rd Belorussian Front in the East Prussian operation, which ended with the famous “star” assault on Koenigsberg.
On the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, Soviet commander A. M. Vasilevsky smashed Nazi field marshals and generals F. von Bock, G. Guderian, F. Paulus, E. Manstein, E. Kleist, Eneke, E. von Busch, W. von Model, F. Scherner, von Weichs, etc.
In June 1945, the marshal was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet troops at Far East(pseudonym Vasiliev). For the quick defeat of the Japanese Kwantung Army under General O. Yamada in Manchuria, the commander received a second Gold Star. After the war, from 1946 - Chief of the General Staff; in 1949-1953 - Minister of the Armed Forces of the USSR.
A. M. Vasilevsky is the author of the memoir “The Work of a Whole Life.”
Marshal A. M. Vasilevsky had:
- 2 Gold Stars of the Hero of the Soviet Union (07/29/1944, 09/08/1945),
- 8 Orders of Lenin,
- 2 orders of "Victory" (including No. 2 - 01/10/1944, 04/19/1945),
- order of the October Revolution,
- 2 Orders of the Red Banner,
- Order of Suvorov 1st degree,
- order Red Star,
- Order "For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" 3rd degree,
- a total of 16 orders and 14 medals;
- honorary personal weapon - saber with the golden Coat of Arms of the USSR (1968),
- 28 foreign awards (including 18 foreign orders).
Konev Ivan Stepanovich
16(28).12.1897—27.06.1973 Marshal of the Soviet Union
Born in the Vologda region in the village of Lodeyno in a peasant family. In 1916 he was drafted into the army. Upon completion of the training team, junior non-commissioned officer Art. division is sent to the Southwestern Front. Having joined the Red Army in 1918, he took part in battles against the troops of Admiral Kolchak, Ataman Semenov, and the Japanese. Commissioner of the armored train "Grozny", then brigades, divisions. In 1921 he took part in the storming of Kronstadt. Graduated from the Academy. Frunze (1934), commanded a regiment, division, corps, and the 2nd Separate Red Banner Far Eastern Army (1938-1940).
During the Great Patriotic War he commanded the army and fronts (pseudonyms: Stepin, Kyiv). Participated in the battles of Smolensk and Kalinin (1941), in the battle of Moscow (1941-1942). During the Battle of Kursk, together with the troops of General N.F. Vatutin, he defeated the enemy on the Belgorod-Kharkov bridgehead - a German bastion in Ukraine. On August 5, 1943, Konev’s troops took the city of Belgorod, in honor of which Moscow gave its first fireworks, and on August 24, Kharkov was taken. This was followed by the breakthrough of the “Eastern Wall” on the Dnieper.
In 1944, near Korsun-Shevchenkovsky, the Germans set up “New (small) Stalingrad” - 10 divisions and 1 brigade of General V. Stemmeran, who fell on the battlefield, were surrounded and destroyed. I. S. Konev was awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union (02/20/1944), and on March 26, 1944, the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front were the first to reach the state border. In July-August they defeated the Army Group “Northern Ukraine” of Field Marshal E. von Manstein in the Lvov-Sandomierz operation. The name of Marshal Konev, nicknamed “the forward general,” is associated with brilliant victories at the final stage of the war - in the Vistula-Oder, Berlin and Prague operations. During the Berlin operation, his troops reached the river. Elbe near Torgau and met with the American troops of General O. Bradley (04/25/1945). On May 9, the defeat of Field Marshal Scherner near Prague ended. Highest orders " White Lion"1st class" and the "Czechoslovak War Cross 1939" were awards to the marshal for the liberation of the Czech capital. Moscow saluted the troops of I. S. Konev 57 times.
In the post-war period, the marshal was Commander-in-Chief ground forces(1946-1950; 1955-1956), the first Commander-in-Chief of the United Armed Forces of the Warsaw Pact states (1956-1960).
Marshal I. S. Konev - twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Hero of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (1970), Hero of the Mongolian People's Republic (1971). A bronze bust was installed in his homeland in the village of Lodeyno.
He wrote memoirs: “Forty-fifth” and “Notes of the Front Commander.”
Marshal I. S. Konev had:
- two Gold Stars of the Hero of the Soviet Union (07/29/1944, 06/1/1945),
- 7 Orders of Lenin,
- order of the October Revolution,
- 3 Orders of the Red Banner,
- 2 Orders of Kutuzov 1st degree,
- Order of the Red Star,
- a total of 17 orders and 10 medals;
- honorary personalized weapon - a saber with the Golden Coat of Arms of the USSR (1968),
- 24 foreign awards (including 13 foreign orders).
Govorov Leonid Alexandrovich
10(22).02.1897—19.03.1955 Marshal of the Soviet Union
Born in the village of Butyrki near Vyatka in the family of a peasant, who later became an employee in the city of Elabuga. Student of Petrogradsky Polytechnic Institute L. Govorov in 1916 became a cadet at the Konstantinovsky Artillery School. He began his combat activities in 1918 as an officer in the White Army of Admiral Kolchak.
In 1919, he volunteered to join the Red Army, participated in battles on the Eastern and Southern fronts, commanded an artillery division, and was wounded twice - near Kakhovka and Perekop.
In 1933 he graduated from the Military Academy. Frunze, and then the General Staff Academy (1938). Participated in the war with Finland of 1939-1940.
In the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945), artillery general L.A. Govorov became the commander of the 5th Army, which defended the approaches to Moscow in the central direction. In the spring of 1942, on the instructions of I.V. Stalin, he went to besieged Leningrad, where he soon led the front (pseudonyms: Leonidov, Leonov, Gavrilov). On January 18, 1943, the troops of generals Govorov and Meretskov broke through the blockade of Leningrad (Operation Iskra), delivering a counter-attack near Shlisselburg. A year later they applied new blow, crushing the “Northern Wall” of the Germans, completely lifting the blockade of Leningrad. The German troops of Field Marshal von Küchler suffered huge losses. In June 1944, troops of the Leningrad Front carried out the Vyborg operation, broke through the “Mannerheim Line” and took the city of Vyborg. L.A. Govorov became Marshal of the Soviet Union (06/18/1944). In the fall of 1944, Govorov’s troops liberated Estonia, breaking into the enemy “Panther” defenses.
While remaining commander of the Leningrad Front, the marshal was also the representative of Headquarters in the Baltic States. He was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. In May 1945, the German army group Kurland surrendered to the front forces.
Moscow saluted the troops of commander L. A. Govorov 14 times. In the post-war period, the marshal became the first Commander-in-Chief air defense countries.
Marshal L.A. Govorov had:
- Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union (01/27/1945), 5 Orders of Lenin,
- Order of Victory (05/31/1945),
- 3 Orders of the Red Banner,
- 2 Orders of Suvorov 1st degree,
- Order of Kutuzov 1st degree,
- Order of the Red Star - a total of 13 orders and 7 medals,
- Tuvan "Order of the Republic",
- 3 foreign orders.
Rokossovsky Konstantin Konstantinovich
9(21).12.1896—3.08.1968 Marshal of the Soviet Union,
Marshal of Poland
Born in Velikiye Luki in the family of a railway driver, a Pole, Xavier Jozef Rokossovsky, who soon moved to live in Warsaw. He began his service in 1914 in the Russian army. Participated in the First World War. He fought in a dragoon regiment, was a non-commissioned officer, was wounded twice in battle, was awarded the St. George Cross and 2 medals. Red Guard (1917). During the Civil War, he was again wounded 2 times, fought on the Eastern Front against the troops of Admiral Kolchak and in Transbaikalia against Baron Ungern; commanded a squadron, division, cavalry regiment; awarded 2 Orders of the Red Banner. In 1929 he fought against the Chinese at Jalainor (conflict on the Chinese Eastern Railway). In 1937-1940 was imprisoned as a victim of slander.
During the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) he commanded a mechanized corps, army, and fronts (Pseudonyms: Kostin, Dontsov, Rumyantsev). He distinguished himself in the Battle of Smolensk (1941). Hero of the Battle of Moscow (September 30, 1941—January 8, 1942). He was seriously wounded near Sukhinichi. During the Battle of Stalingrad (1942-1943), Rokossovsky’s Don Front, together with other fronts, was surrounded by 22 enemy divisions with a total number of 330 thousand people (Operation Uranus). At the beginning of 1943, the Don Front eliminated the encircled group of Germans (Operation “Ring”). Field Marshal F. Paulus was captured (3 days of mourning were declared in Germany). IN Battle of Kursk(1943) Rokossovsky’s central front defeated the German troops of General Model (Operation Kutuzov) near Orel, in honor of which Moscow gave its first fireworks (08/5/1943). In the grandiose Belorussian operation (1944), Rokossovsky’s 1st Belorussian Front defeated Field Marshal von Busch’s Army Group Center and, together with the troops of General I. D. Chernyakhovsky, surrounded up to 30 drag divisions in the “Minsk Cauldron” (Operation Bagration) . On June 29, 1944, Rokossovsky was awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union. The highest military orders “Virtuti Militari” and the “Grunwald” cross, 1st class, were awarded to the marshal for the liberation of Poland.
At the final stage of the war, Rokossovsky's 2nd Belorussian Front participated in the East Prussian, Pomeranian and Berlin operations. Moscow saluted the troops of commander Rokossovsky 63 times. On June 24, 1945, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, holder of the Order of Victory, Marshal K. K. Rokossovsky commanded the Victory Parade on Red Square in Moscow. In 1949-1956, K. K. Rokossovsky was the Minister of National Defense of the Polish People's Republic. He was awarded the title of Marshal of Poland (1949). Returning to the Soviet Union, he became the chief inspector of the USSR Ministry of Defense.
Wrote a memoir, A Soldier's Duty.
Marshal K.K. Rokossovsky had:
- 2 Gold Stars of the Hero of the Soviet Union (07/29/1944, 06/1/1945),
- 7 Orders of Lenin,
- Order of Victory (30.03.1945),
- order of the October Revolution,
- 6 Orders of the Red Banner,
- Order of Suvorov 1st degree,
- Order of Kutuzov 1st degree,
- a total of 17 orders and 11 medals;
- honorary weapon - saber with the golden coat of arms of the USSR (1968),
- 13 foreign awards (including 9 foreign orders)
Malinovsky Rodion Yakovlevich
11(23).11.1898—31.03.1967 Marshal of the Soviet Union,
Minister of Defense of the USSR
Born in Odessa, he grew up without a father. In 1914, he volunteered for the front of the 1st World War, where he was seriously wounded and awarded the St. George Cross, 4th degree (1915). In February 1916 he was sent to France as part of the Russian expeditionary force. There he was again wounded and received the French Croix de Guerre. Returning to his homeland, he voluntarily joined the Red Army (1919) and fought against the whites in Siberia. In 1930 he graduated from the Military Academy. M. V. Frunze. In 1937-1938, he volunteered to take part in battles in Spain (under the pseudonym “Malino”) on the side of the republican government, for which he received the Order of the Red Banner.
In the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) he commanded a corps, an army, and a front (pseudonyms: Yakovlev, Rodionov, Morozov). He distinguished himself in the Battle of Stalingrad. Malinovsky’s army, in cooperation with other armies, stopped and then defeated Army Group Don of Field Marshal E. von Manstein, which was trying to relieve Paulus’s group encircled at Stalingrad. The troops of General Malinovsky liberated Rostov and Donbass (1943), participated in the cleansing of Right Bank Ukraine from the enemy; Having defeated the troops of E. von Kleist, they took Odessa on April 10, 1944; together with the troops of General Tolbukhin, they defeated the southern wing of the enemy front, encircling 22 German divisions and the 3rd Romanian army in Iasi-Kishinev operation(20-29.08.1944). During the fighting, Malinovsky was slightly wounded; On September 10, 1944, he was awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union. The troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, Marshal R. Ya. Malinovsky, liberated Romania, Hungary, Austria, and Czechoslovakia. On August 13, 1944, they entered Bucharest, took Budapest by storm (02/13/1945), and liberated Prague (05/9/1945). The marshal was awarded the Order of Victory.
From July 1945, Malinovsky commanded the Transbaikal Front (pseudonym Zakharov), which dealt the main blow to the Japanese Kwantung Army in Manchuria (08/1945). Front troops reached Port Arthur. The marshal received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Moscow saluted the troops of commander Malinovsky 49 times.
On October 15, 1957, Marshal R. Ya. Malinovsky was appointed Minister of Defense of the USSR. He remained in this position until the end of his life.
The Marshal is the author of the books “Soldiers of Russia”, “The Angry Whirlwinds of Spain”; under his leadership, “Iasi-Chisinau Cannes”, “Budapest - Vienna - Prague”, “Final” and other works were written.
Marshal R. Ya. Malinovsky had:
- 2 Gold Stars of the Hero of the Soviet Union (09/08/1945, 11/22/1958),
- 5 Orders of Lenin,
- 3 Orders of the Red Banner,
- 2 Orders of Suvorov 1st degree,
- Order of Kutuzov 1st degree,
- a total of 12 orders and 9 medals;
- as well as 24 foreign awards (including 15 orders of foreign states). In 1964 he was awarded the title of People's Hero of Yugoslavia.
Tolbukhin Fedor Ivanovich
4(16).6.1894—17.10.1949 Marshal of the Soviet Union
Born in the village of Androniki near Yaroslavl in a peasant family. He worked as an accountant in Petrograd. In 1914 he was a private motorcyclist. Having become an officer, he took part in battles with Austro-German troops and was awarded the Anna and Stanislav crosses.
In the Red Army since 1918; fought on the fronts of the Civil War against the troops of General N.N. Yudenich, Poles and Finns. He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
In the post-war period, Tolbukhin worked in staff positions. In 1934 he graduated from the Military Academy. M. V. Frunze. In 1940 he became a general.
During the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) he was the chief of staff of the front, commanded the army and the front. He distinguished himself in the Battle of Stalingrad, commanding the 57th Army. In the spring of 1943, Tolbukhin became commander of the Southern Front, and from October - the 4th Ukrainian Front, from May 1944 until the end of the war - the 3rd Ukrainian Front. General Tolbukhin's troops defeated the enemy at Miussa and Molochnaya and liberated Taganrog and Donbass. In the spring of 1944, they invaded Crimea and took Sevastopol by storm on May 9. In August 1944, together with the troops of R. Ya. Malinovsky, they defeated the army group “Southern Ukraine” of Mr. Frizner in the Iasi-Kishinev operation. On September 12, 1944, F.I. Tolbukhin was awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union.
Tolbukhin's troops liberated Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Hungary and Austria. Moscow saluted Tolbukhin's troops 34 times. At the Victory Parade on June 24, 1945, the marshal led the column of the 3rd Ukrainian Front.
The marshal's health, undermined by the wars, began to fail, and in 1949 F.I. Tolbukhin died at the age of 56. Three days of mourning were declared in Bulgaria; the city of Dobrich was renamed the city of Tolbukhin.
In 1965, Marshal F.I. Tolbukhin was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
People's Hero of Yugoslavia (1944) and "Hero of the People's Republic of Bulgaria" (1979).
Marshal F.I. Tolbukhin had:
- 2 Orders of Lenin,
- Order of Victory (04/26/1945),
- 3 Orders of the Red Banner,
- 2 Orders of Suvorov 1st degree,
- Order of Kutuzov 1st degree,
- Order of the Red Star,
- a total of 10 orders and 9 medals;
- as well as 10 foreign awards (including 5 foreign orders).
Meretskov Kirill Afanasyevich
26.05 (7.06).1897—30.12.1968 Marshal of the Soviet Union
Born in the village of Nazaryevo near Zaraysk, Moscow region, into a peasant family. Before serving in the army, he worked as a mechanic. In the Red Army since 1918. During the Civil War he fought on the Eastern and Southern fronts. He took part in battles in the ranks of the 1st Cavalry against Pilsudski's Poles. He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
In 1921 he graduated from the Military Academy of the Red Army. In 1936-1937, under the pseudonym "Petrovich", he fought in Spain (awarded the Order of Lenin and the Red Banner). During the Soviet-Finnish War (December 1939 - March 1940) he commanded the army that broke through the “Manerheim Line” and took Vyborg, for which he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (1940).
During the Great Patriotic War, he commanded troops in the northern directions (pseudonyms: Afanasyev, Kirillov); was a representative of the Headquarters on the North-Western Front. He commanded the army, the front. In 1941, Meretskov inflicted the first serious defeat of the war on the troops of Field Marshal Leeb near Tikhvin. On January 18, 1943, the troops of generals Govorov and Meretskov, delivering a counter strike near Shlisselburg (Operation Iskra), broke the blockade of Leningrad. On January 20, Novgorod was taken. In February 1944 he became commander of the Karelian Front. In June 1944, Meretskov and Govorov defeated Marshal K. Mannerheim in Karelia. In October 1944, Meretskov's troops defeated the enemy in the Arctic near Pechenga (Petsamo). On October 26, 1944, K. A. Meretskov received the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union, and from the Norwegian King Haakon VII the Grand Cross of St. Olaf.
In the spring of 1945, the “cunning Yaroslavets” (as Stalin called him) under the name of “General Maksimov” was sent to the Far East. In August - September 1945, his troops took part in the defeat of the Kwantung Army, breaking into Manchuria from Primorye and liberating areas of China and Korea.
Moscow saluted the troops of commander Meretskov 10 times.
Marshal K. A. Meretskov had:
- Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union (03/21/1940), 7 Orders of Lenin,
- Order of Victory (8.09.1945),
- order of the October Revolution,
- 4 Orders of the Red Banner,
- 2 Orders of Suvorov 1st degree,
- Order of Kutuzov 1st degree,
- 10 medals;
- an honorary weapon - a saber with the Golden Coat of Arms of the USSR, as well as 4 highest foreign orders and 3 medals.
The creator of victory in the Great Patriotic War was the Soviet people. But to implement his efforts, to defend the Fatherland on the battlefields, it was necessary high level the military art of the Armed Forces, which was supported by the leadership talent of military leaders.
The operations carried out by our military leaders in the last war are now being studied in all military academies around the world. And if we talk about assessing their courage and talent, here is one of them, short but expressive: “As a soldier who observed the campaign of the Red Army, I was filled with the deepest admiration for the skill of its leaders.” This was said by Dwight Eisenhower, a man who understood the art of war.
The harsh school of war selected and assigned the most outstanding commanders to the positions of front commanders by the end of the war.
The main features of military leadership talent Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov(1896-1974) - creativity, innovation, ability to make decisions unexpected for the enemy. He was also distinguished by his deep intelligence and insight. According to Machiavelli, “nothing makes a great commander like the ability to penetrate the enemy’s plans.” This ability of Zhukov played a particularly important role in the defense of Leningrad and Moscow, when, with extremely limited forces, only through good reconnaissance and foreseeing possible directions of enemy attacks, he was able to collect almost all available means and repel enemy attacks.
Another outstanding military leader strategic plan was Alexander Mikhailovich Vasilevsky(1895-1977). Being the chief of the General Staff for 34 months during the war, A. M. Vasilevsky was in Moscow for only 12 months, at the General Staff, and was at the fronts for 22 months. G.K. Zhukov and A.M. Vasilevsky had developed strategic thinking and a deep understanding of the situation. It was this circumstance that led to the same assessment of the situation and the development of far-sighted and informed decisions on the counter-offensive operation at Stalingrad, to the transition to strategic defense on the Kursk Bulge and in a number of other cases .
An invaluable quality of Soviet commanders was their ability to take reasonable risks. This trait of military leadership was noted, for example, among Marshal Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky(1896-1968). One of the remarkable pages of the military leadership of K. K. Rokossovsky is the Belarusian operation, in which he commanded the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front.
An important feature of military leadership is intuition, which makes it possible to achieve surprise in a strike. Possessed this rare quality Konev Ivan Stepanovich(1897-1973). His talent as a commander was most convincingly and clearly demonstrated in offensive operations, during which many brilliant victories were won. At the same time, he always tried not to get involved in protracted battles in big cities and forced the enemy to leave the city with roundabout maneuvers. This allowed him to reduce the losses of his troops and prevent great destruction and casualties among the civilian population.
If I. S. Konev showed his best leadership qualities in offensive operations, then Andrey Ivanovich Eremenko(1892-1970) - in defensive.
A characteristic feature of a true commander is the originality of his plans and actions, his departure from the template, stratagem what he succeeded in great commander A. V. Suvorov. distinguished by these qualities Malinovsky Rodion Yakovlevich(1898-1967). Throughout almost the entire war, a remarkable feature of his military leadership talent was that in the plan of each operation he included some unexpected method of action for the enemy, and was able to the whole system well-thought-out measures to mislead the enemy.
Having experienced the full wrath of Stalin in the first days of the terrible failures at the fronts, Timoshenko Semyon Konstantinovich asked to be directed to the most dangerous area. Subsequently, the marshal commanded strategic directions and fronts. Under his command, heavy defensive battles took place on the territory of Belarus in July - August 1941. His name is associated with the heroic defense of Mogilev and Gomel, counterattacks near Vitebsk and Bobruisk. Under the leadership of Tymoshenko, the largest and most stubborn battle of the first months of the war unfolded - Smolensk. In July 1941, Western troops under the command of Marshal Timoshenko stopped the advance of Army Group Center.
Troops under the command of a marshal Ivan Khristoforovich Bagramyan actively participated in the defeat of the Germans - fascist troops on the Kursk Bulge, in the Belarusian, Baltic, East Prussian and other operations and in the capture of the Konigsberg fortress.
During the Great Patriotic War Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov commanded the 62nd (8th Guards) Army, which is forever inscribed in the chronicle of the heroic defense of the city of Stalingrad. Commander Chuikov introduced a new tactics - tactics close combat. In Berlin, V.I. Chuikov was called: “General - Sturm”. After the victory in Stalingrad, the following operations were successfully carried out: Zaporozhye, crossing the Dnieper, Nikopol, Odessa, Lublin, crossing the Vistula, Poznan Citadel, Küstrin Fortress, Berlin, etc.
The youngest commander of the fronts of the Great Patriotic War was an army general Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky. Chernyakhovsky’s troops took part in the liberation of Voronezh, Kursk, Zhitomir, Vitebsk, Orsha, Vilnius, Kaunas, and other cities, distinguished themselves in the battles for Kyiv, Minsk, were among the first to reach the border with Nazi Germany, and then defeated the Nazis in East Prussia.
During the Great Patriotic War Kirill Afanasyevich Meretskov commanded the troops of the northern directions. In 1941, Meretskov inflicted the first serious defeat of the war on the troops of Field Marshal Leeb near Tikhvin. On January 18, 1943, the troops of generals Govorov and Meretskov, delivering a counter strike near Shlisselburg (Operation Iskra), broke the blockade of Leningrad. In June 1944, under their command, Marshal K. Mannerheim was defeated in Karelia. In October 1944, Meretskov's troops defeated the enemy in the Arctic near Pechenga (Petsamo). In the spring of 1945, the “cunning Yaroslavets” (as Stalin called him) under the name of “General Maksimov” was sent to the Far East. In August-September 1945, his troops took part in the defeat of the Kwantung Army, breaking into Manchuria from Primorye and liberating areas of China and Korea.
Thus, during the Great Patriotic War, many remarkable leadership qualities were revealed among our military leaders, which made it possible to ensure the superiority of their military art over the military art of the Nazis.
In the books and magazine articles suggested below, you can learn more about these and other outstanding commanders of the Great Patriotic War, the creators of its Victory.
References
1. Alexandrov, A. The general was buried twice [Text] / A. Alexandrov // Echo of the Planet. - 2004. - N 18/19 . - P. 28 - 29.
Biography of Army General Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky.
2. Astrakhansky, V. What Marshal Bagramyan read [Text] / V. Astrakhansky // Library. - 2004. - N 5.- P. 68-69
What literature interested Ivan Khristoforovich Bagramyan, what was his reading range, his personal library - another touch in the portrait of the famous hero.
3. Borzunov, Semyon Mikhailovich. The formation of commander G. K. Zhukov [Text] / S. M. Borzunov // Military History Journal. - 2006. - N 11. - P. 78
4. Bushin, Vladimir. For the Motherland! For Stalin! [Text] / Vladimir Bushin. - M.: EKSMO: Algorithm, 2004. - 591 p.
5. In memory of Marshal of Victory [Text]: on the 110th anniversary of the birth of Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov // Military Historical Journal. - 2006. - N 11. - P. 1
6. Gareev, M. A.“The name... of the commander of commanders will shine in the conduct of war by mass armies” [Text]: on the 60th anniversary of the Victory: Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov / M.A. Gareev // Military Historical Journal. - 2003. - N5. -C.2-8.
The article talks about the outstanding Russian commander Marshal of the USSR G.K. Zhukov.
7. Gassiev, V. I. He could not only make a quick and necessary decision, but also be in a timely manner where this decision was carried out [Text] / V. I. Gassiev // Military Historical Journal. - 2003. - N 11. - pp. 26-29
The essay, dedicated to a prominent and talented military leader, contains fragments of the memories of those who fought side by side with I. A. Pliev during the Great Patriotic War.
8. Twice a hero, twice a marshal[Text]: to the 110th anniversary of the birth of Marshal of the Soviet Union K.K. Rokossovsky / material prepared by. A. N. Chabanova // Military History Journal. - 2006. - N 11. - P. 2nd p. region
9. Zhukov G.K. At any cost! [Text] / G. K. Zhukov // Motherland. - 2003. - N2.- P.18
10. Ionov, P. P. Military glory of the Fatherland [Text]: book. for reading on "History of Russia" for Art. class general education school, Suvorov. and Nakhimov. schools and cadets. buildings / P. P. Ionov; Scientific research "RAU-Unit" company. - M.: RAU-University, 2003 - Book. 5: The Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945: (military history of Russia in the 20th century). - 2003. - 527 p.11.
11. Isaev, Alexey. Our " atomic bomb"[Text]: Berlin: Zhukov’s biggest victory?/Alexey Isaev // Motherland. - 2008. - N 5. - 57-62
Berlin operation of Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov.
12. Kolpakov, A. V. In memory of the marshal-military leader and quartermaster [Text]/ A.V. Kolpakov // Military History Journal. - 2006. - N 6. - P. 64
About Karpov V.V. and Bagramyan I.Kh.
13. Commanders of the Great Patriotic War war [Text]: review of the editorial mail of the "Military Historical Journal" // Military Historical Journal. - 2006. - N 5. - P. 26-30
14. Kormiltsev N.V. The collapse of the Wehrmacht offensive strategy [Text]: on the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Kursk / N.V. Kormiltsev // Military Historical Journal. - 2003. - N 8. - P. 2-5
Vasilevsky, A. M., Zhukov, G. K.
15. Korobushin, V.V. Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov: “General Govorov... has established himself... as a strong-willed, energetic commander” [Text] / V.V. Korobushin // Military Historical Journal. - 2005. - N 4. - P. 18-23
16. Kulakov, A. N. The duty and glory of Marshal G.K. Zhukov [Text] / A.N. Kulakov // Military History Journal. - 2007. - N 9. - P. 78-79.
17. Lebedev I. Order of Victory in the Eisenhower Museum // Echo of the Planet. - 2005. - N 13. - P. 33
On mutual rewarding by higher state awards during the Second World War, major military leaders of the victorious countries.
18. Lubchenkov, Yuri Nikolaevich. The most famous generals Russia [Text] / Yuri Nikolaevich Lubchenkov - M.: Veche, 2000. - 638 p.
Yuri Lubchenkov's book "The Most Famous Commanders of Russia" ends with the names of the marshals of the Great Patriotic War Zhukov, Rokossovsky, Konev.
19. Maganov V. N.“This was one of our most capable chiefs of staff” [Text] / V.N. Maganov, V.T. Iminov // Military Historical Journal. - 2002. - N12 .- pp. 2-8
The activities of the chief of staff of the association, his role in the organization of military operations and command and control of the troops of Colonel General Leonid Mikhailovich Sandalov are considered.
20. Makar I. P.“By going over to a general offensive, we will finally finish off the main enemy group” [Text]: to the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Kursk / I. P. Makar // Military Historical Journal. - 2003. - N 7. - pp. 10-15
Vatutin N. F., Vasilevsky A. M., Zhukov G. K.
21. Malashenko E. I. Six fronts of the marshal [Text] / E. I. Malashenko // Military history magazine. - 2003. - N 10. - P. 2-8
About Marshal of the Soviet Union Ivan Stepanovich Konev - a man of difficult but amazing fate, one of the outstanding commanders of the 20th century.
22. Malashenko E. I. Warrior of the Vyatka Land [Text] / E. I. Malashenko // Military history magazine. - 2001. - N8 .- P.77
About Marshal I. S. Konev.
23. Malashenko, E. I. Commanders of the Great Patriotic War [Text] / E. I. Malashenko // Military History Journal. - 2005. - N 1. - P. 13-17
A study about the commanders of the Great Patriotic War, who played an important role in leading the troops.
24. Malashenko, E. I. Commanders of the Great Patriotic War [Text] / E. I. Malashenko // Military History Journal. - 2005. - N 2. - P. 9-16. - Continuation. Beginning No. 1, 2005.
25. Malashenko, E. I. Commanders of the Great Patriotic War [Text]; E. I. Malashenko // Military History Journal. - 2005. - N 3. - P. 19-26
26. Malashenko, E. I. Commanders of the Great Patriotic War [Text]; E. I. Malashenko // Military History Journal. - 2005. - N 4. - P. 9-17. - Continuation. Start NN 1-3.
27. Malashenko, E. I. Commanders of the Great Patriotic War [Text]: commanders of tank forces / E. I. Malashenko // Military History Journal. - 2005. - N 6. - P. 21-25
28. Malashenko, E. I. Commanders of the Great Patriotic War [Text] / E. I. Malashenko // Military History Journal. - 2005. - N 5. - P. 15-25
29. Maslov, A. F. I. Kh. Bagramyan: “...We must, we definitely must attack” [Text] / A. F. Maslov // Military History Journal. - 2005. - N 12. - P. 3-8
Biography of Marshal of the Soviet Union Ivan Khristoforovich Bagramyan.
30. Artillery Strike Master[Text] / prepared material. R.I. Parfenov // Military History Journal. - 2007. - N 4. - S. 2nd from the region.
To the 110th anniversary of the birth of Marshal of Artillery V.I. Kazakov. Brief biography
31. Mertsalov A. Stalinism and war [Text] / A. Mertsalov // Motherland. - 2003. - N2 .- P.15-17
Stalin's leadership during the Great Patriotic War. Place of Zhukov G.K. in the leadership system.
32. "We are in vain now We’re fighting” [Text] // Motherland. - 2005. - N 4. - P. 88-97
Recording of a conversation between military leaders and political workers that took place on January 17, 1945 with General A. A. Epishev. The question of the possibility of ending the Great Patriotic War earlier was discussed. (Bagramyan, I. K., Zakharov, M. V., Konev, I. S., Moskalenko, K. S., Rokossovsky, K. K., Chuikov, V. I., Rotmistrov, P. A., Batitsky, P. F., Efimov, P. I., Egorov, N. V., etc.)
33. Nikolaev, I. General [Text] / I. Nikolaev // Zvezda. - 2006. - N 2. - P. 105-147
About General Alexander Vasilyevich Gorbatov, whose life was inextricably linked with the army.
34. Order "Victory"[Text] // Motherland. - 2005. - N 4. - P. 129
On the establishment of the Order of "Victory" and the military leaders awarded to it (Zhukov, G.K., Vasilevsky A.M., Stalin I.V., Rokossovsky K.K., Konev, I.S., Malinovsky R.Ya., Tolbukhin F.I., Govorov L.A., Timoshenko S.K., Antonov A.I., Meretskov, K.A.)
35. Ostrovsky, A. V. Lvov-Sandomierz operation [Text] / A. V. Ostrovsky // Military History Journal. - 2003. - N 7. - P. 63
About the Lviv-Sandomierz operation of 1944 on the 1st Ukrainian Front, Marshal I. S. Konev.
36. Petrenko, V. M. Marshal of the Soviet Union K.K. Rokossovsky: “The front commander and the ordinary soldier at times have the same influence on success...” [Text] / V.M. Petrenko // Military Historical Journal. - 2005. - N 7. - P. 19-23
About one of the most prominent Soviet commanders - Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky.
37. Petrenko, V. M. Marshal of the Soviet Union K.K. Rokossovsky: “The front commander and the ordinary soldier at times have the same influence on success...” [Text] / V.M. Petrenko // Military Historical Journal. - 2005. - N 5. - P. 10-14
38. Pechenkin A. A. Front commanders of 1943 [Text] / Pechenkin A. A. // Military history magazine. - 2003. - N 10 . - pp. 9 -16
Military leaders of the Great Patriotic War: Bagramyan I. Kh., Vatutin N. F., Govorov L. A., Eremenko A. I., Konev I. S., Malinovsky R. Ya., Meretskov K. A., Rokossovsky K. K., Timoshenko S.K., Tolbukhin F.I.
39. Pechenkin A. A. Commanders of the fronts of 1941 [Text] / A. A. Pechenkin // Military History Journal. - 2001. - N6 .- P.3-13
The article talks about the generals and marshals who commanded the fronts from June 22 to December 31, 1941. These are Marshals of the Soviet Union S. M. Budyonny, K. E. Voroshilov, S. K. Timoshenko, Army Generals I. R. Apanasenko, G. K. Zhukov, K. A. Meretskov, D. G. Pavlov, I. V. Tyulenev, Colonel General A. I. Eremenko, M. P. Kirponos, I. S. Konev, F. I. Kuznetsov, Ya. T. Cherevichenko, Lieutenant General P. A. Artemyev, I. A. Bogdanov, M. G. Efremov, M. P. Kovalev, D. T. Kozlov, F. Ya. Kostenko, P. A. Kurochkin, R. Ya. Malinovsky, M. M. Popov, D. I. Ryabyshev, V. A. Frolov, M. S. Khozin, Major Generals G. F. Zakharov, P. P. Sobennikov and I. I. Fedyuninsky.
40. Pechenkin A. A. Front commanders of 1942 [Text] / A. A. Pechenkin // Military History Journal. - 2002. - N11 .- pp. 66-75
The article is dedicated to the commanders of the fronts of the Red Army in 1942. The author provides a complete list of military leaders in 1942 (Vatutin, Govorov, Golikov Gordov, Rokossovsky, Chibisov).
41. Pechenkin, A. A. They gave their lives for the Motherland [Text] / A. A. Pechenkin // Military History Journal. - 2005. - N 5. - P. 39-43
About the losses of Soviet generals and admirals during the Great Patriotic War.
42. Pechenkin, A. A. Creators of the Great Victory [Text] / A. A. Pechenkin // Military History Journal. - 2007. - N 1. - P. 76
43. Pechenkin, A. A. Front commanders of 1944 [Text] / A. A. Pechenkin // Military History Journal. - 2005. - N 10. - P. 9-14
About the actions of the military leaders of the Red Army in offensive operations against the German invaders in 1944.
44. Pechenkin, A. A. Front commanders of 1944 [Text] / A. A. Pechenkin // Military History Journal. - 2005. - N 11. - P. 17-22
45. Popelov, L. I. The tragic fate of Army Commander V. A. Khomenko [Text] / L. I. Popelov // Military History Journal. - 2007. - N 1. - P. 10
About the fate of the commander of the Great Patriotic War Vasily Afanasyevich Khomenko.
46. Popova S. S. Military awards of Marshal of the Soviet Union R. Ya. Malinovsky [Text] / S. S. Popov // Military History Journal. - 2004. - N 5.- P. 31
47. Rokossovsky, Konstantin Konstantinovich Soldier's duty [Text] / K. K. Rokossovsky. - M.: Voenizdat, 1988. - 366 p.
48. Rubtsov Yu. V. G.K. Zhukov: “I will take any instruction... for granted” [Text] / Yu. V. Rubtsov // Military History Journal. - 2001. - N12. - pp. 54-60
49. Rubtsov Yu. V. About the fate of Marshal G.K. Zhukov - the language of documents [Text] / Yu. V. Rubtsov // Military-historical journal. - 2002. - N6. - pp. 77-78
50. Rubtsov, Yu. V. Marshals of Stalin [Text] / Yu. V. Rubtsov. - Rostov - n/a: Phoenix, 2002. - 351 p.
51. Russian military leaders A.V. Suvorov, M.I. Kutuzov, P.S. Nakhimov, G.K. Zhukov[Text]. - M.: WRIGHT, 1996. - 127 p.
52. Skorodumov, V. F. About Marshal Chuikov and Zhukov’s Bonapartism [Text] / V.F. Skorodumov // Neva. - 2006. - N 7. - P. 205-224
Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov served as commander-in-chief of the ground forces for a relatively short time. It must be assumed that his irreconcilable character did not suit the court in the highest spheres.
53. Smirnov, D. S. Life for the Motherland [Text] / D. S. Smirnov // Military History Journal. - 2008. - N 12. - P. 37-39
New information about the generals who died during the Great Patriotic War.
54. Sokolov, B. Stalin and his marshals [Text] / B. Sokolov // Knowledge is power. - 2004. - N 12. - P. 52-60
55. Sokolov, B. When was Rokossovsky born? [Text]: touches to the portrait of the marshal / B. Sokolov // Motherland. - 2009. - N 5. - P. 14-16
56. Spikhina, O. R. Master of Environments [Text] / O. R. Spikhina // Military History Journal. - 2007. - N 6. - P. 13
Konev, Ivan Stepanovich (Marshal of the Soviet Union)
57. Suvorov, Victor. Suicide: Why Hitler attacked the Soviet Union [Text] / V. Suvorov. - M.: AST, 2003. - 379 p.
58. Suvorov, Victor. Shadow of Victory [Text] / V. Suvorov. - Donetsk: Stalker, 2003. - 381 p.
59. Tarasov M. Ya. Seven January days [Text]: to the 60th anniversary of the breaking of the siege of Leningrad / M. Ya. Tarasov // Military History Journal. - 2003. - N1. - pp. 38-46
Zhukov G. K., Govorov L. A., Meretskov K. A., Dukhanov M. P., Romanovsky V. Z.
60. Tyushkevich, S. A. Chronicle of the commander’s feat [Text] / S. A. Tyushkevich // Domestic history. - 2006. - N 3. - P. 179-181
Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich.
61. Filimonov, A. V.“Special folder” for division commander K.K. Rokossovsky [Text] / A.V. Filimonov // Military History Journal. - 2006. - N 9. - P. 12-15
ABOUT little-known pages life of Marshal of the Soviet Union K.K. Rokossovsky.
62. Chuikov, V. I. Banner of victory over Berlin [Text] / V. I. Chuikov // Free Thought. - 2009. - N 5 (1600). - pp. 166-172
Rokossovsky K. K., Zhukov G. K., Konev I. S.
63. Shchukin, V. Marshal of the Northern Directions [Text] / V. Shchukin // Warrior of Russia. - 2006. - N 2. - P. 102-108
The military career of one of the most outstanding commanders of the Great Patriotic War, Marshal K. A. Meretsky.
64. Ekshtut S. Admiral and Master [Text] / S. Ekshtut // Motherland. - 2004. - N 7. - pp. 80-85
About Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov.
65. Ekshtut S. Debut of a commander [Text] / S. Ekshtut // Motherland. - 2004. - N 6 - P. 16-19
The history of the Battle of the Khalkhin Gol River in 1939, the biography of commander Georgy Zhukov.
66. Erlikhman, V. The commander and his shadow: Marshal Zhukov in the mirror of history [Text] / V. Erlikhman // Motherland. - 2005. - N 12. - P. 95-99
About the fate of Marshal Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov.
Marshal of the Soviet Union, four times Hero of the Soviet Union, awarded two Orders of Victory. Participant civil war, participated in the defeat of the kulak-SR revolt in the Tambov province as commander of a cavalry squadron. Participant in battles in the Mongolian People's Republic on the river. Khalkhin Gol in 1939 as commander of a Soviet army group of forces that defeated Japanese troops invading the territory of the Mongolian People's Republic. He was the commander of the Kyiv Special Military District. He began the Great Patriotic War with the rank of army general as chief of the General Staff. He was a member of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command.From August 1941, he commanded the troops of the Reserve, Leningrad, and Western Fronts. In 1942, he was appointed Deputy Supreme Commander-in-Chief and 1st Deputy People's Commissar of Defense. In 1944-1945 he commanded the 1st Ukrainian and 1st Belorussian fronts. On behalf of the Supreme Commander, he signed the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany. Hosted the Victory Parade in Moscow on June 24, 1945. He made a huge contribution to the organization and conduct of a number of outstanding battles and operations of the Great Patriotic War.
After the war, Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov was the commander-in-chief of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. Since March 1946 - Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces and Deputy Minister of the Armed Forces of the USSR. From August 1946 until March 1953, he commanded the troops of the Odessa and Ural military districts. From March 1953 - 1st Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR, and from February 1955 - Minister of Defense of the USSR until October 1957.
Awards: Hero of the Mongolian People's Republic, 6 Orders of Lenin, Order of the October Revolution, 3 Orders of the Red Banner, 2 Orders of Suvorov 1st degree, Order of the Tuvan Republic, many medals of the Soviet Union, orders of foreign countries. Awarded the Arms of Honor. A monument to the great commander was erected in the city of Moscow.
Vasilevsky Alexander Mikhailovich (1895 - 1977)
Marshal of the Soviet Union, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, awarded two Orders of Victory. Participant in the Civil War as an assistant regiment commander. He graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR in 1937. Since May 1940 - Deputy Chief of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Red Army.In June 1941 - major general. Since August 1941 - Deputy Chief of the General Staff and Head of the Operations Directorate of the General Staff. Since June 1942 - Chief of the General Staff of the Soviet Armed Forces. At the same time, from October 1942 - Deputy People's Commissar of Defense.
He was directly involved in the planning and conduct of a number of outstanding battles and operations of the Great Patriotic War ( Battle of Stalingrad, Battle of Kursk, operations to liberate Donbass, Crimea, Belarus). Since February 1945 - commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front and member of the Supreme Command Headquarters. Since June 1945, he was appointed commander-in-chief of Soviet troops in the Far East. Under his leadership, the Manchurian strategic offensive operation to defeat the Kwantung Army was planned and successfully carried out (August 9 - September 2, 1945).
After the war - Chief of the General Staff and First Deputy Minister of the Armed Forces of the USSR. In 1949-1953 - Minister of the Armed Forces of the USSR. Since March 1953 - 1st Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR. Since 1959 - in the Group of Inspectors General of the USSR Ministry of Defense. He was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (Council of Nationalities) from 1946 to 1958 in the Voronezh electoral district, which included the city of Tambov and the region. Came to Tambov to meet with voters.
Awards: 8 Orders of Lenin, Order of the October Revolution, 2 Orders of the Red Banner, Order of Suvorov 1st degree, Order of the Red Star, Order "For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces", many medals of the Soviet Union, orders of foreign countries. Awarded the Arms of Honor.
Konev Ivan Stepanovich (1897 - 1973)
Marshal of the Soviet Union, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Hero of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the Mongolian People's Republic, awarded the Order of Victory. A participant in the Civil War, he was a commissar of a brigade, division, and headquarters of the People's Revolutionary Army of the Far Eastern Republic. Graduated from the Military Academy. M.V. Frunze. Commanded a number of military districts.He began the Great Patriotic War with the rank of lieutenant general as commander of the 19th Army. Commanded the troops of the Western, Kalinin, North-Western, Steppe, 2nd and 1st Ukrainian Fronts. Troops under the command of Konev successfully operated in the Battle of Smolensk, the Battle of Moscow and Kursk, in the crossing of the Dnieper, and distinguished themselves in the Kirovograd, Korsun-Shevchenko, Uman-Batashan, Lvov-Sandomierz, Vistula-Oder, Berlin and Prague operations. Participant in the Victory Parade in Moscow on June 24, 1945.
After the war - Commander-in-Chief of the Central Group of Forces, from 1946 to 1950 - Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces and Deputy Minister of the USSR Armed Forces. From 1950 to 1951 - chief inspector Soviet Army and Deputy Secretary of Defense. From 1951 to 1955 - commander of the troops of the Carpathian Military District. From 1955 to 1956 - 1st Deputy Minister of Defense and Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces. From 1956 to 1960 - Deputy Minister of Defense and at the same time from 1955 - Commander-in-Chief of the United Armed Forces of the Warsaw Pact states, from 1961 to 1962 - Commander-in-Chief of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. Since April 1962 - in the Group of Inspectors General of the USSR Ministry of Defense.
Awards: 7 Orders of Lenin, Order of the October Revolution, 3 Orders of the Red Banner, 2 Orders of Suvorov 1st degree, Order of the Red Star, many medals of the Soviet Union, orders of foreign states.
Rokossovsky Konstantin Konstantinovich (1896 - 1968)
Marshal of the Soviet Union, twice Hero of the Soviet Union. Awarded the Order of Victory, commanded the Victory Parade in Moscow on June 24, 1945. Participant in the Civil War. He commanded a squadron, division and regiment. For courage and courage shown in battles, he was awarded two Orders of the Red Banner. After the war, he was the commander of the 5th Cavalry Brigade, which took part in battles with the White Chinese on the Chinese Eastern Railway in 1929. For these battles he was awarded the third Order of the Red Banner. Since 1930 he commanded cavalry divisions and corps.K.K. Rokossovsky met the Great Patriotic War with the rank of major general as commander of the 9th mechanized corps on the Southwestern Front. From mid-July 1941 he commanded the 16th Army of the Western Front, from July 1942 - the troops of the Bryansk Front, and from September 1942 - the troops of the Don Front. From February 1943 he commanded the troops of the Central Front, and from October - the Belorussian Front. From February 1944 - by the troops of the 1st, and from November - by the 2nd Belorussian Fronts.
Troops under the command of K.K. Rokossovsky distinguished himself in the Battle of Smolensk, in the Battle of Moscow, in the Battles of Stalingrad and Kursk, in the Belarusian, East Prussian, East Pomeranian and Berlin operations. In all these battles, K.K. Rokossovsky showed a bright, original talent as a commander. His operation during the liberation of Belarus (code name “Bagration”) was especially original.
After the Great Patriotic War, Marshal of the Soviet Union K.K. Rokossovsky commanded the Northern Group of Soviet Forces. In October 1949, at the request of the Polish People's Government, he was appointed Minister of National Defense of the People's Republic of Poland. He was awarded the title of Marshal of Poland. In 1956, after returning to the USSR, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR. Since 1957 - Chief Inspector, Deputy Minister of Defense. Since October 1957, Rokossovsky has been the commander of the troops of the Transcaucasian Military District. From 1958 to 1962 - Deputy Minister and Chief Inspector of the USSR Ministry of Defense. Since April 1962 - Inspector General of the USSR Ministry of Defense.
Awards: 7 Orders of Lenin, Order of the October Revolution, 6 Orders of the Red Banner, Orders of Suvorov and Kutuzov 1st degree, many medals of the Soviet Union, orders of foreign states. Awarded the Arms of Honor.
Meretskov Kirill Afanasvich (1897 - 1968)
Marshal of the Soviet Union, Hero of the Soviet Union, awarded the Order of Victory. Civil War participant, assistant division chief of staff. Graduated from the Academy of the Red Army in 1921. In May 1937 - Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army. Since September 1938 - Commander of the Volga Military District. Since 1939 - Commander of the Leningrad Military District. He was a Soviet internationalist volunteer in Spain. Participant in the fighting on the Karelian Isthmus during the military conflict with the White Finns. Since August 1940 - Chief of the General Staff. From January to September 1941 - Deputy People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR.At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, with the rank of army general, he was a representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief on the North-Western and Karelian fronts. From September 1941 he commanded the troops of the 7th and from November 1941 - the 4th armies. From December 1941 he commanded the troops of the Volkhov Front. From May 1942 he commanded the troops of the 33rd Army, from June 1942 - again the troops of the Volkhov Front, and from February 1944 - the Karelian Front.
Since the spring of 1945 - commander of the Primorsky Group of Forces in the Far East, in August-September 1945 - troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front. Troops under the command of K.A. Meretskov successfully acted, defending Leningrad, liberating Karelia and the Arctic, and successfully carried out an offensive operation in the Far East, Eastern Manchuria and North Korea. After the war, he commanded the troops of the Primorsky, Moscow, White Sea and Northern military districts. From 1955 to 1964 - Assistant Secretary of Defense for Higher Military Educational Institutions. Since 1964, he was a member of the Group of Inspectors General of the USSR Ministry of Defense.
Awards: 7 Orders of Lenin, Order of the October Revolution, 4 Orders of the Red Banner, 2 Orders of Suvorov 1st degree, Order of Kutuzov 1st degree, many medals of the Soviet Union.
Govorov Leonid Alexandrovich (1897 - 1955)
Marshal of the Soviet Union, Hero of the Soviet Union, awarded the Order of Victory. Participant in the Civil War. Graduated from the Military Academy. M.V. Frunze, and in 1938 - the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR. Participant in the battles with the White Finns from 1939 to 1940 as chief of staff of the artillery of the 7th Army. In 1940 he was appointed Deputy Inspector General of Artillery of the Red Army. In May 1941, he was appointed head of the Military Artillery Academy.In 1941, he was appointed chief of artillery of the Western direction, then chief of artillery of the Reserve Front, chief of artillery of the Western Front. From October 18, 1941, he commanded the troops of the 5th Army, which held the defense on the near approaches to Moscow in the Mozhaisk direction. Skillfully controlled army troops during the period of defense and counter-offensive. He established himself as a strong-willed commander with a deep understanding of combined arms combat tactics.
In April 1942, he was appointed commander of a group of troops of the Leningrad Front, and in June - commander of the troops of the Leningrad Front. Troops under the command of L.A. Govorova successfully participated in defensive battles and in breaking the siege of Leningrad. After the blockade of Leningrad was lifted, front troops carried out a number of successful offensive operations: Vyborg, Tallinn, Moonsund landing and others. Remaining the commander of the troops of his front, he successfully coordinated the combat operations of the troops of the 2nd and 3rd Baltic fronts.
After the war, Marshal of the Soviet Union L.A. Govorov commanded the troops of the Leningrad Military District, was the chief inspector of the ground forces, and the chief inspector of the Armed Forces of the USSR. From 1948 to 1952 he commanded the country's air defense forces, and since 1950 he was simultaneously the deputy minister of defense. Awards: 5 Orders of Lenin, 3 Orders of the Red Banner, 2 Orders of Suvorov 1st degree, Order of Kutuzov 1st degree, Order of the Red Star and many medals of the Soviet Union.
Malinovsky Rodion Yakovlevich (1898 - 1967)
Marshal of the Soviet Union, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, awarded the Order of Victory, People's Hero of Yugoslavia. Participant of the 1st World War. He was in France as part of the Russian expeditionary force. Participant in the Civil War. Was a machine gunner of the 27th rifle division. After graduating from the junior military school, he commanded a machine gun crew of a regiment and was a battalion commander. Since 1930 - chief of staff of a cavalry regiment, then served in the headquarters of the North Caucasus and Belarusian military districts. From 1937 to 1938, a Soviet internationalist volunteer participated in the Spanish Civil War. For his distinction in these battles he was awarded the Orders of Lenin and the Red Banner. Since 1939 - teacher at the Military Academy. M.V. Frunze. Since March 1941 - commander of the 48th Rifle Corps in the south of the country (Moldavian SSR).He began the Great Patriotic War on the border along the Prut River, where his corps held back attempts by Romanian and German units to cross to our side. In August 1941 - commander of the 6th Army. From December 1941 he commanded the troops of the Southern Front. From August to October 1942 - by troops of the 66th Army, which fought north of Stalingrad. In October-November - Deputy Commander of the Voronezh Front. From November 1942 he commanded the 2nd guards army, which was formed in the Tambov region. In December 1942, this army stopped and defeated the fascist strike group that was going to release the Stalingrad group of Field Marshal Paulus (Army Group "DON" of Field Marshal Manstein).
Since February 1943, R.Ya. Malinovsky commanded the troops of the Southern, and from March of the same year - the Southwestern Front. Front troops under his command liberated Donbass and Right Bank Ukraine. In the spring of 1944, troops under the command of R.Ya. Malinovsky was liberated by the cities of Nikolaev and Odessa. Since May 1944 RL. Malinovsky commanded the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front. At the end of August, the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, together with the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, carried out an important strategic operation - Iasi-Kishinev. This is one of the outstanding operations of the Great Patriotic War. In the autumn of 1944 - spring of 1945, troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front carried out the Debrecen, Budapest and Vienna operations, defeating fascist troops in Hungary, Austria and Czechoslovakia. Since July 1945, R.Ya. Malinovsky commanded the troops of the Transbaikal District and participated in the defeat of the Japanese Kwantung Army. After the Great Patriotic War from 1945 to 1947, Marshal of the Soviet Union R.Ya. Malinovsky commanded the troops of the Transbaikal-Amur Military District. From 1947 to 1953 - commander of the Far East troops, from 1953 to 1956 - commander of the Far Eastern Military District.
In March 1956, he was appointed 1st Deputy Minister of Defense and Commander of the USSR Ground Forces. From 1957 to 1967 R.Ya. Malinovsky served as Minister of Defense of the USSR. Awards: 5 Orders of Lenin, 3 Orders of the Red Banner, 2 Orders of Suvorov 1st degree, Order of Kutuzov 1st degree and many medals of the Soviet Union.
Tolbukhin Fedor Ivanovich (1894 - 1949)
Marshal of the Soviet Union, Hero of the Soviet Union. Awarded the Order of Victory, Hero of the People's Republic of Bulgaria. Participant in the Civil War. He was the chief of staff of the division and the chief of the operations department of the army headquarters. After the Civil War - chief of staff of a rifle division and corps. In 1934 he graduated from the Military Academy. M.V. Frunze. Since 1937 - commander of a rifle division. From July 1938 to August 1941 - chief of staff of the Transcaucasian Military District.During the Great Patriotic War - chief of staff of the Transcaucasian, Caucasian and Crimean fronts. In May - July 1942 - Deputy Commander of the Stalingrad Military District. Since July 1942 - commander of the 57th Army Stalingrad Front. Since February 1943 - commander of the 68th Army on the North-Western Front. Since March 1943, F.I. Tolbukhin was appointed commander of the troops of the Southern Front, renamed on October 20, 1943 into the 4th Ukrainian Front. From May 1944 until the end of the war, he commanded the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. Commanding the troops, he showed brilliant leadership talent and organizational skills. The troops under his command successfully operated in the operations to liberate Donbass and Crimea. In August 1944, the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, together with the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, brilliantly carried out the Iasi-Kishinev operation.
Front troops under the command of F.I. Tolbukhin participated in the Belgrade, Budapest, Balaton and Vienna operations. F.I. Tolbukhin skillfully organized the interaction of Soviet troops with the troops of the Bulgarian and Yugoslav armies. Since September 1944, Marshal F.I. Tolbukhin was the chairman of the Allied Control Commission in Bulgaria.
After the Great Patriotic War, from July 1945 to January 1947, F.I. Tolbukhin - Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Group of Soviet Forces. Since 1947 - Commander of the Transcaucasian Military District. Awards: 2 Orders of Lenin, 3 Orders of the Red Banner, 2 Orders of Suvorov 1st degree, Order of Kutuzov 1st degree, Order of the Red Star, many foreign orders and medals of the Soviet Union. Marshal of the Soviet Union F.I. A monument to Tolbukhin was erected in Moscow. The city of Dobrich in Bulgaria was renamed the city of Tolbukhin.
Timoshenko Semyon Konstantinovich (1895 - 1970)
Participant in the Civil War. Commanded a platoon, squadron, regiment, separate cavalry brigade, 6th cavalry and 4th cavalry divisions. For courage and valor in the battles of the Civil War, he was awarded two Orders of the Red Banner. After the Civil War, he commanded a cavalry corps, and from August 1933 he was deputy commander of the Belarusian Military District. From July 1937 - commander of the troops of the North Caucasus, from September - of the Kharkov, and from February 1938 - of the Kyiv special military district.In September 1939, troops of the Ukrainian district made a liberation campaign in Western Ukraine. During the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940, he commanded the troops of the North-Western Front. He led the breakthrough of the Finnish defensive line of Mannerheim. Awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. In May 1940, he was appointed People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR. At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, he was the People's Commissar of Defense and a representative of the Headquarters of the High Command. Since July 1941 - Commander-in-Chief of the Western Direction. Member of the SVG, Deputy People's Commissar of Defense. From September 1941 to June 1942 - Commander-in-Chief of the South-Western direction. At the same time, in July - September 1941, he was commander of the Western Front. In September-December 1941 and in April-July 1942, he commanded the troops of the Southwestern Front. In July 1942 - by the troops of the Stalingrad Front, and from October 1942 to March 1943 - by the troops of the North-Western Front. Since March 1943, as a representative of the SVG, he coordinated military actions on a number of fronts. After the Great Patriotic War, Marshal of the Soviet Union S.K. Timoshenko commanded the troops of the Baranovichi, South Ural and Belarusian military districts.
Since April 1960 - Inspector General of the USSR Ministry of Defense. Since 1961 - Chairman of the Soviet War Veterans Committee. Awards: 5 Orders of Lenin, Order of the October Revolution, 5 Orders of the Red Banner, 3 Orders of Suvorov 1st degree, foreign orders and many medals of the Soviet Union. Awarded the Arms of Honor.
Antonov Alexey Innokentievich (1896 - 1962)
Army General, awarded the Order of Victory. Participant in the Civil War. He took part in the defeat of the Kornilov rebellion and in battles on the Southern Front as assistant chief of staff of the 1st Moscow Workers' Division. Then he was the chief of staff of the rifle brigade, crossed the Sivash, and participated in the defeat of the Wrangel troops in the Crimea. Graduated from the Military Academy. M.V. Frunze in 1931 and the Military Academy of the General Staff in 1937. He worked his way up from the head of the operational department of the division headquarters to the chief of staff of the Moscow Military District. He proved himself to be a major operational staff worker with a broad political and military outlook. In 1938-1940 he worked as head of the department of general tactics of the Military Academy named after. M.V. Frunze.The Great Patriotic War found A.I. Antonov as deputy chief of staff of the Kyiv Special Military District. Soon A.I. Antonov headed the group for forming the control of the Southern Front. In August 1941, A.I. Antonov was appointed chief of staff of the Southern Front. In July - November 1942 A.I. Antonov is the chief of staff of the North Caucasus Front, and then of the Black Sea Group of Forces and the Transcaucasian Front. In these posts he showed deep military knowledge and demonstrated outstanding organizational skills.
In December 1942, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command appointed A.I. Antonov as first deputy chief of the General Staff and head of the operational department. In May 1943, he was focused on fulfilling his duties as 1st Deputy Chief of the General Staff. Army General A.I. Antonov participated in the development of many operations of the Great Patriotic War. Since February 1945, A.I. Antonov - Chief of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces. He was part of the SVGK. In 1945 A.I. Antonov was part of the Soviet delegation at the Crimean and Potsdam conferences. After the Great Patriotic War, Army General A.I. Antonov was the first deputy chief of the General Staff of the Soviet Armed Forces from 1946 to 1948.
From 1948 - deputy, and from 1950 to 1954 - commander of the Transcaucasian Military District. In April 1954, he returned to work at the General Staff as First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Soviet Armed Forces. Elected a member of the board of the Ministry of Defense. In 1955, he was appointed chief of staff of the armies of the Warsaw Pact member states. He worked in this position until the end of his life. Awards: 3 Orders of Lenin, 4 Orders of the Red Banner, 2 Orders of Suvorov 1st degree, Order of Kutuzov 1st degree, Order of the Patriotic War 1st degree, many medals of the Soviet Union, 14 foreign orders.
The names of some are still honored, the names of others are consigned to oblivion. But they are all united by their leadership talent.
USSR
Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich (1896–1974)
Marshal of the Soviet Union.
Zhukov had the opportunity to take part in serious hostilities shortly before the start of World War II. In the summer of 1939, Soviet-Mongolian troops under his command defeated the Japanese group on the Khalkhin Gol River.
By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Zhukov headed the General Staff, but was soon sent to active army. In 1941, he was assigned to the most critical sectors of the front. Restoring order in the retreating army with the most stringent measures, he managed to prevent the Germans from capturing Leningrad, and to stop the Nazis in the Mozhaisk direction on the outskirts of Moscow. And already at the end of 1941 - beginning of 1942, Zhukov led a counter-offensive near Moscow, pushing the Germans back from the capital.
In 1942-43, Zhukov did not command individual fronts, but coordinated their actions as a representative of the Supreme High Command at Stalingrad, on the Kursk Bulge, and during the breaking of the siege of Leningrad.
At the beginning of 1944, Zhukov took command of the 1st Ukrainian Front instead of the seriously wounded General Vatutin and led the Proskurov-Chernovtsy offensive operation he planned. As a result, Soviet troops liberated most of Right Bank Ukraine and reached the state border.
At the end of 1944, Zhukov led the 1st Belorussian Front and led an attack on Berlin. In May 1945, Zhukov accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany, and then two Victory Parades, in Moscow and Berlin.
After the war, Zhukov found himself in a supporting role, commanding various military districts. After Khrushchev came to power, he became deputy minister and then headed the Ministry of Defense. But in 1957 he finally fell into disgrace and was removed from all posts.
Rokossovsky Konstantin Konstantinovich (1896–1968)
Marshal of the Soviet Union.
Shortly before the start of the war, in 1937, Rokossovsky was repressed, but in 1940, at the request of Marshal Timoshenko, he was released and reinstated in his former position as corps commander. In the first days of the Great Patriotic War, units under the command of Rokossovsky were one of the few that were able to provide worthy resistance to the advancing German troops. In the battle of Moscow, Rokossovsky’s army defended one of the most difficult directions, Volokolamsk.
Returning to duty after being seriously wounded in 1942, Rokossovsky took command of the Don Front, which completed the defeat of the Germans at Stalingrad.
On the eve of the Battle of Kursk, Rokossovsky, contrary to the position of most military leaders, managed to convince Stalin that it was better not to launch an offensive ourselves, but to provoke the enemy into active action. Having precisely determined the direction of the main attack of the Germans, Rokossovsky, just before their offensive, undertook a massive artillery barrage that bled the enemy’s strike forces dry.
His most famous achievement as a commander, included in the annals of military art, was the operation to liberate Belarus, codenamed “Bagration,” which virtually destroyed the German Army Group Center.
Shortly before the decisive offensive on Berlin, command of the 1st Belorussian Front, to Rokossovsky's disappointment, was transferred to Zhukov. He was also entrusted with commanding the troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front in East Prussia.
Rokossovsky had outstanding personal qualities and of all Soviet military leaders enjoyed the greatest popularity in the army. After the war, Rokossovsky, a Pole by birth, headed the Polish Ministry of Defense for a long time, and then served as Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR and Chief Military Inspector. The day before his death, he finished writing his memoirs, entitled A Soldier's Duty.
Konev Ivan Stepanovich (1897–1973)
Marshal of the Soviet Union.
In the fall of 1941, Konev was appointed commander of the Western Front. In this position he suffered one of the biggest failures of the beginning of the war. Konev failed to obtain permission to withdraw troops in time, and, as a result, about 600,000 Soviet soldiers and officers were surrounded near Bryansk and Yelnya. Zhukov saved the commander from the tribunal.
In 1943, troops of the Steppe (later 2nd Ukrainian) Front under the command of Konev liberated Belgorod, Kharkov, Poltava, Kremenchug and crossed the Dnieper. But most of all, Konev was glorified by the Korsun-Shevchen operation, as a result of which a large group of German troops was surrounded.
In 1944, already as commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front, Konev led the Lvov-Sandomierz operation in western Ukraine and southeastern Poland, which opened the way for a further offensive against Germany. The troops under the command of Konev distinguished themselves in the Vistula-Oder operation and in the battle for Berlin. During the latter, rivalry between Konev and Zhukov emerged - each wanted to occupy the German capital first. Tensions between the marshals remained until the end of their lives. In May 1945, Konev led the liquidation of the last major center of fascist resistance in Prague.
After the war, Konev was the commander-in-chief of the ground forces and the first commander of the combined forces of the Warsaw Pact countries, and commanded troops in Hungary during the events of 1956.
Vasilevsky Alexander Mikhailovich (1895–1977)
Marshal of the Soviet Union, Chief of the General Staff.
As Chief of the General Staff, which he held since 1942, Vasilevsky coordinated the actions of the Red Army fronts and participated in the development of all major operations of the Great Patriotic War. In particular, he played a key role in planning the operation to encircle German troops at Stalingrad.
At the end of the war, after the death of General Chernyakhovsky, Vasilevsky asked to be relieved of his post as Chief of the General Staff, took the place of the deceased and led the assault on Koenigsberg. In the summer of 1945, Vasilevsky was transferred to the Far East and commanded the defeat of the Kwatuna Army of Japan.
After the war, Vasilevsky headed the General Staff and then was the Minister of Defense of the USSR, but after Stalin’s death he went into the shadows and held lower positions.
Tolbukhin Fedor Ivanovich (1894–1949)
Marshal of the Soviet Union.
Before the start of the Great Patriotic War, Tolbukhin served as chief of staff of the Transcaucasian District, and with its beginning - of the Transcaucasian Front. Under his leadership, a surprise operation was developed to introduce Soviet troops into the northern part of Iran. Tolbukhin also developed the Kerch landing operation, the result of which was to be the liberation of Crimea. However, after her good start our troops were unable to build on their success, suffered heavy losses, and Tolbukhin was removed from office.
Having distinguished himself as commander of the 57th Army in the Battle of Stalingrad, Tolbukhin was appointed commander of the Southern (later 4th Ukrainian) Front. Under his command, a significant part of Ukraine and the Crimean Peninsula were liberated. In 1944-45, when Tolbukhin already commanded the 3rd Ukrainian Front, he led troops during the liberation of Moldova, Romania, Yugoslavia, Hungary, and ended the war in Austria. The Iasi-Kishinev operation, planned by Tolbukhin and leading to the encirclement of a two hundred thousand-strong group of German-Romanian troops, entered the annals of military art (sometimes it is called “Iasi-Kishinev Cannes”).
After the war, Tolbukhin commanded the Southern Group of Forces in Romania and Bulgaria, and then the Transcaucasian Military District.
Vatutin Nikolai Fedorovich (1901–1944)
Soviet army general.
In pre-war times, Vatutin served as Deputy Chief of the General Staff, and with the beginning of the Great Patriotic War he was sent to the North-Western Front. In the Novgorod area, under his leadership, several counterattacks were carried out, slowing down the advance tank corps Manstein.
In 1942, Vatutin, who then headed the Southwestern Front, commanded Operation Little Saturn, the purpose of which was to prevent German-Italian-Romanian troops from helping Paulus’ army encircled at Stalingrad.
In 1943, Vatutin headed the Voronezh (later 1st Ukrainian) Front. He played a very important role in the Battle of Kursk and the liberation of Kharkov and Belgorod. But Vatutin’s most famous military operation was the crossing of the Dnieper and the liberation of Kyiv and Zhitomir, and then Rivne. Together with Konev’s 2nd Ukrainian Front, Vatutin’s 1st Ukrainian Front also carried out the Korsun-Shevchenko operation.
At the end of February 1944, Vatutin’s car came under fire from Ukrainian nationalists, and a month and a half later the commander died from his wounds.
United Kingdom
Montgomery Bernard Law (1887–1976)
British Field Marshal.
Before the start of World War II, Montgomery was considered one of the bravest and most talented British military leaders, but his career advancement was hampered by his harsh, difficult character. Montgomery, himself distinguished by physical endurance, paid great attention to the daily hard training of the troops entrusted to him.
At the beginning of World War II, when the Germans defeated France, Montgomery's units covered the evacuation of Allied forces. In 1942 Montgomery became commander of British forces in North Africa, and achieved a turning point in this part of the war, defeating the German-Italian group of troops in Egypt at the Battle of El Alamein. Its significance was summed up by Winston Churchill: “Before the Battle of Alamein we knew no victories. After it we didn’t know defeat.” For this battle, Montgomery received the title Viscount of Alamein. True, Montgomery’s opponent, German Field Marshal Rommel, said that, having such resources as the British military leader, he would have conquered the entire Middle East in a month.
After this, Montgomery was transferred to Europe, where he was supposed to operate in close contact with the Americans. This was where his quarrelsome character took its toll: he came into conflict with the American commander Eisenhower, which had a bad effect on the interaction of troops and led to a number of relative military failures. Towards the end of the war, Montgomery successfully resisted the German counter-offensive in the Ardennes, and then carried out several military operations in Northern Europe.
After the war, Montgomery served as Chief of the British General Staff and subsequently as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
Alexander Harold Rupert Leofric George (1891–1969)
British Field Marshal.
At the beginning of the Second World War, Alexander led the evacuation of British troops after the Germans captured France. It was possible to evacuate most of the personnel, but almost all military equipment went to the enemy.
At the end of 1940, Alexander was appointed to Southeast Asia. He failed to defend Burma, but he managed to block the Japanese from entering India.
In 1943, Alexander was appointed Commander-in-Chief of Allied ground forces in North Africa. Under his leadership, a large German-Italian group in Tunisia was defeated, and this, by and large, ended the campaign in North Africa and opened the way to Italy. Alexander commanded the landing of allied troops on Sicily, and then on the mainland. At the end of the war, he served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in the Mediterranean.
After the war, Alexander received the title of Count of Tunis, for some time he was Governor General of Canada, and then British Minister of Defense.
USA
Eisenhower Dwight David (1890–1969)
US Army General.
His childhood was spent in a family whose members were pacifists for religious reasons, but Eisenhower chose a military career.
Eisenhower met the beginning of World War II with the rather modest rank of colonel. But his abilities were noticed by the Chief of the American General Staff, George Marshall, and Eisenhower soon became head of the Operations Planning Department.
In 1942, Eisenhower led Operation Torch, the Allied landings in North Africa. In early 1943, he was defeated by Rommel in the Battle of Kasserine Pass, but subsequently superior Anglo-American forces brought a turning point in the North African campaign.
In 1944, Eisenhower oversaw the Allied landings in Normandy and the subsequent offensive against Germany. At the end of the war, Eisenhower became the creator of the notorious camps for “disarming enemy forces”, which were not subject to the Geneva Convention on the Rights of Prisoners of War, which effectively became death camps for the German soldiers who ended up there.
After the war, Eisenhower was commander of NATO forces and then twice elected president of the United States.
MacArthur Douglas (1880–1964)
US Army General.
In his youth, MacArthur was not accepted into military academy“West Point” for health reasons, but he achieved his goal and, upon graduating from the academy, was recognized as its best graduate in history. He received the rank of general back in the First World War.
In 1941-42, MacArthur led the defense of the Philippines against Japanese forces. The enemy managed to take American units by surprise and gain a great advantage at the very beginning of the campaign. After the loss of the Philippines, he uttered the now famous phrase: “I did what I could, but I’ll be back.”
After being appointed commander of forces in the southwest Pacific, MacArthur resisted Japanese plans to invade Australia and then led successful offensive operations in New Guinea and the Philippines.
On September 2, 1945, MacArthur, already in command of all U.S. forces in the Pacific, accepted the Japanese surrender aboard the battleship Missouri, ending World War II.
After World War II, MacArthur commanded occupation forces in Japan and later led American forces in Korean War. The American landing at Inchon, which he developed, became a classic of military art. He called for the nuclear bombing of China and the invasion of that country, after which he was dismissed.
Nimitz Chester William (1885–1966)
US Navy Admiral.
Before World War II, Nimitz was involved in the design and combat training of the American submarine fleet and headed the Bureau of Navigation. At the beginning of the war, after the disaster at Pearl Harbor, Nimitz was appointed commander of the US Pacific Fleet. His task was to confront the Japanese in close contact with General MacArthur.
In 1942, the American fleet under the command of Nimitz managed to inflict the first serious defeat on the Japanese at Midway Atoll. And then, in 1943, to win the fight for the strategically important island of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands archipelago. In 1944-45, the fleet led by Nimitz played a decisive role in the liberation of other Pacific archipelagos, and at the end of the war carried out a landing in Japan. During the fighting, Nimitz used a tactic of sudden rapid movement from island to island, called the “frog jump”.
Nimitz's homecoming was celebrated as a national holiday and was called "Nimitz Day." After the war, he oversaw the demobilization of troops and then oversaw the creation of a nuclear submarine fleet. At the Nuremberg trials he defended his German colleague Admiral Dennitz, saying that he himself used the same methods of conducting submarine warfare, thanks to which Dennitz escaped a death sentence.
Germany
Von Bock Theodor (1880–1945)
German Field Marshal General.
Even before the outbreak of World War II, von Bock led the troops that carried out the Anschluss of Austria and invaded the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia. At the outbreak of war, he commanded Army Group North during the war with Poland. In 1940, von Bock led the conquest of Belgium and the Netherlands and the defeat of French troops at Dunkirk. It was he who hosted the parade of German troops in occupied Paris.
Von Bock objected to an attack on the USSR, but when the decision was made, he led Army Group Center, which carried out an attack on the main direction. After the failure of the attack on Moscow, he was considered one of the main people responsible for this failure German army. In 1942, he led Army Group South and for a long time successfully held back the advance of Soviet troops on Kharkov.
Von Bock had an extremely independent character, repeatedly clashed with Hitler and pointedly stayed away from politics. After in the summer of 1942, von Bock opposed the Fuhrer’s decision to divide Army Group South into two directions, the Caucasus and Stalingrad, during the planned offensive, he was removed from command and sent to reserve. A few days before the end of the war, von Bock was killed during an air raid.
Von Rundstedt Karl Rudolf Gerd (1875–1953)
German Field Marshal General.
By the beginning of the Second World War, von Rundstedt, who held important command positions back in the First World War, had already retired. But in 1939, Hitler returned him to the army. Von Rundstedt became the main planner of the attack on Poland, code-named Weiss, and commanded Army Group South during its implementation. He then led Army Group A, which played a key role in the capture of France, and also developed the unrealized Sea Lion attack plan on England.
Von Rundstedt objected to the Barbarossa plan, but after the decision was made to attack the USSR, he led Army Group South, which captured Kyiv and other major cities in the south of the country. After von Rundstedt, in order to avoid encirclement, violated the Fuhrer's order and withdrew troops from Rostov-on-Don, he was dismissed.
However, the following year he was again drafted into the army to become commander-in-chief of the German armed forces in the West. His main task was to counter a possible Allied landing. Having familiarized himself with the situation, von Rundstedt warned Hitler that a long-term defense with the existing forces would be impossible. At the decisive moment of the Normandy landings, June 6, 1944, Hitler canceled von Rundstedt's order to transfer troops, thereby wasting time and giving the enemy the opportunity to develop an offensive. Already at the end of the war, von Rundstedt successfully resisted the Allied landings in Holland.
After the war, von Rundstedt, thanks to the intercession of the British, managed to avoid the Nuremberg Tribunal, and participated in it only as a witness.
Von Manstein Erich (1887–1973)
German Field Marshal General.
Manstein was considered one of the strongest strategists of the Wehrmacht. In 1939, as Chief of Staff of Army Group A, he played a key role in developing the successful plan for the invasion of France.
In 1941, Manstein was part of Army Group North, which captured the Baltic states, and was preparing to attack Leningrad, but was soon transferred to the south. In 1941-42, the 11th Army under his command captured the Crimean Peninsula, and for the capture of Sevastopol, Manstein received the rank of Field Marshal.
Manstein then commanded Army Group Don and tried unsuccessfully to rescue Paulus's army from the Stalingrad pocket. From 1943 he led Army Group South and carried out Soviet troops a sensitive defeat near Kharkov, and then tried to prevent the crossing of the Dnieper. When retreating, Manstein's troops used scorched earth tactics.
Having been defeated in the Battle of Korsun-Shevchen, Manstein retreated, violating Hitler's orders. Thus, he saved part of the army from encirclement, but after that he was forced to resign.
After the war, he was sentenced to 18 years by a British tribunal for war crimes, but was released in 1953, worked as a military adviser to the German government and wrote a memoir, “Lost Victories.”
Guderian Heinz Wilhelm (1888–1954)
German Colonel General, commander of armored forces.
Guderian is one of the main theorists and practitioners of “blitzkrieg” - lightning war. He assigned a key role in it to tank units, which were supposed to break through behind enemy lines and disable command posts and communications. Such tactics were considered effective, but risky, creating the danger of being cut off from the main forces.
In 1939-40, in the military campaigns against Poland and France, the blitzkrieg tactics fully justified themselves. Guderian was at the height of his glory: he received the rank of Colonel General and high awards. However, in 1941, in the war against the Soviet Union, this tactic failed. The reason for this was both the vast Russian spaces and the cold climate, in which equipment often refused to work, and the readiness of the Red Army units to resist this method of warfare. Guderian's tank troops suffered heavy losses near Moscow and were forced to retreat. After this, he was sent to the reserve, and subsequently served as inspector general tank troops.
After the war, Guderian, who was not charged with war crimes, was quickly released and lived out his life writing his memoirs.
Rommel Erwin Johann Eugen (1891–1944)
German field marshal general, nicknamed "Desert Fox". He was distinguished by great independence and a penchant for risky attacking actions, even without the sanction of the command.
At the beginning of World War II, Rommel took part in the Polish and French campaigns, but his main successes were associated with military operations in North Africa. Rommel headed the Afrika Korps, which was initially assigned to help Italian troops who were defeated by the British. Instead of strengthening the defenses, as the order prescribed, Rommel went on the offensive with small forces and won important victories. He acted in a similar manner in the future. Like Manstein, Rommel assigned the main role to rapid breakthroughs and maneuvering of tank forces. And only towards the end of 1942, when the British and Americans in North Africa had a great advantage in manpower and equipment, Rommel’s troops began to suffer defeats. Subsequently, he fought in Italy and tried, together with von Rundstedt, with whom he had serious disagreements affecting the combat effectiveness of the troops, to stop the Allied landing in Normandy.
In the pre-war period, Yamamoto paid great attention to the construction of aircraft carriers and the creation of naval aviation, thanks to which the Japanese fleet became one of the strongest in the world. For a long time, Yamamoto lived in the USA and had the opportunity to thoroughly study the army of the future enemy. On the eve of the start of the war, he warned the country's leadership: “In the first six to twelve months of the war, I will demonstrate an unbroken chain of victories. But if the confrontation lasts two or three years, I have no confidence in the final victory.”
Yamamoto planned and personally led the Pearl Harbor operation. December 7, 1941 Japanese planes, taking off from aircraft carriers, destroyed the American naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and caused enormous damage to the US fleet and air force. After this, Yamamoto won a number of victories in the central and southern parts Pacific Ocean. But on June 4, 1942, he suffered a serious defeat from the Allies at Midway Atoll. This happened largely due to the fact that the Americans managed to decipher the codes of the Japanese Navy and obtain all the information about the upcoming operation. After this, the war, as Yamamoto feared, became protracted.
Unlike many other Japanese generals, Yamashita did not commit suicide after the surrender of Japan, but surrendered. In 1946 he was executed on charges of war crimes. His case became a legal precedent, called the “Yamashita Rule”: according to it, the commander is responsible for not stopping the war crimes of his subordinates.
Other countries
Von Mannerheim Carl Gustav Emil (1867–1951)
Finnish marshal.
Before the revolution of 1917, when Finland was part of Russian Empire, Mannerheim was an officer in the Russian army and rose to the rank of lieutenant general. On the eve of the Second World War, he, as chairman of the Finnish Defense Council, was strengthening Finnish army. According to his plan, in particular, powerful defensive fortifications were erected on the Karelian Isthmus, which went down in history as the “Mannerheim Line”.
When the Soviet-Finnish war began at the end of 1939, 72-year-old Mannerheim led the country's army. Under his command, Finnish troops for a long time held back the advance of Soviet units significantly superior in number. As a result, Finland retained its independence, although the peace conditions were very difficult for it.
During the Second World War, when Finland was an ally of Hitler's Germany, Mannerheim showed the art of political maneuver, avoiding active hostilities with all his might. And in 1944, Finland broke the pact with Germany, and at the end of the war it was already fighting against the Germans, coordinating actions with the Red Army.
At the end of the war, Mannerheim was elected president of Finland, but already in 1946 he left this post for health reasons.
Tito Josip Broz (1892–1980)
Marshal of Yugoslavia.
Before the outbreak of World War II, Tito was a figure in the Yugoslav communist movement. After the German attack on Yugoslavia, he began organizing partisan detachments. At first, the Titoites acted together with the remnants of the tsarist army and the monarchists, who were called “Chetniks.” However, differences with the latter eventually became so strong that it came to military clashes.
Tito managed to organize scattered partisan detachments into a powerful partisan army of a quarter of a million fighters under the leadership of the General Headquarters of the People's Liberation Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia. She used not only traditional methods of war for partisans, but also entered into open battles with fascist divisions. At the end of 1943, Tito was officially recognized by the Allies as the leader of Yugoslavia. During the liberation of the country, Tito's army acted together with Soviet troops.
Shortly after the war, Tito led Yugoslavia and remained in power until his death. Despite his socialist orientation, he pursued a fairly independent policy.
Soviet propaganda did its job, and every schoolchild knew the names of these military leaders. And the phrase of Mikhail Ulyanov in the role of Zhukov: “To fight to the death... made me shiver.” However, recently there have been a lot of alternative points of view that cast doubt on the abilities of the commanders of that war, pointing to obvious tactical miscalculations and unjustified sacrifices. Whether this is true or not, I don’t know, but I’m sure that, sitting at a computer with a cup of coffee, it’s very easy to evaluate people’s actions, find mistakes and move entire armies, everything is different in life and understand the motives for actions without having all the data very not easy.
Let's remember the names of these people.
1. Zhukov (1896-1974)
Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov is a three-time hero of the Soviet Union, Marshal of the Soviet Union, who has the Order of Suvorov, 1st degree, and two Orders of Victory. Participated in the Leningrad and Moscow, Stalingrad and Kursk battles. In 1944 he was appointed commander of the First Belorussian Front.
2 Voroshilov (1881-1969)
Voroshilov Kliment Efremovich - twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Hero of Socialist Labor, since 1935 - Marshal of the Soviet Union. In 1942-43 he was commander-in-chief partisan movement, and in 1943 - the coordinator of troops during the breakthrough of the siege of Leningrad.
3 Rokossovsky (1896-1968)
Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky is one of the most titled military leaders of the Great Patriotic War. It was he who was entrusted with commanding the Victory Parade in 1945. Marshal of the Soviet Union and Marshal of Poland, Rokossovsky was awarded the Order of the Red Banner, the Order of Victory, the Order of Suvorov and Kutuzov, 1st degree. Known for his participation in many military operations, including Operation Bagration for the liberation of Belarus. He commanded troops in the Battles of Stalingrad and Leningrad, participated in the Vistula-Oder and Berlin operations.
4 Tolbukhin (1894-1949)
Fyodor Ivanovich Tolbukhin is a man who went through the war from chief of staff (1941) to Marshal of the Soviet Union (1944). His troops took part in the Crimean, Belgrade, Budapest, Vienna and other operations. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to Tolbukhin posthumously in 1965.
Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky is the commander of dozens of successful military operations. At the age of 35, he became the commander of a tank division, and from 1944, the commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front. Twice Hero of the Soviet Union, awarded many orders and medals. He died in 1945 from a fatal wound.
6 Govorov (1897-1955)
Leonid Aleksandrovich Govorov - Hero and Marshal of the Soviet Union, commander at different times of the Leningrad and Baltic fronts. He led the defense of Leningrad for 670 of the 900 days of the siege. Participated in the liberation of Borodino. He led the encirclement of the Kurland group of Germans, who capitulated on May 8, 1945.
7 Malinovsky (1898-1967)
Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovsky - twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Marshal of the Soviet Union, holder of the highest Soviet Order of Victory. Participated in the liberation of Rostov and Donbass, led the Zaporozhye and Odessa operations.
8 Konev (1897-1973)
Ivan Stepanovich Konev - commander of the army and fronts, and since 1950 - deputy. Minister of Defense During the Great Patriotic War, he participated in the Battle of Kursk and the Battle of Moscow, in the Berlin, Vistula-Oder and Paris operations.
9 Vasilevsky (1885-1977)
Alexander Mikhailovich Vasilevsky - Hero and Marshal of the Soviet Union, Chief of the General Staff, Commander of the 3rd Belorussian and 1st Baltic Fronts. Participated in operations to liberate Donbass, Crimea, Belarus, Latvia and Lithuania. He led troops in the Far East in the Russo-Japanese War.
10 Tymoshenko (1895-1970)
Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko is a holder of the Order of Victory, awarded a personalized saber with the coat of arms of the USSR. He took part in the Leningrad and Moscow battles; in the Iasi-Kishinev and Budapest operations, and also took part in the liberation of Vienna.
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