date of awarding the title: 25.3.1983
In WWII battalion commander, pom. early regimental headquarters; in 1979-84 1st Deputy Chief of the General Staff, in 1984-88 chief of the General Staff, since 1988 adviser to M. S. Gorbachev. Offered his services to the State Emergency Committee; after his failure, he committed suicide in the Kremlin office, condemning the GKChP in a suicide note as an "adventure".
years of life: 2.12.1897-21.9.1982
date of awarding the title: 11.3.1955
In the Second World War - chief of staff of the fronts, commander; in 1943-45 com. 1st Baltic, from April 1945 - 3rd Belorussian Front, army general (1943). After the war, commander of the PribVO (1946-54), deputy Minister of Defense, Head of Logistics (1958-68).
years of life: 27.6.1910-17.2.1984
date of awarding the title: 15.4.1968
In the Second World War - division chief of staff, divisional commander, commander, major general (1943); 1950-1953 - early. Air Force General Staff, 1963-78 - air defense commander.
years of life: 29.3.1899-23.12.1953
date of awarding the title: 9/7/1945; deprived 26.6.1953
People's Commissar of Internal Affairs of the USSR(1938-45), General Commissar of State Security (1941). The title of Marshal was awarded when replacing the own ranks of the GB with general military ones. Minister of the Interior (March-June 1953). 26/6/1953 arrested. According to official data, he was brought to trial by the Special Judicial Presence and shot.
years of life: 21.8.1904-19.10.1964
date of awarding the title: 11.3.1955
In the Second World War - chief of staff of the fronts, commander, colonel general (1944). 1st Deputy Air Defense Commander(1954-55), Commander-in-Chief of Air Defense (1955-62), Commander-in-Chief of the Strategic Missile Forces (1962-63), Chief of the General Staff (1963-64). Died in a plane crash.
years of life: 1.12.1890-9.11.1938
date of awarding the title: 20.11.1935
In the Civil War commander, commanded the armies and fronts in the Far East: commander-in-chief of the army of the Far Eastern Republic (1921-22), chief military adviser in China (1924-27), com. Special Far Eastern Army (1929-38). After a clash with Japan at Lake Khasan, he was arrested on a denunciation and soon died in prison; already posthumously "sentenced" to death penalty. It is not known if he was stripped of his rank. Rehabilitated in 1956
years of life: 19.12.1906-10.11.1982
date of awarding the title: 7.5.1976
In the Second World War - commissar of the regiment, front, major general (1944); in the early 1950s Political Directorate of the Navy, in 1960-64 and 1977-82 - Chairman of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces; in 1964-82 - 1st secretary, Secretary General (1966) Central Committee of the CPSU. Received the title of Marshal Chairman of the Council of Defense of the USSR. Cavalier of the Order "Victory" (in 1989 the decree was canceled).
years of life: 25.4.1883-26.10.1973
date of awarding the title: 20.11.1935
In the Civil War and after it - the commander of the 1st Cavalry Army. Red Army cavalry inspector(1924-37); led the cavalry intermittently until 1954. Kom. troops of the Moscow Military District (1937-39), deputy. and 1st Deputy People's Commissar of Defense (1939-Sept. 1941). In the Second World War he commanded fronts and armies, was a member of the Headquarters, from 1942 he was transferred to rear positions.
years of life: 11.6.1895-24.2.1975
date of awarding the title: 11/3/1947; stripped of title 11/26/1958
Party leader. In the Second World War, a member of the military council of the fronts, army general (1944). In 1947-49 - Minister of the Armed Forces of the USSR, in 1953-55 - Minister of Defense, in 1955-58 - Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR. Displaced by N. S. Khrushchev and demoted in rank (retired colonel general).
years of life: 30.9.1895-5.12.1977
date of awarding the title: 16.2.1943
In 1942-45 Chief of the General Staff. Developed many brilliant operations. In 1945, commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front, then Commander-in-Chief in the war with Japan. In 1949-53 - Minister of the Armed Forces and Minister of War of the USSR. Twice holder of the Order of Victory.
years of life: 4.2.1881-2.12.1969
date of awarding the title: 20.11.1935
Professional revolutionary, participant Oct. revolution, in the GV commander; in 1925-34 People's Commissar of the Navy, people's commissar of defense(1934-40) USSR. A consistent supporter and apologist of Stalin, lost his trust after the Finnish war. In the Second World War he commanded the fronts (until 1942), was a member of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, then removed from the real leadership of the troops (Commander-in-Chief of the partisan movement, 1942-43). after the war - pres. Allied Control Commission in Hungary. In 1953-60 before. Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces.
years of life: 22.2.1897-19.3.1955
date of awarding the title: 18.6.1944
From 1942 to the end of the war - commander of the Leningrad Front. After the war he commanded air defense (1948-52, 1954-55). Cavalier of the Order "Victory".
years of life: 30. (according to other sources 29.) 7.1900-29.7.1980
date of awarding the title: 6.5.1961
Before the war (1940-1941) - head of the GRU, in the Second World War commander of the Bryansk and Voronezh fronts, colonel general (1943); in 1958-62 - Head of GlavPUR.
years of life: 26.2.1910-13.5.1988
date of awarding the title: 28.10.1967
In the Second World War he commanded the Azov and Danube military flotillas, vice admiral (1944), in 1948-55 in the Black Sea Fleet. In 1956-85 Commander-in-Chief of the Navy - Deputy. Minister of Defense of the USSR. The creator of the ocean fleet of the USSR, the author of the classic work "The Sea Power of the State" and other works.
years of life: 17.10.1903-26.4.1976
date of awarding the title: 11.3.1955
In the Second World War - Commander of the Guards Army, Colonel General (1943). Commander-in-Chief of a Group of Forces in Germany(1953-57), ground forces (1957-60), Warsaw Pact Allied Forces (1960-67), Minister of Defense of the USSR (1967-76).
years of life: 25.10.1883-23.2.1939
date of awarding the title: 20.11.1935
In the GV commander and commander. Com. troops of the Belarusian Military District (1927-31), Chief of Staff of the Red Army(1931-1937; from 1935 General Staff). Arrested in the summer of 1938, shot; it is not known whether he was stripped of his rank. Rehabilitated in 1956
years of life: 14.10.1892-19.11.1970
date of awarding the title: 11.3.1955
In the Second World War, the commander of the fronts (including the Western in 1941, Stalingrad in 1942), ended the war as commander of the 4th Ukrainian Front, army general (1943). After the war commanding Carpathian, West Siberian and North Caucasian IN.
years of life: 1.12.1896-18.6.1974
date of awarding the title: 18.1.1943
Greatest commander of WWII. Chief of the General Staff (1941), commander of the fronts, member of the headquarters of the Supreme High Command, deputy commander-in-chief. In 1955-57 - Minister of Defense of the USSR. Twice holder of the Order of Victory.
years of life: 17.8.1898-31.1.1972
date of awarding the title: 8.5.1959
In the Second World War - chief of staff of the fronts, army general (05/29/1945). In 1953-57 commander of the Leningrad Military District, then troops in Germany (1957-60) and Chief of the General Staff (1960-63, 1964-71).
years of life: 22.8.1894-11.10.1967
date of awarding the title: 3/3/1955; From May 25, 1945, he held the title of Admiral of the Fleet, equivalent to the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union
In 1938-50 deputy. People's Commissar of the Navy; in 1941-43 and 1946-50 early. Head. Headquarters of the Navy, then Deputy. Commander-in-Chief of the Navy deputy Minister of the Navy. Author of historical and fiction works, editor of the Marine Atlas, corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR.
years of life: 28.12.1897-21.5.1973
date of awarding the title: 20.2.1944
IN WWII commander of armies and fronts, from 1944 - 1st Ukrainian Front. In 1946-50 and 1955-56 Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces; in 1956-60 Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces of the Warsaw Pact. Cavalier of the Order "Victory".
years of life: 21.12.1904-30.8.1976
date of awarding the title: 15.4.1968
In the Second World War - divisional commander, commander, lieutenant general (1944), had two combat gold stars. In 1957-65 the commander of the Siberian, Kiev Military District, in 1965-69 commander of a group of troops in Germany.
years of life: 29.4.1903-9.2.1972
date of awarding the title: 28.5.1962
In the Second World War - commander, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel General (1944); after the war - commander of the Moscow Military District(1960-63), commander-in-chief of the Strategic Missile Forces (1963-72).
years of life: 24.7.1904-6.12.1974
date of awarding the title: 3/3/1955; 25.5.1945-3.2.1948 and 11.5.1953-3.3.1955 held the title of Admiral of the Fleet, equivalent to the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union; 2/17/1956 demoted to vice admiral; 26.7.1988 posthumously restored
In 1939-46 People's Commissar navy, a member of the headquarters of the Supreme High Command: played an exceptionally important role in the Second World War. In 1948, he was put on trial on trumped-up charges and transferred to the Pacific Fleet. In 1953 Minister of the Navy, in 1953-56 Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. Since 1956, again in disgrace.
years of life: 11/9/1890-24. (according to other sources 29.) 8.1950
date of awarding the title: May 7, 1940; stripped of title 19.2.1942; posthumously restored 9/28/1957
In the Civil War, the head of artillery of the 1st cavalry, in 1937-41 Head of the (Main) Artillery Directorate of the Red Army. Then he commanded fronts and armies; for failure to ensure the defense of Kerch, he was put on trial, demoted to major general, expelled from the party and deprived of awards. After the war he served in the Volga Military District; arrested along with a number of generals in 1947 and shot. Rehabilitated in 1956
years of life: 5.7.1921-28.5.2013
date of awarding the title: 14.1.1977
In WWII - Chief of Staff tank brigade, 1969-71 - commander in chief of troops in Germany; 1971-77 - Chief of the General Staff; 1977-89 - Commander-in-Chief of the Warsaw Pact Allied Forces.
years of life: 13.2.1917-16.9.1990
date of awarding the title: 25.3.1983
In the Second World War, a tank battalion commander and a brigade commander; in 1968-71 com. ZakVO, in 1971-72 commander of a group of troops in Germany. In 1972-88 Head of Logistics of the USSR Armed Forces.
years of life: 23.11.1898-31.3.1967
date of awarding the title: 10.9.1944
IN WWII commanding armies, 2nd Ukrainian Front. In 1957-67 Minister of Defense of the USSR. Cavalier of the Order "Victory".
years of life: 7.6.1897-30.12.1968
date of awarding the title: 26.10.1944
AT Finnish war took Vyborg; one of the first three Soviet army generals (1940). In 1940-January 1941 Chief of the General Staff, in June-September 1941 in custody; after his release, he commanded the Volkhov Front (1941-1944, with a break). From February 1944 to the end of WWII Commander of the Karelian Front, then the 1st Far Eastern Front against Japan. Cavalier of the Order "Victory".
years of life: 11.5.1902-17.6.1985
date of awarding the title: 11.3.1955
In the Second World War and the first years after it - commander, colonel general (1943). In 1953-60 he was commander of the Moscow Military District. In 1960-62 Commander-in-Chief of the Strategic Missile Forces, in 1962-83 Chief Inspector of the USSR Ministry of Defense.
years of life: 30.10.1917-23.1.1994
date of awarding the title: 14.1.1977
Divisional engineer in WWII. Since 1968 in the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces, in 1977-84 Chief of the General Staff - 1st Deputy Minister of Defense.
years of life: 15.1.1917-1.2.2014
date of awarding the title: 25.3.1983
In the Second World War, battalion commander, in 1972-76 commander of the Far East, in 1980-85 Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces.
years of life: 21.12.1896-3.8.1968
date of awarding the title: 29.6.1944
In 1937-40 he was imprisoned. In the Second World War, the commander of the fronts, a participant in the Stalingrad and Battle of Kursk. In 1944 com. 1m, then 2nd Belorussian front. In 1949-56 Polish army; had the title of Marshal of Poland, was the minister of nat. defense of the NDP. Cavalier of the Order "Victory".
years of life: 1.7.1911-31.8.2012
date of awarding the title: 17.2.1978
In WWII com. tank troops of the front, colonel (1943); in 1965-84 commander of the Leningrad Military District, in 1967-84 1st Deputy Minister of Defense, in 1984-87 Minister of Defense of the USSR; lost his post after the scandalous landing of M. Rust's plane in the center of Moscow. The oldest living marshal, holder of the Russian Order of Zhukov.
years of life: 21.7.1897-10.5.1968
date of awarding the title: 3.7.1946
In the Second World War - chief of staff of the fronts commanded by Zhukov, army general (1943). After the war - commander-in-chief of troops in Germany(1946-49), Chief of the General Staff (1952-60).
September 22 marks 75 years since the title "Marshal of the Soviet Union" was introduced in the USSR.
The military rank of the highest officer in the Armed Forces of the USSR - marshal of the Soviet Union, "personally assigned by the Government of the USSR to outstanding and especially distinguished persons of the highest command staff", was introduced by the Decree of the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR of September 22, 1935.
By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of September 2, 1940, persons awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union were awarded a diploma of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and a special distinction - the "Marshal's Star", made of an alloy of precious metals.
(Military Encyclopedia. Chairman of the Main Editorial Commission S.B. Ivanov. Military Publishing. Moscow. In 8 volumes -2004. ISBN 5 - 203 01875 - 8)
The insignia "Marshal's Star" is a five-pointed gold star with smooth dihedral rays on the front side. In the middle of the badge there is a platinum five-pointed star with diamonds; in the center is a diamond weighing 2.62 carats, in the rays there are 25 diamonds with a total weight of 1.25 carats. The "Marshal's Star" is connected by means of a triangular lug in the upper beam to a semi-oval mount 14 mm in size, through which a moiré ribbon 35 mm wide is threaded. The total weight of the marshal's insignia is 36.8 g. After the death or demotion of the Marshal, the star was subject to surrender to the Diamond Fund.
This star existed unchanged until the abolition of the marshal rank.
The marshals of the Soviet Union were given the right to use the state dacha and a company car for life, to have a personal driver, adjutant and an officer on special assignments. The marshal's wife was provided with a company car.
The first ranks of marshal were awarded On November 20, 1935, five people at once: People's Commissar of Defense Klim Efremovich Voroshilov, Chief of the (General) Staff of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA) Alexander Ilyich Yegorov and three civil war commanders - Vasily Konstantinovich Blyukher, Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny and Mikhail Nikolaevich Tukhachevsky.
Of the first marshals, the fate of three was tragic. Tukhachevsky and Yegorov during the period of repression were convicted, stripped of their military ranks and shot. In the mid 1950s. they were rehabilitated and restored to the rank of marshal. Blucher died in prison before the trial and was not deprived of his marshal's rank.
The next relatively massive assignment of marshal ranks occurred in May 1940, when Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko, Grigory Ivanovich Kulik (deprived of the title in 1942, posthumously reinstated in 1957) and Boris Mikhailovich Shaposhnikov received them.
During the Great Patriotic War, the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union becomes not so much official as honorary; it is awarded to front commanders "individually" for specific operations (Zhukov and Vasilevsky - for the Stalingrad operation, Govorov - for a breakthrough on the Karelian Isthmus, etc.).
During the Great Patriotic War, the first to receive it in January 1943 was Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov. That year, Alexander Mikhailovich Vasilevsky and Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin also became marshals. Other marshals military time got higher military rank in 1944, then it was awarded to Ivan Stepanovich Konev, Leonid Alexandrovich Govorov, Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky, Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovsky, Fedor Ivanovich Tolbukhin and Kirill Afanasyevich Meretskov.
In the future, the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union is assigned mainly to the highest ranks of the Ministry of Defense and the Warsaw Pact organization, the commander of the military branches.
After the war, the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union was given to Lavrenty Beria (1945, stripped of his rank in 1953), Vasily Sokolovsky (1946), Nikolai Bulganin (1947, demoted to Colonel General in 1958).
Until 1955, the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union was awarded only on an individual basis by special decrees.
In the 1950s marshals were: Ivan Bagramyan (1955), Sergey Biryuzov (1955), Andrey Grechko (1955), Andrey Eremenko (1955), Kirill Moskalenko (1955), Vasily Chuikov (1955), Matvey Zakharov (1959).
In the 1960s this title was awarded to Philip Golikov (1961), Nikolai Krylov (1962), Ivan Yakubovsky (1967), Pavel Batitsky (1968), Peter Koshevoy (1968).
In the 1970s marshals were: Leonid Brezhnev (1976), Dmitry Ustinov (1976), Viktor Kulikov (1977), Nikolai Ogarkov (1977), Sergei Sokolov (1978), in the 1980s. - Sergey Akhromeev (1983), Semyon Kurkotkin (1983), Vasily Petrov (1983).
The last Marshal of the Soviet Union was the penultimate Minister of Defense of the USSR Dmitry Yazov (1990). After the collapse of the USSR, the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union was abolished.
Throughout history, 41 people have received the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union. For the longest time - 38 years - Semyon Budyonny wore marshal insignia. The youngest marshal (42 years old) was Mikhail Tukhachevsky, the oldest at the time of receiving the title (69 years old) was Leonid Brezhnev.
Currently, four holders of this title are alive: Viktor Georgievich Kulikov (1921), Sergei Leonidovich Sokolov (1911), Vasily Ivanovich Petrov (1917) and Dmitry Timofeevich Yazov (1923).
In 1993, the law "On military duty and military service"The rank of Marshal was introduced Russian Federation.
For the first time, the military rank of Marshal of the Russian Federation, by decree of the President of the Russian Federation of November 21, 1997, was awarded to the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, General of the Army Igor Dmitrievich Sergeev; after his death on November 10, 2006, no one has the title of Marshal of the Russian Federation.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources
On this topic: Stalin and the conspirators of the forty-first year || Who missed the beginning of the Second World WarDisgraced Marshal
February 18 marked the 120th anniversary of the birth of S.K. Timoshenko / History of WWII: Facts and Interpretations. Mikhail Zakharchuk
During the years of Soviet power, the high military rank of marshal was awarded 41 times. Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko(1895-1970) received it in May 1940, becoming the sixth and youngest Marshal of the Soviet Union at that time. In terms of age, no one subsequently surpassed him. Other
Marshal Timoshenko
The future marshal was born in the village of Furmanovka, Odessa region. In the winter of 1914 he was drafted into the army. As a machine gunner, he took part in the battles on the Southwestern and Western fronts. He fought famously - he was awarded three St. George's crosses. But he also had a strong character.
In 1917, a court-martial brought him to justice for the impudent beating of an officer. Miraculously released from the investigation, Timoshenko participates in the suppression of the speeches of Kornilov and Kaledin. And then decisively goes to the Red Army. He commanded a platoon, a squadron. At the head of a cavalry regiment, he participated in the defense of Tsaritsyn, where, according to some biographers of the military leader, he first came to Stalin's field of vision. At the end of the Civil War, he commanded the 4th Cavalry Division in the famous 1st Cavalry Army. He was wounded five times, awarded three Orders of the Red Banner and Honorary Revolutionary Weapons. Then there were studies and just the same rapid advancement in the military career ladder. In the early thirties, Semyon Konstantinovich was just an assistant to the commander of the troops of the Belarusian Military District for cavalry. And after a few years, he was in turn assigned to command the troops of the North Caucasian, Kharkov, Kiev, Kiev Special Military Districts. During the Polish campaign of 1939, he led the Ukrainian front. In September 1935, Timoshenko became a corps commander, two years later - commander of the 2nd rank, and from February 8, 1939, commander of the 1st rank and holder of the Order of Lenin.
In 1939, the war with Finland began. Stalin's opinion on this matter is known: “Did the Government and the Party act correctly in declaring war on Finland? This question specifically concerns the Red Army. Could the war have been avoided? It seems to me that it was impossible. It was impossible to do without war. The war was necessary, since peace negotiations with Finland did not produce results, and the security of Leningrad had to be ensured unconditionally, because its security is the security of our Fatherland. Not only because Leningrad represents 30-35 percent of the defense industry of our country and, therefore, the fate of our country depends on the integrity and safety of Leningrad, but also because Leningrad is the second capital of our country.
On the eve of hostilities, the leader summoned all the Soviet generals to the Kremlin and posed the question point-blank: "Who is ready to take command?" There was an oppressive silence. And then Timoshenko got up: “I hope I won’t let you down, Comrade Stalin” - “Good, Comrade Timoshenko. So we'll decide."
This situation only at first glance looks simple and unsophisticated. In fact, everything was more than complicated, and even today, burdened with voluminous historical knowledge, it is difficult for us to imagine the full extent of that complexity. At the end of the thirties, the relationship between the leader and that same generals escalated to the point. In those extreme conditions, Tymoshenko not only showed his loyalty to the leader, which in itself is also a lot, given the above, but also fully shared with him the overwhelming burden of responsibility for the course and outcome of the Finnish campaign, which was unprecedented in severity. By the way, it was under the direct supervision of Semyon Konstantinovich that the "Mannerheim Line" was overcome - one of the most complex engineering and fortification structures at that time.
After the Finnish campaign, Timoshenko was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for "exemplary performance of command assignments and the courage and heroism shown at the same time"; he was appointed People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, became Marshal of the Soviet Union. The fact that this generosity of Stalin was not just a form of his gratitude, but was dictated by the strategic considerations of the leader, is perfectly evidenced by the following historical document, if not composed by Semyon Konstantinovich, then, of course, verified by him personally to the last point and comma. So, in front of me is the "Act on the acceptance of the People's Commissariat of Defense of the Union SSR tov. Timoshenko S.K. from comrade Voroshilova K.E.” This highly classified document contains over fifty pages of typewritten text. Here are excerpts from it. “The current regulation on the People's Commissariat of Defense, approved by the Government in 1934, is outdated, does not correspond to the existing structure and does not reflect the modern tasks assigned to the People's Commissariat of Defense. The newly created departments exist according to temporary provisions. The structure of other directorates (General Staff, Art. Directorate, Communications Directorate, Construction and Apartment Directorate, Air Force and Inspection Directorate) is not approved. There are 1080 operating charters, instructions and manuals in the army, however, the charters: field service, combat charters of the military branches, internal service, disciplinary require cardinal processing. Majority military units exist in temporary states. 1400 states and tables, according to which the troops live and are supplied, have not been approved by anyone. Questions of the military legislation are not adjusted. The control over the execution of the given orders and decisions of the Government is extremely poorly organized. There is no living, effective leadership in the training of troops. On-site verification, as a system, was not carried out and was replaced by paper reports.
There is no operational plan for the war in the West in connection with the occupation of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus; in Transcaucasia - in connection with abrupt change environment; in the Far East and Transbaikalia - due to changes in the composition of the troops. The General Staff does not have accurate data on the state of the state border cover along its entire perimeter.
Management of the operational training of senior officers and staffs was expressed only in planning it and issuing directives. The People's Commissar of Defense and the General Staff did not conduct classes with senior officers. There is no control over operational training in the districts. There are no firmly established views on the use of tanks, aviation and airborne assault forces. The preparation of the theaters of operations for war is in all respects extremely weak. The prefield system has not been finally developed, and in the districts this issue is resolved in different ways. There are no instructions from the NGOs and the General Staff to keep the old fortified areas in combat readiness. The new fortified areas do not have their weapons. The need for troops in the cards is not provided. The People's Commissariat does not have a precisely established number of the Red Army at the time of admission. The plan for the dismissal of assigned staff is in the process of being developed. Organizational events for rifle divisions have not been completed. Divisions do not have new states. The rank and file and junior command staff are weak in their training. Western counties(KOVO, ZAPOVO and ODVO) are oversaturated with people who do not know the Russian language. A new provision defining the order of service has not been drawn up.
Mobilization plan violated. The People's Commissariat of Defense has no new plan. The re-registration of the reserve for military service has not been carried out since 1927. The unsatisfactory state of accounting for horses, carts, teams and vehicles. The shortage of vehicles is 108,000 vehicles. Instructions on mobilization work in the troops and military registration and enlistment offices are outdated. The shortage of commanders in the army is 21 percent. to the staffing. The quality of command staff training is low, especially at the platoon-company level, in which up to 68 percent have only a short-term 6-month training course for junior lieutenant. For the complete mobilization of the army in wartime, 290,000 reserve command personnel are missing. There is no plan for the preparation and replenishment of reserve officers.
The orders on the tasks of combat training issued annually by the People's Commissar for a number of years repeated the same tasks, which were never fully carried out, and those who did not comply with the order remained unpunished.
The infantry is weaker than all other branches of the military. The material part of the Red Army Air Force in its development lags behind the aviation of the advanced armies of other countries in terms of speed, engine power, armament and strength of aircraft.
Airborne units did not receive proper development. The presence of the material part of artillery lags behind in large calibers. The supply of 152-mm howitzers and cannons is 78 percent, and 44 percent of 203-mm howitzers. The supply of larger calibers (280 mm and above) is completely insufficient. Meanwhile, the experience of breaking through the Mannerheim Line showed that 203-mm howitzers are not powerful enough to destroy and destroy modern pillboxes. The Red Army turned out to be unprovided with mortars and unprepared for their use. The supply of engineering units with the main types of weapons is only 40 - 60 percent. The latest means of engineering technology: trench diggers, deep drilling tools, new road machines have not been introduced into the arsenal of the engineering troops. The introduction of new means of radio engineering is extremely slow and insufficient. The troops are poorly provided for almost all types of communications equipment. Of the 63 items of chemical weapons, only 21 items have been approved and put into service. The condition and armament of the cavalry are satisfactory (highlighted by me - M.Z.). Questions of intelligence organization are the weakest area in the work of the People's Commissariat of Defense. Proper protection against air attack is not provided. Over the past two years, there has not been a single special rear exercise in the army, there have been no training camps for rear service commanders, although the order of the People's Commissar proposed not to conduct a single exercise without working out rear issues. The charter of the rear is classified and the command staff does not know it. The mobilization security of the army in terms of basic items (headgear, overcoats, summer uniforms, linen and footwear) is extremely low. Mutual stocks for parts, carryover stocks for substores are not created. Fuel reserves are extremely low and provide the army for only 1/2 month of the war.
The sanitary service in the Red Army, as the experience of the war with the White Finns showed, turned out to be insufficiently prepared for big war, there was a shortage of medical personnel, especially surgeons, medical equipment and medical transport. The existing network of higher military educational institutions (16 military academies and 9 military faculties) and land military educational institutions (136 military schools) does not meet the needs of the army in command staff. The quality of training both in academies and in military schools needs to be improved.
Existing bulky organization central office with an insufficiently clear distribution of functions between departments, it does not ensure the successful and rapid fulfillment of the tasks assigned to the People's Commissariat of Defense, which have been set in a new way by modern warfare.
Passed - Voroshilov. Accepted - Tymoshenko. Chairman of the Commission Secretary of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks - Zhdanov. Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU - Malenkov. Members - Voznesensky. TsAMO, f. 32, op. 11309, d. 15, ll. 1-31".
And here are excerpts from Stalin's speech to graduates of military academies on May 5, 1941: “Comrades, you left the army three or four years ago, now you will return to its ranks and you will not recognize the army. The Red Army is no longer what it was a few years ago. What was the Red Army like 3-4 years ago? The main arm of the army was the infantry. She was armed with a rifle, which was reloaded after each shot, light and heavy machine guns, howitzers and a cannon, which had an initial speed of up to 900 meters per second. The planes had a speed of 400 - 500 kilometers per hour. The tanks had thin armor to withstand the 37mm cannon. Our division numbered up to 18,000 men, but this was not yet an indicator of its strength. What has the Red Army become at the present time? We rebuilt our army, armed it with modern military equipment. Previously, there were 120 divisions in the Red Army. Now we have 300 divisions in the army. Of the 100 divisions, two thirds are armored and one third are mechanized. The army this year will have 50,000 tractors and trucks. Our tanks have changed their appearance. We have tanks of the first line, which will tear the front. There are tanks of the second or third line - these are infantry escort tanks. Increased firepower of tanks. modern warfare amended and raised the role of guns. Previously, the speed of aviation was considered ideal 400 - 500 km per hour. Now it is already behind. We have in sufficient quantity and mass-produce aircraft capable of speeds of 600-650 km per hour. These are first line aircraft. In case of war, these aircraft will be used in the first place. They will also clear the way for our relatively obsolete I-15, I-16 and I-153 (Chaika) and SB aircraft. If we had let these cars go first, they would have been beaten. Previously, no attention was paid to such cheap artillery, but to a valuable kind of weapon, like mortars. We neglected them, now we are armed with modern mortars of various calibers. There were no scooter units before, now we have created them - this motorized cavalry, and we have them in sufficient numbers. To manage all this new technology - new army, we need command cadres who know modern military art to perfection. These are the changes that have taken place in the organization of the Red Army. When you come to the Red Army units, you will see the changes that have taken place.”
The merit of Tymoshenko in the "changes that have taken place" simply cannot be overestimated. Sometimes you think: why would Hitler attack us when the army was led by Klim Voroshilov, who really cared only about the cavalry?
However, Semyon Konstantinovich had the will, knowledge and skills to radically change the situation in the Red Army.
After all, the cited document not only named shortcomings, but also proposed radical measures to eliminate them. At the same time, the young marshal headed the People's Commissariat of Defense for only 14 months! Of course, in such a short period it was impossible to complete the reorganization and technical re-equipment of the troops. But still, how much they did! In September 1940, Timoshenko wrote a memorandum addressed to Stalin and Molotov, in which he amazingly accurately predicted how military operations would develop if Germany attacked us, which he personally did not doubt one iota.
You can write a book about Marshal Tymoshenko's Great Patriotic War. In fact, it has already been written by as many as three authors. Unfortunately, this collective work is sustained in the spirit of agitprop of the fifties, although the voluminous work was published in the so-called post-perestroika period. The main thing - the Kharkov operation of 1942 or the Second Battle of Kharkov - is generally said in an indistinct patter. Meanwhile, this strategic offensive of the Soviet troops eventually ended with the encirclement and almost complete destruction of the advancing forces. Due to the catastrophe near Kharkov, the rapid advance of the Germans with the subsequent exit to Stalingrad became possible. In the “Barvenkovskaya trap” alone, our losses amounted to 270 thousand people, 171 thousand were irretrievable. Lieutenant-General F.Ya., Deputy Commander of the Southwestern Front, died surrounded. Kostenko, commander of the 6th Army, Lieutenant General A.M. Gorodnyansky, commander of the 57th Army, Lieutenant General K.P. Podlas, commander of the army group, Major General L.V. Bobkin and several division generals. The commander-in-chief of the troops of the South-Western direction was Marshal Timoshenko, the chief of staff I.Kh. Bagramyan, member of the Military Council N.S. Khrushchev. Semyon Konstantinovich himself barely escaped captivity and, returning to Headquarters, of course, prepared for the worst. However, Stalin forgave all the surviving military leaders, including Timoshenko. Some of them, like the same Bagramyan, R.Ya. Malinovsky, who commanded the Southern Front, subsequently fully justified the trust of the leader. But Semyon Konstantinovich, after this, had another front-line tragedy.
As part of the strategic offensive plan, code-named "Polar Star", the North-Western Front, commanded by Timoshenko, carried out the Demyanskaya and Starorusskaya offensive operations. Their plan inspired considerable optimism, and Marshal of Artillery N.N. Voronov: “Near Demyansk, it was necessary to repeat, however, on a more modest scale, what had recently been carried out on the banks of the Volga. But even then, something confused me: the plan of operation was developed without taking into account the nature of the terrain, the very unimportant road network, and most importantly, without taking into account the approaching spring thaw. The more I delved into the details of the plan, the more I became convinced of the truth of the saying: “It was smooth on paper, but they forgot about the ravines, and walk along them.” It was difficult to choose a more unfortunate direction for the use of artillery, tanks and other military equipment than what was planned in the plan. As a result, the losses of our troops amounted to about 280,000 people killed and wounded, while the army group "North" of the enemy lost only 78,115 people. More Stalin did not instruct Timoshenko to command the fronts.
In fairness, it should be noted that Semyon Konstantinovich never shifted his miscalculations to other military leaders and never cowardly humiliated himself in front of Stalin, as Khrushchev himself did.
He endured the disgrace courageously, stoically, and until the end of the war, being a representative of the Headquarters, he very skillfully, kindly and competently coordinated the actions of a number of fronts, took part in the development and conduct of several operations, such as Iasi-Kishinevskaya. In 1943, he was awarded the Order of Suvorov, 1st class, and, following the results of World War II, the Order of Victory.
As for the business qualities of the marshal, I do not use this for a figure of speech. “He had an unusual capacity for work,” wrote General of the Army A.I. Radzievsky. “He is amazingly hardy,” General I.V. Tyulenev. “Marshal Timoshenko worked 18-19 hours a day, often staying in his office until the morning,” G.K. echoes them. Zhukov. On another occasion, he, a person who was not very generous with praise, admitted: “Tymoshenko is an old and experienced military man, a persistent, strong-willed and educated person both tactically and operationally. In any case, he was a much better People's Commissar than Voroshilov, and in the short period that he was, he managed to turn something in the army for the better. Stalin was angry with him after Kharkov, and in general, and this affected his fate throughout the war. He was a hard man. In fact, he should have been Stalin's deputy, not me. Tymoshenko's special benevolence is noted in his memoirs by such military leaders as I.Kh. Bagramyan, M.F. Lukin, K.S. Moskalenko, V.M. Shatilov, S.M. Shtemenko, A.A. Grechko, A.D. Okorokov, I.S. Konev, V.I. Chuikov, K.A. Meretskov, S.M. Shtemenko. Frankly, a rather rare unanimity of military leaders in the assessment of a colleague.
... In April 1960, Timoshenko, always distinguished by good health, became seriously ill. A heavy smoker, he even gave up his addiction and soon recovered. He was elected chairman of the Soviet Committee of War Veterans. Those duties were not burdensome, so he spent most of his time at the dacha in Arkhangelskoye, next to Konev and Meretskov. I read a lot. In his personal library, there were more than two thousand books. Marshal was often visited by children and grandchildren, relatives. Olga's husband served as a military attaché in France. Konstantin married the daughter of Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov. He named his son Simon.
Timoshenko died in the year of his seventy-fifth birthday. Fate seemed to have saved him from further tragic losses. Grandson Vasily died from drugs. Then another grandson, the full namesake of the marshal, dies. Ninel Chuikova and Konstantin Timoshenko divorced. Yekaterina Timoshenko died tragically and under unclear circumstances in 1988.
Marshal Timoshenko erected bronze bust at home. A memorial plaque was installed on the building of the former headquarters of the Belarusian Military District. Streets in St. Petersburg, Voronezh, Kyiv, Izmail, Minsk, Rostov-on-Don bear his name. There is also a street named after Timoshenko in Moscow.
The expanses of the world's oceans are plowed by the anti-submarine ship Semyon Timoshenko.
Military Academy of Radiation, Chemical and biological protection and engineering troops also bears his name. Postage stamps dedicated to the marshal were issued in the USSR and Kyrgyzstan. And in distant Honduras there is Timoshenko vodka. In the autumn of 1941, a local moonshine maker heard on the radio the news that the commander of the Southwestern Front, Timoshenko, had taken the city of Rostov-on-Don during the counteroffensive and thus celebrated this victory. By the way, the capture of Rostov-on-Don was the first major defeat of the Germans. “Our troubles began with Rostov. It was an ominous omen,” admitted G. Guderian. On November 29, 1941, Stalin sent the first congratulation in the history of the Great Patriotic War from the Commander S.K. Timoshenko.
The names of some are still honored, the names of others are consigned to oblivion. But all of them are united by military leadership talent.
the USSR
Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich (1896–1974)
Marshal of the Soviet Union.
Zhukov had a chance to take part in serious hostilities shortly before the start of the Second World War. In the summer of 1939, the Soviet-Mongolian troops under his command defeated the Japanese grouping on the Khalkhin Gol River.
By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Zhukov headed the General Staff, but was soon sent to the army. In 1941, he was assigned to the most critical sections of the front. Putting order in the retreating army with the most severe measures, he managed to prevent the capture of Leningrad by the Germans, and stop the Nazis in the Mozhaisk direction on the outskirts of Moscow. And already in late 1941 - early 1942, Zhukov led a counteroffensive 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 Headquarters of the Supreme High Command near Stalingrad, and on the Kursk Bulge, and during the breaking of the blockade of Leningrad.
In early 1944, Zhukov took command of the 1st Ukrainian Front instead of the seriously wounded General Vatutin and led the Proskurov-Chernivtsi offensive operation he planned. As a result, Soviet troops liberated most of the Right-Bank Ukraine and reached the state border.
At the end of 1944, Zhukov led the 1st Belorussian Front and launched an offensive against Berlin. In May 1945, Zhukov accepted an unconditional surrender. Nazi Germany, and then - two Victory Parades, in Moscow and in Berlin.
After the war, Zhukov found himself on the sidelines, 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 early days of the Great Patriotic War, the units under the command of Rokossovsky were among the few who managed to provide worthy resistance to the advancing German troops. In the battle near Moscow, Rokossovsky's army defended one of the most difficult areas, Volokolamsk.
Returning to service after being seriously wounded in 1942, Rokossovsky took command of the Don Front, which completed the defeat of the Germans near 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 on his own, but to provoke the enemy into active actions. Having accurately determined the direction of the main attack of the Germans, Rokossovsky, just before their offensive, undertook a massive artillery preparation, which bled the enemy's strike forces.
His most famous military achievement, which entered the annals of military art, was the operation to liberate Belarus, code-named "Bagration", which actually destroyed the German army group "Center".
Shortly before the decisive attack on Berlin, the command of the 1st Belorussian Front, to the disappointment of Rokossovsky, was transferred to Zhukov. He was also instructed to command the troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front in East Prussia.
Rokossovsky had outstanding personal qualities and of all Soviet military leaders he was the most popular in the army. After the war, Rokossovsky, a Pole by origin, headed the Polish Ministry of Defense for a long time, and then held the positions of Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR and Chief Military Inspector. The day before his death, he finished writing his memoirs, called 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 setbacks of the beginning of the war. Konev failed to get permission to withdraw the 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, the troops of the Steppe (later the 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 was surrounded German troops.
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. Distinguished troops under the command of Konev and the Vistula-Oder operation, and in the battle for Berlin. During the latter, the rivalry between Konev and Zhukov manifested itself - each wanted to take the German capital first. Tensions between the marshals persisted until the end of their lives. In May 1945, Konev led the liquidation of the last major center of Nazi 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, he commanded troops in Hungary during the events of 1956.
Vasilevsky Alexander Mikhailovich (1895–1977)
Marshal of the Soviet Union, Chief of the General Staff.
In the position of Chief of the General Staff, which he held since 1942, Vasilevsky coordinated the actions of the fronts of the Red Army and participated in the development of all major operations of the Great Patriotic War. He, in particular, plays a key role in planning the operation to encircle the German troops near 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 Far East and commanded the defeat of the Kwatun 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 less senior 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 onset, the Transcaucasian Front. Under his leadership, a sudden operation was developed to bring Soviet troops into the northern part of Iran. Tolbukhin also developed the operation to land the Kerch landing, the result of which was to be the liberation of the Crimea. However, after its successful start, our troops were unable to develop success, suffered heavy losses, and Tolbukhin was removed from his post.
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 was already in command of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, he led the 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 thousandth group of German-Romanian troops, entered the annals of military art (sometimes it is called the "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 general of the army.
Before the war, Vatutin served as Deputy Chief of the General Staff, and with the outbreak of World War II, he was sent to the North-Western Front. In the region of Novgorod, under his leadership, several counterattacks were carried out, which slowed down the advance of Manstein's tank corps.
In 1942, Vatutin, who then headed the Southwestern Front, commanded Operation Little Saturn, the purpose of which was to prevent the German-Italian-Romanian troops from helping the Paulus army encircled near Stalingrad.
In 1943, Vatutin headed the Voronezh (later the 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 Zhytomyr, and then Rovno. Together with the 2nd Ukrainian Front of Konev, the 1st Ukrainian Front of Vatutin 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 of his wounds.
United Kingdom
Montgomery Bernard Low (1887–1976)
British field marshal.
Prior to the outbreak of World War II, Montgomery was considered one of the bravest and most talented British military leaders, but his harsh, difficult character hampered his promotion. Montgomery, himself distinguished by physical endurance, great attention devoted to the daily hard training of the troops entrusted to him.
At the beginning of World War II, when the Germans defeated France, parts of Montgomery covered the evacuation of the Allied forces. In 1942, Montgomery became commander of the British forces in North Africa, and achieved a turning point in this sector of the war, defeating the German-Italian grouping of troops in Egypt, in the battle of El Alamein. Its significance was summarized by Winston Churchill: “Before the battle of Alamein, we did not know victories. We didn't know defeat after that." For this battle, Montgomery received the title of Viscount of Alamein. True, Montgomery's opponent, German Field Marshal Rommel, said that, having such resources as a British commander, he would have conquered the entire Middle East in a month.
After that, Montgomery was transferred to Europe, where he was supposed to act in close contact with the Americans. Here his quarrelsome character affected: 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. Toward the end of the war, Montgomery successfully resisted the German counter-offensive in the Ardennes, and then conducted several military operations in Northern Europe.
After the war, Montgomery served as Chief of the British General Staff and subsequently as First Deputy Commander in Chief Allied Forces Europe.
Alexander Harold Rupert Leofric George (1891–1969)
British field marshal.
At the start of World War II, Alexander supervised the evacuation of British troops after the German takeover of France. Most of the personnel managed to be taken out, but almost all military equipment got to the enemy.
At the end of 1940, Alexander was assigned to Southeast Asia. He failed to defend Burma, but he managed to block the Japanese way to India.
In 1943, Alexander was appointed Commander-in-Chief ground forces allies in North Africa. Under his leadership, a large German-Italian grouping in Tunisia was defeated, and this, by and large, completed the campaign in North Africa and opened the way to Italy. Alexander commanded the landing of allied troops in Sicily, and then on the mainland. At the end of the war, he served as Supreme Allied Commander in the Mediterranean.
After the war, Alexander received the title of Earl of Tunisia, for some time he was the Governor General of Canada, and then the British Minister of Defense.
USA
Eisenhower Dwight David (1890–1969)
General of the US Army.
He spent his childhood in a family whose members were pacifists for religious reasons, but Eisenhower chose a military career.
Eisenhower met the beginning of the Second World War in a rather modest rank of colonel. But his abilities were noticed by the chief of the American General Staff, George Marshall, and soon Eisenhower became head of the operational 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 later the superior Anglo-American forces made a turning point in the North African campaign.
In 1944, Eisenhower oversaw the landing of the Allied forces in Normandy and the subsequent attack on Germany. At the end of the war, Eisenhower became the creator of the infamous camps for "disarmed enemy forces" that did not fall under the Geneva Convention on the Rights of Prisoners of War, which actually became death camps for German soldiers who got there.
After the war, Eisenhower was the commander of NATO forces, and then was elected twice as president of the United States.
MacArthur Douglas (1880–1964)
General of the US Army.
In his youth, MacArthur did not want to be accepted into military academy West Point for health reasons, but he got his way and, after graduating from the academy, was recognized as its best graduate in history. He received the rank of general in the First World War.
In 1941-42, MacArthur led the defense of the Philippines from Japanese troops. The enemy managed to take the 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 famous phrase: "I did what I could, but I'll be back."
After being appointed commander of the troops in the southwestern zone Pacific Ocean, MacArthur countered Japanese plans to invade Australia and then led successful offensives in New Guinea and the Philippines.
On September 2, 1945, MacArthur, already with all the US military forces in the Pacific, accepted the Japanese surrender aboard the battleship Missouri, ending World War II.
After World War II, MacArthur commanded the occupying forces in Japan and later led American forces in the Korean War. The landing of American troops in Inchon, which he developed, became a classic of military art. He called for the nuclear bombing of China and the invasion of this country, after which he was dismissed.
Nimitz Chester William (1885–1966)
US Fleet Admiral.
Prior to World War II, Nimitz was engaged 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 mission 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, 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 an amphibious landing in Japan. During the fighting, Nimitz used the tactic of sudden rapid movement from island to island, called the "frog jump".
Nimitz's return to his homeland was celebrated as a national holiday and was called "Nimitz Day". After the war, he led the demobilization of troops, and then oversaw the creation of a nuclear submarine fleet. On the Nuremberg Trials defended his German colleague Admiral Dennitsa, stating that he himself used the same methods of submarine warfare, thanks to which Dennitz escaped the death penalty.
Germany
Von Bock Theodor (1880–1945)
German Field Marshal.
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. With the outbreak of war, he commanded Army Group North during the war with Poland. In 1940, von Bock led the capture of Belgium and the Netherlands and the defeat of the French troops at Dunkirk. It was he who took 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 the Army Group Center, which carried out an attack in the main direction. After the failure of the attack on Moscow, he was considered one of the main responsible for this failure of the German army. In 1942, he led the Army Group "South" and for a long time successfully held back the offensive of Soviet troops on Kharkov.
Von Bock was distinguished by an extremely independent character, repeatedly clashed with Hitler and defiantly kept aloof from politics. After in the summer of 1942, von Bock opposed the Fuhrer's decision to divide Army Group South into 2 directions, Caucasian and Stalingrad, during the planned offensive, he was removed from command and sent to the reserve. A few days before the end of the war, von Bock died during an air raid.
Von Rundstedt Karl Rudolf Gerd (1875–1953)
German Field Marshal.
By the beginning of the Second World War, von Rundstedt, who had held important command positions back in the First World War, had already managed to retire. But in 1939, Hitler returned him to the army. Von Rundstedt became the main planner of the attack on Poland, codenamed "Weiss", and during its implementation he commanded Army Group South. He then led Army Group A, which played a key role in the capture of France, and also developed the failed Sea Lion plan to attack England.
Von Rundstedt objected to the Barbarossa plan, but after the decision was made to attack the USSR, he led the Army Group South, which captured Kyiv and other big 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 very next 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. After reviewing the situation, von Rundstedt warned Hitler that a long-term defense with the available forces would be impossible. At the decisive moment of the landings in Normandy, June 6, 1944, Hitler canceled von Rundstedt's order to transfer troops, thereby wasting time and giving the enemy an opportunity to develop the offensive. Already at the end of the war, von Rundstedt successfully resisted the Allied landing 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.
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 a 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.
Then Manstein commanded the Don Army Group and unsuccessfully tried to rescue the Paulus army from the Stalingrad cauldron. Since 1943, he led the Army Group South and inflicted Soviet troops sensitive defeat near Kharkov, and then tried to prevent the crossing of the Dnieper. During the retreat, Manstein's troops used the tactics of "scorched earth".
Having suffered a defeat in the Battle of Korsun-Shevchensk, Manstein retreated, violating Hitler's order. Thus, he saved part of the army from encirclement, but after that he was forced to retire.
After the war, he was convicted by a British tribunal for war crimes for 18 years, but already in 1953 he was released, worked as a military adviser to the government of Germany and wrote his memoirs Lost Victories.
Guderian Heinz Wilhelm (1888–1954)
German colonel general, commander of the 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 military campaigns against Poland and France, the blitzkrieg tactics fully justified itself. Guderian was at the pinnacle of fame: 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 expanses 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 that, he was sent to the reserve, and later held the post of inspector general of 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, 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 participated in the Polish and French campaigns, but his main successes were associated with military operations in North Africa. Rommel led the Afrika Korps, which was originally attached to help the Italian troops, who were defeated by the British. Instead of strengthening the defenses, as ordered by the order, Rommel went on the offensive with small forces and won important victories. He acted in the same way in the future. Like Manstein, Rommel assigned the main role to rapid breakthroughs and maneuvering of tank forces. And only by 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 defeat. Subsequently, he fought in Italy and tried, together with von Rundstedt, with whom he had serious disagreements that affected the combat capability of the troops, to stop the Allied landings 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 United States and had the opportunity to study the army of the future enemy well. 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 uninterrupted 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. On December 7, 1941, Japanese aircraft taking off from aircraft carriers defeated the American naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and inflicted enormous damage on the US Navy and Air Force. After that, Yamamoto won a number of victories in the central and southern parts of the Pacific. 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 get all the information about the upcoming operation. After that, the war, as Yamamoto feared, took on a protracted character.
Unlike many others Japanese generals, Yamashita after the surrender of Japan did not commit suicide, but surrendered. In 1946 he was executed on charges of war crimes. His case set a legal precedent, dubbed the "Yamashita Rule": according to it, the commander is responsible for not suppressing the war crimes of his subordinates.
Other countries
Von Mannerheim Carl Gustav Emil (1867–1951)
Finnish marshal.
Before the 1917 revolution, when Finland was part of the 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 engaged in 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, the 72-year-old Mannerheim led the country's army. Under his command, the Finnish troops for a long time held back the offensive of the Soviet units, which significantly outnumbered them. As a result, Finland retained its independence, although the terms of the peace 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 maneuvering, 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 tsarist army and monarchists, who were called "Chetniks". However, the 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 numbering a quarter of a million fighters under the leadership of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia. She used not only the methods of war traditional 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 jointly with the Soviet troops.
Shortly after the war, Tito took over Yugoslavia and remained in power until his death. Despite the socialist orientation, he pursued a fairly independent policy.
