home » Children

Generals of the victory of the Second World War. Great commanders of the Great Patriotic War Front commanders in World War II 1941 1945 table

Marshals of the Great Patriotic War

Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich

11/19 (12/1). 1896—06/18/1974
Great commander
Marshal of the 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. In the summer of 1939, he carried out a successful encirclement operation and defeated a group of Japanese troops under 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 of the Leningrad blockade (1943), in the Battle of Kursk (summer 1943), where Hitler’s plan was thwarted. Citadel" 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 accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany from Hitler’s Field Marshal W. von Keitel. 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 of the 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.
A bronze bust and monuments were erected to Zhukov. He was buried on Red Square near the Kremlin wall.
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 of the 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 of the 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 Soviet troops in the Far East (pseudonym Vasiliev). For the quick defeat of the Kwantung Army of the Japanese 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 of the 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).
The urn with the ashes of A. M. Vasilevsky was buried on Red Square in Moscow near the Kremlin wall next to the ashes of G. K. Zhukov. A bronze bust of the marshal was installed in Kineshma.

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. The highest orders of the “White Lion” 1st class and the “Czechoslovak War Cross of 1939” were a reward 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 the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces (1946-1950; 1955-1956), the first Commander-in-Chief of the United Armed Forces of the Warsaw Pact member 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. A student at the Petrograd Polytechnic Institute, L. Govorov, became a cadet at the Konstantinovsky Artillery School in 1916. 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 instructions from 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 struck again, crushing the Germans' Northern Wall, 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 of the country's air defense.

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.
He died in 1955 at the age of 59. He was buried on Red Square in Moscow near the Kremlin wall.

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 the 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 (08/05/1943). 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)
He was buried on Red Square in Moscow near the Kremlin wall. A bronze bust of Rokossovsky was installed in his homeland (Velikiye Luki).

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 the Iasi-Kishinev operation (08.20-29.1944). 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.
A bronze bust of the marshal was installed in Odessa. He was buried on Red Square near the Kremlin wall.

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).
He was buried on Red Square in Moscow near the Kremlin wall.

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 Orders 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.
He wrote a memoir, “In the Service of the People.” He was buried on Red Square in Moscow near the Kremlin wall.

KUZNETSOV Nikolay Gerasimovich

Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union, 1944.

Born on July 24 (11), 1904 in the village of Medvedki, Kotlas district, Arkhangelsk region. In the navy from the age of 15, he served on a gunboat in the Severodvinsk military flotilla. With the rank of a Red Navy man, Nikolai Kuznetsov took part in the Civil War. In the fall of 1920, Kuznetsov was transferred to Petrograd and enrolled in the Central Fleet Crew. From December 6, 1920 to May 20, 1922, he studied at the preparatory school at the Naval School (later the M. V. Frunze Naval School), to which he was transferred in September 1922. On October 5, 1926, he graduated from college with honors, receiving the rank of commander of the Red Red Army Fleet, and was enrolled in the middle-ranking command corps of the Red Army Navy. He was given the right to choose a fleet.

Kuznetsov chose the Black Sea Fleet, the cruiser Chervona Ukraine, as his place of future service. He was appointed watch commander of this cruiser, as well as commander of the first pluton and commander of the combat company. From August 1927 to October 1, 1929 - senior watch commander of the cruiser.

From October 1, 1929 to May 4, 1932, Kuznetsov studied at the Naval Academy and graduated with honors. Receives the first award from NAMORSI RKKA - a pistol of the Korovin system. After studying at the academy, Kuznetsov became the senior assistant commander of the cruiser "Red Caucasus". Thanks to his activities, in 1933 the cruiser became part of the combat core of the Black Sea Fleet.

In November 1933, Captain 2nd Rank Kuznetsov was appointed commander of the cruiser Chervona Ukraine. He remained in this position until August 15, 1936.

Since August 1936, he has worked as a naval attaché and chief naval adviser, as well as the leader of Soviet volunteer sailors in Spain.

In July 1937, Kuznetsov returned to his homeland and in August of the same year was appointed deputy commander of the Pacific Fleet, and from January 10, 1938 to March 28, 1939, he was commander of this fleet.

In December 1937, by decree of the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, the People's Commissariat of the USSR Navy was created; in March 1938, N. G. Kuznetsov was introduced to the Main Military Council of the Navy under the People's Commissariat of the Navy. On March 28, 1939, N. G. Kuznetsov was appointed Deputy People's Commissar of the Navy, and on April 28, 1939 (at age 34), two years and two months before the start of the Great Patriotic War, he was appointed People's Commissar of the USSR Navy.

At the beginning of 1941, by the decision of the People's Commissar, a boatswain's school was created on the island of Valaam (Lake Ladoga), and later, in 1942, on the Solovetsky Islands - a ship's school, in 1943 - the Nakhimov Naval School in Tbilisi, in 1944 - the Nakhimov Military School -Naval School in Leningrad, in 1945 - Riga Nakhimov School. Preparatory schools were created in Baku (1943), Leningrad, Gorky and Vladivostok to prepare young men entering higher naval educational institutions who did not have a secondary education, which existed until 1948.

In May 1941, on the instructions of N.G. Kuznetsov, the fleets increased the composition of the combat core, strengthened ship patrols and reconnaissance. On June 19, by order of the People's Commissar of the Navy, all fleets switched to operational readiness No. 2, bases and formations were asked to disperse forces and strengthen surveillance of water and air, and prohibit the dismissal of personnel from units and ships. The ships received the necessary supplies, put the material part in order; a certain duty was established. All personnel remained on the ships. Political work among the Red Navy men was intensified in the spirit of constant readiness to repel an enemy attack, despite the TASS report of June 14, refuting rumors of a possible German attack on the USSR. On June 21, 1941, after receiving a warning from the General Staff at 23:00 about a possible attack on the USSR by Nazi Germany, the People's Commissar of the Navy, with his directive No. 3N/87, at 23:50, announced to the fleets: “Immediately switch to operational readiness No. 1.” Even earlier, his verbal order was conveyed to the fleets by telephone. The fleets carried out the order by 00.00 on June 22 and were already in full combat readiness when at 01:12 on June 22, the military councils of the fleets received a second detailed directive from the People's Commissar of the Navy Kuznetsov “on the possibility of a surprise attack by the Germans” No. 3N/88. On June 22, 1941, all fleets and flotillas of the USSR met aggression on combat alert, and on the first day of the war did not suffer losses either in the naval personnel or in the naval air force.

During the war, organizing interaction between the Navy and ground forces in order to defeat the enemy was one of the main directions in the activities of the People's Commissariat and the Main Naval Staff of the Navy. Kuznetsov proved himself to be an outstanding organizer of interaction between naval forces and ground forces. He acted as the People's Commissar of the Navy, a member of the State Defense Committee and a representative of the Supreme High Command Headquarters on the use of naval forces on the fronts (1941-1945), as the Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Navy (from February 1944), as a member of the Supreme High Command Headquarters (from February 1945).

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief J.V. Stalin assessed the activities of the Navy in the war in order No. 371 of July 22, 1945 in connection with Navy Day: “In the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet people against Nazi Germany, the Navy of our state was a faithful assistant Red Army. ...The combat activities of Soviet sailors were distinguished by selfless steadfastness and courage, high combat activity and military skill. ...The fleet fully fulfilled its duty to the Soviet Motherland.”

In 1944, N. G. Kuznetsov was awarded the rank of Admiral of the Fleet (since 1955 - Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union), equivalent to the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union.

“For skillful and courageous leadership of military operations and the successes achieved in them” during the war, N. G. Kuznetsov was awarded the Order of Lenin, the Red Banner, two Orders of Ushakov, 1st degree, foreign orders, commemorative weapons and the Gold Star medal of the Hero of the Soviet Union . On September 14, 1945, Kuznetsov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union

A special page in the activities of the People's Commissar of the Navy and Commander-in-Chief of the Navy was his work as a member of the delegation from the Soviet Union as part of diplomatic missions and international conferences. He participated in the negotiations of the military missions of the three powers - the USSR, England and France (1939), the USA and Great Britain (July 1941) - on joint actions in the war against Germany, in the Crimean and Potsdam conferences of the three allied powers (1945).

Under N.G. Kuznetsov, the Navy was developing a balanced ten-year military shipbuilding program, which even included the construction of aircraft carriers. He early realized and highly appreciated the prospects of using nuclear energy in the navy for ships and submarines. He expressed his thoughts about this at meetings in 1946, in a letter and report to Generalissimo I.V. Stalin on September 30, 1946. Kuznetsov’s persistence and activities aimed at implementing this program turned out to be fatal for him. His views came into conflict with the views of the country's top leadership on the development of the Navy, its organization and management, who were irritated by the authority, independence of judgment and independence of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The People's Commissariat of the Navy was abolished "as unnecessary", and Kuznetsov was removed from his post and transferred to head the Directorate of Naval Educational Institutions in Leningrad.

In 1947 he was subjected to the court of honor, and in 1948 to the court of the Supreme Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR. By a court verdict dated February 3, 1948, and by CM Resolution No. 1283-114c dated February 10, 1948, he was demoted to rear admiral and removed from work.

From 1948 to 1950, Kuznetsov served in Khabarovsk as deputy commander-in-chief of the Far East forces for naval forces, and in 1950-1951 - commander of the Pacific (5th) Fleet.

In November 1949, he was nominated for the next military rank of vice admiral, which he received on January 27, 1951 (for the second time).

In the summer of 1951, I.V. Stalin returned Kuznetsov to work in Moscow in the newly created Naval Department as Minister of Naval Affairs (Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces of July 20, 1951).

By Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR dated May 13, 1953 No. 254-504с, he was restored to his previous rank - Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union, and all charges against him were dropped due to the lack of corpus delicti.

Having again become the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Kuznetsov put a lot of effort into adopting a realistic fleet development program that meets the interests of the state. In this he met fierce resistance from incompetent people who were in charge of the country's leadership. On this, in fact, as Kuznetsov put it, “he broke his neck.” In May 1955, he suffered a heart attack and asked to be released during his illness. But his request was left unanswered. The “elders” wanted this, but were waiting for a reason to remove him “for disrespect for elders.” The reason was found six months later, and in December 1955, Kuznetsov, who had not yet recovered from his illness, was removed from the post of commander-in-chief for allegedly “unsatisfactory leadership of the Navy,” although at that time another person was in charge of the fleet.

In February 1956, he was demoted to vice admiral and dismissed from military service.

On July 26, 1988, after a long and shameful red tape, Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov was restored to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union.

The heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser (TAKR) that came into operation was given the name “Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov” (1989).

Fronts of the Great Patriotic War (commanders, battles)

Northwestern Front (June 1941 - November 1943)

Front troops took part in the border battles of 1941 in the North-Western direction in the Battle of Leningrad. Conducted the Toropetsko-Kholmsky (1942), Staro-Russian (1942) operations, Demyansk operations (1942 and 1943)

Western Front (June 1941 – April 1944)

Front troops took part in border battles (1941), the Battle of Smolensk (1941), the Battle of Moscow (1941–1942), the Rzhev-Sychevsk operation (1942), the Rzhev-Vyazemsk, Oryol, Smolensk operations (1943) and carried out the Spaso-Demenskaya operation operation (1943).

From April 24, 1944, the field control of the Western Front began to be called the 3rd Belorussian Front.

Southwestern Front (June 1941 - July 1942 and October 1942 - October 1943)

At the beginning of the Patriotic War, front troops fought a tank battle near Dubno, Lutsk and Rivne. They took part in the Kyiv, Yelets and Uman operations (1941), the Barvenkovo-Lozov, Voronezh-Voroshilovgrad operations (1942), the Kharkov battle and the counter-offensive near Stalingrad (1942–1943). With the participation of the Voronezh Front, they carried out the Middle Don operation (1942), participated in the Ostrogozh-Rossoshan and Donbass operations (1943), and carried out the Zaporozhye operation (1943).

Northern Front (June - August 1941)

Front troops took part in border battles (1941) in Karelia and on the Kola Peninsula, and were involved in the defense of Leningrad.

Front troops took part in border battles (1941), part of the forces defended Odessa, carried out the Donbass, Rostov defensive and offensive operations (1941), and the Donbass operation (1942). They took part in the Barvenkovo-Lozovskaya, Voronezh-Voroshilovgrad operations and in the Kharkov battle (1942). In the second formation they carried out the Rostov and Melitopol operations (1943) and took part in the Donbass operation (1943).

Reserve Front (created in 1941 and 1943)

In July 1941, it was created to unite the actions of reserve armies deployed in the rear of the Western Front. Front troops carried out the Elninsky operation and took part in the battle of Moscow.

In 1943, the Reserve Front was created for a short period in March (March 23–27 was called Kursk, March 27–28 - Oryol), in April the front troops were deployed in the Voronezh-Kursk direction.

Central Front (July - August 1941 and February 1943)

Front troops took part in the Battle of Smolensk (1941). It was created a second time in 1943. Participated in the Kursk defensive and Oryol operations (1943), conducted the Chernigov-Pripyat operation (1943).

Front troops carried out the Oryol-Bryansk operation (1941). After its secondary creation, they participated in the Bryansk operation (1943), in the Voronezh-Kastornensk and Oryol operations (1943).

Karelian Front (October 1941 - November 1944)

The front troops were on the defensive until June 1944; then they carried out the Svir-Petrozavodsk (part of the Vyborg-Petrozavodsk) and Petsamo-Kirkenes operations (1944).

Leningrad Front (August 1941 - July 1945)

Front troops took part in the battle for Leningrad (1941–1944), in the Baltic operation (1944), and in the blockade of the enemy’s Courland group.

Transcaucasian Front (August - December 1941 and May 1942 - August 1945)

Created to cover state borders with Iran, Turkey, and defend the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. In December 1941, it was renamed the Caucasian Front. In May 1942 it was created a second time. During the battle for the Caucasus, he carried out a number of defensive operations on the passes of the Main Caucasus Range (Mogdok-Malgobetskaya, Nalchik-Ordzhonikidzevskaya, Novorossiysk and Tuapse). On January 1, 1943, the troops of the Transcaucasian Front went on the offensive. The Northern Group of Forces was transformed into the North Caucasus Front. The Transcaucasian Front covered the Black Sea coast and the state border with Turkey and Iran.

Kalinin Front (October 1941 - October 1943)

Front troops conducted the Kalininskaya (1941), Kalininskaya (1941–1942), Sychevsko-Vyazemskaya (1942), Velikolukskaya (1942–1943), Dukhovshinsko-Demidovskaya (1943), Nevelskaya (1943) operations, and participated in the Rzhevsko-Sychevskaya (1942) , Rzhev-Vyazemsk (1942 and 1943) and Smolensk operations (1943).

Commander General of the Army K. A. Meretskov.

Front troops carried out the Lyuban (1942), Novgorod-Luga (1944) operations, participated in the Sinyavinsk operation (1942), and in breaking the siege of Leningrad (1943).

Crimean Front (January - May 1942)

Commander: Lieutenant General D.T. Kozlov.

Front troops conducted defensive operations in Crimea.

Front troops fought defensive battles near Sevastopol, in the lower reaches of the Don, in the Stavropol and Krasnodar directions. The front conducted the Armaviro-Maikop and Novorossiysk (1942), Krasnodar, Novorossiysk-Taman and Kerch-Eltigen operations (1943), participated in the North Caucasus operation (1943) and in the battles on Malaya Zemlya.

Voronezh Front (July 1942 - October 1943)

Front troops conducted the Ostrogozh-Rossoshansk, Kharkov defensive and offensive operations (1943) and participated in the Voronezh-Voroshilovgrad (1942), Voronezh-Kastornenskaya (1943), Kursk defensive (1943), Belgorod-Kharkov (1943) operations.

Stalingrad Front (July 1942 - January 1943)

On September 28, it was renamed the Don Front, and the South-Eastern Front was renamed the Stalingrad Front. Participated in the defensive battle and counteroffensive near Stalingrad.

South-Eastern Front (August - September 1942)

Commander A.I. Eremenko.

Formed at the expense of part of the forces of the Stalingrad Front. Participated in the Stalingrad defensive operation. Renamed Stalingrad Front.

Don Front (September 1942 - February 1943)

Commander: Lieutenant General (since January 1943, Colonel General) K.K. Rokossovsky.

Created as a result of the renaming of the Stalingrad Front. Front troops took part in the defense and counter-offensive at Stalingrad, and carried out Operation Ring to destroy the encircled Nazi army.

Steppe Front (July - October 1943)

Commanding General Colonel (since August 1943 Army General) I. S. Konev.

Participated in the completion of the defensive battle near Kursk, the Belgorod-Kharkov operation (1943) and in the battle for the Dnieper (1943).

Baltic Front (October 1943)

Commander General of the Army M. M. Popov.

Had the task, together with the North-Western, Volkhov and Leningrad fronts, to defeat the fascist German army group “North”.

Renamed 2nd Baltic Front.

1st Baltic Front (October 1943 - February 1945)

In November 1943, he led an offensive in the Vitebsk-Polotsk direction, carried out the Gorodok operation in December 1943, the Polotsk, Siauliai and Memel operations in 1944, and participated in the Vitebsk-Orsha and Riga operations, in blocking and destroying the Nazi group in Courland. In 1945, he took part in the Insterburg-Koenigsberg operation and the liquidation of the Zemland enemy group.

2nd Baltic Front (October 1943 - April 1945)

In November 1943 he led an offensive in the Vitebsk-Polotsk direction, in 1944 he participated in the Leningrad-Novgorod and Riga operations, in blocking the Nazi group in Courland, and in 1945 in its destruction.

3rd Baltic Front (April - October 1944)

Commanding General-Colonel (since July 1944 Army General) I. I. Maslennikov.

Front troops carried out the Pskov-Ostrovsk and Gartu operations and participated in the Riga operation.

Belorussian Front (October 1943 - April 1944)

Commander General of the Army K.K. Rokossovsky.

Front troops conducted the Gomel-Rechitsa (1943) and Kalinkovichi-Mozyr (1944) operations.

1st Ukrainian Front (October 1943 – June 1945)

Formed as a result of the renaming of the Voronezh Front. Conducted the Kiev offensive and defensive operations (1943), the Zhitomir-Berdichev operation (1943–1944), the Rivne-Lutsk, Proskurov-Chernivtsi and Lvov-Sadomir operations, the Sandomierz-Silesian, Lower Silesian, Upper Silesian operations (1945), participated in the battle for the Dnieper, Korsun-Shevchenkovskaya (1944), participated in the Vistula-Oder, Berlin and Prague operations.

2nd Ukrainian Front (October 1943 – June 1945)

Formed as a result of the renaming of the Steppe Front. Participated in the battle for the Dnieper (1943), conducted the Kirovograd, Uman-Botoshan, and Debrecen operations (1944); took part in the Korsun-Shevchenko and Iasi-Kishinev operations (1944), the Budapest operation (1944–1945), the Vienna and Prague operations (1945).

3rd Ukrainian Front (October 1943 – June 1945)

Formed as a result of the renaming of the Southwestern Front. Conducted the Dnepropetrovsk operation (1943), the Bereznegovato-Snigirevskaya, Odessa operations (1944), the Balaton operation (1945); participated in the battle for the Dnieper (1943), in the Nikopol-Krivoy Rog, Iasi-Kishinev, Belgrade (1944), Budapest (1944–1945), Vienna (1945) operations.

4th UKRAINIAN FRONT (October 1943 - July 1945)

Formed as a result of the renaming of the Southern Front. He carried out the Melitopol operation (1943) and, together with the Separate Primorsky Army, the Crimean operation (1944), participated in the Nikopol-Krivoy Rog operation (1944). In May 1944 it was abolished and re-created in August. Participated in the East Carpathian and West Carpathian operations (1944), the Prague operation (1945). Conducted the Moravian-Ostravian operation (1945).

1st Belorussian Front (February 1944 - June 1945)

Front troops conducted the Rogachev-Zhlobin, Bobruisk, Lublin-Brest (1944), Warsaw-Poznan (1945) operations and participated in the Minsk (1944), East Pomeranian (1945) and Berlin (1945) operations.

2nd Belorussian Front (February 1944 – June 1945)

Front troops participated in the Belorussian (1944), East Pomeranian, East Prussian, Berlin (1945) operations and carried out the Mogilev, Bialystok, Osovets (1944) and Mlawsko-Elbing (1945) operations.

3rd Belorussian Front (April 1944 - August 1945)

Front troops participated in the Belarusian, Memel (1944), East Prussian (1945) operations and carried out the Vilnius, Kaunas, Gumbinnen (1944), Insterburg-Königsberg, Königsberg and Zemland (1945) operations.

In addition, during the Patriotic War there were:

Formed to organize defense on the distant approaches to Moscow at the line west of Volokolamsk - Mozhaisk - Kaluga. The front headquarters was the headquarters of the Moscow Military District.

Commander: Lieutenant General (since 1942, Colonel General) P. A. Artemyev.

Formed to organize defense in the western (Moscow) direction at the line Staraya Russa - Ostashkov - Bely - Istomino - Yelnya - Bryansk (about 750 km).

Commander: Lieutenant General I. A. Bogdanov.

During the Soviet-Japanese War of 1945

The Transbaikal Front was commanded by Marshal of the Soviet Union R. Ya. Malinovsky;

The 2nd Far Eastern Front was commanded by Army General M.A. Purkaev;

The 1st Far Eastern Front was commanded by Marshal of the Soviet Union K. A. Meretskov.

From the book History. General history. Grade 11. Basic and advanced levels author Volobuev Oleg Vladimirovich

§ 10. The beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Military operations in other theaters of the world war. Occupation regime in Western European countries. In Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, as well as in the declared independent Slovakia and Croatia - allied countries of Germany -

From the book History of Russia. XX - early XXI centuries. 9th grade author Volobuev Oleg Vladimirovich

§ 30. RESULTS OF THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR TRIUMPH OF THE SOVIET PEOPLE. The Great Patriotic War ended with the complete victory of the USSR over Nazi Germany and its satellites. In a bloody struggle, the Soviet people defended their Motherland and defended their sovereignty. Armed forces

From the book Truth by Viktor Suvorov author Suvorov Viktor

Mikhail Meltyukhov The eve of the Great Patriotic War of 1939–1941: the formation of a great power Since the late 1980s, the military-political events on the eve of the Great Patriotic War became the object of a lively discussion in Russian historiography, during which scientific

From the book Why and with whom we fought author Narochnitskaya Natalia Alekseevna

HISTORIOSOPHY OF THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR During the Great Patriotic War, it became clear that the “gone with the wind” liberals, who at one time welcomed the destruction of the Christian empire and the revolution as such, loved Russia less than they hated the “Bolsheviks and

From the book 1941. The leader’s trump card [Why was Stalin not afraid of Hitler’s attack?] author Melekhov Andrey M.

The main mystery of the Great Patriotic War As mentioned above, in general, the analytical investigation I carried out at the level of my home library has so far completely confirmed the correctness of the main provisions of the works of Rezun-Suvorov. Stalin deliberately pushed

From the book Truth by Viktor Suvorov [Collection] author Khmelnitsky Dmitry Sergeevich

Mikhail Meltyukhov The threshold of the Great Patriotic War of 1939-1941: the formation of a great power Since the late 1980s, the military-political events on the eve of the Great Patriotic War became the object of a lively discussion in Russian historiography, during which scientific

From the book History of Russia. XX century author Bokhanov Alexander Nikolaevich

§ 2. The beginning of the Great Patriotic War The invasion of the territory of the USSR by enemy troops became a turning point in the life of the entire Soviet people. In one day, all the plans and hopes of tens of millions of people collapsed. The main task was to save the Fatherland from

From the book Questions and Answers. Part I: World War II. Participating countries. Armies, weapons. author Lisitsyn Fedor Viktorovich

Armored forces of the countries participating in the Second World War Tank battles at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War ***What are the problems? Were there tank battalions in which 80% of their equipment remained in the “parks” due to breakdowns? The ZhBD of the 48th (on 35x) heavy tank brigade was published more than 10 years ago

From the book “Normandy-Niemen” [True history of the legendary air regiment] author Dybov Sergey Vladimirovich

The beginning of the Great Patriotic War On June 22, 1941, the Great Patriotic War began. The balance of power in Europe turned out to be finally determined without ambiguity - ours and not ours. On June 29, France announced the severance of diplomatic relations with the USSR. To the embassy

From the book of 100 prophecies of Rasputin author Brestsky Andrey Ivanovich

From the book Domestic History: Lecture Notes author Kulagina Galina Mikhailovna

18.2. The beginning of the Great Patriotic War On June 22, 1941, violating the non-aggression pact, German troops invaded the territory of the USSR along the entire western border: 190 divisions (4.3 million people), 3.5 thousand tanks, 4 thousand Wehrmacht aircraft 170 Soviet divisions opposed

From the book What we know and what we don’t know about the Great Patriotic War author Skorokhod Yuri Vsevolodovich

14. The Church during the Great Patriotic War In today's foreign and domestic media, the Soviet regime, and by inertia today's communists, are portrayed as persecutors of religion and destroyers of churches. Until the early 1930s, such statements had some basis. However

From the book Russia in 1917-2000. A book for everyone interested in Russian history author Yarov Sergey Viktorovich

Lessons from the Great Patriotic War When starting the war against the USSR, the German command underestimated its enemy - both in general and in particular. It considered Soviet civilization to be an artificial ideological formation and believed that to destroy it it was enough

From the book Donbass: Rus' and Ukraine. Essays on history author Buntovsky Sergey Yurievich

Donbass during the Great Patriotic War From the first days of the Great Patriotic War, the work of all industry, transport, and agriculture in the mining region took place under the slogan “Everything for the front, everything for victory!” To the military registration and enlistment offices of Voroshilovgrad and Stalin

From the book General History. XX – early XXI centuries. Grade 11. A basic level of author Volobuev Oleg Vladimirovich

§ 10. The beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Military operations in other theaters of the world war The occupation regime in the countries of Western Europe In Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, as well as in the proclaimed independent Slovakia and Croatia - allied countries of Germany - established

From the book History of Ukraine author Team of authors

Completion of the Great Patriotic War Citizens of Ukraine took part in the liberation campaign of the Red Army, the defeat of Germany and Japan. Their share in the Red Army in 1945 was about a third of its strength. In 1943–1944 more than 3,700 thousand people were drafted from Ukraine,

The fate of millions of people depended on their decisions! This is not the entire list of our great commanders of the Second World War!

Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich (1896-1974) Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov was born on November 1, 1896 in the Kaluga region, into a peasant family. During the First World War, he was drafted into the army and enrolled in a regiment stationed in the Kharkov province. In the spring of 1916, he was enrolled in a group sent to officer courses. After studying, Zhukov became a non-commissioned officer and joined a dragoon regiment, with which he participated in the battles of the Great War. Soon he received a concussion from a mine explosion and was sent to the hospital. He managed to prove himself, and for capturing a German officer he was awarded the Cross of St. George.

After the civil war, he completed the courses for Red commanders. He commanded a cavalry regiment, then a brigade. He was an assistant inspector of the Red Army cavalry.

In January 1941, shortly before the German invasion of the USSR, Zhukov was appointed chief of the General Staff and deputy people's commissar of defense.

Commanded the troops of the Reserve, Leningrad, Western, 1st Belorussian fronts, coordinated the actions of a number of fronts, made a great contribution to achieving victory in the battle of Moscow, in the Battles of Stalingrad, Kursk, in the Belarusian, Vistula-Oder and Berlin operations. Four times Hero of the Soviet Union , holder of two Orders of Victory, many other Soviet and foreign orders and medals.

Vasilevsky Alexander Mikhailovich (1895-1977) - Marshal of the Soviet Union.

Born on September 16 (September 30), 1895 in the village. Novaya Golchikha, Kineshma district, Ivanovo region, in the family of a priest, Russian. In February 1915, after graduating from the Kostroma Theological Seminary, he entered the Alekseevsky Military School (Moscow) and graduated from it in 4 months (in June 1915).
During the Great Patriotic War, as Chief of the General Staff (1942-1945), he took an active part in the development and implementation of almost all major operations on the Soviet-German front. From February 1945, he commanded the 3rd Belorussian Front and led the assault on Königsberg. In 1945, commander-in-chief of Soviet troops in the Far East in the war with Japan.
.

Rokossovsky Konstantin Konstantinovich (1896-1968) - Marshal of the Soviet Union, Marshal of Poland.

Born on December 21, 1896 in the small Russian town of Velikiye Luki (formerly Pskov province), in the family of a Pole railway driver, Xavier-Józef Rokossovsky and his Russian wife Antonina. After the birth of Konstantin, the Rokossovsky family moved to Warsaw. At less than 6 years old, Kostya was orphaned: his father was in a train accident and died in 1902 after a long illness. In 1911, his mother also died. With the outbreak of World War I, Rokossovsky asked to join one of the Russian regiments heading west through Warsaw.

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, he commanded the 9th Mechanized Corps. In the summer of 1941 he was appointed commander of the 4th Army. He managed to somewhat hold back the advance of the German armies on the western front. In the summer of 1942 he became commander of the Bryansk Front. The Germans managed to approach the Don and, from advantageous positions, create threats to capture Stalingrad and break through to the North Caucasus. With a blow from his army, he prevented the Germans from trying to break through to the north, towards the city of Yelets. Rokossovsky took part in the counter-offensive of Soviet troops near Stalingrad. His ability to conduct combat operations played a big role in the success of the operation. In 1943, he led the central front, which, under his command, began the defensive battle on the Kursk Bulge. A little later, he organized an offensive and liberated significant territories from the Germans. He also led the liberation of Belarus, implementing the Stavka plan - “Bagration”
Twice Hero of the Soviet Union

Konev Ivan Stepanovich (1897-1973) - Marshal of the Soviet Union.

Born in December 1897 in one of the villages of the Vologda province. His family was peasant. In 1916, the future commander was drafted into the tsarist army. He participates in the First World War as a non-commissioned officer.

At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Konev commanded the 19th Army, which took part in battles with the Germans and closed the capital from the enemy. For successful leadership of the army's actions, he receives the rank of colonel general.

During the Great Patriotic War, Ivan Stepanovich managed to be the commander of several fronts: Kalinin, Western, Northwestern, Steppe, Second Ukrainian and First Ukrainian. In January 1945, the First Ukrainian Front, together with the First Belorussian Front, launched the offensive Vistula-Oder operation. The troops managed to occupy several cities of strategic importance, and even liberate Krakow from the Germans. At the end of January, the Auschwitz camp was liberated from the Nazis. In April, two fronts launched an offensive in the Berlin direction. Soon Berlin was taken, and Konev took direct part in the assault on the city.

Twice Hero of the Soviet Union

Vatutin Nikolai Fedorovich (1901-1944) - army general.

Born on December 16, 1901 in the village of Chepukhino, Kursk province, into a large peasant family. He graduated from four classes of the zemstvo school, where he was considered the first student.

In the first days of the Great Patriotic War, Vatutin visited the most critical sectors of the front. The staff worker turned into a brilliant combat commander.

On February 21, Headquarters instructed Vatutin to prepare an attack on Dubno and further on Chernivtsi. On February 29, the general was heading to the headquarters of the 60th Army. On the way, his car was fired upon by a detachment of Ukrainian Bandera partisans. The wounded Vatutin died on the night of April 15 in a Kiev military hospital.
In 1965, Vatutin was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Katukov Mikhail Efimovich (1900-1976) - Marshal of the armored forces. One of the founders of the Tank Guard.

Born on September 4 (17), 1900 in the village of Bolshoye Uvarovo, then Kolomna district, Moscow province, into a large peasant family (his father had seven children from two marriages). He graduated with a diploma of commendation from an elementary rural school, during which he was the first student in the class and schools.
In the Soviet Army - since 1919.

At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, he took part in defensive operations in the area of ​​the cities of Lutsk, Dubno, Korosten, showing himself to be a skillful, proactive organizer of a tank battle with superior enemy forces. These qualities were brilliantly demonstrated in the Battle of Moscow, when he commanded the 4th Tank Brigade. In the first half of October 1941, near Mtsensk, on a number of defensive lines, the brigade steadfastly held back the advance of enemy tanks and infantry and inflicted enormous damage on them. Having completed a 360-km march to the Istra orientation, the M.E. brigade. Katukova, as part of the 16th Army of the Western Front, heroically fought in the Volokolamsk direction and participated in the counter-offensive near Moscow. On November 11, 1941, for brave and skillful military actions, the brigade was the first in the tank forces to receive the rank of guards. In 1942, M.E. Katukov commanded the 1st Tank Corps, which repelled the onslaught of enemy troops in the Kursk-Voronezh direction, from September 1942 - the 3rd Mechanized Corps. In January 1943, he was appointed commander of the 1st Tank Army, which was part of the Voronezh, and later the 1st The Ukrainian Front distinguished itself in the Battle of Kursk and during the liberation of Ukraine. In April 1944, the armed forces were transformed into the 1st Guards Tank Army, which, under the command of M.E. Katukova participated in the Lviv-Sandomierz, Vistula-Oder, East Pomeranian and Berlin operations, crossed the Vistula and Oder rivers.

Rotmistrov Pavel Alekseevich (1901-1982) - chief marshal of the armored forces.

Born in the village of Skovorovo, now Selizharovsky district, Tver region, into a large peasant family (he had 8 brothers and sisters)... In 1916 he graduated from higher primary school

In the Soviet Army from April 1919 (he was enlisted in the Samara Workers' Regiment), a participant in the Civil War.

During the Great Patriotic War P.A. Rotmistrov fought on the Western, Northwestern, Kalinin, Stalingrad, Voronezh, Steppe, Southwestern, 2nd Ukrainian and 3rd Belorussian fronts. He commanded the 5th Guards Tank Army, which distinguished itself in the Battle of Kursk. In the summer of 1944, P.A. Rotmistrov and his army took part in the Belarusian offensive operation, the liberation of the cities of Borisov, Minsk, and Vilnius. Since August 1944, he was appointed deputy commander of the armored and mechanized forces of the Soviet Army.

Kravchenko Andrey Grigorievich (1899-1963) - Colonel General of tank forces.
Born on November 30, 1899 on the Sulimin farm, now the village of Sulimovka, Yagotinsky district, Kyiv region of Ukraine, in a peasant family. Ukrainian. Member of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) since 1925. Participant in the Civil War. He graduated from the Poltava Military Infantry School in 1923, the Military Academy named after M.V. Frunze in 1928.
From June 1940 to the end of February 1941 A.G. Kravchenko - chief of staff of the 16th tank division, and from March to September 1941 - chief of staff of the 18th mechanized corps.
On the fronts of the Great Patriotic War since September 1941. Commander of the 31st Tank Brigade (09/09/1941 - 01/10/1942). Since February 1942, deputy commander of the 61st Army for tank forces. Chief of Staff of the 1st Tank Corps (03/31/1942 - 07/30/1942). Commanded the 2nd (07/2/1942 - 09/13/1942) and 4th (from 02/7/43 - 5th Guards; from 09/18/1942 to 01/24/1944) tank corps.
In November 1942, the 4th Corps took part in the encirclement of the 6th German Army at Stalingrad, in July 1943 - in the tank battle near Prokhorovka, in October of the same year - in the Battle of the Dnieper.

Novikov Alexander Alexandrovich (1900-1976) - chief marshal of aviation.
Born on November 19, 1900 in the village of Kryukovo, Nerekhta district, Kostroma region. He received his education at the teachers' seminary in 1918.
In the Soviet Army since 1919
In aviation since 1933. Participant of the Great Patriotic War from the first day. He was the commander of the Northern Air Force, then the Leningrad Front. From April 1942 until the end of the war, he was the commander of the Red Army Air Force. In March 1946, he was illegally repressed (together with A.I. Shakhurin), rehabilitated in 1953.

Kuznetsov Nikolai Gerasimovich (1902-1974) - Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union. People's Commissar of the Navy.
Born on July 11 (24), 1904 in the family of Gerasim Fedorovich Kuznetsov (1861-1915), a peasant in the village of Medvedki, Veliko-Ustyug district, Vologda province (now in the Kotlas district of the Arkhangelsk region).
In 1919, at the age of 15, he joined the Severodvinsk flotilla, giving himself two years to be accepted (the erroneous birth year of 1902 is still found in some reference books). In 1921-1922 he was a combatant in the Arkhangelsk naval crew.
During the Great Patriotic War, N. G. Kuznetsov was the chairman of the Main Military Council of the Navy and the commander-in-chief of the Navy. He promptly and energetically led the fleet, coordinating its actions with the operations of other armed forces. The admiral was a member of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command and constantly traveled to ships and fronts. The fleet prevented an invasion of the Caucasus from the sea. In 1944, N. G. Kuznetsov was awarded the military rank of fleet admiral. On May 25, 1945, this rank was equated to the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union and marshal-type shoulder straps were introduced.

Hero of the Soviet Union,Chernyakhovsky Ivan Danilovich (1906-1945) - army general.
Born in the city of Uman. His father was a railway worker, so it is not surprising that in 1915 his son followed in his father’s footsteps and entered a railway school. In 1919, a real tragedy occurred in the family: his parents died due to typhus, so the boy was forced to leave school and take up farming. He worked as a shepherd, driving cattle into the field in the morning, and sat down to his textbooks every free minute. Immediately after dinner, I ran to the teacher for clarification of the material.
During the Second World War, he was one of those young military leaders who, by their example, motivated the soldiers, gave them confidence and gave them faith in a bright future.

Marshal of the Soviet Union, four times Hero of the Soviet Union, awarded two Orders of Victory. 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.

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).

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.