Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov

Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov, GCB (Russian: Гео́ргий Константи́нович Жу́ков) (December 1, 1896 [O.S. November 19]–June 18, 1974), was a Soviet military commander who, in the course of World War II, led the Red Army to liberate the Soviet Union from the Nazi occupation, to overrun much of Eastern Europe, and to capture Nazi Germany's capital, Berlin. Image File history File links Marshall Georgij Žukov from en. ... Image File history File links Marshall Georgij Žukov from en. ... Military Badge of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. ... December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Old Style or O.S. is a designation indicating that a date conforms to the Julian calendar, formerly in use in many countries, rather than the Gregorian calendar, currently in use in most countries. ... June 18 is the 169th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (170th in leap years), with 196 days remaining. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Motto: Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) (Russian: Workers of the world, unite!) Anthem: The Internationale (1922-1944) Hymn of the Soviet Union (1944-1991) Capital (and largest city) Moscow None; Russian de facto Government Federation of Soviet Republics  - Last President Mikhail Gorbachev  - Last Premier Ivan Silayev Establishment October Revolution   - Declared... Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead... The short forms Red Army and RKKA refer to the Workers and Peasants Red Army, (in Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия - Raboche-Krestyanskaya Krasnaya Armiya), the armed forces first organized by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War in 1918. ... Regions of Europe as delineated by the United Nations (UN definition of Eastern Europe marked salmon):  Northern Europe  Western Europe  Eastern Europe  Southern Europe Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current national boundaries: Russia (dark orange), other countries of the former USSR (medium... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Berlin is the capital city and one of the sixteen states of the Federal Republic of Germany. ...

Career before World War II

Born into a peasant family in Strelkovka, Maloyaroslavets Raion, Kaluga Guberniya (now Zhukovo Raion Kaluga Oblast), Zhukov was apprenticed to work in Moscow, and in 1915 was conscripted into the army of the Russian Empire, where he served in a dragoon regiment as a private. During World War I, Zhukov was awarded the Cross of St George twice and promoted to the rank of non-commissioned officer for his bravery in battle. He joined the Bolshevik Party after the October Revolution, and his background of poverty became an asset. After recovering from typhus he fought in the Russian Civil War from 1918 to 1921, at one time within 1st Cavalry Army. He received the Order of the Battle Red Banner for subduing the Tambov rebellion in 1921.^[1] In a detail of Brueghels Land of Cockaigne (1567) a soft-boiled egg has little feet to rush to the luxuriating peasant who catches drops of honey on his tongue, while roast pigs roam wild: in fact, hunger and harsh winters were realities for the average European in the... A raion (or rayon) (Russian and Ukrainian: ; Belarusian раён; Azeri: rayon, Latvian: rajons, Georgian: , raioni) is one of two kinds of administrative subdivisions in languages of some post-Soviet states: a subnational entity and a subdivision of a city. ... Konstantin Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics in Kaluga, built in 1967 Kaluga (Калу́га in Russian) is a city in central Russia on the Oka River 188 km southwest of Moscow, administrative center of Kaluga Oblast. ... Guberniya (Russian: ) (also gubernia, guberniia, gubernya) was a major administrative subdivision of the Imperial Russia, usually translated as governorate or province. ... Kaluga Oblast (Russian: ) (29,900 km², pop. ... Location Position of Moscow in Europe Government Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Geographical characteristics Area  - City 1,081 km² Population  - City (2005)    - Density 10,415,400   8537. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Official language Russian Official Religion Russian Orthodox Christianity Capital Saint Petersburg (Petrograd 1914-1924) Area Approx. ... Combatants Allied Powers: British Empire France Italy Russia United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Commanders Ferdinand Foch Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Herbert Henry Asquith Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Wilhelm II Paul... The Cross of St. ... The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Russian: Коммунисти́ческая Па́ртия Сове́тского Сою́за = КПСС) was the name used by the successors of the Bolshevik faction of the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party from 1952 to 1991, but the wording Communist Party was present in the partys name since 1918 when the Bolsheviks became the Russian... Bolshevik (1920), by Boris Kustodiev. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Epidemic typhus. ... Combatants Red Army (Bolsheviks) White Army (Monarchists, SRs, Anti-Communists) Green Army (Peasants and Nationalists) Black Army (Anarchists) Commanders Leon Trotsky Mikhail Tukhachevsky Semyon Budyonny Lavr Kornilov, Alexander Kolchak, Anton Denikin, Pyotr Wrangel Alexander Antonov, Nikifor Grigoriev Nestor Makhno Strength 5,427,273 (peak) +1,000,000 Casualties 939,755... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The 1st Cavalry Army (Russian: ) was the most famous Red Army сavalry formation also known as Budyonnys Cavalry Army or simply Konarmia. ... Order of the Red Banner The Military Orders The Soviet government of Russia established the Order of the Battle Red Banner, better-known as the Order of the Red Banner (in Russian: Orden Krasnogo Znameni) on September 16, 1918 during the Russian Civil War. ... The Tambov Rebellion of 1919–1921 was a large peasant rebellion against the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War. ...

By 1923 Zhukov was commander of a regiment, and in 1930 of a brigade. He was a keen proponent of the new theory of armoured warfare and was noted for his detailed planning, tough discipline and strictness. He survived Joseph Stalin's Great Purge of the Red Army command in 1937-39. 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link is to a full 1930 calendar). ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... The Great Purge (Russian: , transliterated Bolshaya chistka) is the name given to campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin during the late 1930s. ... The short forms Red Army and RKKA refer to the Workers and Peasants Red Army, (in Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия - Raboche-Krestyanskaya Krasnaya Armiya), the armed forces first organized by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War in 1918. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In 1938 Zhukov was directed to command the First Soviet Mongolian Army Group, and saw action against Japan's Kwantung Army on the border between Mongolia and the Japanese controlled state of Manchukuo in an undeclared war that lasted from 1938 to 1939. What began as a routine border skirmish—the Japanese testing the resolve of the Soviets to defend their territory—rapidly escalated into a full-scale war, the Japanese pushing forward with 80,000 troops, 180 tanks and 450 aircraft. 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Kwantung Army or Guandong Army (関東軍 Japanese: Kantōgun) was a unit of the Imperial Japanese Army that originated from a Guandong garrison established in 1906 to defend the Kwantung Leased Territory and the areas adjacent to the South Manchurian Railway. ... Manchukuo (1932–1945), Manchu country, was a former state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia created by former Qing Dynasty officials and Imperial Japan in 1932. ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

This led to the decisive Battle of Khalkhin Gol. Zhukov requested major reinforcements and on August 15, 1939 he ordered what seemed at first to be a conventional frontal attack. However, he had held back two tank brigades, which in a daring and successful manoeuver he ordered to advance around both flanks of the battle. Supported by motorized artillery and infantry, the two mobile battle groups encircled the 6th Japanese army and captured their vulnerable supply areas. Within a few days the Japanese troops were defeated. Combatants Soviet Union Mongolia Japan Commanders Georgy Zhukov Michitaro Komatsubara Strength 57,000 30,000 Casualties 6,831 killed, 15,952 wounded 8,440 killed, 8,766 wounded The Battle of Khalkhin Gol, sometimes spelled Halhin Gol or Khalkin Gol after the Halha River passing through the battlefield and known... August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

For this operation Zhukov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Outside of the Soviet Union, however, this battle remained little-known as by this time World War II had begun. Zhukov's pioneering use of mobile armour went unheeded by the West, and in consequence the German Blitzkrieg against France in 1940 came as a great surprise. Hero of the Soviet Union (Russian: Герой Советского Союза, Geroy Sovetskogo Soyuza) was the highest honorary title and the superior degree of distinction of the Soviet Union. ... Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead... One of the defining characteristics of what is commonly known as Blitzkrieg is close co-operation between infantry and tanks. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ...

Promoted to full general in 1940, Zhukov was briefly (January - July 1941) chief of the Red Army General Staff before a disagreement with Stalin led to his being replaced by Marshal Boris Shaposhnikov (who was in turn replaced by Aleksandr Vasilevsky in 1942). Ironically, this led to a relative non-accountablity of Zhukov's military role in the huge territorial losses during the German 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union thus ensuring his presence "in the wings" for Stalingrad. The question of how much he could have done had he held command earlier is still much discussed. Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... Marshal of the Soviet Union Boris Shaposhnikov (with Joseph Stalin, 1935) Boris Mikhailovitch Shaposhnikov (Russian: Борис Михайлович Шапошников) (October 2, 1882 - March 26, 1945), Soviet military commander, was... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

World War II

On the eve of war

According to his own memoirs (written after the death of Stalin and during the peak of Nikita Khrushchev's Anti-Stalin campaign), Zhukov was fearless in his direct criticisms of Stalin and other commanders after the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 (see Great Patriotic War). Among Soviet commanders, he was one of the few who attempted to convince Stalin that the Kiev region could not be held and would suffer a double envelopement by the Germans. Stalin, who berated Zhukov and dismissed his advice, refused to evacuate the troops in the area. As a result, half a million troops became prisoners when the Germans took Kiev. Zhukov stopped the German advance in Leningrad's southern outskirts in the autumn of 1941.^[2][3] Pavel Korin. ... As a literary genre, a memoir (from the Latin memoria, meaning memory) forms a subclass of autobiography, although it is an older form of writing. ... Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (Russian: ; IPA: ); surname more accurately romanized as Khrushchyov; April 17, 1894 [O.S. April 5]–September 11, 1971) was the leader of the Soviet Union after the death of Joseph Stalin. ... Combatants Germany Romania Finland Italy Hungary Slovakia Soviet Union Commanders Adolf Hitler Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim Joseph Stalin Strength ~ 3. ... This article is about the year. ... The Eastern Front1 was the theatre of combat between Nazi Germany and its allies against the Soviet Union during World War II. It was somewhat separate from the other theatres of the war, not only geographically, but also for its scale and ferocity. ... This article is about the year. ...

However, such conventional portrayals of Zhukov are disputed by some contemporary Russian authors. Controversial emigré historian Viktor Suvorov has written two books: The Shadow of the Victory and I Take Back My Words, both of which are highly critical of Zhukov. In the first of these books, Suvorov claims — contrary to the aforementioned historians — that Zhukov accepted Stalin's aforementioned strategy at Kiev in 1941. Suvorov also claims that Zhukov was a poor strategist, because he also accepted Stalin's decision to occupy the Baltic states and Bessarabia. These acts, in Suvorov's estimation, provoked Germany, as they threatened German supplies of strategic goods, including nickel and lumber from Finland and Sweden, and oil from Romania.^[4] The Bessarabian incursion also led Romania into the German camp. Viktor Suvorov (; real name Vladimir Rezun : ) (born April 20, 1947) is a Russian writer and historian. ... 1927 map of Bessarabia from Charles Upson Clarks book Bessarabia or Bessarabiya (Basarabia in Romanian, Besarabya in Turkish) was the name by which the Imperial Russia designated the eastern part of the principality of Moldavia ceded by the Ottoman Empire to Russia in the aftermath of the Russo-Turkish... General Name, Symbol, Number nickel, Ni, 28 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 10, 4, d Appearance lustrous, metallic Atomic mass 58. ...

Official sources, only made available recently, reveal that Zhukov and his colleagues had been planning a (pre-emptive) strike against Germany in 1941. A proposal from May 15, 1941^[5], widely discussed amongst Russian historians, was first revealed by Hero of the Soviet Union V. V. Karpov, who had access to secret archives. He probably intended to show Zhukov as a military genius, who in the decisive moment had suggested a surprise attack on the enemy. Viktor Suvorov has used the plan to support his thesis and Mikhail Meltyukhov et al have studied the background, reaching wider conclusions.^[6][7]The Memorandum was supposedly presented to Stalin by Commissar of Defense S. Timoshenko and Chief of the General Staff G. Zhukov. May 15 is the 135th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (136th in leap years). ... This article is about the year. ... Viktor Suvorov (; real name Vladimir Rezun : ) (born April 20, 1947) is a Russian writer and historian. ... Mikhail Ivanovich Meltyukhov (Russian: Мельтюхов Михаил Иванович) is a Russian military historian. ...

The document is unsigned, but this was rather a rule than exception at the time. It has been disputed whether the plan (demanding a strike against Germany), was approved by Stalin (or whether it was even ever presented to Stalin). Overy suggests that the plan was developed by Zhukov and Timoshenko independently of Stalin, who later rejected it, fearing provoking the Germans. ^[8] On the other hand, Russian historian Sokolov, supported by Nevezhin and Danilov, taking into account the concentration of decision-making into hands of political leadership, regards it “completely improbable that the highest officers of General Staff could have developed a plan of pre-emptive strike against Germany without Stalin's sanctioning.”^[9] Meltyukhov has also pointed out the similarities between the May 1941 proposal and Soviet drafts dating back to 1940 ^[10] Richard Overy has published extensively on the history of World War II and the Third Reich. ... Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgi Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov (Russian: Гео́ргий Константи́нович Жу́ков) (December 1, 1896 - June 18, 1974), Soviet military commander and... Boris Sokolov (Russian: Борис Вадимович Соколов) is a historian and researcher of Russian literature (has Candidate of Science degree in both fields). ... Vladimir Nevezhin (Russian: ) is a Russian historian (Doctor of History Sciences), is working as a professor in Moscow, chief scientific collaborator at the Institute of Russian History (of the Russian Academy of Science) and member of the editorial board of the journal Отечественная история (History of the Fatherland). ...

These plans officially suggested repulsion of German aggression and a rapid counterstrike, however, the initial defence phase was not elaborated, leading Boris Sokolov to compare it with the alleged Soviet counter-strike plans in case of “Finnish aggression” in 1939.^[11] Boris Sokolov (Russian: Борис Вадимович Соколов) is a historian and researcher of Russian literature (has Candidate of Science degree in both fields). ...

The German-Soviet war

On June 22, 1941, Zhukov signed the infamous Directive of Peoples' Commissariat of Defence No. 3, which ordered an all-out counteroffensive by Red Army forces: he commanded the troops “to encircle and destroy enemy grouping near Suwalki and to seize the Suwalki region by the evening of 24.6” and “to encircle and destroy the enemy grouping invading in Vladimir-Volynia and Brody direction” and even “to seize the Lublin region by the evening of 24.6”^[12] This manoeuver failed and unorganised Red Army units were destroyed by the Wehrmacht. Later, Zhukov claimed that he was forced to sign the document by Stalin, despite the reservations that he raised. ^[13] This document was supposedly written by Aleksandr Vasilevsky, and Zhukov was forced to sign it.^[14] There are no documents confirming that the failed counteroffensive was not Zhukov's own initiative ^{[citation needed]}. Motto: none Voivodship Podlaskie Municipal government Rada miejska w Suwałkach Mayor Józef Gajewski Area 65. ... For other uses, see Lublin (disambiguation). ... Iosif (usually anglicized as Joseph) Vissarionovich Stalin (Russian: Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин), original name Ioseb Jughashvili (Georgian: იოსებ ჯუღაშვი&#4314... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

On July 29, 1941, according to his own memoirs, Zhukov was sacked from his post of Chief of the General Staff because he suggested abandoning Kiev to avoid an encirclement^[15] Stalin refused, leading to a stinging Soviet defeat. This dialogue between Stalin and Zhukov about the defense of Kiev was later thoroughly analyzed by P.Ya. Mezhiritzky in his book Reading Marshal Zhukov, published in 2000.^[16]

In October 1941, when the Germans were closing in on Moscow, Zhukov replaced Semyon Timoshenko in command of the central front and was assigned to direct the defense of Moscow (see Battle of Moscow). He also directed the transfer of troops from the Far East, where a large part of Soviet ground forces had been stationed on the day of Hitler's invasion. The successful Soviet counter-offensive in December 1941 drove the Germans back, out of reach of the Soviet capital. Zhukov's feat of logistics is considered by some to be his greatest achievement. This article is about the year. ... Marshal of the Soviet Union Semyon Timoshenko Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko (Russian: Семён Константинович Тимошенко) (February 6 O.S (February 18 N.S.), 1895-March 31... Location Position of Moscow in Europe Government Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Geographical characteristics Area  - City 1,081 km² Population  - City (2005)    - Density 10,415,400   8537. ... Combatants Germany Soviet Union Commanders Fedor von Bock Georgi Zhukov Strength ~ 1,500,000 ~ 1,500,000 Casualties 250,000 700,000 The Battle of Moscow refers to the defense of the Soviet capital of Moscow and the subsequent counter-offensive against the German army, between October 1941 and January... Far Eastern Federal District (highlighted in red) Russian Far East (Russian: Д́альний Вост́ок Росс́ии; English transliteration: Dalny Vostok Rossii) is an informal term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East, i. ... This article is about the year. ...

By now, Zhukov was firmly back in favour and Stalin valued him precisely for his outspokenness. Stalin's (eventual) willingness to submit to criticism and listen to his generals was a key element in Russia's victory; Hitler, on the other hand, usually dismissed any general who disagreed with him.

In 1942 Zhukov was made Deputy Commander-in-Chief and sent to the south-western front to take charge of the defense of Stalingrad. Under the overall command of Vasilievsky, he oversaw the encirclement and capture of the German Sixth Army in 1943 at the cost of perhaps a million dead (see Battle of Stalingrad). During the operation, Zhukov spent most of the time in fruitless attacks in the direction of Rzhev, Sychevka and Vyazma, known as the "Rzhev meat grinder" ("Ржевская мясорубка"). Some historians now question the casualty figures allegedly suffered by the Soviets at Rzhev as being too high. There is also some new evidence which show the Rzhev operation was a diversion in order to prevent the Germans from successfully breaking the encirclement of Stalingrad. 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... Stalingrad is the former name of two cities: Volgograd, Russia Karviná-Nové Město, near Ostrava, Czech Republic Other uses: The Battle of Stalingrad (a major turning-point of World War II and arguably the bloodiest battle in human history) Stalingrad (German film set during the above battle) Stalingrad... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... Combatants Germany Italy Romania Hungary Soviet Union Commanders Friedrich Paulus Erich von Manstein Hermann Hoth Georgiy Zhukov Vasiliy Chuikov Aleksandr Vasilyevskiy Strength German Sixth Army German Fourth Panzer Army Romanian Third Army Romanian Fourth Army Hungarian Second Army Italian Eighth Army Unknown number of Germans Unknown number Reinforcements Unknown number... Rzhev is the uppermost town situated on the Volga river. ... Sychyovka (Russian: ) is a town in Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Vazuza and Losmina Rivers some 234 km northeast of Smolensk. ... Vyazma (Russian: ) is a town in Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Vyazma River, about halfway between Smolensk and Mozhaysk, at , . Throughout its turbulent history, the city defended western approaches to the city of Moscow. ... The formation of the Rzhev salient during the winter of 1941-1942. ...

In January 1943, he orchestrated the first breakthrough of the German blockade of Leningrad. He was a STAVKA coordinator at the Battle of Kursk in July 1943, and, according to the memoirs, playing a central role in the planning of the battle and the hugely successful offensive that followed. Kursk was the first major German defeat in summer and has a good claim to be a battle at least as decisive as Stalingrad. Commander of Central Front Konstantin Rokossovsky, however, says that planning and decisions for the Battle of Kursk were made without Zhukov, that he only arrived just before the battle, made no decisions and left soon afterwards, and that Zhukov exaggerated his role (Source: Военно-исторический журнал, 1992 N3 p.31). 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... Stavka is an abbreviation for Shtab vierhovnogo komandovania, or General Headquarters of armed forces in late Imperial Russia and in the Soviet Union. ... Combatants Nazi Germany Soviet Union Commanders Erich von Manstein, Hans von Kluge, Hermann Hoth Walther Model Georgiy Zhukov, Konstantin Rokossovskiy, Nikolay Vatutin Strength 800,000 infantry, 2,700 tanks, 2,000 aircraft 1,300,000 infantry, 3,600 tanks, 2,400 aircraft Casualties 500,000 dead, wounded, or captured 500... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... Marshal of the Soviet Union Konstantin Rokossovsky Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky (Russian: Константин Константинович Рокоссовский, Polish name Konstanty Rokossowski) (December 21, 1896 – August 3, 1968), Soviet military commander and Polish Defence Minister. ...

Zhukov riding a white horse during the Moscow Victory Parade of 1945. There is now an equestrian monument to him nearby.

Following the failure of Marshal Kliment Voroshilov, he lifted the Siege of Leningrad in January 1944. Zhukov then led the Soviet offensive Operation Bagration (named after Pyotr Bagration, a famous Russian-Georgian general during the Napoleonic Wars), which some military historians believe was the greatest military operation of World War II. He launched the final assault on Germany in 1945, capturing Berlin (see Battle of Berlin) in April. Shortly before midnight, 8 May, German officials in Berlin signed a Instrument of Surrender, in his presence. Image File history File links Summary Marshal Zhukov and Marshal Rokossovsky during the Victory Parade on Red Square (June 24, 1945) Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Summary Marshal Zhukov and Marshal Rokossovsky during the Victory Parade on Red Square (June 24, 1945) Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The 1945 Victory parade was the first major Soviet event recorded on color film. ... Marshal of the Soviet Union Kliment Voroshilov Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov () (January 23, 1881 - December 2, 1969) was a Soviet military commander and politician. ... Combatants Germany Spanish Blue Division Soviet Union Commanders Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb Georg von Küchler Kliment Voroshilov Georgy Zhukov Strength 725,000 930,000 Casualties Unknown 300,000 military, 16,470 civilians from bombings and an estimated 1 million civilians from starvation The Siege of Leningrad (Russian: блокада Ленинграда (transliteration: blokada... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... Combatants Axis Soviet Union Commanders Ernst Busch Konstantin Rokossovski Georgy Zhukov Aleksandr Vasilevsky Strength 800,000 1,700,000 Casualties (Soviet est. ... Prince Pyotr Bagration (Пётр Иванович Багратион) (1765 - September 12, 1812), a descendant of the Georgian Royal family of the Bagrations, served as a Russian general. ... 1945 (MCMVL) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... Berlin is the capital city and one of the sixteen states of the Federal Republic of Germany. ... Combatants Nazi Germany Soviet Union Commanders Gotthard Heinrici Helmuth Weidling Helmuth Reymann Wilhelm Mohnke Georgiy Zhukov Ivan Koniev Konstantin Rokossovskiy Vasiliy Chuykov Strength 1,000,000 men, 1,500 tanks, 3,300 aircraft 2,500,000 men, 6,250 tanks, 7,500 aircraft, 41,600 artillery Casualties 150,000–173... May 8 is the 128th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (129th in leap years). ... The German Instrument of Surrender, 1945 refers to the legal instrument of World War II in which the High Command of Nazi Germany surrendered simultaneously to the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force and to the Soviet High command. ...

After the fall of Germany, Zhukov became the first commander of the Soviet occupation zone in Germany. As the most prominent Soviet military commander of the Great Patriotic War, he inspected the Victory Parade in Red Square in Moscow in 1945 while riding a white stallion. General Eisenhower, the supreme Allied commander in the West, was a great admirer of Zhukov, and the two toured the Soviet Union together in the immediate aftermath of the victory over Germany. Motto: Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) (Russian: Workers of the world, unite!) Anthem: The Internationale (1922-1944) Hymn of the Soviet Union (1944-1991) Capital (and largest city) Moscow None; Russian de facto Government Federation of Soviet Republics  - Last President Mikhail Gorbachev  - Last Premier Ivan Silayev Establishment October Revolution   - Declared... The Eastern Front1 was the theatre of combat between Nazi Germany and its allies against the Soviet Union during World War II. It was somewhat separate from the other theatres of the war, not only geographically, but also for its scale and ferocity. ... For other uses, see Red Square (disambiguation). ... Dwight David Ike Eisenhower (October 14, 1890–March 28, 1969), American soldier and politician, was the 34th President of the United States (1953–1961) and supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II, with the rank of General of the Army. ...

Career after World War II

Zhukov and Stalin on the tribune of Lenin's Mausoleum

Immediately following the war Zhukov was the supreme Military Commander of the Soviet Occupation Zone in Germany, and became its Military Governor on June 10,1945. A war hero and a leader hugely popular with the military, Zhukov constituted a most serious potential threat to Stalin's dictatorship. As a result, on April 10, 1946 he was replaced by Vasily Sokolovsky. In 1947 he was sent to command the Odessa military district, far away from Moscow and lacking strategic significance and attendant massive troops deployment. After Stalin's death, however, Zhukov was returned to favour and became Deputy Defense Minister (1953), then Defense Minister (1955). Image File history File links ZhukovStalinMaus. ... Image File history File links ZhukovStalinMaus. ... Interior of the Hagia Sophia. ... Lenins Tomb, with wall of the Kremlin and the former Soviet Parliament building behind An entrance to Lenins Mausoleum Lenins Mausoleum (Russian: ), also known as Lenins Tomb, situated in Red Square in Moscow, is the mausoleum that serves as the final resting place of Vladimir Lenin. ... The C-Pennant Occupation zones in Germany (1945) Capital Berlin (de jure) Organizational structure Military occupation Governors (1945)  - US zone G.A. Eisenhower  - UK zone F.M. Montgomery  - French zone Gen. ... April 10 is the 100th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (101st in leap years). ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Marshal of the Soviet Union Vasily Sokolovsky Vasily Danilovich Sokolovsky (Russian: Василий Данилович Соколовский) (July 21, 1897 - May 10, 1968), Soviet military commander, was born into a peasant family in Kozliki, a small town in the province of Grodno, near Bialystok in Poland (then part of the Russian Empire). ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... Odessa (Ukrainian: , Russian: ; also referred to as Odesa) is the fourth largest city in Ukraine. ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 1953 Zhukov supported the post-Stalin Communist Party leadership in arresting (and eventually executing) Lavrenty Beria, who at that time was First Deputy Prime Minister and head of the MVD. Lavrenty Beria Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria (Georgian: ლავრენტი ბერია; Russian: Лаврентий Павлович Берия; (29 March 1899 – 23 December 1953), was a Soviet politician and chief of the Soviet security and police apparatus. ... Modern emblem of Russian MVD Russian Gendarme officers in the 1860s The Ministerstvo Vnutrennikh Del (MVD) (Министерство внутренних дел) was the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the imperial Russia, later USSR, and still bears the same name in the Russian Federation. ...

Zhukov, as Soviet defence minister, was responsible for the invasion of Hungary following the revolution in October, 1956. Along with the majority of members of the Presidium, he urged Nikita Khrushchev to send troops in support of the Hungarian authorities, and to secure the border with Austria. However, Zhukov and most of the Presidium were not eager to see a full-scale intervention in Hungary and Zhukov even recommended the withdrawal of Soviet troops when it seemed that they might have to take extreme measures to suppress the revolution. The mood on the Presidium changed again when Hungary's new Prime Minister, Imre Nagy, began to talk about Hungarian withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact, and the Soviet leadership pressed ahead ruthlessly to defeat the revolutionaries and install János Kádár in Nagy's place. Combatants Soviet Union ÁVH Hungarian government, various nationalist militias Commanders Yuri Andropov Pál Maléter, Béla Király, Gergely Pongrátz, József Dudás Strength 150,000 troops, 6,000 tanks 100,000+ demonstrators (some later armed), unknown number of soldiers Casualties 720 killed according to official... The Presidium or Praesidium (from Latin praesidium meaning protection or defense so plural presidia or praesidia) is the name for the executive committee of various legislative and organizational bodies. ... Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (Russian: ; IPA: ); surname more accurately romanized as Khrushchyov; April 17, 1894 [O.S. April 5]–September 11, 1971) was the leader of the Soviet Union after the death of Joseph Stalin. ... Imre Nagy. ... Unofficial Seal of the Warsaw Pact Distinguish from the Warsaw Convention, which is an agreement among airlines about financial liability and the Treaty of Warsaw (1970) between West Germany and the Peoples Republic of Poland. ... János Kádár János Kádár, né Giovanni Csermanek (his Italian first name was due to the laws of Fiume, his father denied paternity and refused to support his mother Borbála[1]) (May 26, 1912–July 6, 1989), was the communist leader of Hungary from...

In 1957 Zhukov supported Khrushchev against his conservative enemies, the so-called "Anti-Party Group" led by Vyacheslav Molotov. Zhukov's speech to the plenum of the Central Committee of the Communist Party was the most powerful, directly denouncing the neo-Stalinists for their complicity in Stalin's crimes, though it also carried the threat of force: the very crime he was accusing the others of. 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Anti-Party Group was an epithet used by Nikita Khrushchev to describe Stalinist members of the Presidium of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, led by Vyacheslav Molotov, Lazar Kaganovich and Georgy Malenkov, who attempted to depose him as First Secretary of the Party in May 1957. ... Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov (Russian: , Vjačeslav Mihajlovič Molotov; March 9, 1890 [O.S. February 25] – November 8, 1986), Soviet politician and diplomat, was a leading figure in the Soviet government from the 1920s, when he rose to power as a protégé of Joseph Stalin, to the 1950s, when he... Plenum may refer to: the antithesis of a vacuum; in other words, completely filled space. ... Central Committee most commonly refers to the central executive unit of a communist party, whether ruling or non-ruling. ...

In June that year he was made a full member of the Presidium of the Central Committee. He had, however, significant political disagreements with Khrushchev in matters of army policy. Khruschev scaled down the conventional forces and the navy, while developing the strategic nuclear forces as a primary deterrent force, hence freeing up the manpower and the resources for the civilian economy. The Presidium or Praesidium (from Latin praesidium meaning protection or defense so plural presidia or praesidia) is the name for the executive committee of various legislative and organizational bodies. ...

Zhukov supported the interests of the military and disagreed with Khrushchev's policy. Khrushchev, demonstrating the dominance of the Party over the army, relieved Zhukov of his ministry and expelled him from the Central Committee in October 1957. In his memoirs, Khrushchev claimed that he believed that Zhukov was planning a coup against him and that he accused Zhukov of this as grounds for expulsion at the Central Committee meeting. 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

After Khrushchev was deposed in October 1964 the new leadership of Leonid Brezhnev and Aleksei Kosygin restored Zhukov to favour, though not to power. Brezhnev was said to be angered when, at a gathering to mark the twentieth of anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War, Zhukov was accorded greater acclaim than himself. Brezhnev, a relatively junior political officer in the war, was always concerned to boost his own importance in the victory. The Raising of the Cross, Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal, Antwerp A triptych (from the Greek tri- three + ptychÄ“ fold) is a work of art (usually a panel painting) which is divided into three sections, or three carved panels which are hinged together. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev Russian: ; January 1, 1907 [O.S. December 19, 1906] – November 10, 1982) was the effective ruler of the Soviet Union from 1964 to 1982, at first in partnership with others. ... Aleksey Nikolayevich Kosygin (Алексе́й Никола́евич Косы́гин) (1904 - December 18, 1980) was a politician and administrator in the Soviet Union. ...

Zhukov remained a popular figure in the Soviet Union until his death in 1974. He was buried with full military honors. 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

Contemporary opinion

In the post-war Soviet Union truth was often sacrificed for the sake of propaganda, and little critical opinion on Soviet commanders and soldiers ever appeared. Zhukov is a unique example of a Soviet commander who was criticized for his tactics even inside the Soviet Union. This, of course, was directly related to his successes on the political scene in the Kremlin. When he was in favor, he was lauded as a great hero, "Georgy the Victory-Bringer" (a pun: in this way Saint George is referred to in Russian). When he fell in disfavor, as with the other four-time-Hero of the Soviet Union Leonid Brezhnev, Zhukov was called a "cannibal marshal" (маршал-людоед). He remains the most controversial Soviet commander to this day, with diametrically opposed opinions published by his peers, military historians, and soldiers and commanders who served under him. Saint-George is a municipality with 695 inhabitants (as of 2003) in the district of Aubonne in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. ... Hero of the Soviet Union (Russian: Герой Советского Союза, Geroy Sovetskogo Soyuza) was the highest honorary title and the superior degree of distinction of the Soviet Union. ...

Zhukov's actual career is as diverse as those opinions. Brutal disregard for the lives of his soldiers often changes to the complete opposite. Zhukov spent more time than most Soviet commanders training his troops for battle, and preparing the battle plans, which often led to significantly lower casualty numbers compared to other Soviet commanders; for example at the Soviet counteroffensive during Battle of Moscow in the winter of 1941 Zhukov lost 139,586 men^[17], or 13.6% of his total strength - while a comparable operation under General Kozlov lost about 40% of his men (estimates ranging between 150,000 and 175,000 killed) near Kerch^[18]. As the war went on, Zhukov's casualties were becoming even lower; while often incredibly high by any other country's standards, for the Soviet Union they were below average. At the Battle of Berlin Zhukov lost only 4.1% of his men, while Konev's forces, who faced weaker German opposition, lost 5%^[19] and at the same time Rodion Malinovsky lost almost 8% at the Battle of Budapest.^[20] Combatants Nazi Germany Soviet Union Commanders Gotthard Heinrici Helmuth Weidling Helmuth Reymann Wilhelm Mohnke Georgiy Zhukov Ivan Koniev Konstantin Rokossovskiy Vasiliy Chuykov Strength 1,000,000 men, 1,500 tanks, 3,300 aircraft 2,500,000 men, 6,250 tanks, 7,500 aircraft, 41,600 artillery Casualties 150,000–173... Marshal of the Soviet Union Ivan Koniev Ivan Stepanovich Koniev (Russian Иван Степанович Конев) (December 28, 1897 - May 21, 1973), Soviet military commander, was born into a peasant family near Podosinovsky in central Russia... Marshal of the Soviet Union Rodion Malinovsky Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovsky (Russian: , Rodion Jakovlevič Malinovskij; November 23, 1898 (Odessa, Russian Empire) - March 31, 1967 (Moscow, Soviet Union)), Soviet military commander, Defence minister of Soviet Union in the late 1950s and 1960s, who played one of the key roles in destruction of... Combatants Germany, Hungary Soviet Union, Romania Commanders Karl Pfeffer-Wildenbruch Rodion Malinovsky, Fyodor Tolbukhin Strength 180,000 (90,000 for city defense) 500,000+ (170,000 for city assault) Casualties Low estimate: ~ 48,000 killed, ~ 51,000 captured, High estimate: ~ 150,000 killed or captured, Est. ...

However Zhukov's brutality and his desire to achieve success at any cost is undeniable. One of the most often quoted examples is Zhukov's actions during the defense of Istra Reservoir (Истринское водохранилище). General Rokossovsky, who commanded one of the Armies under Zhukov's command, requested to withdraw to more advantageous positions on November 18th, 1941. Zhukov categorically refused. Rokossovsky then went for help over Zhukov's head, and spoke directly to Marshal Boris Shaposhnikov, Chief of the General Staff, and reviewing the situation Shaposhnikov immediately ordered a withdrawal. Zhukov reacted at once. He revoked the order of the superior officer, and ordered Rokossovsky to hold the position. In the immediate aftermath, Rokossovsky's army was annihilated and the Germans took hold of the strategically important Eastern bank. Marshal of the Soviet Union Konstantin Rokossovsky Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky (Russian: КОНСТАНТИН КОНСТАНТИНОВИЧ РОКОССОВСКИЙ, Polish name Konstanty... Marshal of the Soviet Union Boris Shaposhnikov (with Joseph Stalin, 1935) Boris Mikhailovitch Shaposhnikov (Russian: Борис Михайлович Шапошников) (October 2, 1882 - March 26, 1945), Soviet military commander, was...

Zhukov's proponents often explain his brutality by the incredible pressure he was under. While pride was certainly a factor in many of Zhukov's decisions, he may well not have been as careless with the lives of his men had he not also been led by fear. On the other hand, his carelessness and cruelty is revealed in post-war Totskoye range incident, which cost many lives. Throughout the war Zhukov was put under more scrutiny than any other Soviet commander. The orders of his first major appointment, the defense of Moscow in 1941, were printed in all newspapers accompanied by a large portait of Zhukov - something unprecedented until then. Stalin was making himself very clear. This was the man who'd be held responsible for the outcome. The precarious position occupied by Zhukov is easy to appreciate even for a modern reader. Zhukov's subsequent high-profile appointments left him equally little room for failure. Winning at all costs was not optional. Nuclear bombing test during the 1954 military exersices on Totskoye range Georgy Zhukov (then Deputy Defence Minister) and Vyacheslav A. Malyshev (then The Minister for Nuclear Energy) during the exercises on Totskoye range Totskoye is a military range established in September 1941 to the north of Totskoye village, about 40...

Zhukov's book of memoirs, Воспоминания и размышления, first published in 1969, has been used in both Russian and Western historiography. However, research using newly accessible sources has thoroughly discredited the book: for example, as Suvorov^[21] points out, Zhukov numbers German tanks allocated against the USSR in 1941 including 3712 and 4950 planes (p.263, p.411), and later suggests, that the number of enemy troops surpassed that of the Soviets “5 to 6 times, especially regarding tanks, artillery and aviation.” (p.411) Obviously, this cannot be true. Zhukov's reports on pre-war military planning has also proved falsification, he recalled only one strategic game in January, 1941, whereas even later Soviet sources pointed out that two games were played.^[22]

As archive sources testify, no operations necessary in case of enemy's assault on the USSR were actually played nor even discussed.^[23] The first strategical game suggested Red Army counterstrike into East Prussian region, second game - strike into territories South of Polesye (Hungary, Romania). The latter one was favoured by the authorities (i.e Stalin), because the East Prussia/Warsaw region was heavily fortified and offensive there could have been more complicated. The second strategical game began in fact with Soviet counterstrike, from the depth of 90 to 180 km inside the enemy territory.^[24] Therefore, taking into account the conclusion that “in January 1941 the operative-tactical branch of the leadership of the RKKA played on maps such a variant of warfare, which the actual West, i.e Germany, did not plan”^[25], Zhukov's claim in his book as if he had rightly guessed the direction of German invasion is baseless. The actual Red Army main concentration south of Polesye has been used by many authors to support the thesis that Stalin was actually planning an assault on Germany. The short forms Red Army and RKKA refer to the Workers and Peasants Red Army, (in Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия - Raboche-Krestyanskaya Krasnaya Armiya), the armed forces first organized by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War in 1918. ... Polesia (also spelt Polesie or Polesye) is one of the largest European swampy areas, located in the South-Western part of the Eastern-European Lowland, mainly within the territories of Belarus, Ukraine but also partly within Poland and Russia. ...

Some historians consider Zhukov as a brilliant strategist, defining him as a man "whose brilliant military successes had earned him tremendous public admiration and popularity".^[26] Indeed, many of his battles were examples of some of the most lopsided victories of the Second World War, ending with complete annihilation of his opponent (for instance Operation Uranus). Evidence exists that Zhukov did more to prepare himself and his troops for battle than most other Soviet commanders, thus giving them more of an edge in a fight. However once the battle began, Zhukov's focus was on nothing but victory. As such, he was a typical Soviet commander. His brutality, while more publicized than most, was not at all uncommon. And many Russian historians continue to claim to this day that the outcome is all that matters. David Glantz has expressed the opinion, that “regrettably, today Zhukov is being criticised by some Russian historians for frequently resorting to massed frontal attacks”.^[27] The eastern front at the time of Operation Uranus. ... David M. Glantz is an American military historian and the editor of The Journal of Slavic Military Studies. ...

However, there is also evidence of dissimulation of his military defeats. For instance, the Battle of Rzhev, which can be considered as his biggest military defeat, was deemed secret and was not mentioned even in military literature till the 1970s. It is also important to notice that Zhukov did not leave any theoretical works on military strategy or tactics. Therefore, several post-Soviet era historians no longer regard Zhukov as an outstanding strategist ^[28].

In the popular belief and legends of the front-line soldiers, however, Zhukov is a fatherly figure who cares about his rank and file. He knows the day in and day out hardships of his troops, deeply loves Russia and all the Ivans that rose to its defense. In one anecdote, he dresses as a simple soldier and tries to get a hitch-hike to the front line from passing cars. Officers who did not stop their cars are later reprimanded for their lack of care toward the average Ivan.

Controversies

On 28 September, 1941, Zhukov sent ciphered telegram No. 4976 to commanders of the Leningrad Front and Baltic Navy, announcing that families of soldiers captured by Germans and returned prisoners would be shot.^[29] This order was published for the first time in 1991 in the Russian magazine Начало (Beginning) No. 3. Also, in 1946, seven rail carriages with furniture which he was taking to Russia from Germany were impounded. In 1948, his apartments and house in Moscow were searched and many valuables looted in Germany were found ^[30].

In 1954, Zhukov was in command of a nuclear weapon test at Totskoye range, 130 miles from Orenburg. A Soviet Tu-4 bomber dropped a 40 kiloton atomic weapon from 25,000 feet. He watched the blast from an underground nuclear bunker while about 5,000 Soviet military personnel staged a mocked battle and about 40,000 troops were stationed about 8 miles away from the epicentre. The number of soldiers killed, injured or made infertile as a result of the explosion is unknown because of the secrecy surrounding the event. See "Totskoye range" for details. The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 kilometers (11 mi) above the hypocenter. ... Nuclear bombing test during the 1954 military exersices on Totskoye range Georgy Zhukov (then Deputy Defence Minister) and Vyacheslav A. Malyshev (then The Minister for Nuclear Energy) during the exercises on Totskoye range Totskoye is a military range established in September 1941 to the north of Totskoye village, about 40... Orenburg (Russian: ) is a city on the Ural River and the administrative center of Orenburg Oblast in the Volga Federal District of Russia. ... The Tupolev Tu-4 was a piston-engined Soviet strategic bomber which served the Soviet Air Force from the late 1940s to mid 1960s. ... A megaton or megatonne is a unit of mass equal to 1,000,000 metric tons, i. ... Infertility is the inability to naturally conceive a child or to carry a pregnancy to full term. ... Nuclear bombing test during the 1954 military exersices on Totskoye range Georgy Zhukov (then Deputy Defence Minister) and Vyacheslav A. Malyshev (then The Minister for Nuclear Energy) during the exercises on Totskoye range Totskoye is a military range established in September 1941 to the north of Totskoye village, about 40...

Awards

Zhukov was a recipient of numerous awards. In particular, he was four times Hero of the Soviet Union; besides him, only Leonid Brezhnev was a four-time hero. Zhukov was one of three double recipients of the Order of Victory. He was also awarded the Polish Virtuti Militari with the Grand Cross and Star and the Chief Commander grade of the American Legion of Merit, and was created a Knight Grand Cross of the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath. The presentation of such foreign awards, and the generally warm reception Zhukov earned amongst the Western Powers contributed in part to Stalin's later distrust and jealousy of him^{[citation needed]}. Hero of the Soviet Union (Russian: Герой Советского Союза, Geroy Sovetskogo Soyuza) was the highest honorary title and the superior degree of distinction of the Soviet Union. ... Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev Russian: ; January 1, 1907 [O.S. December 19, 1906] – November 10, 1982) was the effective ruler of the Soviet Union from 1964 to 1982, at first in partnership with others. ... The Order of Victory (Russian: Орден Победы) was the highest military decoration in the Soviet Union, and one of the rarest orders in the world. ... Virtuti Militari The Virtuti Militari (Latin: For Military Virtue) is Polands highest military decoration for valor in the face of the enemy. ... The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. ... Military Badge of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. ...

Memorials

Equestrian statue of Georgy Zhukov on Manege Square, by Vyacheslav Klykov.

The very first monument to Georgy Zhukov was erected in Mongolia, in memory of the Battle of Halhin Gol. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, this monument was one of the very few which did not suffer from the anti-Soviet backlash in the former Communist states. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2288x1712, 1863 KB) Photo made by my brother, Alex Zelenko. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2288x1712, 1863 KB) Photo made by my brother, Alex Zelenko. ... The Manege Square in 2002. ... Klykovs equestrian statue of Marshal Zhukov on Manege Square in Moscow (1995). ... The Battle of Halhin Gol, sometimes spelled Khalkhin Gol or Khalkin Gol and alternately known as the Nomonhan Incident (after a nearby village) in Japan, was the decisive engagement of the undeclared Soviet-Japanese Border War (1939), or Japanese-Soviet War. ... The rise of Gorbachev Although reform stalled between 1964–1982, the generational shift gave new momentum for reform. ... This article is about a form of government in which the state operates under the control of a Communist Party. ...

Asteroid 2132 Zhukov was named after him. In 1995, commemorating Zhukov's 100th birthday, Russia adopted the Zhukov Order and the Zhukov Medal. 253 Mathilde, a C-type asteroid. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Recollections

Nobel laureat Joseph Brodsky's poem On the Death of Zhukov (Na smert’ Zhukova, 1974) is regarded by critics as one of the best poems on the war written by an author of the post-Second World War generation.^[31] It is a clever stylisation of The Bullfinch, Derzhavin's elegy on the death of Generalissimo Suvorov in 1800. Brodsky obviously draws a parallel between the careers of these commanders. Joseph Brodsky Joseph Brodsky (May 24, 1940 – January 28, 1996), born Iosif Aleksandrovich Brodsky (Russian: ) was a poet and essayist who won the Nobel Prize in Literature (1987) and was chosen Poet Laureate of the United States (1991-1992). ... Gavrila Romanovich Derzhavin (Гаврила Романович Державин, 1743 – 1816) was the greatest Russian poet before Alexander Pushkin. ... Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov (Russian: ) (sometimes transliterated as Aleksandr, Aleksander and Suvarov), Count Suvorov of Rymnik, Prince of Italy () (November 24, 1729 – May 18, 1800), was the fourth and last Russian Generalissimo (not counting Stalin). ...

Popular culture in Russia traditionally contends that Zhukov himself participated in Beria's arrest at the Kremlin - with one version having him exclaiming "in the name of the Soviet People, you are under arrest, you son of a bitch". Though psychologically gratifying to Russians in the post Stalin/Beria era, the historical accuracy of these accounts remain in doubt. Nikita Khrushchev's memoirs confirms this story, if not the use of colourful language. Lavrenty Beria Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria (Georgian: ლავრენტი ბერია; Russian: Лаврентий Павлович Берия; (29 March 1899 – 23 December 1953), was a Soviet politician and chief of the Soviet security and police apparatus. ...

In his book of recollections,^[32] Zhukov was critical of the role Soviet leadership played during the war. The first of edition Vospominaniya i razmyshleniya was published during Brezhnev's reign, only on conditions that criticism on Stalin was removed and Zhukov had to add an (invented) episode of his visit to Leonid Brezhnev, politruk at Southern Front, with the purpose of having consultations on military strategy.^[33] A political commissar is an officer appointed by a communist party to oversee a unit of the military. ... Military stratagem in the Battle of Waterloo. ...

Trivia

• An Ambassador class starship USS Zhukov (NCC-62136) was mentioned in the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-C), an Ambassador class starship The Ambassador class starship is a class of vessel in the Star Trek fictional universe, built in the early 24th century, and often seen in episodes of TNG. This starship follows a conventional approach to Federation Starfleet starship design, with... In the American science fiction televsion series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, the USS Zhukov (NCC-62136) was a Federation Ambassador class starship named for General Georgy Zhukov. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... The title as it appeared in most episodes opening credits. ...

Footnotes

For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... July 17 is the 198th day (199th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 167 days remaining. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... July 17 is the 198th day (199th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 167 days remaining. ... Stalins Missed Chance is a study by Russian military historian Mikhail Ivanovich Meltyukhov (Russian: ), author of several books and articles on Soviet military history. ... Boris Sokolov (Russian: Борис Вадимович Соколов) is a historian and researcher of Russian literature (has Candidate of Science degree in both fields). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... July 17 is the 198th day (199th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 167 days remaining. ... Boris Sokolov (Russian: Борис Вадимович Соколов) is a historian and researcher of Russian literature (has Candidate of Science degree in both fields). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... July 17 is the 198th day (199th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 167 days remaining. ... Mauno Koivisto 1987 Mauno Henrik Koivisto (born November 25, 1923) was the President of Finland from 1982 to 1994. ...

References

• (Russian) Zhukov, Georgy. Жуков Г К. ‘’Воспоминания и размышления’’. В 2 т. — М.: Олма-Пресс, 2002. Zhukov's memoirs online in Russian.
• Pavel N. Bobylev, Otechesvennaya istoriya, no. 1, 2000, pp. 41-64

Additional reading

• Spahr, William J. Zhukov: The Rise and Fall of a Great Captain. Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1993 (paperback, ISBN 0-89141-551-3).
• Suworow, Viktor. Marschall Schukow - Lebensweg über Leichen, Pour-le-Mérite, Selent, Germany, 2002, 350 pp.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Георгий Константинович Жуков

• (Russian) Воспоминания и размышления The Memoirs of Georgy Zhukov
• (Russian) Zhukov's Awards
• (Russian) Shadow of Victory and Take Words Back , books by Viktor Suvorov, highly critical of Zhukov
• (Russian) Соколов Б.В. Неизвестный Жуков: портрет без ретуши в зеркале эпохи, Мн.: Родиола-плюс, 2000. (B.V.Sokolov. Unknown Zhukov)
• (Russian) Иосиф Бродский. На смерть Жукова (On the Death of Zhukov by Joseph Brodsky), 1974
• (Serbian) Georgy Zhukov