General of the Army during WWII Generals who died as soldiers. Ivan Stepanovich Konev

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

Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich (1896-1974)

In January 1941, shortly before the German invasion of the USSR, Zhukov was appointed Chief of the General Staff, Deputy People's Commissar for Defense.

He 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 Belorussian, 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.

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

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, he commands the 9th mechanized corps. In the summer of 1941, he was appointed commander of the 4th Army. He managed to somewhat restrain 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 for the capture of Stalingrad and a breakthrough to the North Caucasus. With a strike by his army, he prevented the Germans from breaking through to the north, towards the city of Yelets. Rokossovsky participated in the counteroffensive of the Soviet troops near Stalingrad. His ability to conduct combat operations played a large role in the success of the operation. In 1943, he led the central front, which, under his command, began a defensive battle on the Kursk salient. A little later, he organized an offensive, and liberated significant territories from the Germans. He also led the liberation of Belarus, implementing the plan of the Headquarters - "Bagration"
Twice Hero of the Soviet Union

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

Ivan Stepanovich during the Great Patriotic War 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, began 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 a direct part in the storming of the city.

Twice Hero of the Soviet Union

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

In the early 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, the 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.

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 dazzlingly manifested themselves in the battle near 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 made a 360-km march to the Istra orientation, the brigade M.E. Katukova, as part of the 16th Army of the Western Front, fought heroically in the Volokolamsk direction and participated in the counteroffensive near Moscow. On November 11, 1941, for courageous and skillful fighting, the brigade was the first in the tank troops to receive the title 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 1 th Ukrainian Front distinguished itself in the Battle of Kursk and during the liberation of Ukraine. In April 1944, the Sun was transformed into the 1st Guards Tank Army, which, under the command of M.E. Katukova participated in the Lvov-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.

In the Soviet Army since April 1919 (he was enrolled 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 with his army participated in the Belarusian offensive operation, the liberation of the cities of Borisov, Minsk, Vilnius. From August 1944 he was appointed deputy commander of the armored and mechanized troops of the Soviet Army.

Kravchenko Andrey Grigoryevich (1899-1963) - Colonel General of the Tank Forces.

Novikov Alexander Alexandrovich (1900-1976) - Air Chief Marshal.

Kuznetsov Nikolai Gerasimovich (1902-1974) - Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union. People's Commissar of the Navy.

The hero of the USSR,Chernyakhovsky Ivan Danilovich (1906-1945) - army general.

When they talk about the Soviet military leaders of the Great Patriotic War, they most often remember Zhukov, Rokossovsky, Konev. In honoring them, we almost forgot the Soviet generals, who made a significant contribution to the victory over Nazi Germany.

Commander Remezov

In 1941, the Red Army left town after town. Rare counteroffensives of our troops did not change the oppressive feeling of impending catastrophe. However, on the 161st day of the war - November 29, 1941 - the elite German troops of the Leibstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler tank brigade were driven out of the largest southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. Stalin telegraphed congratulations to the senior officers taking part in this battle, including the commander of the 56th division, Fyodor Remezov.

It is known about this man that he was a Soviet general and called himself not a Russian, but a Great Russian. He was also appointed to the post of commander of the 56th, he was also on the personal orders of Stalin, who appreciated the ability of Fedor Nikitich, without losing self-control, to conduct a stubborn defense against the advancing Germans, which were much superior in strength.

For example, his strange, at first glance, decision by the forces of the 188th cavalry regiment to attack German armored vehicles on October 17, 1941 in the area of ​​Koshkino station (near Taganrog). This made it possible to withdraw the cadets of the Rostov Infantry School and parts of the 31st Division from a crushing blow. While the Germans were chasing light cavalry, running into fiery ambushes, the 56th Army received the necessary respite and was saved from the Leibstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler tanks that had broken through the defenses. Subsequently, Remezov's bloodless fighters, together with soldiers of the 9th Army, liberated Rostov, despite Hitler's categorical order not to surrender the city. This was the first major victory of the Red Army over the Nazis.

Vasily Arkhipov

By the beginning of the war with the Germans, Vasily Arkhipov already had a successful combat experience with the Finns, as well as the Order of the Red Banner for breaking through the Mannerheim Line and the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for the personal destruction of four enemy tanks.

According to many military men who knew Vasily Sergeevich well, at first glance he accurately assessed the capabilities of German armored vehicles, even if they were among the novelties of the fascist military-industrial complex.

So, in the battle for the Sandomierz bridgehead in the summer of 1944, his 53rd tank brigade met the "royal tigers" for the first time. The brigade commander decided to attack the steel monster on his command tank in order to inspire his subordinates by personal example.

Using the high maneuverability of his car, he several times went into the side of the "clumsy and slow beast" and opened fire. Only after the third hit did the "German" flare up. Soon his tankers captured three more "royal tigers". Twice Hero of the Soviet Union Vasily Arkhipov, about whom colleagues said “does not sink in water, does not burn in fire”, became a general on April 20, 1945.

Alexander Rodimtsev

Alexander Rodimtsev in Spain was known as Camarados Pavlito, who fought in 1936-1937 with Franco's Falangists. For the defense of the university city near Madrid, he received the first gold star of the hero of the Soviet Union. During the war with the Nazis, he was known as the general who turned the tide of the Battle of Stalingrad.

According to Zhukov, Rodimtsev’s guards literally at the last moment struck at the Germans who had come ashore on the Volga. Later, recalling those days, Rodimtsev wrote: “On the day when our division approached the left bank of the Volga, the Nazis took Mamaev Kurgan. They took it because ten fascists attacked each of our fighters, ten enemy tanks went to each of our tanks, ten Messerschmitts or Junkers had to take to the air for each Yak or Il ... the Germans knew how to fight, especially when such numerical and technical superiority.

Rodimtsev did not have such forces, but his well-trained fighters of the 13th Guards Rifle Division, also known as the Airborne Forces unit, fighting in the minority, turned Goth's Nazi tanks into scrap metal and killed a significant number of German soldiers of Paulus' 6th Army in hand-to-hand urban battles . As in Spain, in Stalingrad, Rodimtsev repeatedly said: "but passaran, the fascists will not pass."

Alexander Gorbatov

The former non-commissioned officer of the tsarist army, Alexander Gorbatov, who was promoted to the rank of major general in December 1941, was not afraid to conflict with his superiors.

For example, in December 1941, he told his direct commander Kirill Moskalenko that it was stupid to throw our regiments into a frontal attack on the Germans if there was no objective need for this. He answered harshly to the abuse, saying that he would not allow himself to be insulted. And this is after three years of imprisonment in Kolyma, where he was shocked as an “enemy of the people” under the infamous 58th article.

When this incident was reported to Stalin, he grinned and said: "Only the grave will fix the hunchback." Gorbatov entered into a dispute with Konstantin Zhukov about the attack on Orel in the summer of 1943, demanding not to attack from the already existing bridgehead, but to force the Zushi River elsewhere. Zhukov was categorically against it at first, but, on reflection, he realized that Gorbatov was right.

It is known that Lavrenty Beria had a negative attitude towards the general and even considered the stubborn man his personal enemy. Indeed, many did not like Gorbatov's independent judgments. For example, having carried out a number of brilliant operations, including the East Prussian one, Alexander Gorbatov unexpectedly spoke out against the storming of Berlin, proposing to start a siege. He motivated his decision by the fact that the Fritz would surrender anyway, but this would save the lives of many of our soldiers who went through the entire war.

Mikhail Naumov

Once in the occupied territory in the summer of 1941, the wounded Senior Lieutenant Mikhail Naumov began his war against the invaders. At first he was an ordinary partisan detachment of the Chervony district of the Sumy region (in January 1942), but fifteen months later he was awarded the rank of major general. Thus, he became one of the youngest senior officers, moreover, he made an incredible and one of a kind military career. However, such a high rank corresponded to the size of the partisan unit led by Naumov. This happened after the famous 65-day raid stretching almost 2,400 kilometers across Ukraine to the Belarusian Polesye, as a result of which the German rear lines were pretty bled.

Of the combined arms commanders who ended the war as commanders, 14 people before the war commanded corps, 14 - divisions, 2 - brigades, one - a regiment, 6 were in teaching and command work in educational institutions, 16 officers were staff commanders of various levels, 3 were deputy division commanders and 1 deputy corps commander.

Only 5 generals commanding the armies at the start of the war finished it in the same position: three (N. E. Berzarin, F. D. Gorelenko and V. I. Kuznetsov) - on the Soviet-German front and two more (M. F. Terekhin and L. G. Cheremisov) - on the Far Eastern Front.

In total, 30 commanders from among the army commanders died during the war, of which:

22 people died or died from wounds received in battle,

2 (K. M. Kachanov and A. A. Korobkov) were repressed,

2 (M. G. Efremov and A. K. Smirnov) committed suicide in order to avoid captivity,

2 people died in air (S. D. Akimov) and car accidents (I. G. Zakharkin),

1 (P.F. Alferyev) went missing and 1 (F.A. Ershakov) died in a concentration camp.

For success in planning and carrying out combat operations during the war and immediately after it, 72 commanders from among the commanders were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, 9 of them twice. After the collapse of the USSR, two generals were posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.

During the war years, the Red Army in its composition totaled about 93 combined arms, guards, shock and tank armies, of which were:

1 seaside;

70 combined arms;

11 guards (from 1st to 11th);

5 drums (from 1 to 5);

6 tank guards;

In addition, the Red Army had:

18 air armies (from 1 to 18);

7 air defense armies;

10 sapper armies (from 1 to 10);

In the Independent Military Review of April 30, 2004. the rating of commanders of the Second World War was published, below is an extract from this rating, an assessment of the combat activities of the commanders of the main combined arms and tank Soviet armies:

3. Commanders of combined arms armies.

Chuikov Vasily Ivanovich (1900-1982) - Marshal of the Soviet Union. From September 1942 - Commander of the 62nd (8th Guards) Army. Particularly distinguished himself in the Battle of Stalingrad.

Batov Pavel Ivanovich (1897-1985) - army General. Commander of the 51st, 3rd armies, assistant commander of the Bryansk Front, commander of the 65th army.

Beloborodov Afanasy Pavlantievich (1903-1990) - army General. Since the beginning of the war - the commander of a division, a rifle corps. Since 1944 - commander of the 43rd, in August-September 1945 - the 1st Red Banner Army.

Grechko Andrey Antonovich (1903-1976) - Marshal of the Soviet Union. From April 1942 - Commander of the 12th, 47th, 18th, 56th Armies, Deputy Commander of the Voronezh (1st Ukrainian) Front, Commander of the 1st Guards Army.

Krylov Nikolay Ivanovich (1903-1972) - Marshal of the Soviet Union. From July 1943 he commanded the 21st and 5th armies. He had unique experience in the defense of besieged large cities, being the chief of staff for the defense of Odessa, Sevastopol and Stalingrad.

Moskalenko Kirill Semyonovich (1902-1985) - Marshal of the Soviet Union. From 1942 he commanded the 38th, 1st Tank, 1st Guards and 40th armies.

Pukhov Nikolay Pavlovich (1895-1958) - Colonel General. In 1942-1945. commanded the 13th Army.

Chistyakov Ivan Mikhailovich (1900-1979) - Colonel General. In 1942-1945. commanded the 21st (6th Guards) and 25th armies.

Gorbatov Alexander Vasilyevich (1891-1973) - army General. From June 1943 - Commander of the 3rd Army.

Kuznetsov Vasily Ivanovich (1894-1964) - Colonel General. During the war years, he commanded the troops of the 3rd, 21st, 58th, 1st Guards armies from 1945 - commander of the 3rd shock army.

Luchinsky Alexander Alexandrovich (1900-1990) - army General. Since 1944 - commander of the 28th and 36th armies. He especially distinguished himself in the Belorussian and Manchurian operations.

Ludnikov Ivan Ivanovich (1902-1976) - Colonel General. During the war he commanded a rifle division, a corps, in 1942 he was one of the heroic defenders of Stalingrad. Since May 1944 - commander of the 39th Army, which participated in the Belarusian and Manchurian operations.

Galitsky Kuzma Nikitovich (1897-1973) - army General. Since 1942 - commander of the 3rd shock and 11th guards armies.

Zhadov Alexey Semenovich (1901-1977) - army General. From 1942 he commanded the 66th (5th Guards) Army.

Glagolev Vasily Vasilyevich (1896-1947) - Colonel General. He commanded the 9th, 46th, 31st, in 1945 - the 9th Guards Armies. He distinguished himself in the Battle of Kursk, the Battle of the Caucasus, during the crossing of the Dnieper, the liberation of Austria and Czechoslovakia.

Kolpakchi Vladimir Yakovlevich (1899-1961) - army General. He commanded the 18th, 62nd, 30th, 63rd, 69th armies. He acted most successfully in the Vistula-Oder and Berlin operations.

Pliev Issa Alexandrovich (1903-1979) - army General. During the war years - commander of the guards cavalry divisions, corps, commander of cavalry mechanized groups. He especially distinguished himself by bold and daring actions in the Manchurian strategic operation.

Fedyuninsky Ivan Ivanovich (1900-1977) - army General. During the war years, he was commander of the troops of the 32nd and 42nd armies, the Leningrad Front, the 54th and 5th armies, deputy commander of the Volkhov and Bryansk fronts, commander of the troops of the 11th and 2nd shock armies.

Belov Pavel Alekseevich (1897-1962) - Colonel General. Commanded the 61st Army. He was distinguished by decisive maneuvering actions during the Belorussian, Vistula-Oder and Berlin operations.

Shumilov Mikhail Stepanovich (1895-1975) - Colonel General. From August 1942 until the end of the war, he commanded the 64th Army (from 1943 - the 7th Guards), which, together with the 62nd Army, heroically defended Stalingrad.

Berzarin Nikolai Erastovich (1904-1945) - Colonel General. Commander of the 27th, 34th Armies, Deputy Commander of the 61st, 20th Armies, Commander of the 39th and 5th Shock Armies. He especially distinguished himself by skillful and decisive actions in the Berlin operation.

4. Commanders of tank armies.

Katukov Mikhail Efimovich (1900-1976) - Marshal of the armored forces. One of the founders of the Tank Guard was the commander of the 1st Guards Tank Brigade, 1st Guards Tank Corps. Since 1943 - Commander of the 1st Tank Army (since 1944 - Guards).

Bogdanov Semyon Ilyich (1894-1960) - Marshal of the armored forces. Since 1943 he commanded the 2nd (since 1944 - Guards) tank army.

Rybalko Pavel Semyonovich (1894-1948) - Marshal of the armored forces. From July 1942 he commanded the 5th, 3rd and 3rd Guards Tank Armies.

Lelyushenko Dmitry Danilovich (1901-1987) - army General. From October 1941 he commanded the 5th, 30th, 1st, 3rd Guards, 4th Tank (since 1945 - Guards) armies.

Rotmistrov Pavel Alekseevich (1901-1982) - Chief Marshal of the Armored Forces. He commanded a tank brigade, a corps, distinguished himself in the Stalingrad operation. From 1943 he commanded the 5th Guards Tank Army. Since 1944 - Deputy Commander of the armored and mechanized troops of the Soviet Army.

Kravchenko Andrey Grigorievich (1899-1963) - Colonel-General of Tank Troops. Since 1944 - commander of the 6th Guards Tank Army. He showed an example of highly maneuverable, swift actions during the Manchurian strategic operation.

It is known that army commanders were selected to this list, who had been in their positions for a relatively long time and showed rather high military leadership abilities.

The Second World War is considered one of the most violent and bloody armed conflicts of the 20th century. Of course, the victory in the war was the merit of the Soviet people, who, at the cost of countless sacrifices, gave the future generation a peaceful life. However, this became possible thanks to unsurpassed talent - the participants of the Second World War forged victory together with ordinary citizens of the USSR, demonstrating heroism and courage.

Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov

Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov is considered one of the most key figures of the Great Patriotic War. The beginning of Zhukov's military career dates back to 1916, when he took a direct part in the First World War. In one of the battles, Zhukov was seriously injured, was shell-shocked, but, despite this, he did not leave his post. For courage and valor he was awarded the St. George Crosses of the 3rd and 4th degrees.

WWII generals are not just military commanders, they are real innovators in their field. Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov is a prime example of this. It was he, the first of all representatives of the Red Army, who was awarded the insignia - the Marshal's Star, and was also awarded the highest service - Marshal of the Soviet Union.

Alexei Mikhailovich Vasilevsky

The list of "Generals of the Great Patriotic War" cannot be imagined without this outstanding person. Throughout the war, Vasilevsky was on the fronts for 22 months with his soldiers, and only 12 months in Moscow. The great commander personally commanded in the battles in the heroic Stalingrad, during the days of the defense of Moscow, he repeatedly visited the most dangerous territories in terms of the attack of the enemy German army.

Alexei Mikhailovich Vasilevsky, Major General of the Second World War, had a surprisingly courageous character. Thanks to his strategic thinking and lightning-fast understanding of the situation, he repeatedly managed to repel the onslaught of the enemy and avoid many casualties.

Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky

The rating "Outstanding Generals of the Second World War" will not be complete without mentioning an amazing person, a talented commander K.K. Rokossovsky. Rokossovsky's military career began at the age of 18, when he asked to join the Red Army, whose regiments passed through Warsaw.

There is a negative imprint in the biography of the great commander. So, in 1937, he was slandered and accused of having links with foreign intelligence, which served as the basis for his arrest. However, the persistence of Rokossovsky played a significant role. He did not confess to the charges imputed to him. The acquittal and release of Konstantin Konstantinovich took place in 1940.

For successful military operations near Moscow, as well as for the defense of Stalingrad, the name of Rokossovsky is in the forefront of the list of "great generals of the Second World War." For the role that the general played in the attack on Minsk and Baranovichi, Konstantin Konstantinovich was awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union. Awarded with many orders and medals.

Ivan Stepanovich Konev

Do not forget that the list "Generals and Marshals of the Second World War" includes the name of Konev I.S. One of the key operations, which is indicative of the fate of Ivan Stepanovich, is the Korsun-Shevchenko offensive. This operation made it possible to surround a large grouping of enemy troops, which also played a positive role in turning the tide of the war.

Alexander Werth, a popular English journalist, wrote about this tactical offensive and Konev’s unique victory: “Konev carried out a lightning attack on enemy forces through slush, mud, impassability and muddy roads.” For innovative ideas, perseverance, valor and colossal courage, Ivan Stepanovich joined the list, which included the generals and marshals of the Second World War. The title of "Marshal of the Soviet Union" commander Konev received the third, after Zhukov and Vasilevsky.

Andrey Ivanovich Eremenko

One of the most famous personalities of the Great Patriotic War is Andrei Ivanovich Eremenko, who was born in the Markovka settlement in 1872. The military career of the outstanding commander began in 1913, when he was drafted into the Russian Imperial Army.

This person is interesting in that he received the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union for other merits than Rokossovsky, Zhukov, Vasilevsky and Konev. If the listed generals of the WWII armies were awarded orders for offensive operations, then Andrei Ivanovich received an honorary military rank for defense. Eremenko took an active part in operations near Stalingrad, in particular, he was one of the initiators of the counteroffensive, which resulted in the capture of a group of German soldiers in the amount of 330 thousand people.

Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovsky

Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovsky is considered one of the brightest commanders of the Great Patriotic War. He was enrolled in the Red Army at the age of 16. During the First World War, he received multiple severe wounds. Two fragments from the shells got stuck in the back, the third pierced through the leg. Despite this, after recovery, he was not commissioned, but continued to serve his homeland.

Special words deserve his military successes during the Second World War. In December 1941, being in the rank of lieutenant general, Malinovsky was appointed commander of the Southern Front. However, the most striking episode in the biography of Rodion Yakovlevich is the defense of Stalingrad. The 66th Army, under the strict leadership of Malinovsky, launched a counteroffensive not far from Stalingrad. Thanks to this, it was possible to defeat the 6th German army, which reduced the onslaught of the enemy on the city. After the end of the war, Rodion Yakovlevich was awarded the honorary title "Hero of the Soviet Union".

Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko

The victory, of course, was forged by the whole people, but the generals of the Second World War played a special role in the defeat of the German troops. The list of outstanding commanders is supplemented by the surname of Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko. The commander repeatedly received angry, which was due to failed operations in the early days of the war. Semyon Konstantinovich, showing courage and bravery, asked the commander in chief to send him to the most dangerous area of ​​​​battles.

Marshal Timoshenko during his military activity commanded the most important fronts and directions, which were of a strategic nature. The most striking facts in the biography of the commander are the battles on the territory of Belarus, in particular the defense of Gomel and Mogilev.

Ivan Khristoforovich Chuikov

Ivan Khristoforovich was born into a peasant family in 1900. He decided to devote his life to the service of his homeland, to connect with military activities. He took a direct part in the Civil War, for which he was awarded two Orders of the Red Banner.

During the Second World War, he was the commander of the 64th and then the 62nd Army. Under his leadership, the most important defensive battles took place, which made it possible to defend Stalingrad. Ivan Khristoforovich Chuikov was awarded the title "Hero of the Soviet Union" for the liberation of Ukraine from the Nazi occupation.

The Great Patriotic War is the most important battle of the 20th century. Thanks to the valor, courage and courage of the Soviet soldiers, as well as the innovation and ability of commanders to make decisions in difficult situations, it was possible to achieve a crushing victory of the Red Army over Nazi Germany.

The names of some are still honored, the names of others are consigned to oblivion. But all of them are united by military leadership talent.

USSR

Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich (1896–1974)

Marshal of the Soviet Union.

Zhukov had a chance to take part in serious hostilities shortly before the start of the Second World War. In the summer of 1939, the Soviet-Mongolian troops under his command defeated the Japanese grouping on the Khalkhin Gol River.

By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Zhukov headed the General Staff, but was soon sent to the army. In 1941, he was assigned to the most critical sections of the front. Putting order in the retreating army with the most severe measures, he managed to prevent the capture of Leningrad by the Germans, and stop the Nazis in the Mozhaisk direction on the outskirts of Moscow. And already in late 1941 - early 1942, Zhukov led a counteroffensive near Moscow, pushing the Germans back from the capital.

In 1942-43, Zhukov did not command individual fronts, but coordinated their actions as a representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command near Stalingrad, and on the Kursk Bulge, and during the breaking of the blockade of Leningrad.

In early 1944, Zhukov took command of the 1st Ukrainian Front instead of the seriously wounded General Vatutin and led the Proskurov-Chernivtsi offensive operation he planned. As a result, Soviet troops liberated most of the Right-Bank Ukraine and reached the state border.

At the end of 1944, Zhukov led the 1st Belorussian Front and launched an offensive against Berlin. In May 1945, Zhukov accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany, and then two Victory Parades, in Moscow and Berlin.

After the war, Zhukov found himself on the sidelines, commanding various military districts. After Khrushchev came to power, he became deputy minister, and then headed the Ministry of Defense. But in 1957 he finally fell into disgrace and was removed from all posts.

Rokossovsky Konstantin Konstantinovich (1896–1968)

Marshal of the Soviet Union.

Shortly before the start of the war, in 1937, Rokossovsky was repressed, but in 1940, at the request of Marshal Timoshenko, he was released and reinstated in his former position as corps commander. In the early days of the Great Patriotic War, the units under the command of Rokossovsky were among the few who managed to provide worthy resistance to the advancing German troops. In the battle near Moscow, Rokossovsky's army defended one of the most difficult areas, Volokolamsk.

Returning to service after being seriously wounded in 1942, Rokossovsky took command of the Don Front, which completed the defeat of the Germans near Stalingrad.

On the eve of the Battle of Kursk, Rokossovsky, contrary to the position of the majority of military leaders, managed to convince Stalin that it was better not to launch an offensive on his own, but to provoke the enemy into active actions. Having accurately determined the direction of the main attack of the Germans, Rokossovsky, just before their offensive, undertook a massive artillery preparation, which bled the enemy's strike forces.

His most famous military achievement, which entered the annals of military art, was the operation to liberate Belarus, code-named "Bagration", which actually destroyed the German army group "Center".

Shortly before the decisive attack on Berlin, the command of the 1st Belorussian Front, to the disappointment of Rokossovsky, was transferred to Zhukov. He was also instructed to command the troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front in East Prussia.

Rokossovsky had outstanding personal qualities and of all Soviet military leaders he was the most popular in the army. After the war, Rokossovsky, a Pole by origin, headed the Polish Ministry of Defense for a long time, and then held the positions of Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR and Chief Military Inspector. The day before his death, he finished writing his memoirs, called Soldier's Duty.

Konev Ivan Stepanovich (1897–1973)

Marshal of the Soviet Union.

In the fall of 1941, Konev was appointed commander of the Western Front. In this position, he suffered one of the biggest setbacks of the beginning of the war. Konev failed to get permission to withdraw the troops in time, and, as a result, about 600,000 Soviet soldiers and officers were surrounded near Bryansk and Yelnya. Zhukov saved the commander from the tribunal.

In 1943, the troops of the Steppe (later the 2nd Ukrainian) Front under the command of Konev liberated Belgorod, Kharkov, Poltava, Kremenchug and crossed the Dnieper. But most of all Konev was glorified by the Korsun-Shevchenskaya operation, as a result of which a large group of German troops was surrounded.

In 1944, already as commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front, Konev led the Lvov-Sandomierz operation in western Ukraine and southeastern Poland, which opened the way for a further offensive against Germany. Distinguished troops under the command of Konev and the Vistula-Oder operation, and in the battle for Berlin. During the latter, the rivalry between Konev and Zhukov manifested itself - each wanted to take the German capital first. Tensions between the marshals persisted until the end of their lives. In May 1945, Konev led the liquidation of the last major center of Nazi resistance in Prague.

After the war, Konev was the commander-in-chief of the ground forces and the first commander of the combined forces of the Warsaw Pact countries, he commanded troops in Hungary during the events of 1956.

Vasilevsky Alexander Mikhailovich (1895–1977)

Marshal of the Soviet Union, Chief of the General Staff.

In the position of Chief of the General Staff, which he held since 1942, Vasilevsky coordinated the actions of the fronts of the Red Army and participated in the development of all major operations of the Great Patriotic War. He, in particular, plays a key role in planning the operation to encircle the German troops near Stalingrad.

At the end of the war, after the death of General Chernyakhovsky, Vasilevsky asked to be relieved of his post as Chief of the General Staff, took the place of the deceased and led the assault on Koenigsberg. In the summer of 1945, Vasilevsky was transferred to the Far East and commanded the defeat of the Kwatun Army of Japan.

After the war, Vasilevsky headed the General Staff, and then was the Minister of Defense of the USSR, but after the death of Stalin, he went into the shadows and held less senior positions.

Tolbukhin Fedor Ivanovich (1894–1949)

Marshal of the Soviet Union.

Before the start of the Great Patriotic War, Tolbukhin served as chief of staff of the Transcaucasian District, and with its onset, the Transcaucasian Front. Under his leadership, a sudden operation was developed to bring Soviet troops into the northern part of Iran. Tolbukhin also developed the operation to land the Kerch landing, the result of which was to be the liberation of the Crimea. However, after its successful start, our troops were unable to develop success, suffered heavy losses, and Tolbukhin was removed from his post.

Having distinguished himself as commander of the 57th Army in the Battle of Stalingrad, Tolbukhin was appointed commander of the Southern (later 4th Ukrainian) Front. Under his command, a significant part of Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula were liberated. In 1944-45, when Tolbukhin was already in command of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, he led the troops during the liberation of Moldova, Romania, Yugoslavia, Hungary, and ended the war in Austria. The Iasi-Kishinev operation, planned by Tolbukhin and leading to the encirclement of a two hundred thousandth group of German-Romanian troops, entered the annals of military art (sometimes it is called the "Iasi-Kishinev Cannes").

After the war, Tolbukhin commanded the Southern Group of Forces in Romania and Bulgaria, and then the Transcaucasian Military District.

Vatutin Nikolai Fedorovich (1901–1944)

Soviet general of the army.

Before the war, Vatutin served as Deputy Chief of the General Staff, and with the outbreak of World War II, he was sent to the North-Western Front. In the region of Novgorod, under his leadership, several counterattacks were carried out, which slowed down the advance of Manstein's tank corps.

In 1942, Vatutin, who then headed the Southwestern Front, commanded Operation Little Saturn, the purpose of which was to prevent the German-Italian-Romanian troops from helping the Paulus army encircled near Stalingrad.

In 1943, Vatutin headed the Voronezh (later the 1st Ukrainian) Front. He played a very important role in the Battle of Kursk and the liberation of Kharkov and Belgorod. But Vatutin's most famous military operation was the crossing of the Dnieper and the liberation of Kyiv and Zhytomyr, and then Rovno. Together with the 2nd Ukrainian Front of Konev, the 1st Ukrainian Front of Vatutin also carried out the Korsun-Shevchenko operation.

At the end of February 1944, Vatutin's car came under fire from Ukrainian nationalists, and a month and a half later, the commander died of his wounds.

Great Britain

Montgomery Bernard Low (1887–1976)

British field marshal.

Prior to the outbreak of World War II, Montgomery was considered one of the bravest and most talented British military leaders, but his harsh, difficult character hampered his promotion. Montgomery, himself distinguished by physical endurance, paid great attention to the daily hard training of the troops entrusted to him.

At the beginning of World War II, when the Germans defeated France, parts of Montgomery covered the evacuation of the Allied forces. In 1942, Montgomery became commander of the British forces in North Africa, and achieved a turning point in this sector of the war, defeating the German-Italian grouping of troops in Egypt, at the Battle of El Alamein. Its significance was summarized by Winston Churchill: “Before the battle of Alamein, we did not know victories. We didn't know defeat after that." For this battle, Montgomery received the title of Viscount of Alamein. True, Montgomery's opponent, German Field Marshal Rommel, said that, having such resources as a British commander, he would have conquered the entire Middle East in a month.

After that, Montgomery was transferred to Europe, where he was supposed to act in close contact with the Americans. Here his quarrelsome nature affected: he came into conflict with the American commander Eisenhower, which had a bad effect on the interaction of troops and led to a number of relative military failures. Toward the end of the war, Montgomery successfully resisted the German counter-offensive in the Ardennes, and then conducted several military operations in Northern Europe.

After the war, Montgomery served as Chief of the British General Staff and subsequently as First Deputy Commander in Chief Allied Forces Europe.

Alexander Harold Rupert Leofric George (1891–1969)

British field marshal.

At the start of World War II, Alexander supervised the evacuation of British troops after the German takeover of France. Most of the personnel managed to be taken out, but almost all military equipment went to the enemy.

At the end of 1940, Alexander was assigned to Southeast Asia. He failed to defend Burma, but he managed to block the Japanese way to India.

In 1943, Alexander was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Land Forces in North Africa. Under his leadership, a large German-Italian grouping in Tunisia was defeated, and this, by and large, completed the campaign in North Africa and opened the way to Italy. Alexander commanded the landing of allied troops in Sicily, and then on the mainland. At the end of the war, he served as Supreme Allied Commander in the Mediterranean.

After the war, Alexander received the title of Earl of Tunisia, for some time he was the Governor General of Canada, and then the British Minister of Defense.

USA

Eisenhower Dwight David (1890–1969)

General of the US Army.

He spent his childhood in a family whose members were pacifists for religious reasons, but Eisenhower chose a military career.

Eisenhower met the beginning of the Second World War in a rather modest rank of colonel. But his abilities were noticed by the chief of the American General Staff, George Marshall, and soon Eisenhower became head of the operational planning department.

In 1942, Eisenhower led Operation Torch, the Allied landings in North Africa. In early 1943, he was defeated by Rommel in the Battle of Kasserine Pass, but later the superior Anglo-American forces made a turning point in the North African campaign.

In 1944, Eisenhower oversaw the landing of the Allied forces in Normandy and the subsequent attack on Germany. At the end of the war, Eisenhower became the creator of the infamous camps for "disarmed enemy forces" that were not covered by the Geneva Convention on the Rights of Prisoners of War, which actually became death camps for German soldiers who got there.

After the war, Eisenhower was the commander of NATO forces, and then was elected twice as president of the United States.

MacArthur Douglas (1880–1964)

General of the US Army.

In his youth, MacArthur was not wanted to be admitted to the West Point Military Academy for health reasons, but he achieved his goal and, after graduating from the academy, was recognized as its best graduate in history. He received the rank of general in the First World War.

In 1941-42, MacArthur led the defense of the Philippines from Japanese troops. The enemy managed to take the American units by surprise and gain a great advantage at the very beginning of the campaign. After the loss of the Philippines, he uttered the famous phrase: "I did what I could, but I'll be back."

After being appointed commander of the Southwest Pacific, MacArthur countered Japanese plans to invade Australia and then led successful offensives in New Guinea and the Philippines.

On September 2, 1945, MacArthur, already with all the US military forces in the Pacific, accepted the Japanese surrender aboard the battleship Missouri, ending World War II.

After World War II, MacArthur commanded the occupying forces in Japan and later led American forces in the Korean War. The landing of American troops in Inchon, which he developed, became a classic of military art. He called for the nuclear bombing of China and the invasion of this country, after which he was dismissed.

Nimitz Chester William (1885–1966)

US Fleet Admiral.

Prior to World War II, Nimitz was engaged in the design and combat training of the American submarine fleet and headed the Bureau of Navigation. At the beginning of the war, after the disaster at Pearl Harbor, Nimitz was appointed commander of the US Pacific Fleet. His mission was to confront the Japanese in close contact with General MacArthur.

In 1942, the American fleet under the command of Nimitz managed to inflict the first serious defeat on the Japanese at Midway Atoll. And then, in 1943, win the fight for the strategically important island of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands archipelago. In 1944-45, the fleet led by Nimitz played a decisive role in the liberation of other Pacific archipelagos, and at the end of the war carried out an amphibious landing in Japan. During the fighting, Nimitz used the tactic of sudden rapid movement from island to island, called the "frog jump".

Nimitz's return to his homeland was celebrated as a national holiday and was called "Nimitz Day". After the war, he led the demobilization of troops, and then oversaw the creation of a nuclear submarine fleet. At the Nuremberg Trials, he defended his German colleague, Admiral Dennitsa, stating that he himself used the same methods of submarine warfare, thanks to which Dennitz escaped the death penalty.

Germany

Von Bock Theodor (1880–1945)

German Field Marshal.

Even before the outbreak of World War II, von Bock led the troops that carried out the Anschluss of Austria and invaded the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia. With the outbreak of war, he commanded Army Group North during the war with Poland. In 1940, von Bock led the capture of Belgium and the Netherlands and the defeat of the French troops at Dunkirk. It was he who took the parade of German troops in occupied Paris.

Von Bock objected to an attack on the USSR, but when the decision was made, he led the Army Group Center, which carried out an attack in the main direction. After the failure of the attack on Moscow, he was considered one of the main responsible for this failure of the German army. In 1942, he led the Army Group "South" and for a long time successfully held back the offensive of Soviet troops on Kharkov.

Von Bock was distinguished by an extremely independent character, repeatedly clashed with Hitler and defiantly kept aloof from politics. After in the summer of 1942, von Bock opposed the Fuhrer's decision to divide Army Group South into 2 directions, Caucasian and Stalingrad, during the planned offensive, he was removed from command and sent to the reserve. A few days before the end of the war, von Bock died during an air raid.

Von Rundstedt Karl Rudolf Gerd (1875–1953)

German Field Marshal.

By the beginning of the Second World War, von Rundstedt, who had held important command positions back in the First World War, had already managed to retire. But in 1939, Hitler returned him to the army. Von Rundstedt became the main planner of the attack on Poland, codenamed "Weiss", and during its implementation he commanded Army Group South. He then led Army Group A, which played a key role in the capture of France, and also developed the failed Sea Lion plan to attack England.

Von Rundstedt objected to the Barbarossa plan, but after the decision was made to attack the USSR, he led Army Group South, which captured Kyiv and other major cities in the south of the country. After von Rundstedt, in order to avoid encirclement, violated the Fuhrer's order and withdrew troops from Rostov-on-Don, he was dismissed.

However, the very next year he was again drafted into the army to become commander-in-chief of the German armed forces in the West. His main task was to counter a possible Allied landing. After reviewing the situation, von Rundstedt warned Hitler that a long-term defense with the available forces would be impossible. At the decisive moment of the landings in Normandy, June 6, 1944, Hitler canceled von Rundstedt's order to transfer troops, thereby wasting time and giving the enemy an opportunity to develop the offensive. Already at the end of the war, von Rundstedt successfully resisted the Allied landing in Holland.

After the war, von Rundstedt, thanks to the intercession of the British, managed to avoid the Nuremberg Tribunal, and participated in it only as a witness.

Von Manstein Erich (1887–1973)

German Field Marshal.

Manstein was considered one of the strongest strategists of the Wehrmacht. In 1939, as Chief of Staff of Army Group A, he played a key role in developing a successful plan for the invasion of France.

In 1941, Manstein was part of Army Group North, which captured the Baltic states, and was preparing to attack Leningrad, but was soon transferred to the south. In 1941-42, the 11th Army under his command captured the Crimean Peninsula, and for the capture of Sevastopol, Manstein received the rank of Field Marshal.

Then Manstein commanded the Don Army Group and unsuccessfully tried to rescue the Paulus army from the Stalingrad cauldron. Since 1943, he led the Army Group "South" and inflicted a sensitive defeat on the Soviet troops near Kharkov, and then tried to prevent the crossing of the Dnieper. During the retreat, Manstein's troops used the tactics of "scorched earth".

Having suffered a defeat in the Battle of Korsun-Shevchensk, Manstein retreated, violating Hitler's order. Thus, he saved part of the army from encirclement, but after that he was forced to retire.

After the war, he was convicted by a British tribunal for war crimes for 18 years, but already in 1953 he was released, worked as a military adviser to the government of Germany and wrote his memoirs Lost Victories.

Guderian Heinz Wilhelm (1888–1954)

German colonel general, commander of the armored forces.

Guderian is one of the main theorists and practitioners of "blitzkrieg" - lightning war. He assigned a key role in it to tank units, which were supposed to break through behind enemy lines and disable command posts and communications. Such tactics were considered effective, but risky, creating the danger of being cut off from the main forces.

In 1939-40, in military campaigns against Poland and France, the blitzkrieg tactics fully justified itself. Guderian was at the pinnacle of fame: he received the rank of colonel general and high awards. However, in 1941, in the war against the Soviet Union, this tactic failed. The reason for this was both the vast Russian expanses and the cold climate in which equipment often refused to work, and the readiness of the Red Army units to resist this method of warfare. Guderian's tank troops suffered heavy losses near Moscow and were forced to retreat. After that, he was sent to the reserve, and later held the post of inspector general of tank troops.

After the war, Guderian, who was not charged with war crimes, was quickly released and lived out his life writing his memoirs.

Rommel Erwin Johann Eugen (1891–1944)

German Field Marshal, nicknamed "Desert Fox". He was distinguished by great independence and a penchant for risky attacking actions, even without the sanction of the command.

At the beginning of World War II, Rommel participated in the Polish and French campaigns, but his main successes were associated with military operations in North Africa. Rommel led the Afrika Korps, which was originally attached to help the Italian troops, who were defeated by the British. Instead of strengthening the defenses, as ordered by the order, Rommel went on the offensive with small forces and won important victories. He acted in the same way in the future. Like Manstein, Rommel assigned the main role to rapid breakthroughs and maneuvering of tank forces. And only by the end of 1942, when the British and Americans in North Africa had a great advantage in manpower and equipment, Rommel's troops began to suffer defeat. Subsequently, he fought in Italy and tried, together with von Rundstedt, with whom he had serious disagreements that affected the combat capability of the troops, to stop the Allied landings in Normandy.

In the pre-war period, Yamamoto paid great attention to the construction of aircraft carriers and the creation of naval aviation, thanks to which the Japanese fleet became one of the strongest in the world. For a long time, Yamamoto lived in the United States and had the opportunity to study the army of the future enemy well. On the eve of the start of the war, he warned the country's leadership: “In the first six to twelve months of the war, I will demonstrate an uninterrupted chain of victories. But if the confrontation lasts two or three years, I have no confidence in the final victory.

Yamamoto planned and personally led the Pearl Harbor operation. On December 7, 1941, Japanese aircraft taking off from aircraft carriers defeated the American naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and inflicted enormous damage on the US Navy and Air Force. After that, Yamamoto won a number of victories in the central and southern parts of the Pacific. But on June 4, 1942, he suffered a serious defeat from the Allies at Midway Atoll. This happened largely due to the fact that the Americans managed to decipher the codes of the Japanese Navy and get all the information about the upcoming operation. After that, the war, as Yamamoto feared, took on a protracted character.

Unlike many other Japanese generals, Yamashita did not commit suicide after the surrender of Japan, but surrendered. In 1946 he was executed on charges of war crimes. His case set a legal precedent, dubbed the "Yamashita Rule": according to it, the commander is responsible for not suppressing the war crimes of his subordinates.

Other countries

Von Mannerheim Carl Gustav Emil (1867–1951)

Finnish marshal.

Before the 1917 revolution, when Finland was part of the Russian Empire, Mannerheim was an officer in the Russian army and rose to the rank of lieutenant general. On the eve of World War II, he, as chairman of the Finnish Defense Council, was engaged in strengthening the Finnish army. According to his plan, in particular, powerful defensive fortifications were erected on the Karelian Isthmus, which went down in history as the "Mannerheim Line".

When the Soviet-Finnish war began at the end of 1939, the 72-year-old Mannerheim led the country's army. Under his command, the Finnish troops for a long time held back the offensive of the Soviet units, which significantly outnumbered them. As a result, Finland retained its independence, although the terms of the peace were very difficult for it.

During the Second World War, when Finland was an ally of Hitler's Germany, Mannerheim showed the art of political maneuvering, avoiding active hostilities with all his might. And in 1944, Finland broke the pact with Germany, and at the end of the war it was already fighting against the Germans, coordinating actions with the Red Army.

At the end of the war, Mannerheim was elected President of Finland, but already in 1946 he left this post for health reasons.

Tito Josip Broz (1892–1980)

Marshal of Yugoslavia.

Before the outbreak of World War II, Tito was a figure in the Yugoslav communist movement. After the German attack on Yugoslavia, he began organizing partisan detachments. At first, the Titoites acted together with the remnants of the tsarist army and the monarchists, who were called "Chetniks". However, the differences with the latter eventually became so strong that it came to military clashes.

Tito managed to organize scattered partisan detachments into a powerful partisan army numbering a quarter of a million fighters under the leadership of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia. She used not only the methods of war traditional for partisans, but also entered into open battles with fascist divisions. At the end of 1943, Tito was officially recognized by the Allies as the leader of Yugoslavia. During the liberation of the country, Tito's army acted jointly with the Soviet troops.

Shortly after the war, Tito took over Yugoslavia and remained in power until his death. Despite the socialist orientation, he pursued a fairly independent policy.