In World War II, the Soviet Union's army invaded a large part of Eastern Europe, capturing Berlin, the capital of Germany, by defeating the Nazis. Behind this success was Marshal Zhukov, who led the Red Army.
Who is General Zhukov?
Zhukov was born to a shoemaker father and a farmer mother. Georgi Konstantinovich Zhukov (1896-1974), who joined the Imperial Army in 1915, demonstrated his capabilities as a fearless soldier during World War I and received the Medal for Distinguished Service twice. In the October 1917 revolution, he joined the Bolshevik party and participated in many conflicts during the civil war in subsequent years. In 1921, for his success in suppressing the Tambov Rebellion, he was awarded the highest military honor, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.
Commander Zhukov stood out for his strict discipline, conservatism, and his unwavering demeanor. Additionally, the cost brought by human losses inspired Zhukov to introduce a new war model with a focus on armored units. The Japanese were the first to encounter this approach. In 1938, when the Russo-Japanese War broke out, he took command. In the Battle of Khalkhin Gol, he ordered a frontal attack, enveloping the tanks with a pincer movement, and struck the Japanese from their flanks. He surrounded and defeated the Japanese within 1-2 days. Zhukov's victory left such an imprint on the Japanese that during World War II, the Japanese army never attacked the Russians again. Zhukov was bestowed with the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for this success. The use of tanks and these grand maneuvering tactics resembled the German blitzkrieg tactics.
In 1940, Zhukov was promoted to the rank of General, and with his courage, knowledge, and abilities, he caught the attention of Stalin, who appointed him Chief of the General Staff for a short period. However, due to disagreements between them, he was later relieved of his duties.
However, the German invasion of Russia known as Operation Barbarossa was one of the largest movements witnessed by mankind. Supported by 5,000 tanks and 3,000 aircraft, nearly a million German soldiers swiftly advanced into Russian territory. Zhukov began his efforts by saving Moscow. He barricaded the streets with barriers made from as many cars as he could find in the city and repelled the Germans with guerrilla warfare. Hitler attached symbolic importance to capturing Stalingrad because of its association with Stalin's name. Zhukov halted Germany's advance with the epic resistance of the Red Army, and the Germans were pushed back.
Only 95,000 soldiers remained from this massive German army, and of those, only about 5,000 were able to return to Germany. The relentless Russian winter and tactics played a crucial role in this success. Many historians consider the victory at Stalingrad to be the turning point of World War II. Stalingrad halted the German expansion, and from this moment on, the Nazis retreated while the Allies began their march towards Berlin. In addition to halting the Germans, Zhukov, in January 1943, managed to break the siege of Leningrad and started advancing. The most significant weapon during this advance was the T-34 tank, the most advanced tank built up to that time.
In 1945, under Zhukov's command, the Red Army launched its final assault against the Germans. They began to seize Berlin in April, effectively ending the world war.
After the war, Marshal Zhukov became the commander of the Soviet occupation zone and the military governor of Germany. As a war hero and leader, he began to draw more attention. Due to leaders perceiving him as a potential threat or perhaps due to Stalin's paranoia, he was relegated to menial tasks. The main reason for his relegation to passive roles is often cited as his leading the Victory Parade on Moscow's Red Square in 1945, where he marched at the forefront on a white horse.
After Stalin's death, Zhukov's prominence was revived with Khrushchev, and in 1955, he was awarded the position of Minister of Defense of the USSR. Following the revolution in October 1956, he assumed responsibility for the Hungarian occupation.
Perhaps due to envy from other leaders, Zhukov later withdrew quietly to the sidelines and passed away in 1974.
Zhukov, who graced the cover of Time magazine, liked to compare himself to Hannibal and Alexander the Great. His success in the field of logistics is considered his most significant attribute. He is immortalized in history as the commander who changed the Battle of Stalingrad. Some historians have claimed that Zhukov used the positions he gained after the war to form committees. Another point of criticism directed at him is that he focused too much on winning victories and ignored the human factor. General Zhukov is one of only two people to have received the Order of Hero of the Soviet Union, the most valuable medal in Soviet history, four times."
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