Heroes 08/03/20 fought the best generals of the Second world war
the Names of some honored so far, the names of other forgotten. But they all share leadership talent.
USSR
Zhukov, Georgy Konstantinovich (1896-1974)
Marshal of the Soviet Union.
to Take part in serious fighting, Zhukov had a chance shortly before the Second World war. In the summer of 1939 the Soviet-Mongolian troops under his command defeated the Japanese force at Khalkhin Gol.
the beginning of the great Patriotic war Zhukov was the head of the General staff, but was soon sent to the army. In 1941 he was appointed to the most critical sectors of the front. Putting things in order in the retreating army the most stringent measures, he was able to prevent the German occupation of Leningrad, and to stop the fascists on the Mozhaisk direction on the approaches to Moscow. And at the end of 1941 – beginning of 1942 Zhukov led the counter-offensive near Moscow, rejecting the Germans from the capital.
In 1942-43 Zhukov did not command separate fronts, and coordinated their actions as the representative of the Supreme command and at Stalingrad, and Kursk, and in breaking the siege of Leningrad.
In early 1944 Zhukov took command of the 1st Ukrainian front, is seriously wounded General Vatutin planned and led them Proskurov-Chernovtsy offensive operation. As a result, Soviet troops liberated a large part of right-Bank Ukraine and came to the state border.
In late 1944, Zhukov headed the 1st Belorussian front and led the attack on Berlin. In may 1945, Zhukov accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany, and then two of the Victory Parade in Moscow and in Berlin.
After the war, Zhukov was on the sidelines, commanding the various military districts. After coming to power of Khrushchev, he became a Deputy Minister andeating and headed the Ministry of defence. But in 1957, finally fell into disgrace and was dismissed from all posts.
Rokossovsky Konstantin Konstantinovich (1896-1968)
Marshal of the Soviet Union.
Shortly before the war, in 1937 Rokossovsky was arrested, but in 1940 it at the request of Marshal Timoshenko freed and restored to his former post of commander of the corps. In the early days of the great Patriotic war part under the command of Rokossovsky was one of the few who managed to provide decent resistance to the advancing German troops. In the battle of Moscow army Rokossovsky was protecting one of the most difficult areas, Volokolamsk.
after Returning to action after being wounded in 1942, Rokossovsky took command of the don front completed the rout of the Germans at Stalingrad.
on the Eve of the battle of Kursk, Rokossovsky, contrary to the position of the majority of warlords, managed to persuade Stalin that it was better not to attack themselves, but to provoke action of the enemy. Exactly defining the direction of the main attack of the Germans, Rokossovsky before the offensive launched a massive artillery barrage, bled the impact forces of the enemy.
Most famous for his military achievement, which entered the annals of military art, was the operation on liberation of Belarus under the code name “Bagration”, in fact, destroyed the German army group “Center”.
Shortly before the final assault on Berlin, the command of the 1st Belorussian front, to the disappointment of Rokossovsky, Zhukov was transferred. He was entrusted with the command of the troops of the 2nd Belorussian front in East Prussia.
Rokossovsky had great personal qualities and of all the Soviet military enjoyed in the army most popular. After the war Rokossovsky, a pole by birth, has long headed the Ministry of defence of Poland, then occupied the post of Deputy Minister of defence and Chief of the military inspection in theprojector. 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 Autumn of 1941, Konev was appointed commander of the Western front. In this position, he suffered one of the biggest failures of the war. Konev was not able to get permission in time to withdraw, and, as a result, about 600,000 Soviet soldiers and officers were surrounded near Bryansk and Yelnya. From the Tribunal of the commander of the saved Zhukov.
In 1943 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 glorified Konev Korsun-Shevchenka operation, which was surrounded by a large group of German troops.
In 1944, as commander of the 1st Ukrainian front Konev headed the Lvov-Sandomierz operation in Western Ukraine and Southeast Poland, opened the way for a future attack on Germany. Distinguished troops under the command of Konev and the Vistula-Oder operation and the battle for Berlin. During the last apparent rivalry between Konev and Zhukov – everyone wanted to take the German capital first. Tensions between the marshals remained until the end of life. In may 1945, Konev led the elimination of the last major center of resistance of the Nazis in Prague.
After the war, Konev was commander of the land forces and the first commander of the joint forces of the Warsaw Pact countries, commanded troops in Hungary during the 1956 uprising.
Vasilevsky, Aleksandr Mikhailovich (1895-1977)
Marshal of the Soviet Union, chief of General staff.
the chief of the General staff, which he held from 1942, Vasilevsky coordinated the fronts of the red army and participated in the development of all the major operations of the great Patriotic war. He, in particular, plays a key role in planning the operation to encircle the German troops under Steelgradom.
At the end of the war, after the death of General Chernyakhovsky, Vasilevsky asked to release him from the post of chief of the General staff, took the place of the deceased and led the assault of Koenigsberg. In the summer of 1945, Vasilevsky was sent to the far East and commanded Katunskiy defeat of the Japanese army.
After the war, Vasilevsky was the head of the General staff, and then was Minister of defense of the USSR, but after the death of Stalin left in the shade and occupied less senior positions.
Tolbukhin, Fyodor Ivanovich (1894-1949)
Marshal of the Soviet Union.
Before the great Patriotic war, Tolbukhin had served as chief of staff of the Transcaucasian district, and since its beginning, the Transcaucasian front. Under his leadership, was a sudden operation to the Soviet invasion in the Northern part of Iran. Developed Tolbukhin and the operation of the Kerch landing of troops, the result being the liberation of the Crimea. However, after a good start, our troops are unable to build on this success, suffered heavy losses, and Tolbukhin was removed from office.
having Distinguished himself as commander of the 57th army in the battle of Stalingrad, Tolbukhin was appointed commander of the Southern (later the 4th Ukrainian) front. Under his command were freed a considerable part of Ukraine and Crimean Peninsula. In 1944-45 years when Tolbukhin commanded already the 3rd Ukrainian front, he led the troops during the liberation of Moldova, Romania, Yugoslavia, Hungary, and ended the war in Austria. Jassy-Kishinev operation, planned by Tolbuhina and led to the encirclement of the two hundred thousandth grouping of the German-Romanian troops, in the annals of the military art (sometimes referred to as “Jassy-Chisinau Cannes).
After the war, Tolbukhin commanded the southern group of forces in Romania and Bulgaria, and then of the Transcaucasian military district.
Vatutin Nikolai Fedorovich (1901-1944)
a Soviet General of the army.
before the war, Vatutin was appointed Deputy chief of the General staff, and with the beginning of the great Patriotic the war was aimed at the North-Western front. In the area of Novgorod under his leadership, there have been several counter-attacks that slowed the advancing Panzer corps Manstein.
In 1942, Vatutin, who led the then South-Western front, commanded the operation “little Saturn”, the purpose of which was to prevent the German-Italian-Romanian troops to help surrounded at Stalingrad, Paulus.
In 1943, Vatutin headed Voronezh (later 1st Ukrainian) front. He played a very important role in the battle at the Kursk bulge and the liberation of Kharkov and Belgorod. But the most famous military operation Vatutin was the crossing of the Dnieper and liberation of Kyiv and Zhytomyr, and then Exactly. In conjunction with the 2nd Ukrainian front Konev’s 1st Ukrainian front Vatutin had and Korsun-Shevchenko operation.
At the end of February 1944 Vatutin’s car came under fire of Ukrainian nationalists, and six weeks later the commander died of his wounds.
UK
Montgomery, Bernard law (1887-1976)
British field Marshal.
Before the Second World war, Montgomery was considered one of the most brave and talented British commanders, but his career was hampered by a sharp, severe. Montgomery, himself a distinguished physical endurance, great attention was paid to daily hard training the troops entrusted to him.
At the beginning of the Second World war, when the Germans defeated France, part of the Montgomery covered the evacuation of allied forces. In 1942, Montgomery was the commander of British forces in North Africa, and achieved a change in this part of the war, defeating the German-Italian forces in Egypt, at the battle of El Alamein. Its importance is summed up by Winston Churchill: “Before the battle of Alamein we do not know victories. After it we never lost”. For this battle, Montgomery was granted the title of Viscount Atamanskogo. However, the enemy is Montgomery, German field Marshal Rommel said that, with such resources as the Britishth military leader, he for a month would have conquered the entire middle East.
After that, Montgomery was transferred to Europe, where he was to work closely with the Americans. It has affected his quarrelsome character: he came into conflict with the American commander Eisenhower, which has adversely affected the interaction of forces led to a number of relative military setbacks. Towards the end of the war Montgomery successfully resisted the German offensive in the Ardennes, and then conducted military operations in Northern Europe.
After the war, Montgomery served as chief of the British General staff, and later first Deputy commander of the Combined forces of NATO in Europe.
Alexander Harold Rupert Leofric George (1891-1969)
British field Marshal.
At the beginning of the Second World war, Alexander oversaw the evacuation of British troops after the German occupation of France. Most of the personnel managed to evacuate, but almost all the military equipment went to the enemy.
In late 1940, Alexander was assigned to Southeast Asia. He has failed to defend Burma, but he managed to block the Japanese route to India.
In 1943, Alexander was appointed Commander of the land forces of the allies in North Africa. Under his leadership, was defeated most of the German-Italian group in Tunisia, and it is, by and large, completed the campaign in North Africa and opened the way to Italy. Alexander commanded the allied forces landing in Sicily and then the mainland. At the end of the war he held the post of Supreme commander of the allied forces in the Mediterranean.
After the war, Alexander received the title of count of Tunis, for a time was Governor-General of Canada, then Minister of defence of the United Kingdom.
United States
Eisenhower, Dwight David (1890-1969)
General of the army of the United States.
he spent His childhood in the family, for religious reasons, were pacifists, however, Eisenhower chose a military careerru.
the Beginning of the Second World war, Eisenhower met the relatively modest rank of Colonel. But his ability was noticed by the chief of the us General staff George Marshall, and Eisenhower soon became the head of Department of operational planning.
In 1942, Eisenhower led the operation “Torch” on the allied landing in North Africa. In early 1943, he was defeated by Rommel in the battle for Kasserine passage, but in the future, surpassing the Anglo-American forces have made in the North African campaign turning point.
In 1944, Eisenhower was commander of the landing of allied troops in Normandy and the subsequent offensive against Germany. At the end of the war, Eisenhower became the Creator of the infamous camps for “disarmed enemy forces”, not subject to the Geneva Convention on the rights of prisoners of war, who actually become death camps for got there a German soldier.
After the war, Eisenhower was the commander of the NATO troops and then was twice elected President of the United States.
Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964)
General of the army of the United States.
In his youth, MacArthur did not want to take the military Academy “West point” for health reasons, but he succeeded and graduated from the Academy, was recognized as the best graduate in history. The rank he received in the First World war.
In 1941-42 gg MacArthur led the defense of the Philippines from Japanese forces. The enemy managed to capture the American part of the off guard and gain a huge advantage in the 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 the appointment of commander in the southwest Pacific, MacArthur resisted Japanese plans to invade Australia, and then conducted a successful offensive operations in New Guinea and the Philippines.
on 2 September 1945, MacArthur, as all the armed forces of the United States in the Pacific, on Board the battleship “Missouri” accepted the surrender of Japan, putwsuu the end of the Second World war.
After the Second World war MacArthur commanded the occupying forces in Japan, and then led the American troops in the Korean war. He developed the landing of American troops in Incheon has become a classic of military art. Called for the nuclear bombing of China and the invasion of the country, after which he was dismissed.
Nimitz Chester William (1885-1966)
Admiral of the U.S. Navy.
Before World war II, Nimitz was engaged in the design and combat training of the American submarine fleet and headed the Bureau of navigation. Early in the war, after the disaster at pearl Harbor, Nimitz was appointed commander of the Pacific fleet of the United States. His task was to resist the Japanese in close contact with General MacArthur.
In 1942, the American fleet under the command of Nimitz was able to strike the first major Japanese defeat at midway. And then, in 1943, win the fight for the strategically important island of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands archipelago. In 1944-45 gg-led nimiam fleet played a decisive role in the liberation of the other Pacific archipelagos, and at the end of the war, carried out a landing in Japan. During the fighting Nimitz used the tactics of sudden rapid movement from island to island, called “frog’s leap”.
Nimitz’s Return home was marked as a national holiday and is called “Nimitz day”. After the war he supervised the demobilization of troops, and then oversaw the creation of the nuclear submarine fleet. At the Nuremberg trials defended his German counterpart Admiral Lucifer, saying that he used the same methods of submarine warfare, making Lucifer escaped a death sentence.
Germany
Von Bock Theodore (1880-1945)
German field Marshal.
Even before the Second World war, von Bock led troops carried out the Anschluss of Austria and invaded the Sudeten region of Czechoslovakia. With the outbreak of war he commanded the group of armies “North” during the war with Poland. In 1940, von Bock led the capture of Belgium and the Netherlands and the defeat of French forces at Dunkirk. He took a parade of German troops in occupied Paris.
Von Bock objected to the attack on the USSR, but when the decision was taken, led a group of armies “Center” carried out the strike on the main line. After the failed attack on Moscow, he was considered one of the main responsible for the failure of the German army. In 1942, he headed the army group “South” and for a long time successfully resisted the Soviet offensive at Kharkov.
Von Bock was exceptionally independent character repeatedly clashed with Hitler and deliberately stayed away from politics. After the summer of 1942 von Bock opposed the decision of the führer to share with the planned offensive of the army group “South” in 2 directions, the Caucasus and Stalingrad, he was removed from command and sent to reserve. A few days before the end of the war, von Bock was killed 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 held important command positions during the First World war, has already managed to retire. But in 1939, Hitler brought him back in the army. Von Rundstedt became the chief architect of the plan to attack Poland under the code name “Weiss”, and during its implementation commanded the group of armies “South”. He then headed army group “A” played a key role in the capture of France and developed the unrealized plan of attack on the England “Sea lion”.
Von Rundstedt objected to the plan “Barbarossa”, but after making the decision to attack the Soviet Union headed the group of armies “South” has grasped Kiev and other major cities in the South of the country. After von Rundstedt, to avoid encirclement, broke the order of the Fuhrer and withdrew from Rostov-on-don, he was dismissed.
Oneako the following 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 any possible landing of the allies. After reviewing the situation, von Rundstedt warned Hitler that long-term defense available forces will be impossible. At the crucial moment of the Normandy landings, 6 June 1944, Hitler cancelled the orders of von Rundstedt on the troop, thus, losing time and allowing the opponent to develop the attack. At the end of the war von Rundstedt successfully resisted the allies invasion of Holland.
After the war, von Rundstedt, through the intercession of the British, managed to avoid the Nuremberg Tribunal, and participated only as a witness.
Von Manstein, Erich (1887-1973)
German field Marshal.
Manstein was considered one of the best strategists of the Wehrmacht. In 1939, he, as chief of staff of army group “A” played a key role in developing a successful plan the invasion of France.
In 1941 Manstein was part of the group of armies “North”, captured the Baltic States, and was preparing to attack on Leningrad, but was soon transferred to the South. In 1941-42 gg 11th army under his command seized the Crimean Peninsula, and for the capture of Sevastopol Manstein was promoted to field Marshal.
Then Manstein commanded army group “don” and unsuccessfully tried to rescue from the Stalingrad cauldron the army of Paulus. In 1943, he headed the army group “South” and the Soviet troops inflicted a telling blow at Kharkov, and then tried to prevent the crossing of the Dnieper. During the retreat of the troops of Manstein used the tactics of “scorched earth”.
having Suffered defeat in the Korsun-Chechenskoy battle, Manstein retreated, violating the orders of Hitler. Thus he saved the army from encirclement, but then was forced to resign.
After the war was sentenced by a British Tribunal for war crimes in 18 years, but in 1953 it was released and worked as a military adviser to the German government, and wrote a memoir, “the Lost victory”.
Guderian, Heinz Wilhelm (1888-1954)
German Colonel-General, commander of the armored troops.
Guderian – one of the main theorists and practitioners of “blitzkrieg” – lightning war. A key role in it, he took the tanks that were supposed to break behind enemy lines and disrupting command and communications. This tactic was considered effective but risky, creating a danger of being cut off from the main forces.
In 1939-40, in military campaigns against Poland and France blitzkrieg tactics completely has justified itself. Guderian was on top of the world: he received the title of Colonel-General and high rewards. However, in 1941, in the war against the Soviet Union, this tactic failed. The reason for that was how the vast Russian territories and cold climate, where the technique often refused to work, and the willingness of parts of the red army to resist this method of warfare. Guderian’s tank forces had suffered near Moscow heavy losses and were forced to retreat. After this he was sent to reserve, and subsequently held the position of inspector-General of armored forces.
After the war Guderian, who had been indicted for war crimes, was quickly released and lived out his life writing his memoirs.
Rommel Erwin Johannes Eugen (1891-1944)
German field Marshal, nicknamed the “desert Fox”. Had a great independence and a tendency to risky attack, even without the sanction of the command.
At the beginning of the Second World war, Rommel took part in the Polish and French campaigns, but his main achievements are connected with military operations in North Africa. Rommel led the Afrika Korps, which was originally created to help Italian troops suffered defeat from the British. Instead, to strengthen the defense, as prescribed by the order, Rommel with a small force went to attacktion and won an important victory. In this way he acted in the future. As Manstein, the main role Rommel took quick breakthroughs and maneuvering armored forces. And only by the end of 1942, when the British and Americans in North Africa had a big advantage in manpower and materiel, Rommel’s troops began to suffer defeat. He later fought in Italy and tried jointly with von Runstedt, with whom he had serious disagreements affecting the combat capability of the troops to stop the allied landings in Normandy.
In 1944, Rommel took part in the conspiracy of senior officers against Hitler, or at least knew about it. A few days before the planned assassination attempt on the Fuhrer, he was severely wounded. After the failure of the attempt and disclosure network of the conspirators, popular in the army Rommel, unlike the other participants in the conspiracy, was given the opportunity to commit suicide. Officially, it was reported that field Marshal died of his wounds, and the day of his funeral was declared Germany’s national day of mourning.
Japan
Yamamoto Isoroku (1884-1943)
Japanese Admiral, commander of the Japanese Navy.
before the war, Yamamoto devoted great attention to the construction of aircraft carriers and the creation of naval aircraft, allowing the Japanese Navy became one of the strongest in the world. For a long time, Yamamoto had lived in USA and had the opportunity to study the army’s future opponent. On the eve of the outbreak of war he warned the country’s leadership: “In the first six to twelve months of the war, I will demonstrate an unbroken chain of victories. But if the confrontation will last two or three years, I have no confidence in the final victory.”
Yamamoto had planned and personally led pearl Harborguy operation. December 7, 1941, Japanese planes took off from aircraft carriers, defeated the American naval base at pearl Harbor in Hawaii, causing extensive damage to the Navy and the US air force. After that Yamamoto won a number of victories in the Central and southern parts of Tihogo ocean. But 4 June 1942, he suffered a serious defeat from the allies of midway. 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 this war, as was feared Yamamoto, took a protracted nature.
Yamamoto was killed on 18 April 1943 his plane was shot down as a result of carefully planned operation, the US air force.
Yamashita Tomoyuki (1885-1946)
a Japanese General, nicknamed “Malayan tiger”.
In 1941-42 gg he led the Malaysian operation, which the Japanese occupied the Malay Peninsula and then to Singapore, and over 100,000 British and allied soldiers were captured. In 1944-45 gg Yamashita commanded the defense of the Philippine Islands. During the siege of Manila by the Japanese defenders were set on fire the wooden buildings of the city, which led to heavy casualties among the civilian population.
unlike many other Japanese generals Yamashita after the surrender of Japan did not commit suicide, but surrendered. In 1946, he was executed on charges of war crimes. His case became a legal precedent known as “Yamashita’s rule”: according to him, the commander is responsible for nepristoinyi war crimes of subordinates.
Other countries
Von Mannerheim, Carl Gustav Emil (1867-1951)
the Finnish Marshal.
Before the revolution of 1917, when Finland was part of Russian Empire, and Mannerheim was an officer in the Russian army and rose to the rank of Lieutenant General. On the eve of the Second World war, he, as Chairman of the Finnish Council of Defense, was engaged in strengthening of the Finnish army. According to his plan, in particular, were erected powerful fortifications on the Karelian isthmus, known in history as the “Mannerheim line”.
When, in late 1939 began the Soviet-Finnish war, 72-year-old Mannerheim led the army of the country. Under his command the Finnish army has long hindered the attack greatly superior numbers of Soviet units. As a result, Finland retained its independence, although the peace terms were very heavy.
During the Second World war, when Finland was an ally of Nazi Germany, Mannerheim showed the art of political maneuver, by all means avoiding active hostilities. And in 1944 Finland broke the Pact with Germany, and at the end of the war had fought against the Germans, in coordination with the red army.
At the end of the war, Mannerheim was elected President of Finland, but already in 1946, for health reasons left the post.
Tito, Josip Broz (1892-1980)
Marshal of Yugoslavia.
Before the Second World war, Tito was the leader of the Yugoslav Communist movement. After the German attack on Yugoslavia, he was engaged in the organization of guerrilla groups. The first time litovtsy worked together with the remnants of the tsarist army and the royalists, who were called “Chetniks”. However, the differences with the latter eventually became so strong that it came to armed clashes.
Tito was able to organize the disparate guerrilla groups into a powerful guerrilla army numbering a quarter of a million of soldiers under the leadership of the Chief of staff of the people’s liberation partisan detachments of Yugoslavia. She used not only traditional methods of guerrilla war, but engaged in open battle with the fascist divisions. At the end of 1943, Tito was officially recognized as allies of the leader of Yugoslavia. During the country’s liberation army, Tito acted together with Soviet troops.
Shortly after the war Tito was head of Yugoslavia and remained in power until his death. Despite the socialist orientation, he carried out quite an independent policy.
Russian Seven
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