Complicated feelings cover when reading the two-volume book "Names of Victory", published by the publishing house "Kuchkovo Pole" in 2015. We will never fully understand those who met the war from the first day and went through it to the end, until the victorious May. Before us is a gallery of 53 names of Soviet commanders and military leaders of the Great Patriotic War, holders of the highest orders - Victory, Suvorov, Kutuzov and Ushakov.
The publication of the book became possible thanks to the selfless work of the author of the project - the daughter of the famous Marshal R. Ya. Malinovsky N. R. Malinovskaya and the compiler - the granddaughter of the famous General L. M. E. V. Sandalova Yurina, other compilers - relatives of the heroes, journalists.
The genre of the book is unusual - a historical portrait based on the memoirs of the heroes themselves, as well as on the memoirs of other military and state leaders of that time, official documents and newspaper reports, interesting photographs and materials from family archives. We see war and man in war through the eyes of the participants in this unprecedented historical battle between good and evil, we begin to better understand the goals and designs of our heroes, their activities, those personality traits that allowed them to withstand the hardest battle that ever took place in the history of mankind. stand up and win.
This approach of the compilers to the topic, in our opinion, is the only correct one: you can teach patriotism only by your own example.
Before us are true, not false heroes. The scales of history are incorruptible, they determine the scale of the personality and its correspondence to the era; on these scales, honors, ranks, titles and awards, like official flattery, mean nothing. It is not for nothing that since ancient times the words "Here is Rhodes, here jump!" do not talk about your glorious deeds, committed somewhere or once, but show your capabilities here and now. It is precisely in this - the display of heroism that has become an integral part of the life of Russian commanders and military leaders - that is the main content of this book. All of them were born at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries, most of them came out of the popular environment and did not hesitate in choosing a military profession, linking their fate with the defense of the Fatherland, the fate of the young Soviet state. All of them are communists who shared Soviet ideals and did not betray them. This also seems to be a great historical lesson; it is time to re-evaluate this fact, to try to explain it.
The book opens with a selection of documents and photographs dedicated to the exciting first days of the world that followed the defeat of Nazi Germany and the Victory Day parade. The messages of the leaders of the Allied Powers, whose relations with us have not yet been greatly marred by post-war strife, express sincere respect and admiration for the peoples of the Soviet Union, who "defeated Nazi tyranny." The message of the American President Harry Truman speaks of the victorious "Soviet-Anglo-American troops", i.e. in the first place is the Red Army, which made a decisive contribution to the overall victory. And this expression is not only a tribute to the established diplomatic tradition.
The figure of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief I. V. Stalin. The compilers gave the opportunity to "speak out" about Stalin's role in the war for Stalin's comrades-in-arms and leaders of both belligerent sides - both our allies and our opponents.
The result is an image striking in its multidimensionality, completeness and, at the same time, inconsistency. "Cruel, clever, cunning", possessing a "genius mind and strategic feeling", "the ability to delve into subtleties" and "a subtle understanding of human character", "confidence and consciousness of his strength", rude humor, "not devoid of grace and depth", "Simplicity of communication", "great erudition and a rare memory", the ability to "charm the interlocutor", with a character "difficult, hot-tempered, fickle", attitude to people, "as to chess pieces, and mainly pawns", firmness in the intention to achieve "great ideals, controlling reality and people”- this is a very incomplete list of the properties of the Stalinist personality, given in the memoirs of prominent military and government officials from different countries. And more than sixty years after his death, Stalin is the absolute "record holder" in the number of publications devoted to him. The scientific approach to the study of this phenomenon is not in any connection with the modern attempts of a certain and, let us emphasize, a part of society that is engaged, to call for "a public trial of Stalinism."
You can take Stalin's body out of Lenin's Mausoleum, but you cannot "erase" this person from Russian and world history. One can also refer to a historical precedent that had no success: among more than 120 historical figures, whose images are placed on the monument to the Millennium of Russia, erected in Novgorod in 1862, there is no image of Ivan the Terrible. It is clear that this was a concession to the liberal public sentiment, which corresponded to the spirit of the reforms of Alexander II. And then, as today, "progressive circles" saw in Ivan IV a cruel tyrant and tyrant, whose reign was for them a direct parallel with the recently ended reign of Nicholas I. But the personality of the formidable tsar still enjoys the attention of both historians and Russian society. … An instructive history lesson for us …
G. K. Zhukov was the first among Soviet military leaders to be promoted to Marshal of the Soviet Union (January 18, 1943), and on April 10, 1944, he received the Order of Victory number one. Commander of the Reserve, Leningrad and Western fronts, a hero of the Moscow and Berlin battles, he also coordinated the actions of the fronts during the Battle of Stalingrad, to break the blockade of Leningrad, in the Battle of Kursk and when crossing the Dnieper. Difficult relations with the Supreme Commander-in-Chief did not prevent Zhukov from enjoying his constant support and trust.
Tough and uncompromising, Zhukov perfectly suited the role of the most loyal and consistent exponent of Stalin's will in the troops.
On July 5, 1943, when the Battle of Kursk began, the Time magazine was published with a portrait of A. M. Vasilevsky on the cover. By this time, he had headed the General Staff for over a year. The editorial said: "Stalin chose Vasilevsky, aggressive Marshal Zhukov carried out Vasilevsky's plans." And although in reality everything was different, the main idea was emphasized - the chief of the Soviet General Staff, in the words of Zhukov, made "smart decisions" at his post. He was the second to receive the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union (February 16, 1943) and the Victory Order number two (April 10, 1944). The third was Stalin - the rank of marshal was awarded to him on March 11, 1943, he was awarded the Order of Victory number three on July 29, 1944. So they went down in history - the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and his two closest associates of the war years. "If it were possible to dispose of the personal qualities of people," Stalin said, "I would add the qualities of Vasilevsky and Zhukov together and divide them in half." According to colleagues, the main character traits of Vasilevsky were trust in subordinates, deep respect for people, and respect for human dignity. Vasilevsky became famous not only for his staff activities, but also as a representative of the General Headquarters in the troops, where he spent most of his time, as the commander-in-chief of the Soviet troops in the Far East, which defeated the Kwantung Army.
Let us note from ourselves that Stalin encouraged in every possible way an acute rivalry between the marshals, the commanders of the fronts. This was especially evident during the Berlin operation. Stalin saw this as an effective means of control, since he sensed a real threat to his sole power in the cohesion of the military elite. To the credit of the compilers, they did not delve into this topic, showing delicacy and maintaining the festive mood of the entire book.
Each of the marshals had their own finest hour. The leadership gift of K. K. Rokossovsky manifested itself in the course of the defeat of Paulus's three hundred thousandth army at Stalingrad, on the Kursk Bulge, in the course of the brilliantly carried out Belarusian operation.
Rokossovsky possessed a rare gift of foresight, almost always unmistakably guessing the intentions of the enemy.
A bright mind, breadth of thinking and culture, modesty, personal courage and courage distinguished this commander.
In the first row of military leaders and Marshal I. S. Konev, who at the initial stage of the war had to deal with the selected personnel divisions of the Wehrmacht. Studying on the battlefield was not easy, but Konev survived. Examples of the military talent of the marshal are the Korsun-Shevchenko, Uman and Berlin offensive operations.
The Battle of Stalingrad occupied a special place in the fates of many Soviet military leaders. American President F. Roosevelt called it “a turning point in the war of the allied nations against the forces of aggression”. It was at Stalingrad that the German armies finally lost their offensive impulse. The Eastern Front slowly but steadily began to move to the West. Among those who gained fame here was the commander of the 2nd Guards Army, R. Ya. Malinovsky. In the midst of the battle, the Hitlerite command gathered in the Kotelnikovo area the shock group of General Hoth in order to free the army of Paulus from the encirclement. On December 21, 1942, the forward units of Hoth with battles approached 50 km to the outer front of the encirclement, and the army of Paulus was ready to come out to meet them. At this critical moment, the command of the Stalingrad Front, not hoping to contain the breakthrough on their own, asked for help. From the reserves of the Headquarters, the 2nd Guards Army was advanced to meet the enemy, stopping the enemy.
It is difficult to refrain from mentioning the hero of Stalingrad V. I. Chuikov. The words of the marshal from his will breathe epic grandeur: "After my death, bury the ashes on the Mamayev Kurgan in Stalingrad, where my command post was organized by me on September 12, 1942."
The commander of the famous 64th Army, Colonel-General M. S. Shumilov, who became famous in the Battle of Stalingrad, is also buried on the Mamayev Kurgan.
In mid-September 1942, when battles unfolded in the city itself, Shumilov ordered: “To clear the entire right bank of the Volga in the area of the army and troop headquarters from ferry means. Let no one doubt: we will fight to the end."
K. K. Rokossovsky noted that in the troops of General Shumilov "care for the soldier was felt everywhere" and there was a "high fighting spirit." On January 31, 1943, at the army headquarters, Shumilov interrogated Field Marshal Paulus. On the request of the field marshal not to photograph him, the general replied: "You filmed our prisoners and showed all of Germany, we will photograph you alone and show the whole world."
A few words about personal impressions: when you stand on the Mamayev Kurgan in silence, it seems that from everywhere from under the ground and from the sky the uninterrupted rumble of a terrible battle rushes, the continuous groan of thousands and thousands of fighting and dying soldiers. An unforgettable feeling, a holy place!
General of the Army M. M. Popov, who during the war years headed the Northern, Leningrad, Reserve, Bryansk, Baltic fronts. The marshals and generals, with whom the front roads led Popov, noted the general's exceptional military abilities, personal courage (with a light Stalinist hand they began to call him "General Attack"), versatile education, kindness, cheerfulness and wit. Perhaps the most important thing that the colleagues remembered was the great restraint of the general, who, even if things at the front were developing contrary to plans and the Headquarters demanded to do the impossible, "did not tolerate nervousness on his subordinates, spoke politely with the commanders of the armies, kept them cheerful."
The commander of the 2nd Belorussian Front, General of the Army I. D. Chernyakhovsky, mortally wounded during the East Prussian operation in February 1945. According to the memoirs of K. K. Rokossovsky, “He was a wonderful commander. Young, cultured, cheerful. Amazing man! It was evident that the army loved him very much. This is immediately evident. If they approach the commander to report not with a shudder, but with a smile, then you understand that he has achieved a lot."
General of the Army A. V. Khrulev, chief of the rear of the Red Army. To understand the amount of work of a person in this position, the abilities, knowledge and experience that he should have, it is enough to give one example. In the Berlin operation, on our side, 19 combined-arms armies, 4 - tank, 3 - air, one flotilla, 2.5 million people (including rear units of the fronts), 3, 8 thousand tanks, 2, 3 thousand self-propelled guns, more than 15 thousand field guns, 6, 6 thousand aircraft and other equipment. All this mass of troops and military equipment had to be provided with food and uniforms, ammunition, fuel, communications, bridge crossings (given the complex nature of the theater of operations), engineering preparation of bridgeheads, and much more. But during the war years, the Red Army carried out more than 50 major strategic defensive and offensive operations. During their discussion at Headquarters, each front commander and members of the State Defense Committee expressed their demands and claims to the rear; however, some were not averse to blaming the general for problems at the front or in the defense industry.
I would also like to say about those whose fate was tragic. Among them, General of the 33rd Army M. G. Efremov, who died at Vyazma in April 1942. He preferred death to enemy captivity, having fulfilled his military duty to the end.
There was also a place in the book for General L. M. Sandalov, who entered the war as chief of staff of the 4th Army of the Western Front. It was against the troops of this front that the main blow of the German troops was directed, which ended in disaster for us. The blame for the defeat was entirely assigned to the command of the front, as well as to the commander of the 4th Army, General Korobkov. All of them were sentenced to death. Sandalov considered this decision "flagrant injustice" and after Stalin's death he put a lot of effort into the rehabilitation of his commander.
On November 29, 1941, Sandalov was appointed chief of staff of the newly formed 20th Army and until December 19, during the most fierce battles near Moscow, he led the army due to the absence due to illness of its commander, the notorious General A. A. Vlasov.
After the victory in the Battle of Moscow, Soviet propaganda extolled the role of Vlasov in every possible way, and after his transition to the side of the enemy made him a figure of silence. Sandalov, who left one of the most truthful accounts of the events of 1941, was forced to reckon with this circumstance and not touch upon this topic.
The best ace of the Second World War A. I. Pokryshkin. He, like many heroes, went through the war from the first to the last day on the front line. The Russian pilot never set himself an end in itself to increase the personal score of enemy aircraft downed. Throughout the war, not a single slave of Pokryshkin died through his fault.“For me, the life of my comrade is dearer than any Junkers or Messerschmitt, together with him we knock them more,” he repeated several times. Most of the opponents he shot down were aces, since the tactics developed and used by Pokryshkin was to disperse the close formation of aircraft, for which the leader of the group had to be hit first. In the spring of 1943, in the Kuban, where the fiercest battle of the Second World War for air supremacy unfolded, a new tactic of fighter aviation began to bear fruit, the founder of which is rightly called Pokryshkina by all front-line soldiers. In 1944-1945. he commanded the famous 9th Guards Fighter Aviation Division, which was sent to the decisive directions of our offensive. Taking part in combat missions until the very end of the war, Pokryshkin showed himself to be an outstanding military thinker and commander.
Contrary to popular beliefs, as a university teacher, I can confidently say that young people are still interested in war heroes and all of us, readers, have received a wonderful gift. Unfortunately, the scope of the review does not allow even a brief mention of all the heroes of the book.
