Georgy Zhukov

Lore & Background

Born to a poor peasant family near Moscow, Zhukov was conscripted into the Imperial Russian Army and fought in World War I. He served in the Red Army during the Russian Civil War, after which he quickly rose through the ranks. In summer 1939, he commanded a Soviet army group to a decisive victory over Japanese forces at the Battles of Khalkhin Gol, for which he won the first of his four Hero of the Soviet Union awards. In February 1941, Stalin appointed Zhukov as chief of the General Staff of the Red Army.

Following the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, Zhukov lost his post as chief of staff after disagreeing with Stalin over the defense of Kiev. He was subsequently involved in the Soviet actions at Leningrad, Moscow, Stalingrad, and Kursk. He held the title of deputy commander-in-chief of the armed forces from August 1942, and was promoted to Marshal of the Soviet Union in January 1943. He participated in the planning of Operation Bagration in 1944, and in 1945 commanded the 1st Belorussian Front as it led the Vistula–Oder Offensive into Germany, where he oversaw the Soviet victory at the Battle of Berlin. He was chosen to accept the German Instrument of Surrender and to inspect the 1945 Moscow Victory Parade.

After the war, Zhukov's popularity caused Stalin to see him as a potential threat. Stalin stripped him of his positions and relegated him to military commands of little strategic significance. After Stalin's death in 1953, Zhukov supported Nikita Khrushchev's bid for leadership, and in 1955, he was appointed Defence Minister and made a member of the Presidium. In 1957, Zhukov fell out of favour again and was forced to retire. He never returned to a top post, and died in 1974.

Reader's Guide

Zhukov is remembered as one of the greatest Russian and Soviet military leaders of all time, along with Alexander Suvorov, Mikhail Barclay de Tolly, and Mikhail Kutuzov. His career spanned from World War I through the Cold War, and he was instrumental in several key Soviet victories during World War II, including the defense of Moscow, the Battle of Stalingrad, and the capture of Berlin. His role in accepting the German surrender and inspecting the Moscow Victory Parade cemented his symbolic importance. However, his post-war popularity led to political conflicts with Stalin and later Khrushchev, resulting in periods of demotion and forced retirement. Despite these setbacks, his legacy as a top commander endures in military history.

Did You Know?

• Zhukov was born into a poor peasant family near Moscow and completed only a three-year primary education before apprenticing as a furrier.
• He received the Cross of St. George twice during World War I while serving in the Imperial Russian Army.
• He commanded Soviet forces to a decisive victory over Japan at the Battles of Khalkhin Gol in 1939, earning his first Hero of the Soviet Union award.
• After the war, Stalin stripped Zhukov of his positions due to his popularity, relegating him to insignificant commands.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"The nature of encounter operations required of the commanders limitless initiative and constant readiness to take the responsibility for military actions." — Georgy Zhukov "If we come to a minefield, our infantry attacks exactly as it were not there." — Georgy Zhukov "Generalissimo Stalin directed every move... made every decision... He is the greatest and wisest military genius who ever lived..." — Georgy Zhukov "We will do all we can to insure peace... but if war is imposed upon us we will be together shoulder to shoulder as in the last war to strive for the happiness of mankind." — Georgy Zhukov