In history, there have been many famous, famous commanders, many of whom bore the title of “army general.” Some of them really deserve to be called that, some are simply good organizers, for whom the headquarters did all the work, and some received their titles completely undeservedly for one reason or another.

Depending on the country, generals differ from each other. And in terms of their position, and in terms of the troops they control, and even in terms of their capabilities, which become available at this level of decision-making. In some countries, where the army is quite large and the territory is vast, there are several holders of such ranks at the same time.

History of the title

The first mentions of generals appeared in France around the 16th century. At first, this word was simply a prefix to another rank, such as “captain general.” One of the main opponents of France, Germany, borrowed this convenient system, and already during the war with the Turks, armies were led by generals. Gradually, the title of “army general” was adopted by other countries, using it in one interpretation or another. Ultimately, today this is the name given to high-ranking military leaders in almost all countries of the world that have more or less serious armed forces.

An interesting point can be considered the absence of such a rank in pre-revolutionary Russia; it appeared only after the formation of the USSR. In addition, it should be noted that some small countries whose armies are very small and weak (especially in South America) are very fond of handing out this high-profile title to their local commanders. And this despite the fact that the units controlled by such commanders are often extremely small in number and only very conditionally combat-ready.

Army General. Shoulder straps

In the army you can immediately determine who is who. Perhaps this is due to the shoulder straps. Like all other military ranks, the army general is required to wear unique epaulettes, allowing representatives of other ranks to understand in advance who exactly is in front of them.

For most countries they differ significantly from each other. For example, in the Russian Federation, an army general wears shoulder straps exclusively in a protective, dark green color. There is a red border along the edge, and in the middle there are two red stars. One, which is slightly lower and larger, is gold with the exact same red edging, and the second, which is taller but smaller, uses the opposite combination of colors (red star, gold edging). There is also a leaf pattern surrounding the small star. There are two types of shoulder straps: ceremonial and field. The differences are not too strong, but the field version is not so striking and has a duller color.

Army General in the USSR

The USSR was obliged to maintain an incredibly huge army by all standards. In this regard, the generals of the Soviet Army are quite numerous. The first to whom this rank was awarded almost before the start of World War II (in 1940) were G. K. Zhukov, I. V. Tyulenev and K. A. Meretskov. This rank was an intermediate link between Marshal of the Soviet Union and Colonel General .

An interesting nuance is that if an army general went into the reserve or retired, his rank was retained, but now it was necessary to add the prefix “retired” and “reserve”.

It is noteworthy that from the start of the war until 1943, not a single commander received this rank. Vasilevsky A.M. was the first to earn it, and after him, until the end of the war, 18 more people received such ranks.

The most famous of the generals of the USSR army who died in battle are Chernyakhovsky I.D., Antonov A.I. and Vatutin N.F. After the end of hostilities, this title began to be received not for any special services to the Motherland, but only upon receipt of a particular position in the command of the army.

An interesting fact is that during the times of the USSR, some types of troops had certain privileges and their own marshals, who in their rank corresponded to an army general: marshal of communications troops, aviation, armored forces, artillery and engineering troops. In total, during the existence of the USSR, 133 employees were promoted to army generals.

Army generals in the Russian Federation

Just like in the USSR, a general of the Russian Army is higher in rank than a colonel general and lower than the Marshal of the Russian Federation. The difference is the fact that each branch of the military in the Russian Federation has its own holder of this rank, except for the navy, where traditionally the names are somewhat different.

The requirement to name holders of the title “Army General” who have retired or are in reserve, with the appropriate prefixes, remains enshrined in law. The most famous people who bear or have held the title of “General of the Army of the Russian Federation” include: the first person to receive it is P. S. Grachev; the person who has held this proud title for the longest time is Erin V.F.; The person who wore it the least was V.P. Dubynin; and the only woman is Shevtsova T.V.

At the moment, the most famous military man, who at one time received the title of “general of the Russian army,” is S. K. Shoigu. Of the interesting historical moments in the Russian Federation, it should be noted:

• June 13, 1996, when four people simultaneously received this title;
• 2003, during which this rank was awarded as many as 10 times;
• several years - 2014, 2012, 2010, 2008, 1999 and 1994, during which not a single military man was awarded such an honor.

Army generals in other countries

In most cases, if there is no such thing as a "field marshal" or "marshal" in a country, then general of the army is the highest rank. This is exactly what happens in the USA, Ukraine and Armenia. If the above ranks in the army exist, then General of the Army is the second highest rank. In some countries (for example, Togo, Paraguay, Panama and Peru) this rank is the only general rank, while in others there is no such wording at all, but there is a local version of commander-in-chief that fully corresponds to this rank (Liberia, Mauritania , Bolivia, Guinea, Brazil, etc.).

Armies without generals

A number of states have the ability to appoint army generals enshrined in legislation, but for various reasons they do not use it. These countries include Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Uzbekistan. Not a single member of their troops has yet been able to receive this rank of “army general.”

Results

Taking into account all of the above, we can conclude that almost every army in the world has its own (and sometimes more than one) army general. Most often, they command a certain type of troops that solve specific problems. It is also possible to lead a whole group of units that form an army in a certain area or direction.

If the marshal is responsible for the general military component of the country, then each specific army general is responsible for a certain sector, and depending on how he fulfills his duties, the overall defense capability of the state is built.

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

1.Arm Commander Remezov is an ordinary Great Russian.

In 1941, the Red Army abandoned city after city. Rare counter-offensives by our troops did not change the oppressive feeling of impending disaster. 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 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 an ordinary Soviet general and called himself not a Russian, but a Great Russian. He was also appointed to the position of commander of the 56th on the personal order of Stalin, who appreciated Fyodor Nikitich’s ability, without losing composure, to conduct a stubborn defense against the advancing Germans, who were significantly superior in strength. For example, his decision, strange at first glance, with the forces of the 188th Cavalry Regiment to attack German armored vehicles in the area of ​​​​the Koshkin station (near Taganrog) on ​​October 17, 1941, which 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 the light cavalry, running into fiery ambushes, the 56th Army received the necessary respite and was saved from the Leibstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler tanks that broke 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.

2. Vasily Arkhipov – tamer of the “royal tigers”<к сожалению не нашел фото>.
By the beginning of the war with the Germans, Vasily Arkhipov had 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 personally destroying four enemy tanks. In general, 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 new products of the fascist military-industrial complex. Thus, 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 in his command tank in order to inspire his subordinates by personal example. Using the high maneuverability of his vehicle, he several times walked into the side of the “sluggish and slow beast” and opened fire. Only after the third hit did the “German” burst into flames. Soon his tank crews captured three more “royal tigers”. Twice Hero of the Soviet Union Vasily Arkhipov, about whom his colleagues said “doesn’t drown in water, doesn’t burn in fire,” became a general on April 20, 1945.

3. Rodimtsev: “But pasaran.”
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 a hero of the Soviet Union. During the war against 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 the Germans who had come ashore on the Volga. Later, recalling these days, Rodimtsev wrote: “On that day, when our division approached the left bank of the Volga, the Nazis took Mamayev Kurgan. They took it because for every one of our fighters there were ten fascists advancing, for every one of our tanks there were ten enemy tanks, for every “Yak” or “Il” that took off there were ten “Messerschmitts” or “Junkers”... the Germans knew how to fight, especially in such numerical and technical superiority." Rodimtsev did not have such forces, but his well-trained soldiers of the 13th Guards Rifle Division, also known as the Airborne Forces formation, fighting in the minority, turned fascist Hoth tanks into scrap metal and killed a significant number of German soldiers of Paulus’s 6th Army in hand-to-hand urban battles . As in Spain, in Stalingrad Rodimtsev repeatedly said: “but pasaran, the Nazis will not pass.”

4. Alexander Gorbatov - enemy of Beria<к сожалению не смог загрузить фото>.
Former non-commissioned officer of the tsarist army Alexander Gorbatov, who was awarded the rank of major general in December 1941, was one of those who were not afraid to conflict with his superiors. For example, in December 1941, he told his immediate 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 responded harshly to the abuse, declaring that he would not allow himself to be insulted. And this was after three years of imprisonment in Kolyma, where he was transferred as an “enemy of the people” under the notorious Article 58. When Stalin was informed about this incident, he grinned and said: “Only the grave will correct the hunchback.” Gorbatov also entered into a dispute with Georgy Zhukov regarding the attack on Orel in the summer of 1943, demanding not to attack from the existing bridgehead, but to cross the Zushi River in another place. At first Zhukov was categorically against it, 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, after carrying out a number of brilliant operations, including the East Prussian one, Alexander Gorbatov unexpectedly spoke out against the storming of Berlin, proposing to begin a siege. He motivated his decision by the fact that the “Krauts” would surrender anyway, but this would save the lives of many of our soldiers who went through the entire war.

5. Mikhail Naumov: lieutenant who became a general.
Finding himself in occupied territory in the summer of 1941, wounded senior lieutenant Mikhail Naumov began his war against the invaders. At first he was a private in the partisan detachment of the Chervony district of the Sumy region (in January 1942), but after fifteen months he was awarded the rank of major general. Thus, he became one of the youngest senior officers, and also had 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 Belarusian Polesie, as a result of which the German rear was pretty bled dry.

Marshals of the Great Patriotic War

Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich

Born in the village of Strelkovka near Kaluga in a peasant family. Furrier. In the army since 1915. Participated in the First World War, a junior non-commissioned officer in the cavalry. In the battles he was seriously shell-shocked and awarded 2 Crosses of St. George.

Since August 1918 in the Red Army. During the Civil War he fought against the Ural Cossacks near Tsaritsyn, fought with the troops of Denikin and Wrangel, took part in the suppression of the Antonov uprising in the Tambov region, was wounded, and was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. After the Civil War, he commanded a regiment, brigade, division, and corps. In the summer of 1939, he carried out a successful encirclement operation and defeated a group of Japanese troops under General. Kamatsubara on the Khalkhin Gol River. G. K. Zhukov received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of the Red Banner of the Mongolian People's Republic.

During the Great Patriotic War (1941 - 1945) he was a member of the Headquarters, Deputy Supreme Commander-in-Chief, and commanded the fronts (pseudonyms: Konstantinov, Yuryev, Zharov). He was the first to be awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union during the war (01/18/1943). Under the command of G.K. Zhukov, troops of the Leningrad Front, together with the Baltic Fleet, stopped the advance of Army Group North of Field Marshal F.W. von Leeb on Leningrad in September 1941. Under his command, the troops of the Western Front defeated the troops of Army Group Center under Field Marshal F. von Bock near Moscow and dispelled the myth of the invincibility of the Nazi army. Then Zhukov coordinated the actions of the fronts near Stalingrad (Operation Uranus - 1942), in Operation Iskra during the breakthrough of the Leningrad blockade (1943), in the Battle of Kursk (summer 1943), where Hitler’s plan was thwarted. Citadel" and the troops of Field Marshals Kluge and Manstein were defeated. The name of Marshal Zhukov is also associated with victories near Korsun-Shevchenkovsky and the liberation of Right Bank Ukraine; Operation Bagration (in Belarus), where the Vaterland Line was broken and Army Group Center of Field Marshals E. von Busch and W. von Model was defeated. At the final stage of the war, the 1st Belorussian Front, led by Marshal Zhukov, took Warsaw (01/17/1945), defeated Army Group A of General von Harpe and Field Marshal F. Scherner with a dissecting blow in the Vistula-Oder operation and victoriously ended the war with a grandiose Berlin operation. Together with the soldiers, the marshal signed the scorched wall of the Reichstag, over the broken dome of which the Victory Banner fluttered. On May 8, 1945, in Karlshorst (Berlin), the commander accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany from Hitler’s Field Marshal W. von Keitel. General D. Eisenhower presented G. K. Zhukov with the highest military order of the United States “Legion of Honor”, ​​the degree of Commander-in-Chief (06/5/1945). Later in Berlin at the Brandenburg Gate, the British Field Marshal Montgomery placed on him the Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, 1st Class, with star and crimson ribbon. On June 24, 1945, Marshal Zhukov hosted the triumphal Victory Parade in Moscow.

In 1955-1957 “Marshal of Victory” was the Minister of Defense of the USSR.

American military historian Martin Kayden says: “Zhukov was the commander of commanders in the conduct of war by mass armies of the twentieth century. He inflicted more casualties on the Germans than any other military leader. He was a "miracle marshal". Before us is a military genius."

He wrote the memoirs “Memories and Reflections.”

Marshal G.K. Zhukov had:

• 4 Gold Stars of the Hero of the Soviet Union (08/29/1939, 07/29/1944, 06/1/1945, 12/1/1956),
• 6 Orders of Lenin,
• 2 Orders of Victory (including No. 1 - 04/11/1944, 03/30/1945),
• order of the October Revolution,
• 3 Orders of the Red Banner,
• 2 Orders of Suvorov, 1st degree (including No. 1), a total of 14 orders and 16 medals;
• honorary weapon - a personalized saber with the golden Coat of Arms of the USSR (1968);
• Hero of the Mongolian People's Republic (1969); Order of the Tuvan Republic;
• 17 foreign orders and 10 medals, etc.

Vasilevsky Alexander Mikhailovich

Born in the village of Novaya Golchikha near Kineshma on the Volga. Son of a priest. He studied at the Kostroma Theological Seminary. In 1915, he completed courses at the Alexander Military School and, with the rank of ensign, was sent to the front of the First World War (1914-1918). Staff captain of the tsarist army. Having joined the Red Army during the Civil War of 1918-1920, he commanded a company, battalion, and regiment. In 1937 he graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff. From 1940 he served in the General Staff, where he was caught up in the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). In June 1942, he became the Chief of the General Staff, replacing Marshal B.M. Shaposhnikov in this post due to illness. Of the 34 months of his tenure as Chief of the General Staff, A. M. Vasilevsky spent 22 directly at the front (pseudonyms: Mikhailov, Alexandrov, Vladimirov). He was wounded and shell-shocked. Over the course of a year and a half, he rose from major general to Marshal of the Soviet Union (02/19/1943) and, together with Mr. K. Zhukov, became the first holder of the Order of Victory. Under his leadership, the largest operations of the Soviet Armed Forces were developed. A. M. Vasilevsky coordinated the actions of the fronts: in the Battle of Stalingrad (Operation Uranus, Little Saturn), near Kursk (Operation Commander Rumyantsev), during the liberation of Donbass (Operation Don "), in the Crimea and during the capture of Sevastopol, in the battles in Right Bank Ukraine; in the Belarusian Operation Bagration.

After the death of General I.D. Chernyakhovsky, he commanded the 3rd Belorussian Front in the East Prussian operation, which ended with the famous “star” assault on Koenigsberg.

On the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, Soviet commander A. M. Vasilevsky smashed Nazi field marshals and generals F. von Bock, G. Guderian, F. Paulus, E. Manstein, E. Kleist, Eneke, E. von Busch, W. von Model, F. Scherner, von Weichs, etc.

In June 1945, the marshal was appointed Commander-in-Chief of Soviet troops in the Far East (pseudonym Vasiliev). For the quick defeat of the Japanese Kwantung Army under General O. Yamada in Manchuria, the commander received a second Gold Star. After the war, from 1946 - Chief of the General Staff; in 1949-1953 - Minister of the Armed Forces of the USSR.
A. M. Vasilevsky is the author of the memoir “The Work of a Whole Life.”

Marshal A. M. Vasilevsky had:

• 2 Gold Stars of the Hero of the Soviet Union (07/29/1944, 09/08/1945),
• 8 Orders of Lenin,
• 2 orders of "Victory" (including No. 2 - 01/10/1944, 04/19/1945),
• order of the October Revolution,
• 2 Orders of the Red Banner,
• Order of Suvorov 1st degree,
• Order of the Red Star,
• Order "For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" 3rd degree,
• a total of 16 orders and 14 medals;
• honorary personal weapon - saber with the golden Coat of Arms of the USSR (1968),
• 28 foreign awards (including 18 foreign orders).

Konev Ivan Stepanovich

Born in the Vologda region in the village of Lodeyno in a peasant family. In 1916 he was drafted into the army. Upon completion of the training team, junior non-commissioned officer Art. division is sent to the Southwestern Front. Having joined the Red Army in 1918, he took part in battles against the troops of Admiral Kolchak, Ataman Semenov, and the Japanese. Commissioner of the armored train "Grozny", then brigades, divisions. In 1921 he took part in the storming of Kronstadt. Graduated from the Academy. Frunze (1934), commanded a regiment, division, corps, and the 2nd Separate Red Banner Far Eastern Army (1938-1940).

During the Great Patriotic War he commanded the army and fronts (pseudonyms: Stepin, Kyiv). Participated in the battles of Smolensk and Kalinin (1941), in the battle of Moscow (1941-1942). During the Battle of Kursk, together with the troops of General N.F. Vatutin, he defeated the enemy on the Belgorod-Kharkov bridgehead - a German bastion in Ukraine. On August 5, 1943, Konev’s troops took the city of Belgorod, in honor of which Moscow gave its first fireworks, and on August 24, Kharkov was taken. This was followed by the breakthrough of the “Eastern Wall” on the Dnieper.

In 1944, near Korsun-Shevchenkovsky, the Germans set up “New (small) Stalingrad” - 10 divisions and 1 brigade of General V. Stemmeran, who fell on the battlefield, were surrounded and destroyed. I. S. Konev was awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union (02/20/1944), and on March 26, 1944, the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front were the first to reach the state border. In July-August they defeated the Army Group “Northern Ukraine” of Field Marshal E. von Manstein in the Lvov-Sandomierz operation. The name of Marshal Konev, nicknamed “the forward general,” is associated with brilliant victories at the final stage of the war - in the Vistula-Oder, Berlin and Prague operations. During the Berlin operation, his troops reached the river. Elbe near Torgau and met with the American troops of General O. Bradley (04/25/1945). On May 9, the defeat of Field Marshal Scherner near Prague ended. The highest orders of the “White Lion” 1st class and the “Czechoslovak War Cross of 1939” were a reward to the marshal for the liberation of the Czech capital. Moscow saluted the troops of I. S. Konev 57 times.

In the post-war period, the marshal was the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces (1946-1950; 1955-1956), the first Commander-in-Chief of the United Armed Forces of the Warsaw Pact member states (1956-1960).

Marshal I. S. Konev - twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Hero of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (1970), Hero of the Mongolian People's Republic (1971). A bronze bust was installed in his homeland in the village of Lodeyno.

He wrote memoirs: “Forty-fifth” and “Notes of the Front Commander.”

Marshal I. S. Konev had:

• two Gold Stars of the Hero of the Soviet Union (07/29/1944, 06/1/1945),
• 7 Orders of Lenin,
• order of the October Revolution,
• 3 Orders of the Red Banner,
• 2 Orders of Kutuzov 1st degree,
• Order of the Red Star,
• a total of 17 orders and 10 medals;
• honorary personalized weapon - a saber with the Golden Coat of Arms of the USSR (1968),
• 24 foreign awards (including 13 foreign orders).

Govorov Leonid Alexandrovich

Born in the village of Butyrki near Vyatka in the family of a peasant, who later became an employee in the city of Elabuga. A student at the Petrograd Polytechnic Institute, L. Govorov, became a cadet at the Konstantinovsky Artillery School in 1916. He began his combat activities in 1918 as an officer in the White Army of Admiral Kolchak.

In 1919, he volunteered to join the Red Army, participated in battles on the Eastern and Southern fronts, commanded an artillery division, and was wounded twice - near Kakhovka and Perekop.
In 1933 he graduated from the Military Academy. Frunze, and then the General Staff Academy (1938). Participated in the war with Finland of 1939-1940.

In the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945), artillery general L.A. Govorov became the commander of the 5th Army, which defended the approaches to Moscow in the central direction. In the spring of 1942, on the instructions of I.V. Stalin, he went to besieged Leningrad, where he soon led the front (pseudonyms: Leonidov, Leonov, Gavrilov). On January 18, 1943, the troops of generals Govorov and Meretskov broke through the blockade of Leningrad (Operation Iskra), delivering a counter-attack near Shlisselburg. A year later, they struck a new blow, crushing the Germans' Northern Wall, completely lifting the blockade of Leningrad. The German troops of Field Marshal von Küchler suffered huge losses. In June 1944, troops of the Leningrad Front carried out the Vyborg operation, broke through the “Mannerheim Line” and took the city of Vyborg. L.A. Govorov became Marshal of the Soviet Union (06/18/1944). In the fall of 1944, Govorov’s troops liberated Estonia, breaking into the enemy “Panther” defenses.

While remaining commander of the Leningrad Front, the marshal was also the representative of Headquarters in the Baltic States. He was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. In May 1945, the German army group Kurland surrendered to the front forces.

Moscow saluted the troops of commander L. A. Govorov 14 times. In the post-war period, the marshal became the first Commander-in-Chief of the country's air defense.

Marshal L.A. Govorov had:

• Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union (01/27/1945), 5 Orders of Lenin,
• Order of Victory (05/31/1945),
• 3 Orders of the Red Banner,
• 2 Orders of Suvorov 1st degree,
• Order of Kutuzov 1st degree,
• Order of the Red Star - a total of 13 orders and 7 medals,
• Tuvan "Order of the Republic",
• 3 foreign orders.

Rokossovsky Konstantin Konstantinovich

Born in Velikiye Luki in the family of a railway driver, a Pole, Xavier Jozef Rokossovsky, who soon moved to live in Warsaw. He began his service in 1914 in the Russian army. Participated in the First World War. He fought in a dragoon regiment, was a non-commissioned officer, was wounded twice in battle, was awarded the St. George Cross and 2 medals. Red Guard (1917). During the Civil War, he was again wounded 2 times, fought on the Eastern Front against the troops of Admiral Kolchak and in Transbaikalia against Baron Ungern; commanded a squadron, division, cavalry regiment; awarded 2 Orders of the Red Banner. In 1929 he fought against the Chinese at Jalainor (conflict on the Chinese Eastern Railway). In 1937-1940 was imprisoned as a victim of slander.

During the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) he commanded a mechanized corps, army, and fronts (Pseudonyms: Kostin, Dontsov, Rumyantsev). He distinguished himself in the Battle of Smolensk (1941). Hero of the Battle of Moscow (September 30, 1941—January 8, 1942). He was seriously wounded near Sukhinichi. During the Battle of Stalingrad (1942-1943), Rokossovsky’s Don Front, together with other fronts, was surrounded by 22 enemy divisions with a total number of 330 thousand people (Operation Uranus). At the beginning of 1943, the Don Front eliminated the encircled group of Germans (Operation “Ring”). Field Marshal F. Paulus was captured (3 days of mourning were declared in Germany). In the Battle of Kursk (1943), Rokossovsky's Central Front defeated the German troops of General Model (Operation Kutuzov) near Orel, in honor of which Moscow gave its first fireworks (08/05/1943). In the grandiose Belorussian operation (1944), Rokossovsky’s 1st Belorussian Front defeated Field Marshal von Busch’s Army Group Center and, together with the troops of General I. D. Chernyakhovsky, surrounded up to 30 drag divisions in the “Minsk Cauldron” (Operation Bagration) . On June 29, 1944, Rokossovsky was awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union. The highest military orders “Virtuti Militari” and the “Grunwald” cross, 1st class, were awarded to the marshal for the liberation of Poland.

At the final stage of the war, Rokossovsky's 2nd Belorussian Front participated in the East Prussian, Pomeranian and Berlin operations. Moscow saluted the troops of commander Rokossovsky 63 times. On June 24, 1945, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, holder of the Order of Victory, Marshal K.K. Rokossovsky commanded the Victory Parade on Red Square in Moscow. In 1949-1956, K.K. Rokossovsky was the Minister of National Defense of the Polish People's Republic. He was awarded the title of Marshal of Poland (1949). Returning to the Soviet Union, he became the chief inspector of the USSR Ministry of Defense.

Wrote a memoir, A Soldier's Duty.

Marshal K.K. Rokossovsky had:

• 2 Gold Stars of the Hero of the Soviet Union (07/29/1944, 06/1/1945),
• 7 Orders of Lenin,
• Order of Victory (30.03.1945),
• order of the October Revolution,
• 6 Orders of the Red Banner,
• Order of Suvorov 1st degree,
• Order of Kutuzov 1st degree,
• a total of 17 orders and 11 medals;
• honorary weapon - saber with the golden coat of arms of the USSR (1968),
• 13 foreign awards (including 9 foreign orders)

Malinovsky Rodion Yakovlevich

Born in Odessa, he grew up without a father. In 1914, he volunteered for the front of the 1st World War, where he was seriously wounded and awarded the St. George Cross, 4th degree (1915). In February 1916 he was sent to France as part of the Russian expeditionary force. There he was again wounded and received the French Croix de Guerre. Returning to his homeland, he voluntarily joined the Red Army (1919) and fought against the whites in Siberia. In 1930 he graduated from the Military Academy. M. V. Frunze. In 1937-1938, he volunteered to take part in battles in Spain (under the pseudonym “Malino”) on the side of the republican government, for which he received the Order of the Red Banner.

In the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) he commanded a corps, an army, and a front (pseudonyms: Yakovlev, Rodionov, Morozov). He distinguished himself in the Battle of Stalingrad. Malinovsky’s army, in cooperation with other armies, stopped and then defeated Army Group Don of Field Marshal E. von Manstein, which was trying to relieve Paulus’s group encircled at Stalingrad. The troops of General Malinovsky liberated Rostov and Donbass (1943), participated in the cleansing of Right Bank Ukraine from the enemy; Having defeated the troops of E. von Kleist, they took Odessa on April 10, 1944; together with the troops of General Tolbukhin, they defeated the southern wing of the enemy front, encircling 22 German divisions and the 3rd Romanian Army in the Iasi-Kishinev operation (08.20-29.1944). During the fighting, Malinovsky was slightly wounded; On September 10, 1944, he was awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union. The troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, Marshal R. Ya. Malinovsky, liberated Romania, Hungary, Austria, and Czechoslovakia. On August 13, 1944, they entered Bucharest, took Budapest by storm (02/13/1945), and liberated Prague (05/9/1945). The marshal was awarded the Order of Victory.

From July 1945, Malinovsky commanded the Transbaikal Front (pseudonym Zakharov), which dealt the main blow to the Japanese Kwantung Army in Manchuria (08/1945). Front troops reached Port Arthur. The marshal received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Moscow saluted the troops of commander Malinovsky 49 times.

On October 15, 1957, Marshal R. Ya. Malinovsky was appointed Minister of Defense of the USSR. He remained in this position until the end of his life.

The Marshal is the author of the books “Soldiers of Russia”, “The Angry Whirlwinds of Spain”; under his leadership, “Iasi-Chisinau Cannes”, “Budapest - Vienna - Prague”, “Final” and other works were written.

Marshal R. Ya. Malinovsky had:

• 2 Gold Stars of the Hero of the Soviet Union (09/08/1945, 11/22/1958),
• 5 Orders of Lenin,
• 3 Orders of the Red Banner,
• 2 Orders of Suvorov 1st degree,
• Order of Kutuzov 1st degree,
• a total of 12 orders and 9 medals;
• as well as 24 foreign awards (including 15 orders of foreign states). In 1964 he was awarded the title of People's Hero of Yugoslavia.

Tolbukhin Fedor Ivanovich

Born in the village of Androniki near Yaroslavl in a peasant family. He worked as an accountant in Petrograd. In 1914 he was a private motorcyclist. Having become an officer, he took part in battles with Austro-German troops and was awarded the Anna and Stanislav crosses.

In the Red Army since 1918; fought on the fronts of the Civil War against the troops of General N.N. Yudenich, Poles and Finns. He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

In the post-war period, Tolbukhin worked in staff positions. In 1934 he graduated from the Military Academy. M. V. Frunze. In 1940 he became a general.

During the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) he was the chief of staff of the front, commanded the army and the front. He distinguished himself in the Battle of Stalingrad, commanding the 57th Army. In the spring of 1943, Tolbukhin became commander of the Southern Front, and from October - the 4th Ukrainian Front, from May 1944 until the end of the war - the 3rd Ukrainian Front. General Tolbukhin's troops defeated the enemy at Miussa and Molochnaya and liberated Taganrog and Donbass. In the spring of 1944, they invaded Crimea and took Sevastopol by storm on May 9. In August 1944, together with the troops of R. Ya. Malinovsky, they defeated the army group “Southern Ukraine” of Mr. Frizner in the Iasi-Kishinev operation. On September 12, 1944, F.I. Tolbukhin was awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union.

Tolbukhin's troops liberated Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Hungary and Austria. Moscow saluted Tolbukhin's troops 34 times. At the Victory Parade on June 24, 1945, the marshal led the column of the 3rd Ukrainian Front.

The marshal's health, undermined by the wars, began to fail, and in 1949 F.I. Tolbukhin died at the age of 56. Three days of mourning were declared in Bulgaria; the city of Dobrich was renamed the city of Tolbukhin.

In 1965, Marshal F.I. Tolbukhin was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

People's Hero of Yugoslavia (1944) and "Hero of the People's Republic of Bulgaria" (1979).

Marshal F.I. Tolbukhin had:

• 2 Orders of Lenin,
• Order of Victory (04/26/1945),
• 3 Orders of the Red Banner,
• 2 Orders of Suvorov 1st degree,
• Order of Kutuzov 1st degree,
• Order of the Red Star,
• a total of 10 orders and 9 medals;
• as well as 10 foreign awards (including 5 foreign orders).

Meretskov Kirill Afanasyevich

Born in the village of Nazaryevo near Zaraysk, Moscow region, into a peasant family. Before serving in the army, he worked as a mechanic. In the Red Army since 1918. During the Civil War he fought on the Eastern and Southern fronts. He took part in battles in the ranks of the 1st Cavalry against Pilsudski's Poles. He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

In 1921 he graduated from the Military Academy of the Red Army. In 1936-1937, under the pseudonym "Petrovich", he fought in Spain (awarded the Order of Lenin and the Red Banner). During the Soviet-Finnish War (December 1939 - March 1940) he commanded the army that broke through the Manerheim Line and took Vyborg, for which he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (1940).
During the Great Patriotic War, he commanded troops in the northern directions (pseudonyms: Afanasyev, Kirillov); was a representative of the Headquarters on the North-Western Front. He commanded the army, the front. In 1941, Meretskov inflicted the first serious defeat of the war on the troops of Field Marshal Leeb near Tikhvin. On January 18, 1943, the troops of generals Govorov and Meretskov, delivering a counter strike near Shlisselburg (Operation Iskra), broke the blockade of Leningrad. On January 20, Novgorod was taken. In February 1944 he became commander of the Karelian Front. In June 1944, Meretskov and Govorov defeated Marshal K. Mannerheim in Karelia. In October 1944, Meretskov's troops defeated the enemy in the Arctic near Pechenga (Petsamo). On October 26, 1944, K. A. Meretskov received the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union, and from the Norwegian King Haakon VII the Grand Cross of St. Olaf.

In the spring of 1945, the “cunning Yaroslavets” (as Stalin called him) under the name of “General Maksimov” was sent to the Far East. In August - September 1945, his troops took part in the defeat of the Kwantung Army, breaking into Manchuria from Primorye and liberating areas of China and Korea.

Moscow saluted the troops of commander Meretskov 10 times.

Marshal K. A. Meretskov had:

• Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union (03/21/1940), 7 Orders of Lenin,
• Order of Victory (8.09.1945),
• order of the October Revolution,
• 4 Orders of the Red Banner,
• 2 Orders of Suvorov 1st degree,
• Order of Kutuzov 1st degree,
• 10 medals;
• an honorary weapon - a saber with the Golden Coat of Arms of the USSR, as well as 4 highest foreign orders and 3 medals.

Brief information about the dead.
Losses of generals by military rank, positions held and circumstances of death are characterized by the following data:
Marshal of the Soviet Union 1
Army Generals 4
Colonel General 4
Lieutenant General 56
Major Generals 343
Vice Admirals 2
Rear admirals. 6
Total: 416 people.

Among the dead and deceased generals and admirals (416 people) the following were taken into account:
Marshal of the Soviet Union Shaposhnikov Boris Mikhailovich, former chief of the General Staff of the Red Army, died of illness on March 26, 1945, while being head of the Academy of the General Staff. Buried in Moscow.

Army generals:
Apanasenko Joseph Rodionovich, deputy commander of the Voronezh Front. Died of wounds on August 5, 1943. Buried in Belgorod.
Vatutin Nikolai Fedorovich, commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front. Died of wounds on April 15, 1944. Buried in Kiev.
Pavlov Dmitry Grigorievich, commander of the troops of the Western Front. Shot by a military tribunal in 1941. Rehabilitated on July 31, 1957.
Chernyakhovsky Ivan Danilovich, commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front. Died on February 18, 1945. Buried in Vilnius, reburied in Voronezh.

Colonel General:
Zakharkin Ivan Grigorievich, commander of the troops of the Odessa Military District. Died on October 15, 1944 in a car accident. Buried in Odessa.
Kirponos Mikhail Petrovich, commander of the troops of the Southwestern Front. Killed in battle on September 20, 1941. Reburied in Kiev.
Leselidze Konstantin Nikolaevich, commander of the 18th Army on the North Caucasus Front. Died of illness on February 21, 1944. Buried in Tbilisi.
Pestov Vladimir Ivanovich, commander of the artillery of the Transcaucasian Front. Died of illness in April 1944. Buried in Tbilisi.

This number did not include Colonel General A.D. Loktionov, who did not take part in the war. G. M. Stern, Lieutenant Generals P. A. Alekseev, F. K. Arzhenukhin, I. I. Proskurov, E. S. Ptukhin. P. I. Pumpur, K. P. Pyadyshev, P. V. Rychagov, Ya. V. Smushkevich, Major Generals P. S. Volodin, M. M. Kayukov, A. A. Levin, repressed before the war and executed during the war years.

Generals (admirals) by position:

Commanders of troops of fronts 4
Deputy and assistant commanders of troops of fronts 3
Chiefs of Staff of Fronts 5
Commanders of the troops of military districts 1
Deputy commanders of military districts 1
Chiefs of Staff of Military Districts 2
Members of the military councils of fronts 2
Members of military councils of armies 4
Army commanders 22
Deputy Army Commanders 12
Chiefs of Army Staff 12
Corps commanders 54
Deputy commanders of corps 19
Chiefs of Staff of Corps 4
Division commanders 117
Deputy division commanders 2
Brigade commanders 9
Squadron commanders. Air Force commanders of armies, fronts, fleets 9
Heads of communications, engineering troops, logistics and VOSO fronts 2
Chiefs of Army Logistics 9
Commanders of artillery, armored and mechanized forces of fronts, armies, corps 41
Chiefs of engineering troops, army communications 3
Deputy chiefs of staff of fronts, fleets, armies 6
Generals of the central and main departments of the People's Commissariat of Defense of the USSR, military academies, schools, research institutes 45
Other officials 28
Total 416

Among them:
Commanders of the front troops, Army Generals N.F. Vatutin, D.G. Pavlov, I.D. Chernyakhovsky, Colonel General M.P. Kirponos.

Deputy and assistant commanders of front troops, Army General I.R. Apanasenko, Lieutenant General F.Ya. Kostenko, Major General L.V. Bobkin.

Chiefs of staff of the fronts, Lieutenant General P.I. Bodin, P.S. Klenov, Major General V.E. Klimovskikh, G.D. Stelmakh, V.I. Dead ends.

Commander of the Odessa Military District, Colonel General I.G. Zakharkin. Chiefs of staff of military districts, Major General A.D. Korneev, N.V. Pastushikhin. Members of the military councils of the fronts, Lieutenant General K.A. Gurov and K.N. Zimin. Members of the military councils of the armies, Major General A.F. Bobrov, I.V. Vasiliev, I.A. Gavrilov, B.O. Galstyan.

Army commanders Colonel General K.N. Leselidze, Lieutenant General S.D. Akimov, A.M. Gorodnyansky, F.A. Ershakov, M.G. Efremov, A.I. Zygin, V.Ya. Kachalov, P.P. Korzun, V.N. Lvov, I.F. Nikolaev, K.P. Podlas, P.S. Pshennikov, A.K. Smirnov, P.M. Filatov, F.M. Kharitonov, V.A. Khomenko, Major Generals K.M. Kachanov, A.A. Korobkov, A.V. Lapshov, A.I. Lizyukov, M.P. Petrov, K.I. Rakutin.

According to the circumstances of death (death)
Killed in action 185
61 died from their injuries
14 missing
Killed or died while in captivity 23
Exploded by mines 9
Died in a plane crash 12
Killed in a car accident 6
Died in an accident 2
Died from the disease 79
18 were shot and posthumously rehabilitated
Committed suicide to avoid capture 4
Committed suicide 3
Total 416

In addition, during the war, 2 corps and 5 divisional commissars who served in political positions were killed, died or went missing:
members of military councils of fronts 2
members of military councils of armies 3
head of the political department of the army 1
deputy division commander for political affairs 1

However, not all researchers and historians agree with the figure 416, for example, the military historian Shabaev is convinced that there were 438, Kuznetsov - 442.

Military-historical literature and documents of the Russian State Military Archive (RGVA) and the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (TsAMO) provide grounds for including in the list - in addition to 416 - the names of 42 more generals and admirals who died from 1941 to 1945. Taking into account the new data, a list of 458 people is obtained.

In 1993 and 2001, a team led by Colonel General Krivosheev published a statistical study in two publications on the losses of the Soviet Armed Forces (AF) in the twentieth century. If in the first edition the number was 421 (general), then in the second it was reduced to 416.

The authors, citing the figure of 416 people, stated that this number did not include Colonel Generals Alexander Loktionov, Grigory Stern, Lieutenant Generals Alekseev, Arzhenukhin, Proskurov, Ptukhin, Pumpur, Pyadyshev, Rychagov, Smushkevich, General, who did not take part in the war - Majors Volodin, Kayukov, Levin, repressed before the war and executed during the war.

This statement is not entirely true. Firstly, generals Volodin, Proskurov, Ptukhin and Pyadyshev were arrested not before the war, but at the beginning of the war, which means they took part in it. Aviation Major General Volodin at the end of June 1941 was the chief of staff of the Red Army Air Force, Lieutenant General Pyadyshev fought as deputy commander of the Northern Front and commanded the Luga operational group, and Heroes of the Soviet Union, aviation lieutenant generals Proskurov and Ptukhin participated in the war as commanders Air Force of the 7th Army and Air Force of the Southwestern Front. Secondly, among the 416 listed on the official list there are several dozen generals and admirals who were not in the active army for a single day and died from illnesses and accidents in the rear.

The greatest combat losses occurred in 1941. This is when in six months (June 22 - December 31, 1941) the Red Army lost 74 generals - that is, it lost 12-13 people every month. representatives of their senior command staff.

According to other data, losses in 1941 were even higher (in six months - 107 people) - 18 people per month. True, already in 1942-1944 the losses were half as large (from 8 to 9 people per month). http://sary-shagan.narod.ru/esse/esse011.htm

In the first year of the war, four generals, finding themselves surrounded, did not want to surrender and shot themselves; it is known that during the entire war, 11 Soviet generals did not want to surrender alive to the enemy and shot themselves.

By category, command personnel suffered the greatest damage during the war (almost 89%), while political - less than 2%, technical - 2.8%, administrative - 4.6%, medical - about 1%, legal - 0.65%. Air Force (Air Force) generals accounted for 8.73% of the casualties, and admirals and Navy generals accounted for 3.71% of the total senior officer casualties. The Ground Forces suffered heavy losses - 87.56% of the dead generals belonged to them. 1%. http://www.ng.ru/ideas/2005-06-17/11_generals.html
This is how the harsh account of the lives of generals given for the Fatherland on the battlefields of the Great War looks short and dry.

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

In 1941, the Red Army abandoned city after city. Rare counter-offensives by our troops did not change the oppressive feeling of impending disaster. 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 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 on the personal order of Stalin, who appreciated Fyodor Nikitich’s ability, without losing composure, to conduct a stubborn defense against the advancing Germans, who were significantly superior in strength.

For example, his strange, at first glance, decision to attack German armored vehicles in the area of ​​Koshkino station (near Taganrog) with the forces of the 188th Cavalry Regiment on October 17, 1941. This made it possible to remove the cadets of the Rostov Infantry School and parts of the 31st Division from the crushing blow. While the Germans were chasing the light cavalry, running into fiery ambushes, the 56th Army received the necessary respite and was saved from the Leibstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler tanks that broke through the defenses. Subsequently, Remezov’s bloodless fighters, together with the 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 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, he at first glance, he accurately assessed the capabilities of German armored vehicles, even if they belonged to the new products of the fascist military-industrial complex. Thus, 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 in his command tank in order to inspire his subordinates by personal example. Using the high maneuverability of his vehicle, he several times entered the side of the “clumsy and slow beast” and opened fire. Only after the third hit did the “German” burst into flames. Soon his tank crews captured three more “royal tigers”. Twice Hero of the Soviet Union Vasily Arkhipov, about whom his colleagues said “doesn’t drown in water, doesn’t 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 a hero of the Soviet Union. During the war against 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 the Germans who had come ashore on the Volga. Later, recalling these days, Rodimtsev wrote: “On that day, when our division approached the left bank of the Volga, the Nazis took Mamayev Kurgan. They took it because for every one of our fighters there were ten fascists advancing, for every one of our tanks there were ten enemy tanks, for every “Yak” or “Il” that took off there were ten “Messerschmitts” or “Junkers”... the Germans knew how to fight, especially in such numerical and technical superiority."

Rodimtsev did not have such forces, but his well-trained soldiers of the 13th Guards Rifle Division, also known as the Airborne Forces formation, fighting in the minority, turned fascist Hoth tanks into scrap metal and killed a significant number of German soldiers of Paulus’s 6th Army in hand-to-hand urban battles . As in Spain, in Stalingrad Rodimtsev repeatedly said: “but pasaran, the Nazis will not pass.”
ALEXANDER GORBATOV

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

For example, in December 1941, he told his immediate 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 responded harshly to the abuse, declaring that he would not allow himself to be insulted. And this was after three years of imprisonment in Kolyma, where he was shocked as an “enemy of the people” under the notorious Article 58.

When Stalin was informed about this incident, he grinned and said: “Only the grave will correct the hunchback.” Gorbatov also entered into a dispute with Konstantin Zhukov regarding the attack on Orel in the summer of 1943, demanding not to attack from an existing bridgehead, but to cross the Zushi River in another place. At first Zhukov was categorically against it, 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, after carrying out a number of brilliant operations, including the East Prussian one, Alexander Gorbatov unexpectedly spoke out against the storming of Berlin, proposing to begin a siege. He motivated his decision by the fact that the “Krauts” would surrender anyway, but this would save the lives of many of our soldiers who went through the entire war.
MIKHAIL NAUMOV

Finding himself in occupied territory in the summer of 1941, wounded senior lieutenant Mikhail Naumov began his war against the invaders. At first he was a private in the partisan detachment of the Chervony district of the Sumy region (in January 1942), but after fifteen months he was awarded the rank of major general.

Thus, he became one of the youngest senior officers, and also had 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 Belarusian Polesie, as a result of which the German rear was pretty bled dry.