Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov (born November 19 (December 1) 1896 - death June 18, 1974) - Soviet military leader, Marshal of the Soviet Union (1943), Minister of Defense of the USSR (1955-1957)
Marshal Zhukov was four times Hero of the Soviet Union (1939, 1944, 1945, 1956), holder of two Orders "Victory", had many other Soviet and foreign orders and medals. During the Great Patriotic War, he consistently held positions: Chief of the General Staff, member of the Supreme Command Headquarters, Deputy Supreme Commander-in-Chief.
After the war, he held the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces, commanded the Odessa, then the Ural military districts. After Stalin's death, the first deputy minister of defense of the USSR, and from 1955 to 1957. - Minister of Defense of the USSR. 1957 - expelled from the Central Committee of the party, removed from all posts in the army and in 1958 dismissed.
Origin. early years
Georgy Zhukov was born in the village of Strelkovka, Kaluga province. Father - Zhukov Konstantin Artemyevich, shoemaker in the city, mother - Zhukova Ustinya Artemyevna, moonlighting on the transportation of goods. At the age of 7, George was sent to study at a parish school, from which he graduated with a certificate of honor. 1907, June - Georgy leaves for Moscow to his furrier uncle M. Pilikhin and becomes a student. Together with his cousin, Georgy began to study the Russian language, mathematics, and geography. A year later, he entered the evening general education courses and successfully completed them. By the end of 1911, he finished his studies with Pilikhin and remained with him as an apprentice, where he worked until his early draft into the army in August 1915.
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Military service
1915 - was drafted into the army. 1916, summer - became a non-commissioned officer. He was awarded two St. George crosses. 1918 - joins the Red Army as a volunteer. 1923 - becomes the commander of a cavalry regiment. 1931 - Assistant Inspector. In 1933-1938 he commanded a brigade, division, corps. 1939 - for the brilliantly carried out operation to defeat the Japanese aggressors at the river. Khalkhin-Gol was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. 1940 - awarded the rank of General of the Army, appointed commander of the Kiev Special Military District. 1941, January - July - Chief of the General Staff, Deputy People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR.
During the Great Patriotic War, he showed himself to be a talented commander who played an important role in the defeat of the Nazi troops in the Leningrad and Moscow battles (1941-1942), during the breakthrough of the blockade of Leningrad, in the Stalingrad and Kursk battles (1943-1942), during the offensive on Right-bank Ukraine and in the Belarusian operation (1943-1944), in the Vistula - Oder and Berlin operations (1944-1945).
1942, August - at the post of Deputy People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR and Deputy Supreme Commander, was the coordinator of front actions in the Battle of Stalingrad, etc. 1944-1945 - Commander of the 1st Ukrainian and 1st Belorussian Fronts; 1945, May 8 - accepted the surrender of Germany. 1945-1946 - appointed commander-in-chief of the Group of Soviet Forces and head of the Soviet military administration in Germany. 1946, March - was the commander-in-chief of the Ground Forces and the Deputy Minister of the Armed Forces of the USSR. In that year he was dismissed from his post by I. V. Stalin. 1946, June - commanded the troops of the Odessa, since 1948 - the Ural military district.
1953 - 1st Deputy Minister. 1955 - Minister of Defense of the USSR. 1957 - Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov was accused of implanting his "personality cult", "inclination to adventurism", an attempt to take the Armed Forces out of the control of the party. 1957, October - relieved of his duties as minister by order of NS Khrushchev. In 1958 he was "dismissed with the right to wear military uniforms."
Last years. Death
1965, May - after a long break, the Marshal first appeared in public in the Kremlin Palace of Congresses at a ceremonial meeting dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Victory. Since 1965, Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov lived in the village of Sosnovka, remarried - with Galina Aleksandrovna Semenova. Many people visited the marshal - these were his comrades-in-arms - Marshal Baghramyan, General Minyuk, Ivan Kozhedub. There were also writers - Simonov, Smirnov, Peskov and many fighting friends.
Marshal Zhukov was very fond of fishing, hunting for game, he loved to pick mushrooms. He visited his homeland, he also visited the nuclear power plant in Obninsk. By the end of 1967, Georgy Konstantinovich and his family went to a sanatorium in Arkhangelsk. There Zhukov fell seriously ill, he was urgently hospitalized, where he had to lie for many months. Only by the end of the summer of 1968 did he begin to feel better, and he was sent to a sanatorium in Barvikha. 1973, November - Marshal's wife died. After the funeral of his wife, Zhukov changed a lot, became thoughtful. Until the last days he did not stop working on a new edition of the book "Memories and Reflections". It will be published when Zhukov is gone. 1974, June 18 - Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov died.
Personal life
For the first time, George could get married in his youth. He and his housewife's daughter (where he rented an apartment in Moscow) had an affair. However, due to the First World War, those plans were not destined to come true. 1919 - in the hospital in Saratov, the future commander met with the nurse Maria Volokhova and feelings immediately flared up between them. But because of the hostilities, the young people had to leave.
A year later, Georgy fell in love with a young teacher, Alexandra Zuikova, who began to be considered his wife, but they officially registered their relationship only in 1953. And then fate wanted to bring Zhukov to Maria Volokhova again. For several years Georgy Konstantinovich was torn between two women. It is curious that at almost the same time the ladies made him a father: Alexandra gave birth to a daughter, Era, and Maria, Margarita. It should be noted that both "wives" of the commander knew about each other, but put up with the situation. Later, Volokhova will marry and break off relations with her lover. And the official wife will give him another daughter, Ella.
During World War II, Georgy Zhukov lived in a civil marriage with a military paramedic Lidia Zakharova. They went with the commander throughout the war. She visited him on the front line more than once and moved to the south of Ukraine when he was appointed Commander of the Odessa Military District. They parted only when Alexander Zuikova came to visit her husband. As a result, Georgy Zhukov broke off relations with his mistress, but not for the sake of his wife, but for the sake of the military doctor Galina Semenova. They also lived in a de facto union, but in 1965 the marshal officially divorced Zuikova and signed with Galina, who gave birth to his fourth daughter Maria.