Commanders
Georgy Zhukov
Also Known As Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov
Modern, Soviet Union
Citation Formats
General Reference
APA Style
BibTeX
Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov (1 December 1896 - 18 June 1974) was a Soviet general who rose to Marshal of the Soviet Union and served as deputy commander-in-chief of the Soviet armed forces under Joseph Stalin. He organized the defense of Stalingrad in 1942 and helped direct the Soviet counteroffensive that encircled the German Sixth Army there, then commanded the 1st Belorussian Front in the final Soviet assault that captured Berlin in 1945. He is remembered as one of the greatest Soviet military leaders of the Second World War, though historians still debate whether his operational successes came at a disproportionate cost in Soviet casualties.
Facts
Birth DateGregorian calendar date; the Julian (Old Style) date used in Russia at the time was 19 November 1896. BirthplaceStrelkovka, Kaluga Governorate, Russian Empire 1 RankMarshal of the Soviet Union (1943-1957); deputy commander-in-chief of the Soviet armed forces under Stalin 1 Defining ContributionOrganized the defense of Stalingrad in 1942 and helped direct the Soviet counteroffensive that encircled the German Sixth Army, then commanded the 1st Belorussian Front in the final Soviet assault that captured Berlin in 1945. 1 Notable WorkMemories and Recollections, his memoirs, begun in 1958 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
Zhukov applied deep operation doctrine to major effect at Stalingrad and Berlin but was not among its original 1920s-1930s theorists (Triandafillov, Tukhachevsky, Svechin, Frunze); developed-by is reserved here for the doctrine's actual originators, none of whom are yet minted as commanders in this atlas.
Zhukov held major commands on this front (Stalingrad, then the 1st Belorussian Front at Berlin) but, unlike this atlas's other founding wars, no single commander led the entire multi-year Eastern Front; led-by is reserved here for the individual battles where Zhukov's command role is directly documented.
Battles and Wars Led
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Georgy Zhukov
WikipediaLead sectionQuote, Lead section
Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov (1 December [O.S. 19 November] 1896 - 18 June 1974)...achieved the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union...Zhukov is remembered as one of the greatest Russian and Soviet military leaders of all time.
1. Wikipedia: Georgy Zhukov
1. Wikipedia: Georgy Zhukov
WikipediaLead section and InfoboxQuote, Lead section and Infobox
achieved the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union...served as deputy commander-in-chief of the armed forces under leader Joseph Stalin.
1. Wikipedia: Georgy Zhukov
1. Wikipedia: Georgy Zhukov
WikipediaLater life sectionQuote, Later life section
Zhukov had begun writing his memoirs, Memories and Recollections, in 1958.
1. Wikipedia: Georgy Zhukov
1. Wikipedia: Georgy Zhukov
WikipediaBattles and Wars Led: Battle of Stalingrad, The Eastern front sectionQuote, Battles and Wars Led: Battle of Stalingrad, The Eastern front section
In late August 1942, Zhukov was made deputy commander in chief, subordinate only to Stalin, and sent to the southwestern front to take charge of the defence of Stalingrad.
Wikipedia: Battle of Berlin
WikipediaBattles and Wars Led: Battle of Berlin, Preparations sectionQuote, Battles and Wars Led: Battle of Berlin, Preparations section
Marshal Georgy Zhukov concentrated his 1st Belorussian Front, which had been deployed along the Oder river.
Wikipedia: Deep operation
Wikipedia: Battle of Kursk
Wikipedia: Siege of Leningrad
Battles and Wars Led: Siege of Leningrad, Infobox: Commanders (Soviet)Quote, Battles and Wars Led: Siege of Leningrad, Infobox: Commanders (Soviet)
Georgy Zhukov
Wikipedia: Battle of Moscow
Battles and Wars Led: Battle of Moscow, Infobox: Commanders (Soviet, Western Front)Quote, Battles and Wars Led: Battle of Moscow, Infobox: Commanders (Soviet, Western Front)
Georgy Zhukov
Dissenting Readings (1 dissenting reading)
Defining Contribution
A view that became widespread in the post-Soviet period holds that Zhukov was a "butcher" and "poacher of the Russian people" who spent his soldiers' lives carelessly to win. Military historian Aleksei Isaev disputes this characterization, arguing that measured as a percentage of the troops under his command, Zhukov "has consistently lower casualties in percentage terms than other commanders," including contemporaries such as Konev and Malinovsky.
A dissenting reading, from an independent laneRussia Beyond: The BEST Soviet Military Commander of World War II, Russia Beyond
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Zhukov really a "butcher" who wasted his soldiers' lives?
Historians are divided: some call him careless with soldiers' lives, others point to his comparatively low casualty rate as a percentage of his forces.
Historians disagree. A view that became widespread after the Soviet Union's collapse holds that Zhukov was a "butcher" who spent lives carelessly to win. Military historian Aleksei Isaev disputes this, arguing that measured as a percentage of the troops under his command, Zhukov had consistently lower casualty rates than contemporaries such as Konev and Malinovsky, and that his major operations, including the meticulously planned 1944 Operation Bagration, were built around reducing unnecessary losses rather than accepting them. Both readings agree Zhukov's campaigns were extremely costly in absolute terms, which was typical of the entire Eastern Front; they disagree on whether that cost reflects carelessness or the sheer scale of the fighting.
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.