Marshal A. M. Vasilevsky was born on September 30, 1895 (according to the new style). He was Chief of the General Staff during the Second World War and took an active part in the development and implementation of almost all major military operations. In February 1945, he was appointed commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front and led the Koenigsberg offensive.
Biography of Alexander Vasilevsky (briefly)
The birthplace of the future Soviet military figure was with. New Golchikha. Vasilevsky himself believed that he was born on September 17 (according to the old style) - on the same day as his mother. He was the fourth of eight children. In 1897 the family moved to the village. Novopokrovskoye. Here Vasilevsky's father began his service as a priest in the Ascension Church. After a while, Alexander entered the parish school. In 1909, after graduating from the Kineshma Theological School, he entered the Kostroma Seminary. The diploma allowed him to continue his studies in a secular educational institution. In the same year, Vasilevsky took part in a strike of seminarians who opposed the government's ban onenroll in colleges and universities. For this he was expelled from Kostroma. However, a few months later he returned to the seminary, after the demands of the rebels were partially satisfied.
World War I
The future Marshal Vasilevsky dreamed of becoming a land surveyor or an agronomist. However, the war radically changed his plans. Before the start of his last class at the seminary, he and several of his classmates took their exams externally. In February, he entered the Alekseevsky military school. After an accelerated four-month course, Vasilevsky went to the front as an ensign. Between June and September, he was in several spare parts. As a result, he was transferred to the Southwestern Front, where he served as a half-company commander at the 409th Novokhopersk Regiment. In the spring of 1916 he was awarded the rank of commander. After a while, his company was recognized as the best in the regiment. In this rank, Vasilevsky took part in the Brusilovsky breakthrough in May 1916. Subsequently, he received the post of staff captain. During his stay in Romania, in Ajud Nou, Vasilevsky learns about the beginning of the October Revolution. In 1917, having decided to leave the service, he quits.
Civil War
At the end of December 1917, while at home, Alexander learns that he was elected commander by the soldiers of the 409th regiment. At that time, the unit belonged to the Romanian Front, commanded by Gen. Shcherbachev. The latter supported the Central Rada, which proclaimedUkraine's independence from the recently come to power Soviets. The military department advised Alexander not to go to the regiment. Following this advice, he stayed with his parents until June 1918 and was engaged in agriculture. From September 1918, Vasilevsky taught at elementary schools in the villages of Podyakovlevo and Verkhovye in the Tula province. In the spring of the following year, he was drafted into the ranks of the Red Army in the 4th reserve battalion. In May, he was sent to the Stupino volost as commander of a detachment of 100 people. His tasks included the implementation of food requisitioning and the fight against gangs. In the summer of 1919, the battalion was transferred to Tula. Here the 1st Infantry Division is being formed in anticipation of the approach of the troops of Gen. Denikin and the Southern Front. Vasilevsky is appointed commander, first of a company, and then of a battalion. Since the beginning of October, he has been given command of the 5th rifle unit, which is located in the sector of the fortified area on the southwestern side of Tula. However, it was not possible to take part in hostilities, since the Southern Front stopped near Kromy and Orel at the end of October. In December, the division was sent to fight the invaders. At the request of Vasilevsky, he was appointed assistant commander. As part of the 15th Army, he takes part in the battles with Poland.
WWII
From the first day, Vasilevsky, with the rank of Major General, participated in the Great Patriotic War. In 1941, on August 1, he was appointed head of the Operations Directorate. From October 5 to October 10, during the battle for Moscow, he was a member of a group of GKO representatives who providedthe accelerated dispatch of troops that emerged from the encirclement and retreated to the Mozhaisk line. When organizing the defense of the capital and the subsequent counteroffensive, it was Marshal Vasilevsky who played one of the main roles. The great commander led the task force in Moscow in the midst of battles - from October 16 to the end of November. He led the first echelon of the General Staff serving the Stavka. The main responsibilities of the 10-member group were:
- Comprehensive study and correct assessment of events at the front, accurate and constant informing the Stavka about them.
- Develop and report to the High Command proposals in connection with changes in the situation.
- Quickly and accurately draw up directives and plans, in accordance with the operational-strategic decisions of the Headquarters.
- Exercise strict control over the execution of orders and orders.
- Monitor the combat readiness of the army, the timeliness of the formation of reserves, the logistics of the troops.
Marshal Alexander Mikhailovich Vasilevsky: activities before the end of the war
February 16, 1943 he receives another rank. The High Command raises Vasilevsky to the marshals. This was unusual enough, since 29 days earlier he had received the rank of General of the Army. Marshal Vasilevsky coordinated the actions of the Steppe and Voronezh fronts during the Battle of Kursk. Under his leadership, the planning and conduct of operations to liberate the Crimea, Right-Bank Ukraine and Donbass took place. On the day of exileGermans from Odessa Marshal Vasilevsky was awarded. Before him, only Zhukov received this award from the moment of its establishment. It was the Order of Victory. During the operation "Bagration" he coordinated the actions of the 3rd Belorussian and 1st B altic fronts. Under his leadership were the Soviet forces during the liberation of the B altic states. Here, since July 29, he participated in the direct conduct of the offensive.
East Prussian operation
It was planned and led by Stalin. Marshal Vasilevsky at that moment was in the B altic. But Stalin and Antonov had to go to the Y alta Conference. In this regard, Vasilevsky was recalled from the B altic. During a conversation with Stalin, which took place on the night of February 18, he asked to be relieved of his duties as chief of the General Staff, since he spent most of his time at the front. In the afternoon, news was received of the death of Chernyakhovsky, who commanded the 3rd Belorussian Front. Stalin appoints Vasilevsky as commander. In this position, he led the Koenigsberg operation.
Last years of life
After Stalin's death, Marshal Vasilevsky was the first deputy defense minister, but in 1956 he was relieved of his post at his personal request. In mid-August of the same year, he took up the post of Minister for Military Affairs. In December 1957, Marshal Vasilevsky was dismissed due to illness. From 1956 to 1958 he served as the first chairman of the Veterans CommitteeWWII. In subsequent years, he took an active part in the work of similar organizations. The military leader died in 1977, on December 5. Like other marshals of Victory, Vasilevsky was cremated. The urn with his ashes is in the Kremlin wall.
