Vasily Chuikov

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov
February 12, 1900 - March 18, 1982 (aged 82)

Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov
Nickname Васи́лий Ива́нович Чуйко́в
Place of birth Flag of Russia Serebryaniye Prudy, Tula Oblast, Russia
Place of death Flag of the Soviet Union Moscow, USSR
Allegiance Flag of the Soviet Union - Soviet Union
Years of service 1917-1972
Rank Marshal of the Soviet Union
Unit Soviet 8th Guards Army
Commands held Red Army Ground Forces
Civil Defense
Battles/wars Flag of the Soviet Union Great Patriotic War
Battle of Stalingrad
Battle of Berlin
Awards Hero of the Soviet Union (twice)
Other work 1961 until his death, he was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov (Васи́лий Ива́нович Чуйко́в) (February 12, 1900 - March 18, 1982) was a lieutenant general in the Soviet Red Army during World War II, twice Hero of the Soviet Union (1944, 1945), who after the war became a Marshal of the Soviet Union.

Born into a peasant family, he joined the Red Army during the Russian Revolution of 1917 and later attended the Frunze Military Academy. Chuikov commanded the 4th Army in the Soviet occupation of eastern Poland in 1939, and during the Russo-Finnish War of 1940. He was then sent to China as an advisor to Chiang Kai-shek. In May 1942 the USSR recalled their military advisor, according to Chuikov's memoirs this was due to Nationalist China claiming the USSR was providing military aid as part of an attempt to draw the USSR into the Second Sino-Japanese War.

On returning to Moscow, Chuikov was placed in command of the 64th Army, on the West bank of the Don river. The 64th Army took part in the fighting withdrawal to Stalingrad, and shortly before the Battle of Stalingrad itself began, Chuikov was made commanding general of the more important 62nd Army, which was to hold Stalingrad itself, with the 64th on its Southern flank. After the victory there, the 62nd was redesignated as the Soviet 8th Guards Army. Chuikov then commanded the 8th Guards as part of 1st Belorussian Front and led its advance through Poland, finally heading the Soviet offensive which captured Berlin in April 1945.

Chuikov's advance through Poland was characterized by massive advances across difficult terrain (on several occasions, the 8th Guards Army advanced over 40 miles in a single day). On May 1, 1945, Chuikov, who commanded his army operating in central Berlin, was the first Allied officer to learn about Adolf Hitler's suicide, being informed by Hans Krebs who came to Chuikov's headquarters under a white flag.

After the war ended Chuikov stayed in Germany, later serving as Commander-in-Chief of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany from 1949 until 1953, when he was made the Commanding General of the Kiev Military District. While serving at that post, on March 11, 1955 he was promoted to Marshal of the Soviet Union. From 1960 to 1964 he was the Commander-in-Chief of the Red Army's Ground Forces. He also served as the Chief of the Civil Defense from 1961 until his retirement in 1972. From 1961 until his death, he was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

He was a major consultant for the design of the Stalingrad battle memorial on Mamayev Kurgan, and was buried there after his death at the age of 82. He was the first Russian Marshal to be buried outside Moscow.

[edit] In literature

Dana Kramer-Rolls' novel, Home is the Hunter, has Pavel Chekov refer to Chuikov as his ancestor (although 'Vasily' is spelled as 'Vassily').

[edit] References

 This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2008)

References in English are needed.

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: