Military officer
The second greatest Soviet commander of World War II. He was the key figure in defending Moscow, made a breakthrough in Stalingrad and participated in the march against Berlin.
Background
Lived: 1896-1968.
Konstantin Rokossovsky was of Polish origin. He was born in Warsaw that was part of Russia back then. He joined the Red Army in 1917 and stood out in the Russian Civil War, where he was fighting against Admiral Kolchak in Siberia. He became a highly praised senior commander.
When Stalin’s Great Purge broke out, Rokossovsky was arrested in 1938. He was falsely accused of being a Polish spy and severely tortured. He was one of the very few army generals who was not shot.
World War II
Upon his release in 1940, the Russian Defence Minister Semyon Timoshenko named him one of his top commanders and assigned him to accomplish the occupation of Bessarabia.
When Hitler attacked Russia, general Rokossovsky’s army was assigned to defend the most crucial passage to Moscow and he succeeded, although with great casualties.
In 1942, at the Battle of Stalingrad, Rokossovsky famously encircled Marshal Paulus’s Sixth German Army. That was the biggest victory so far.
His Operation Bagration was accomplished skillfully in June 1944, and the Germans were pushed out of Russia. Rokossovsky was elevated to the rank of Marshal. He took his army to northern Germany where he joined with Montgomery’s Allied troops.
Later life
When Stalin established his puppy government in Poland, Rokossovsky was sent there and appointed Defence Minister and Marshal of Poland (1949-56). He was a hardline communist and imposed repressions on Poles. Upon his return to Soviet Union, Rokossovsky was made Deputy Minister of Defence of the Soviet Union (1956-62).
Konstantin Rokossovsky
Military officer
The second greatest Soviet commander of World War II. He was the key figure in defending Moscow, made a breakthrough in Stalingrad and participated in the march against Berlin.
Background
Lived: 1896-1968.
Konstantin Rokossovsky was of Polish origin. He was born in Warsaw that was part of Russia back then. He joined the Red Army in 1917 and stood out in the Russian Civil War, where he was fighting against Admiral Kolchak in Siberia. He became a highly praised senior commander.
When Stalin’s Great Purge broke out, Rokossovsky was arrested in 1938. He was falsely accused of being a Polish spy and severely tortured. He was one of the very few army generals who was not shot.
World War II
Upon his release in 1940, the Russian Defence Minister Semyon Timoshenko named him one of his top commanders and assigned him to accomplish the occupation of Bessarabia.
When Hitler attacked Russia, general Rokossovsky’s army was assigned to defend the most crucial passage to Moscow and he succeeded, although with great casualties.
In 1942, at the Battle of Stalingrad, Rokossovsky famously encircled Marshal Paulus’s Sixth German Army. That was the biggest victory so far.
His Operation Bagration was accomplished skillfully in June 1944, and the Germans were pushed out of Russia. Rokossovsky was elevated to the rank of Marshal. He took his army to northern Germany where he joined with Montgomery’s Allied troops.
Later life
When Stalin established his puppy government in Poland, Rokossovsky was sent there and appointed Defence Minister and Marshal of Poland (1949-56). He was a hardline communist and imposed repressions on Poles. Upon his return to Soviet Union, Rokossovsky was made Deputy Minister of Defence of the Soviet Union (1956-62).
Alexander Vasilevsky