KONEV Ivan Stepanovich

(1897-1973)
Born 16 (28) December 1897 in the village. Lodeinoe Vyatka province in a peasant family.
In the First World War in 1916 was drafted into the army and the end of the training team of junior non-commissioned officer in the artillery battalion sent to the South-Western Front. Discharged from the army in 1918 joined the RKP (b) and the Red Army, participated in the establishment of Soviet power in g. Nikolsk Vologda province, where he was elected a member of the county executive committee and appointed a district military commissar. During the Civil War Commissioner armored, 5 th Infantry Brigade, fought in Siberia and the Far East. Member of the suppression of the Kronstadt uprising.

In 1921-1922 Commissioner staff of People's Revolutionary Army of the Far Eastern Republic. Then, the military commissar of the 17-th of the Primorsky Rifle Corps, 17 th Infantry Division. Upon completion in 1926 approfondies higher nachsostava at the Military Academy of the regimental commander and assistant division commander. In 1931 commanded the infantry division, he studied at the Frunze Military Academy. In 1935-1937 commanded a rifle corps and 2-th individual of the Far Eastern Army.

Konev managed to survive the mass repressions of the army high command. Moreover, in 1939 he was elected a candidate member in 1952 a member of the Party Central Committee. In 1940-1941 Commander of the Trans-Baikal and the North-Caucasian military district.

At the beginning of World War II commanded the 19 th Army, who participated in the Smolensk defensive battle. Then the commander of the West (September-October 1941, . August 1942 - February 1943), . Kalinin (October 1941 - August 1942), . North-West (March 1943), . Steppe (July 1943), . 2 nd Ukrainian (October 1943) and the 1 st Ukrainian (May 1944 - May 1945) Fronts,
. In October 1941, was soundly defeated at Orel and Vyazma, for which he was demoted to deputy commander of the Front. Stalin wanted to bring him to court, but saved Konev, Zhukov, who stood up for him.

In subsequent battles to show our best side. The troops under his command successfully operated in the counter-offensive in the Belgorod-Kharkov sector, . participated in the liberation of Belgorod and Kharkov in the Battle of Kursk, . then in the Korsun-Shevchenko Operation, . as a result of which was surrounded and destroyed a large group of German troops,
. At the end of the war led the attack on Hungary and Czechoslovakia. During the Berlin operation skillfully maneuver the tank armies held the 1 st Ukrainian Front for the rapid encirclement of Berlin enemy, . and then in a short time, prepared and, together with troops of the 2 nd and 4 th Ukrainian Front successfully conducted the Prague offensive, . during which Prague was liberated,
.

In 1945-1946 Chief of the Central Group of Forces and the High Commissioner for Austria. When Zhukov fell into disgrace, has replaced him in 1946 in-Chief of Ground Forces and Deputy Minister of the Armed Forces of the USSR. In 1950, when Stalin began a purge of the officers' regular army and navy, lost his post as commander in chief, but retained the post of Deputy Minister, received an honorary chief inspector of the Soviet Army. Notable for the desire to strictly abide by any directives of the Party leadership. According to the memoirs of Khrushchev, . was' the only one of the major generals, . who 'responded' to the material, . which was sent to Stalin in the case of 'doctors pests': In response to these psevdomaterialy sent a letter to Stalin, . in which solidarity with sent out bogus',
. Despite this, in 1951, was again lowered and was appointed commander of the Carpathian Military District.

After Stalin's death, took part in the removal of Beria. He was appointed chairman of the Special Bench of the Supreme Court of the USSR, . 18-23 December 1953 which reviewed the case and sentenced to death LP Beria, . VK Merkulova, . VG Dekanozov, . BZ Kobulov, . SA Goglidze, . PY Mexica, . LE Vlodzimirskogo,
. The vast majority of the charges (treason, espionage, the restoration of capitalism, etc.) were completely false.

In 1955-1956 again took the post of Chief of Ground Forces. In 1955-1960, First Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR. Simultaneously, in May 1955 - June 1960 Allied forces states - participants of the Warsaw Pact. Directed the suppression of the uprising in Hungary (1956). One of the active participants of the October (1957) Plenum of the CPSU Central Committee, which discussed the issue of removal Zhukov from the leadership of the armed forces of the country, said, against his immediate superior, and revealing in many respects unfair question.

In 1961-1962 Commander of the forces in Germany. From April 1962 - Panel of Inspectors General in the Ministry of Defense. In 1965 the USSR was represented at the funeral of Winston Churchill.

Konev died in Moscow on May 21, 1973. He was buried in Moscow at the Kremlin wall