Biography of Vasily Danilovich Sokolovsky
Sokolovsky, Vasily Danilovich (09 (21) .07.1897 – 05.10.1968), Soviet military leader, Marshal of the Soviet Union (1946), Hero of the Soviet Union (29/4/1945).
A member of the CPSU since 1931. Born to a poor peasant. Since 1918 the Red Army, participated in the Civil War as a commander of a company, regiment, brigade chief of staff Infantry Division.
He graduated from the Military Academy of Red Army (1921). Since 1921 – In Central Asia, was the assistant chief of operations management of the Turkestan Front, Chief of Staff and commander of the division commander of the forces of the Fergana and Samarkand region. Actively participated in the fight against Basmachis.
After the Civil War, Chief of Staff, Infantry Division and the Corps (1922 – 1930), the division commander (1930 – 1934), Deputy. Chief of Staff Chief of Staff of the Volga and Ural and Moscow military districts (1935 – 1941). From February 1941 the deputy. Chief of General Staff.
During the Great Patriotic War 1941 – 1945 beg. Staff of the Western Front (July 1941 – Jan. 1942 and May 1942 – Feb.. 1943); early. Staff of the Western Direction (1942), Commander of Western Front (1943 – 1944); beginning. Staff of the 1 st Ukrainian Front (April 1944 – April. 1945), 1 st Deputy. Commander of the 1 st Belorussian Front (Apr. – May 1945).
After the war, the deputy, and from March 1946 Commander of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, and the leaders of the Soviet military administration in Germany at the same time was tsp. Supervisory Board of the USSR on the management of Germany (March 1946 – March 1949).
Since March 1949 1 st Deputy. War Minister of the USSR. In early June 1952. General Staff – 1 st Deputy. Minister of Defence of the USSR. In 1960 – 1968 Inspector-General of the Group of Inspectors General of the Ministry of Defence. Member of the CPSU Central Committee (1952 – 1961), a candidate tsp. CPSU Central Committee since 1961.
Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR 2 – 7-th convocation. The author and the director develop a series of military theory and military-historical works: "Military Strategy" (in 1962), "The defeat of the German fascist troops at Moscow" (1964), etc.
He was buried in Red Square near the Kremlin wall.
Name Sokolovsky awarded Novocherkassk Higher Military Command School of Communications.
Awarded 8 Orders of Lenin, Order of the October Revolution, 3 Orders of the Red Banner, Order of Suvorov 3 1 First Class, Order of Kutuzov 3 1-th degree, honored weapon – a sword with a gold State Emblem of the USSR, and medals and 12 medals, and many medals from foreign countries.