Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov

The Early Days

Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov was born in February 1900, in the Tula province near Moscow. He exemplified all the traits of the typical Russian soldier, dedicated, courageous, tough and determined. He was renowned for his explosive outburts of temper, but also had a robust sense of humour. In 1917, during the Civil War, he joined the Red Guards, training as a combat engineer. In early 1918, he was enrolled on a junior instructors course and then joined the Southern Front as an assistant Company commander in the 1st Ukranian Brigade, twice earning the award, Order of the Red Banner. In early 1919 he was promoted to assistant commander of the 40th Rifle Regiment and then commander of the 43rd Rifle Regiment, taking part in the Bolshevik conquest of the Urals and Siberia and then in 1920 in the campaign in Poland.
Following the end of the Civil War, Chuikov entered the Frunze Military Academy in 1923, graduating two years later. In 1926 he returned to the Frunze Academy and then following a period of service on the Russo-Chinese border he attended the Academy of Mechanization and Motorization at Moscow in 1935. Following his graduation he was given command of the of the 5th Rifle Corps in 1938 and in 1939 he became commander of the Bobruisk Army Group in the Belorussian Military District. At the end of that year he moved again, this time to take command of 4th Army, which was involved in the liberation of eastern Poland. His progress was soon noticed at the highest levels and for the campaign against Finland he was given command of 9th Army. The campaign proved a disaster and Chuikov's Army was halted at Suomussalmi and then mauled by a smaller Finnish force. With the ground and conditions favouring the Fins, Chuikov with his command post too far to the rear and suffering from a breakdown in communications, lost control of the battle. Despite this debacle, Chuikov was promoted to Lieutenant General in June 1940. However in December of the same year he was dispatched to China as a military attache, where he remained in the wilderness until March 1942 when he was recalled to Moscow.

Return to Favor

In May, following repeated requests, he was finally appointed deputy commander of a reserve army in the Tula, with responsibility for training. Bad luck continued to follow him when he was seriously injured in a car accident, from which it would take him a year to fully recover. In July the reserve Army was redesignated 64th Army and attached to the Southern Front. Here it was gradually forced to retreat between the Don and Volga Rivers and Chuikov experienced his first battles against the German 6th Army. However there were still doubts about his aptitude for command and lack of experience and in August he was replaced and instead given command of a special Operational Group, consisting of the 29th Rifle Division and the 154th Naval Brigade, responsible for protecting the southwestern approaches to Stalingrad. The group was pulled back into the city before the end of the month and formed the Army Reserve for 64th Army.

Defender of Stalingrad

On the 12th of September Chuikov was appointed commander of 62nd Army by Khrushchev, at his HQ in Yamy. Krushchev informed him that the Germans were prepared to take the city at any cost, there could be no surrender and there was nowhere to retreat to. Then he asked 'Comrade Chuikov, how do you interpret you're task?' Chuikov answered 'We will defend the city, or die in the attempt!' On hearing his answer, Krushchev informed him that he had interpreted his task correctly. That evening Chuikov crossed the Volga by ferry and then travelled to his Army HQ on the Mamayev Kurgan. He quickly installed NKVD troops at every landing stage on the Volga to prevent desertions across the river and instructed them to execute on the spot anyone who made such an attempt. He informed his staff, 'there is only one way to hold the city, we must pay in lives, time is blood!' he told them. Chuikov's personal fearlessness, bravery and unconditional commitment soon instilled confidence into his staff and his troops.
He quickly gained valuable experience and soon learned to adapt to the rapidly fluctuating situation within the city. He ordered that the Russian front line was to be kept as close to the German one as possible. This helped prevent German artillery and the Luftwaffe from providing fire support, for fear of hitting their own men. He also planned the defence around strong points, which would channel the German attacks into anti tank defence zones. He also advocated an emphasis on night attacks, again to reduce the possibility of Luftwaffe intervention and also to reduce German morale. He also insisted that all artillery units be positioned on the east bank of the Volga, as not only would it be difficult to resupply them with ammunition across the river, but there was simply not enough room to accomadate them on the western bank.
On the 14th of September he moved his HQ from the Kurgan and into the Tsaritsa Gorge. The 27th of September saw a heavy German offensive against the Kurgan and the Barrikady workers settlements. The attack was so strong that Chuikov commented to his staff, 'one more battle like that and we'll be in the Volga!' Despite gradual German progress during September, 62nd Army managed to hold out. During the second week of October a lull in the fighting occured. Chuikov reasoned that this was to allow German forces to prepare for a final offensive push. He gambled on its objectives and withdrew forces from the Kurgan and moved them into the northern industrial sector of the city. The gamble paid off, Chuikov had guessed right and the Russian forces managed to halt the German offensive. On the 17th of October, Chuikov moved his HQ again, this time right back to the riverbank of the Volga and here it remained until the end of the battle. On the 19th of November the Russian forces of the Southwestern and Stalingrad Fronts launched operation Uranus, the encirclement of the German 6th Army in Stalingrad. This day marked the turning point in the battle for the city, Chuikov could finaly enjoy some breathing space and gradually move over to the offensive. On the 19th of December Chuikov returned to the eastern bank of the Volga for the first time since September, to attend a party. He crossed the frozen river on foot and on his return in a very drunken state, he fell through a hole in the ice and nearly drowned. Despite all the dangers he had faced inside the city, Chuikov nearly met an ignominious end. Following the battle for Stalingrad he was awarded The Order of Lenin and The Order of the Red Star for his outstanding service to the Soviet Union.

The Road To Berlin

In the reorganization following the battle for the city,62nd Army lost many of its formations before it was re-assigned to the Southwestern Front in March 1943 and redesignated 8th Guards Army in recognition of its achievements at Stalingrad. In July that year Chuikov experienced his first offensive operation providing flank protection for the Voronezh Front during the battle of Kursk. This was followed from August to September by the Donbas Operation and at the beginning of 1944 from January to February by theNikopol Krivoi Rog Operation, the latter as part of 3rd Ukranian Front. Following this the Army was reassigned to the 2nd Ukranian Front for the Bereznegovato Snigirev and Odessa Operations during March and April, which completed the liberation of southern Ukraine. In April 1944 he was awarded with his first title Hero of the Soviet Union for the heroism and courage he had shown in the Battles following Stalingrad.
In mid 1944 the Army was moved again, this time joining the 1st Belorussian Front for Operation Bagration, the liberation of Belorussia and subsequently eastern Poland.
In January and February it took part in the Vistula Oder Operation and then spearheaded the drive towards Berlin. The street fighting within the German capital was reminiscent of that during the battle for Stalingrad and Chuikov's Army was well suited for the task. However casualties were high and Chuikov later commented that 'every stone, the brick rubble, the asphalt pavements of the squares and streets of the German capital were stained with his mens blood. On the 2nd of May, Chuikov's HQ accepted the surrenderof the Berlin Garrison on behalf of the Red Army High Command. In April 1945 he was awarded his second title Hero of the Soviet Union for the heroism and courage he had shown during the capture of Berlin.
Following the end of the war, Chuikov remained in Germany for eight years, serving as deputy and then Commander in Chief of Soviet Occupation Forces. In 1949 he was promoted to Army General, and in 1953 he became commander of the Kiev Military District. In 1955 he was promoted to Marshal of the Soviet Union and in 1960 he became the Deputy Minister for Defence and then in 1964 Minister for Civil Defence, a post which he retained until his retirement in 1972. Chuikov wrote several books on the subject of the battle and his military career in general. His war memoirs were published in 1959, entitled 'From the Volga to the Spree' and a further book in 1962 entitled '180 days in the Fire of Battle'. He died in March 1982, following a brief illness and was buried with full military honours at a special memorial site in Volgograd, the renamed Stalingrad.