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The Purge of Marshal Zhukov

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 January 2017

Paul M. Cocks
Paul M. Cocks*
Affiliation:
Harvard University
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Extract

In contrast to the purge of the “anti-party group” in June, 1957, the removal of Marshal Georgii Zhukov from power has occasioned relatively little comment from Soviet authorities. However, even if the agents of Soviet totalitarianism have remained silent about the reasons for the purge of Zhukov, a consideration of the dynamics of the totalitarian system may help us to reach an explanation.

This study will first explore the official charges on the basis of which his removal was justified in the Resolution of the Central Committee, Marshal Konev's speech, and subsequent statements. These charges were: (1) promotion of the cult of Zhukov in the Soviet Army; (2) reduction and curtailment of party control over the army; (3) misdirection in military matters, particularly in military science and organizational questions; (4) adventurism and Bonapartism.

Type
Articles
Information
Slavic Review , Volume 22 , Issue 3 , September 1963 , pp. 483 - 498
Copyright
Copyright © Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies. 1963

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References

1 , Nov. 3, 1957, p. 1.

2 See Pistrak, Lazar, The Grand Tactician: Khrushchev's Rise to Power (New York, 1961), p. 208–25.Google Scholar

3 (Moscow, 1953), p. 40.

4 1941-1945 (Moscow, 1955), p. 162.

5 Supplement to the New Times (Moscow), Feb. 19, 1955, No. 8, p. 14.

6 See , No. 5, 1956, pp. 146-52, and , No. 4, 1956, pp. 2-9.

7 , May 9, 1956, p. 2.

8 , No. 10, 1956, p. 24. , Nov. 20, 1956, p. 2. , No. 14, 1956, pp. 62-72.

9 , Dec. 3, 1956, p. 1.

10 See Boris Meissner, Russland unter Chruschtshow (Munich, 1960), p. 48.

11 , Sept. 29, 1957, p. 2.

12 Ibid., July 16, 1957, p . 3.

13 , July 19, 1957, p. 2 (italics mine). See also Wolfgang Leonard, Kreml Ohne Stalin (Cologne, 1959), pp. 363-73.

14 , Nov. 3, 1957, p. 4.

15 , No. 1, 1958, pp. 26-40.

16 No. 2, 1958, pp. 34-56.

17 ibid., No. 1, 1958, pp. 10-28, and ibid., No. 3, 1958, pp. 85-95.

18 , Feb. 2, 1958, p. 3.

19 , Feb. 22, 1958, p. 2.

20 , June 22, 1961, pp. 2-3.

21 Ibid., Nov. 3, 1957, p. 1.

22 See Merle Fainsod, How Russia Is Ruled (Cambridge, Mass., 1959), pp. 390-420.

23 Raymond Garthoff, Soviet Strategy in the Nuclear Age (New York, 1960), pp. 47-48.

24 , Jan. 25, 1956, p. 3.

25 ibid., Apr. 26, 1956, p. 2.

26 Ibid., Apr. 27, 1956, p. 2.

27 , No. 12, 1956, pp. 35-36.

28 Ibid., No. 3, 1957, pp. 28-32.

29 , Jan. 22, 1957, p. 3.

30 Garthoff, op. cit., p. 28.

31 , June 13, 1957, p . 1.

32 , Aug. 13, 1957, p. 3.

33 Ibid., Aug. 21, 1957, p. 2.

34 See ibid., Sept. 4 and 25, 1957, and , Sept. 24, 1957, p. 2.

35 , Nov. 1, 1957, p. 1.

36 See , Jan. 4 and 10, 1958

37 See speeches by E.CaxapoB, ibid., Mar. 26, 1958, pp. 2-3; , No. 2, 1958, pp. 34-48; , No. 16, 1958, pp. 15-23; , Nov. 1, 1958.

38 See C. M. (Moscow, 1959).

39 See No. 16, 1958, pp. 15-23. Also see for Oct. 26 and 28, 1958. For the full text of the resolution see op. cit., pp. 36-52.

40 See Golikov's speech, , May 27, 1959.

41 Galay, N, “The Soviet Army and Domestic Policy?,” Bulletin (Munich), VII, No. 10, 1960, pp. 3–15.Google Scholar

42 , Nov. 21, 1957, p. 1.

43 , Oct. 30, 1961, p. 3. Golikov likened peremptoriness to the qualities of Chekhov's character, Prishibeev.

44 , Oct. 10, 1961, p. 4.

45 , July 29, 1961, p. 1.

46 ibid., July 9, 1961, p. 1.

47 , Oct. 25, 1961, pp. 2-3.

48 See Meissner, op. cit., pp. 58-60.

49 The New Times, op. cit., p. 14.

50 , Aug. 14, 1957, p. 3.

51 , Aug. 7, 1956, and , Mar. 23, 1957.

52 , Feb. 4, 1959, p. 5.

53 Ibid., Oct. 30, 1961, p . 3.

54 Friedrich, Carl J. and Brzezinski, Zbigniew, Totalitarian Dictatorship and Autocracy (Cambridge, Mass., 1956), see pp. 273–81.Google Scholar

55 , No. 16, 1957, p. 10.

56 Increased political concern over these issues was manifested in the creation of the historical journal, , in June, 1957, and in the creation of a new political-military journal, , also in June, 1957

57 For personnel changes see Meissner, op. cit., p. 76.