Marshal Vasilevsky

He dreamed of becoming a teacher and an agronomist, but ended up finishing a theological seminary and a military school. The former seminarian went through two wars—World War I and the Civil War—successfully proving himself in command roles, but his place was found in staff work. During the Great Patriotic War, A. M. Vasilyevsky quickly rose to the top of the military Olympus. Being a vivid representative of the so-called “Shaposhnikov school,” he successfully led the “brain of the army”—the General Staff—solving questions of training and deploying the armed forces during military operations. Marshal Vasilyevsky also demonstrated great talent as a commander, a master of preparation, planning, and conducting strategic and front-line operations.

The book, based on a wide range of documentary sources and previously published literature, examines the creative “laboratory” of Marshal A. M. Vasilyevsky, his contribution to achieving victory over Nazi Germany and militarist Japan, and to strengthening the defensive capability of the Soviet Union.