On June 24, 1945, at exactly 10 a.m., the solemn sounds of the "Meeting March" resounded over Red Square, and Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov, the commander of the parade, rode out of the Spassky Gate of the Kremlin to meet the combined regiments representing all the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky, the commander of the parade, greeted him on the square.

Fate, which had brought these people together many times before, during, and after the war, in the Battle of Moscow, in Stalingrad, and on the approaches to Berlin, brought them together once again. This time, they were entrusted with putting the final, victorious point in the Great War.

As is well known, Stalin personally wanted to greet the troops of the victorious army, but his lack of cavalry skills prevented him from doing so. "I'm too old for this, so you take over the parade," he told Zhukov. "And who will be in command?" Stalin hesitated, "We'll entrust the command to Rokossovsky."

Apparently, two factors were decisive in choosing these two military leaders for such a responsible and honorable task: their contribution to the Victory and their inherent "true cavalry spirit." By the way, the selection of horses for the marshals was given the utmost attention. After a thorough examination, Zhukov was presented with a light gray horse named "Kumir" in one of the cavalry regiments. This large and slender animal appealed to Georgy Konstantinovich, and he chose it. Rokossovsky chose a horse from the equestrian school, a chestnut stallion named Polus. For about a month, the horses were prepared for the parade in the riding arena, with Marshal of the Soviet Union S.M. Budyonny personally supervising the training.

How different these animals were: the lively, spirited Kabardian Kumor and the majestic, well-bred Pole, and how different their riders were. There is a lot of talk and writing about the friendship between these two generals, but were they really friends? While they certainly had a mutual respect for each other, they were not particularly close. They had different perspectives on many aspects of life, including strategy, tactics, and most importantly, human relationships.

Their destinies crossed in an amazing way. Both of them were recipients of the Order of St. George, and they were both natural-born cavalrymen. From the very first days of the Civil War, they were both serving in the Red Army. However, Rokossovsky was initially one or two ranks above Zhukov in the military hierarchy. He ended the war as the commander of a brigade (later transformed into a regiment), while Zhukov was the commander of a squadron. Rokossovsky was awarded two Orders of the Red Banner, while Zhukov did not receive his first order until 1922. Then fate brought the future great commanders together for the first time: in 1924-1925, they "sat at the same desk" at the Higher Cavalry Command Courses in Leningrad, and from 1929, Zhukov was under the command of Rokossovsky. Konstantin Rokossovsky commanded the 7th Samara Cavalry Division, where Georgy Zhukov served as a brigade commander.

They would have continued to climb the ranks, and it is unknown who would have reached the top first, if it hadn't been for the terrible year of 1937 in our history. By order of the People's Commissar of Defense, Voroshilov, Konstantin Rokossovsky was dismissed from the army without explanation. This was followed by his arrest, stripping of his military rank, and more than three years of imprisonment, during which Konstantin Rokossovsky experienced the torment of interrogations, beatings, and humiliation. Zhukov, on the other hand, was fortunate enough to avoid these experiences. Perhaps it was a matter of luck. Maybe he was destined to be the first.

During the period of the commanders' joint service, there is an interesting but little-known characterization-attestation given by the division commander-military commissar (this was the title of Rokossovsky's position after the introduction of one-man command in the Red Army) to G. K. Zhukov: "Strong will. Decisive. Has a rich initiative and uses it skillfully. Disciplined. Demanding and in his

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He is persistent in his demands. He is a bit dry and insensitive by nature, and has a significant amount of stubbornness. He is painfully self-centered...

Rokossovsky was well versed in people and even in those years "saw through" the character of Zhukov. It was not for nothing that he drew attention to those qualities of Zhukov that are now somehow not customary to talk about: rudeness, stubbornness, excessive self-love. But it was precisely these traits of Georgy Konstantinovich's character that later resulted in extremely cruel treatment of subordinate commanders and officers, in demands to "stand to the death", "fulfill at any cost", threats of execution before the formation. For example, the commander of the 43rd Army, K. Golubev, complained to Stalin about Zhukov's style on November 8, 1941: "On the second day after my arrival, they promised to shoot me, on the third day they threatened to put me on trial, and on the fourth day they threatened to shoot me in front of the army." It is unlikely that we can blame the Marshal for this today, as war is the most brutal thing in the world, and those who want to win it must make extreme sacrifices.

The style of command and control of Rokossovsky's troops was radically different from Zhukovsky's, but there were no fewer victories. Georgy Konstantinovich himself specifically noted Rokossovsky's" rare spiritual qualities"," constant attention to subordinates", simply accessibility, modesty. They say that he did not recognize the word "I order", he said: "I ask you..." At the same time, even incredibly difficult, complex tasks were performed. He never shouted at his subordinates, never humiliated their human dignity, and never demanded "victory at any cost." He conducted his military operations in such a way that his subordinates came to realize, without threats or coercion, that no one else could do what they needed to do, that there was no turning back, and that they, and no one else, had to save their country. However, he was also demanding, strict, and even harsh when his subordinates deserved it.

Rokossovsky's military talent, high standards for himself and his subordinates, and his kindness and love for people were all remarkably combined. The harmony of Rokossovsky's external and internal beauty amazed people, and his concern for others, his fairness, simplicity, accessibility, and modesty captivated everyone who ever met him. Rokossovsky was loved. Loved and followed him into fire and water.

Why? The answer seems to be that, like all great Russian commanders, he did not "send" his troops into battle, but rather "led" them. And when faced with any task, no matter how challenging, he always sought to minimize casualties. His orders were clear: "Save lives!" and "Achieve success with minimal bloodshed." This was achieved through maneuvering, longer and more powerful artillery preparation, and the bypassing and encircling of the most impregnable lines, which was a testament to his exceptional military leadership skills. His soldiers and officers greatly appreciated this and responded with their undying love for him. On one occasion, when visiting the front lines, where he was known for his desire to connect with his soldiers, Rokossovsky was presented with a lovingly crafted homemade cigarette case inscribed with the words, "To Our Suvorov."

Rokossovsky's life was not easy. He was arrested, separated from his family, falsely accused of treason, and demoted in rank. However, he never held a grudge against anyone. After the war, when Georgy Zhukov fell out of favor, many of his former colleagues felt it was appropriate to remind the marshal of all his sins, both real and imagined. Among them were people in marshal's uniforms. The same I. S. Konev wrote an article in Pravda, as Georgy Konstantinovich himself put it, "such a lousy article," in which he said that "it is ridiculous to claim that Zhukov played a special role in the war." However, Rokossovsky was not among the critics of Zhukov. Instead, he expressed his support and warm, encouraging words. This was despite the fact that there was a "black cat" between the two commanders at the end of the war.

Imagine the situation: the beginning of the Berlin operation, Rokossovsky, commander of the 1st Belorussian Front, is preparing to put the final point in the war. He is targeting the lair of the Nazi beast. The plan of action has been thoroughly developed, the troops are ready, and they know and love their commander. Suddenly, on Stalin's orders, he is transferred to a secondary sector, the 2nd Belorussian Front. In his place, G.K. Zhukov is appointed...

Formally, the Supreme Commander explained to Georgy Konstantinovich that he had "more experience" than Rokossovsky and could do more because he would remain Stalin's deputy. However, in reality, he simply wanted to create tension between the two commanders, perhaps fearing their growing popularity among the troops.

It is no wonder that Georgy Konstantinovich, reflecting on this fact many years later, wrote: "From that moment on, there was no longer the same warmth and close camaraderie between Rokossovsky and myself that we had shared for many years. As the war drew to a close, Stalin became increasingly involved in scheming and pitting the marshals against each other, creating divisions and fostering envy."

However, there is another explanation for the sudden replacement of Rokossovsky. As you know, Stalin tried to get ahead of the Allies at all costs. Those, in turn, were also not averse to entering Berlin first. As W. Churchill wrote on April 5, 1945: To Roosevelt:"...If the situation develops in such a way that Berlin is within the reach of our troops, then we must definitely take it." Therefore, in order to be sure of success, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief assigned Zhukov to the direction of the main attack. Stalin knew that Zhukov, in his eagerness to carry out his orders, would be willing to take extreme measures. On the other hand, if Rokossovsky encountered fierce German resistance, which was an easy prediction, he might have sought a different approach to save his troops. Subsequent events confirmed this. Zhukov faced fierce resistance from the Nazis at the Seelow Heights, and despite heavy losses on our side, he pushed forward and took the heights. The road to Berlin was now open.

By removing Rokossovsky from command of the 1st Belorussian Front, which had taken Berlin, Stalin undoubtedly felt that he was acting unfairly. Perhaps this is why he chose Konstantin Rokossovsky to lead the Victory Parade, despite the fact that there were many other worthy marshals available. Rokossovsky himself viewed this appointment as a great honor. "There was no higher or more deserving honor for me than to lead this parade," Rokossovsky later admitted. This is how many people remember him: tall and slender, riding a bay horse at the head of the country's most important parade, the Victory Parade of 1945.

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