Pictured: Lieutenant-General V. I. Chuikov, Commander of the 62nd Army in Stalingrad; N. V. Orlov, a young Red Army scout and soldier who was 16 years old in 1942. Marshal Chuikov emanated a natural, genuine warmth toward his soldiers, regardless of their age or position. Nikolai Vasilievich Orlov was a teenager during the Great Patriotic War, and he and his family were all involved in the Soviet defense. His mother was in the NKVD 10th Division, and his father was a fighter pilot. Nikolai became a soldier at a young age, and he fought at the boat landing site on the Volga in the defense of Stalingrad during the hardest of days. Vasily Ivanovich wanted to personally recognize him for his bravery. Orlov shared his encounter  with Lieutenant-General Chuikov and the warm greeting he received at the 62nd Army HQ: “I was a kid then. I did not consider myself an adult, and at times I was even embarrassed. The soldiers of age 20-22 were just boys, but they seemed to me as mature men. […] I came in and heard the other people murmuring: ‘Here is the hero!’ I went on and could not realize: ‘Well, what have I done that is so special? Why are they ushering me in here? They, probably, are going to give me another assignment…’ I was figuring to myself. Then the aide said: ‘Vasily Ivanovich will come here soon.’ Then Vasily Chuikov came in: ‘Well, where is he?’ He came up to me and hugged me! […] And then addressing the others: ‘We are sure to win with fellows like this!’ And with such jokes he hugged and kissed me and asked: ‘What reward do you want?’… I am honest with you, back then people did not think about any rewards and decorations. Generally, as we had been retreating all the time very few people were awarded in the Battle of Stalingrad. Only after the Battle of Stalingrad did rewards and decorations started being ladled out generously. The entire 10th Division of the NKVD had perished here and only 368 of its servicemen were decorated. Not a single one was honored with the Hero’s title. Vasily Chuikov asked again: ‘Well, what do you want?’ I looked at him... He wore such a fine gabardine uniform, […] And I said, ‘Here's what I want, such a tunic!’ And he said: ‘Do you want all of this?’ ‘No,’ I said, ‘I don’t want your insignia and decorations, I just want a gabardine tunic, like this one!’ [Chuikov] turned and laughed: ‘Well, what shall we do with the guys like him? Let it be so! Tomorrow morning take him to the 13th Division and hand him such a tunic!’ Back then taking photos was not particularly allowed and there were no facilities for that. But my photo was taken anyway, and the picture was handed to me later—the only one. Then my future fate was associated with intelligence and I had no more pictures. The only one I have now is this one—wearing a gabardine tunic. At the same time when they gave me the tunic I was decorated with the medal ‘For Courage.’ According to the statute, prior to getting that medal ‘For Courage’ one was supposed to be decorated with the medal ‘For Battle Merit’ first. But I skipped that part and was handed the medal ‘For Courage’ in the first place.”

Photo: Marshal Chuikov was an avid chess player and loved card games. As a person who was not used to losing, he could sit for hours at a time until he won. Sometimes he got frustrated, but he refused to back down. ‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going’ is a familiar saying in the US, and it certainly fits Marshal Chuikov’s personality. The defender of Stalingrad never surrendered to anyone. Vasily Ivanovich possessed a strong character—he always strove to win. In 2018, Marshal Chuikov’s grandson Nikolai Vladimirovich shared the following anecdote : “Grandpa loved cards, chess, checkers - everything that you can play. At the dacha we sat down at the table, laid out the cards. If my grandfather won, he would sit and tease everyone. And if he lost, he puffed out his cheeks, threw cards, went off to drink. Returned: ‘Well, let's play!’ And he played until he won back. Once my grandfather and I sat in Zavidovo hunting [and playing chess] until 5 in the morning. A chess grandmaster [was] with us. He took out the board and arranged the chess set. Grandpa lost to him […] evening, night, dawn... The adjutant went behind Chuikov's back and showed the grandmaster: ‘Fool, do you see what time it is? Lose to him!’ And the stubborn grandmaster was caught—he still won. But, in the end, the grandmaster was tired [and] wanted to sleep—then he lost.” This depth of resolve and drive to win were crucial for the defense of Stalingrad during the darkest days when hope for holding the city was nearly gone. Michael Jones interviewed General Anatoly Mereshko, who served with Lieutenant-General Chuikov as a 20-year-old cadet, extensively for his book Stalingrad: How the Red Army Triumphed . He shared the following: “Chuikov led from the front—and this was so important at Stalingrad. ‘We all felt the force of Chuikov’s will, his sheer determination,’ Mereshko recalled. ‘With all the problems we had, and it was a desperate situation, we knew our commander would stay with us, defending and protecting Stalingrad, with all the resources available to him, and this conviction radiated out and reached all our soldiers.’ Chuikov was personally very brave. He would not ask his soldiers to undertake a task unless he was willing to face similar danger himself.”

Pictured: General Chuikov (center) discussing battle plans with 8th Guards officers Authentic leaders create a culture of trust and loyalty , and Marshal Chuikov understood this dynamic well. Training soldiers and developing battle plans were activities in which he excelled, and his years of successful leadership and numerous victories stand as a testament to his effectiveness. Chuikov remained at the front lines of battle throughout the Great Patriotic War. Michael Jones shared in his work titled Stalingrad: How the Red Army Triumphed how Vasily Ivanovich “did not want to risk his men’s lives in such a cavalier fashion” as he observed other generals doing by commanding at a distance away from the front (see Chapter 3). In his book Stalingrad Guards Go West , Chuikov shares his thoughts on gaining confidence and loyalty within the ranks. He recognized the need to establish a relationship of trust with his troops through clarity of communication and by his active presence with them in battle. “Any tactical technique is only valuable when it is understandable to every soldier, when it can be performed by everyone, from officers to ordinary soldiers. Suvorov once said that ‘every soldier must understand his maneuver.’ These words were not spoken by him by chance. Above a map, in the quiet of a dugout or in an office, the commander of an army, front, or staff officer can invent many tactical techniques with the most complex restructuring, which, from a speculative point of view, may also seem very effective. But they must be necessarily simple, easy to execute, they must be mastered, and not only understood by the immediate performers, the soldiers. When you are dealing with large masses of people in which there are thousands of different characters, fast, slow, with excellent reaction, with delayed reaction, this is not easy to achieve. The training of the troops is precisely measured by the combat techniques they have mastered. In battle, there are no easy maneuvers because the enemy also does not sleep. He is watching you, can guess your technique if you delayed its execution, and apply a counter-technique a result of which you will suffer heavy losses. The soldiers of the 8th Guards Army, according to the experience of battles in Stalingrad, believed in their commanders. Therefore, everything new that was introduced into the 8th Guards Army was picked up and studied. This is a big, great thing—the soldier's trust in the commander's plan. It gave rise to a desire to understand and master this plan. For the most brilliant thought of a commander, if the soldier did not believe in it, if he did not understand it, is incapable of engendering anything but confusion” (89).

Pictured: Colonel-General V. I. Chuikov with his soldiers celebrating the victory over the Nazis, Berlin, 1945 . Authentic leaders celebrate their teams’ successes and are personally, deeply gratified by their achievements. When a leader invests himself in others, he pours his heart and soul into the process. Marshal Chuikov was such a leader—making sure his troops were battle-ready and equipped for the tasks ahead. The reader can feel Vasily Ivanovich’s sense of pride in his soldiers in his books and articles, the same pride one can hear in his speeches about the famed 62nd—8th Guards Army. In his book titled In the Battles for Ukraine ,   Marshal Chuikov summarized the successes of his army in this way: “The 62nd—8th Guards—Army passed through Ukraine from Kupyansk, from the Northern Donets to the Dniester. She passed with heavy battles, in the most difficult conditions, advancing, nowhere and never stumbling, not stepping back, not showing her back to the enemy. The attack of the Nazis in May 1944 also crashed on her stamina and courage. She victoriously carried the Guards banner across the Ukrainian soil, with which she still had to go through Europe to Berlin itself. But about the further path of the army [is] a separate story... A little time passed, and the 8th Guards Army joined the troops sent to strike at Berlin. We liberated cities, towns, villages, farms, and everywhere the arrival of a Soviet soldier caused tears of joy, we were greeted as liberators. Residents of the liberated villages and cities joined our army. The 62nd Army emerged from the crucible of defensive battles in Stalingrad. Its new life began on the Northern Donets; from a defense army, it turned into an offensive army. Renamed the 8th Guards, she, like other Guards formations, became a strike force in offensive operations. As part of the troops of the Southwestern Front, the 8th Guards Army was intended to break into enemy defenses. The experience of defensive battles was to be enriched by the ability to attack. It was a milestone, a transitional stage in the life of the army, every soldier and commander.”

Pictured: Marshal V. I. Chuikov with Captain Philippe de Gaulle at President Charles de Gaulle’s grave in France. Press photo from The Daily Telegraph, 14 November 1970. In leadership positions, there are times when one is called upon to officially represent the organization to the public—this is especially true of states, provinces, and nations. As a Marshal of the Soviet Union, Chuikov served as a representative of the government at various high-level occasions, some of which involved significant travel. For instance, when US President Dwight D. Eisenhower died in 1969, Vasily Ivanovich flew to Washington, DC as a leading Soviet delegate. Marshal Georgi Zhukov knew President Eisenhower personally, but he was in poor health and could not make the trip, according to The New York Times  article titled “Russia's Delegation to Funeral Is Headed by Marshal Chuikov” on 30 March 1969. President De Gaulle also traveled to the US for the occasion to pay his respects, meeting with Richard Nixon during his trip. The following year, Marshal Chuikov traveled to France on the occasion of President Charles de Gaulle’s passing, once again as a representative of the Soviet Union. In my searching for a direct link between the two men, I struggled a bit at first to find it. Interestingly enough, there was a connection between de Gaulle and Chuikov that went beyond their leadership during WW2. After the war ended, Vasily Ivanovich spent 7 years in Germany, during which time he was appointed to the position of Commander of the Soviet Ground Forces. In an interview dated 22 February 2013, Marshal Chuikov’s former driver in Berlin, Ivan Kvaskov, shared about a gift  from President de Gaulle: “On the eve of Defender of the Fatherland Day, a meeting was held with Ivan Kvaskov, who for two years was the personal driver of the hero of the Battle of Stalingrad, Marshal of the Soviet Union Vasily Chuikov. […] A native of [the] republic [of Mordovia], [Kvaskov] served in the army from the fall of 1943 to 1956. He was Chuikov's driver in the post-war period in the 1940s in Germany. ‘I am proud that fate brought me together with the legendary marshal,’ says the veteran. ‘It was a great happiness. He kept his subordinates in tight-knit gloves. He was a tough and demanding commander, but he never shouted at me or punished me in two years. And his wife, Valentina Petrovna, was generally a very kind woman.’ Ivan Kvaskov also shared other memories of the hero of Stalingrad. The future President of France Charles de Gaulle presented Marshal Chuikov with a racing car, in which our fellow countryman [Kvaskov] already in those years ‘squeezed’ 200 km/h on the Autobahn. But the legendary marshal went on official business in a captured German Mercedes. ‘The six-cylinder was,’ recalls the former driver, ‘it was a great car. In the movie Seventeen Moments of Spring , they showed it.’”

Pictured:   Commander Chuikov outside the 62nd Army HQ on the banks of the Volga in Stalingrad, January 1943 When undertaking formal studies in management and leadership, students are presented with instruction on the four types of planning —strategic, tactical, operational, and contingency. Effective leaders and managers understand the four types thoroughly and can assess accurately what is required at each level. In organizations, there are times when the strategy is already set—and managers and leaders devise the supporting tactics, operations, and contingencies to execute the strategy appropriately. Marshal Chuikov is an example of an exceptional authentic leader who could plan all four types effectively. Evidence of his ability to plan for all four types is provided in examples of his leadership from the Great Patriotic War and beyond, as he served as Chief of the Soviet Armed Forces and Deputy Minister of Defense, and later oversaw the Soviet Civil Defense Forces during the 1960’s and early 1970’s. In Chuikov’s book The Battle for Stalingrad , he includes orders given during those horrific days at the front, which were meticulously drafted at night for the next day (i.e., see p. 151). Anatoly Merezhko, who served as a communications officer at the 62nd Army HQ, assessed that Lieutenant-General Chuikov was "not a great strategist" in the BBC documentary series "War of the Century" (third episode). However, I do not agree with his remark--in Stalingrad, Chuikov was not required to develop an overall strategy, since it was already set at the highest level (Stavka and the Front Command). However, specific tactics and operations came under Chuikov's command and were reviewed by the 62nd Army Military Council. Vasily Ivanovich grew to be very familiar with the tactics and operations of the German Army as he was present at the front lines of battle with his warriors. As one can sense, this closeness helped to engender a strong loyalty among his soldiers. After the surrender of the German 6th Army in Stalingrad, some Red Army commanders were interviewed about their assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy. An excerpt from Life magazine, 22 February 1943 edition reveals Chuikov’s thoughts on the matter: “The victory at Stalingrad […] was completed and ready for the history books. The Germans had arrived on Aug. 23. They were surrounded on Nov. 25. They were invited to surrender on Jan. 9 and General (later Field Marshal) Friedrich von [sic] Paulus refused the invitation. Their last airfield, at Gumrak, was taken. The army of Col. General Rokossovsky hammered the remnants against the anvil of Lieut. General Chuikov’s Stalingrad garrison, which had already taken the decisive height of Mamaev Kurgan in the city. The first German generals began to surrender, Moritz von Drebber of the 297th, Dubios of the 44th. […] General Chuikov, [when] asked what were the German’s tactical mistakes at Stalingrad, replied: ‘None. But they made the strategical mistake of putting Hitler in command’”(26). ***Field Marshal Paulus was not a “von” as he hailed from a middle-class family , and was not part of the Prussian aristocracy.

Photo inscribed on the back with the words “Bandage on the move”—Lieutenant-Colonel V. I. Chuikov stands with a battlefield nurse receiving a dressing change in Stalingrad. Chuikov suffered from a painful, burning weeping eczema on his hands brought on by the stresses of constant heavy combat which required regular dressing changes. This photo is from a family archive of General Semyon Tsvigun—the entire photo collection is located here . Women filled numerous roles in the Great Patriotic War, and their contributions to the defense of the Motherland did not go unnoticed. Like their counterparts in the US and other Allied nations, Soviet women worked tirelessly in factories manufacturing weapons, vehicles, and aircraft, and provided support in other ways as well behind the battle lines and at the front. True to his nature in fully acknowledging the warriors of the 62nd (later 8th Guards) Army, Vasily Ivanovich was quick to credit the women soldiers of the Red Army for their tenacity, courage, abilities, effort, and indispensability. Even battlefield nurses knew how to use their weapons and were well-prepared to fight. In his book titled The Battle for Stalingrad , Marshal Chuikov recounts the actions of the brave women who unflinchingly served alongside the men of the Red Army all the way to Berlin: “The deliberate mass entry of women, particularly girls, into active service in the army was not always clearly understood by everyone. There are some who probably still do not understand that they did so as equal builders of socialism and equal defenders of the interests of the workers. This is why, in the war against the Nazi invaders, we saw our Soviet women acting as orderlies, carrying tens and hundreds of wounded from the firing line; as doctors, carrying out operations under air and artillery attack; or as telephonists and radio operators, handling operational conversations and administration in battle. We saw them working at headquarters and in political organizations, where they did army administration work and educated the troops in a spirit of military tenacity. Anyone who visited the front would see women acting as gunners in anti-artillery units, as pilots of aeroplanes doing battle with the German air aces, as captains of armoured boats, in the Volga fleet, for example, carrying cargoes from the left bank to the right and back again in unbelievably difficult conditions. It is no exaggeration to say that women fought alongside men everywhere in the war. It must also be remembered that in the second half of 1942, when our armies had retreated to a line running through Leningrad, Mozhaysk, Voronezh, Stalingrad and Mozdok, leaving densely populated areas of the country in enemy hands, new recruits were needed. Women volunteered for the army en masse , and this made it possible for us to bring our units and establishments back up to full efficiency. We had whole units (such as anti-aircraft batteries and night-flying PO-2 bomber regiments) in which the majority of gun-teams and crews were women. And it must be said that these units did their jobs as well as the units in which men predominated. We can take two types of work involved in defense operations—anti-aircraft defense and signals—as examples. The majority of gun crews in the Stalingrad anti-aircraft defense corps, in both anti-aircraft batteries and on searchlights, consisted of women. But the efficiency of these crews and batteries was not the slightest inferior to the anti-aircraft units we saw on the Don and in other parts of the front, where the majority of the crews were men. In terms of tenacity and self-sacrifice, in the battle with the German dive-bombers, the women anti-aircraft gun crews on the banks of the Volga were models of courage. They would stick to their guns and go on firing when bombs were exploding all round them, when it seemed impossible not merely to fire accurately, but even to stay with the guns. In the fire and smoke, amid bursting bombs, seemingly unaware of the columns of earth exploding into the air all about them, they stood their ground to the last. The Luftwaffe’s raids on the city, therefore, in spite of heavy losses among the anti-aircraft personnel, were always met by concentrated fire, which as a rule took a heavy toll among the attacking aircraft. Our women anti-aircraft gunners shot down dozens of enemy planes over the blazing city” (239-241).

Pictured (a still from archival footage): Soldiers of the 8th Guards Army hoisting Colonel-General Chuikov into the air celebrating the capitulation of Berlin, May 1945. Red Star  war correspondent Vasily Grossman was ever-present with the Red Army and recorded his interviews with soldiers and officers alike. He traveled with the advancing army during the Great Patriotic War all the way to Berlin in 1945. Grossman’s notes were later edited and compiled into a book titled A Writer at War . In an excerpt from the book, a conversation with then Colonel-General Chuikov took place outside of Lublin, Poland. The text of focus is provided below, and my commentary follows. “In July 1944, Grossman, once again accompanied by [Oleg] Troyanovsky, rejoined General Chuikov and his Stalingrad Army, now renamed the 8th Guards Army. Troyanovsky described the approach to the city of Lublin in eastern Poland. 'The road to Lublin is literally crammed with troops. There is much air activity on both sides. Writer Vasily Grossman and I take turns to watch the sky. It had been raining. There is water in the ditches and in bomb and shell craters, yet one still often has to hide in them from the enemy's Messerschmitts.' Troyanovsky also recorded their meeting with General Chuikov. Grossman wasted no time in questioning the general, both of whose hands were bandaged [due to painful stress-induced excema]. 'What about Lublin?' Grossman asked. 'Lublin will be liberated. It's a matter of a few hours. It's something else that I am concerned about.' We said nothing. 'Look, one could almost touch Berlin with one's hand now. And it's the dream of every Soviet warrior to take part in capturing Berlin. But I'm afraid that the [Stavka] leadership could change their minds and move my army to another axis. It's happened a few times before. Yet it's perfect logic and common sense. Just think: Stalingradtsy, advancing on Berlin!' While Chuikov fretted over his army's right to glory in the advance Berlin, his soldiers were just about to discover the [concentration] camp of Majdanek on the other side of Lublin (280).” The particular remark I take issue with is the description of Chuikov’s “fretting” over whether the 8th Guards Army would be allowed to storm Berlin in the final days of the war. After all, his troops were transferred to a different front in June 1944, only one month before the above-referenced conversation took place. The 8th Guards transfer from the 3rd Ukrainian Front to the 1st Belorussian Front is described in the first few pages of Chuikov’s book, The Fall of Berlin . From what I have learned and observed about Vasily Ivanovich’s personality, he was not self-seeking in his desire for the 8th Guards Army to take Berlin. Instead, he understood the gravity of the task ahead and wanted his soldiers, the defenders of Stalingrad, to have the honor of advancing into the city, the stronghold of the Nazi forces. In The Fall of Berlin , Chuikov shared his reaction to the news of his Army’s transfer to the 1st Belorussian Front. “Then suddenly the official decision [was announced]: ‘The Army is being transferred to one of the main lines of advance.’ Was I glad? Yes. What military man is not glad when he is accorded honour and trust? He would be worth nothing otherwise. One must want to be where one can do the most for the common cause. But I had no time for rejoicing. There were many current jobs to be dealt with, first of all regrouping the troops on the Dniester bridge-head without losses and without giving anything away to the enemy” (11). After living through the death and destruction of the German onslaught of Stalingrad and other battles since that point, Chuikov thought it was fitting for the 8th Guards to have this honor. As an authentic leader and their champion, he communicated this desire on behalf of his soldiers. Fortunately, Stalin was already thinking the same thing—and Chuikov's troops took Berlin’s Templehof Airport on 26 April 1945. A few days later, Chuikov personally accepted the surrender of the German forces in Berlin from General Weidling.

Photo Caption: Tell the General It’s Funny! Mr. Dean Acheson (left), American Secretary of State, laughs at the interpretation given by a Russian officer (back to camera) of a joke made by General Vasily I. Chuikov (right), Chief of the Soviet Control Commission in Germany, during a reception given by Mr. John McCloy, U.S. High Commissioner in Germany for Mr. Acheson during the latter’s visit to Berlin 14 November 1949. (Photo by Associated Press) Marshal Chuikov was well known internationally throughout his career. His appointments to top posts opened the door to meetings with leading officials from several nations, and his time in post-war Berlin was no exception. In the books titled Present at the Creation: My Years in the State Department and Sketches from Life of Men I Have Known , former U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson shared about his encounters with Vasily Ivanovich in Europe. The ‘tough as nails’ authentic leader had a memorable sense of humor that Acheson described in his memoirs. Both of the following excerpts are about Acheson’s 14 November 1949 visit to Berlin. From   the book Present at the Creation: “After a reception given by General Taylor for me to meet the British, French, and Soviet commandants and their staffs, our memorable visit to Berlin ended, but not before the arrival of General Chuikov, Military Governor of the Soviet Zone and Commandant of the Soviet Sector of Berlin, won a bet for me. Taylor told me that no Russian had attended a social function since the blockade had begun more than a year before. However, General Chuikov and I had enlivened a rather dull dinner party at the Soviet Embassy in Paris six months before, and I had bet that he would come” (343).  And from Sketches : “General Maxwell Taylor, then Commandant of our Sector in Berlin, had a reception for me to which the other three Commandants were, of course, invited. General Chuikov, he said, would not come; he had not attended any Western social function for months. I offered a ten-dollar bet that he would. General Taylor took it. The reception had been going for an hour and my chances seemed pretty dim. Then there was a great clatter at the door and in came, not only General Chuikov, but all of his staff. (General Taylor refused to pay a bonus for staff.) While we were exchanging noisy greetings and he was demanding [that I do my Andrei] Vyshinksy [imitation], up came a waiter with a tray of cocktails, a large tray. Chuikov took a solemn appraising look and began to drink them before I realized his mistaken assumption of a challenge. ‘You don't have to drink all of those, General,’ I assured him. ‘They're for everybody.’ He looked immensely relieved. ‘Good Lord,’ I went on. ‘You must have a tin stomach.’... He shook his head. ‘No,’ he said, ‘steel.’”

Pictured: Young Chuikov as Commander of the 43rd Regiment of the 5th Rifle Division of the Red Army, 1919 Today's global business environment features horizontal organizations with flatter structures rather than traditional vertical hierarchies with employee promotions based on seniority. Effective young employees are often promoted to supervisor positions over older employees, but it takes time for the team to accept a younger leader's authority, meaning they often need to prove themselves before their older counterparts will take them seriously. While it can be frustrating to navigate group dynamics, it requires consistent excellence, strong people skills, open communication, and a lot of patience. Before Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov was a Marshal of the Soviet Union, he was a leader who rose swiftly within the ranks of the Red Army due to his natural abilities, knowledge gained from experience and study, and personal attributes of leadership. In an essay published in the book titled  Fighters for People's Happiness  by Shemyakov, 19-year-old Regimental Commander Chuikov was described as an effective leader who was able to win over his older peers: “[He was a] young commander with clear and confident answers, seriousness beyond his years, and tactical intelligence. It was also valuable that he already had, albeit little, combat experience on the Southern Front [in the Russian Civil War]. Almost all the commanders and soldiers of the regiment were older than him, many were good fathers, and some of the subordinates were at first wary of him. Therefore, sometimes it was not easy in the classroom, but everyone studied diligently. Chuikov knew the weapons perfectly, he shot perfectly, he could show any technique himself. What is incomprehensible—he explained to subordinates patiently, over and over again. But then he checked it meticulously. While teaching the Red Army soldiers, the young commander persistently studied and gained life experience. And gradually the difference in years began to fade—distrust was replaced by respect. Since that time, Chuikov has retained for his whole life a special love for combat training, the desire to be convinced of the preparedness of each fighter for himself. "

Pictured: Newsweek  11 April 1949 article titled “The Rudest Russian” and Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung  German-language newspaper article labeled “Stalin’s Coarsest General” dated 27 May 1949, which mirrored information from the earlier Newsweek  article. Both articles announce General Chuikov’s appointment as Marshal Sokolovsky's replacement as Chief of the Soviet Ground Forces in Germany and include a comparison of the two men’s temperaments. Authenticity inspires loyalty in followers, and Marshal Chuikov was highly regarded, admired, and respected by his soldiers despite any shortcomings he may have possessed. The positive characteristics of effective leaders far outweigh the negative ones, but there are still some weaknesses that can cause problems. To be authentic, one must be aware of weaknesses and possess the emotional intelligence necessary to recognize triggers for negative behavior. Steve Milano described authentic leaders  as being less than perfect, requiring acknowledgment of weak areas and continuously developing strengths and improving skills. In the articles from Newsweek  and from a German newspaper in 1949, Vasily Ivanovich’s temperament was highlighted and described in uncomplimentary terms. One anecdote in particular focused on his physicality—when angered, he “pounded tables until they jumped on the dirt floors of the dugouts” (30). Considering the rivalries during the Cold War were in place at that time of history, Chuikov was portrayed as malevolent by US and German news sources, which identified him as a “professional roughneck.” However, it is my assessment that these descriptions were crafted as short-sighted propaganda and demonstrated bias in journalism which served to perpetuate misinformation. A more balanced approach (which I highly recommend reading) to Chuikov’s traits is provided in Stalingrad: How the Red Army Triumphed . Michael Jones addressed Marshal Chuikov’s temperament as his ‘Achilles’ heel,’ but spent time in his book expounding upon Vasily Ivanovich’s virtues and strengths to provide a more complete picture. Anatoly Mereshko, who served in the 62nd Army’s HQ in Stalingrad, worked closely with Chuikov and shared the following: “In tough situations, Chuikov could be abrasive and harsh. Mereshko noted, ‘He could be rude to people, and this was not always justified, but in general it sprang from an unwillingness to accept cowardice, lies, or failure to take responsibility. He was rude to such people because he simply did not want them around—but if he saw you had fulfilled your order and had genuinely done your best, it was completely different.’” Marshal Chuikov’s son Alexander Vasilievich also served as a source for Michael Jones, and provided the following: “Every commander has a weak point—and Chuikov’s was his explosive temper. ‘I have his personal file as his military career developed,’ said his son Alexander, ‘and amidst the compliments [of being] well-educated, promising, devoted to the party of Lenin and Stalin, is one warning refrain—too explosive.’ […] If Chuikov had not possessed exceptional qualities this character defect would have seriously undermined his command.” Through his natural charisma and his exemplary leadership abilities, Vasily Ivanovich was able to motivate and inspire his soldiers. For instance, famous Red Army sniper Vasily Zaitsev was credited with the maxim, “For us, there is no land beyond the Volga.” Zaitsev responded to Chuikov in this way when asked the rhetorical question of how the defenders of Stalingrad could face their families if they retreated from fighting. Jones included this pronouncement in his text, and continued: “We understand more fully why this soldier’s simple declaration of faith held such resonance for his commander. Chuikov had given everything he had to his army. He created a tactical system of fighting to blunt the German advance and encouraged an atmosphere of equality and pride within the defenders. Above all, he had determined to trust the ordinary soldiers—and to try and restore their sense of hope and self-belief.” It was a truly Herculean effort…

Pictured: A written prayer Marshal V. I. Chuikov carried with him, given to him by his mother before the Battle for Stalingrad. It reads, "O Powerful One, the one who turns night into day and makes rough soil into a garden of flowers, make light work what is hard for me, and help me." As a believer and a person of faith, my worldview is shaped by Christianity. When I encounter others who share this faith, there is an instant connection and understanding. Researching Marshal Chuikov’s life and work has been a fascinating study and learning about his deep personal faith inspires me. His mother Elizaveta Fyodorovna was a devout Christian with a strong influence, and her prayers of protection for him and his brothers did not go unanswered. Before Vasily Ivanovich headed to Stalingrad, his faithful mother met with him and gave him a meaningful gift. In 2008, Marshal Chuikov’s son Alexander Vasilievich shared the following anecdote : “In early 1942, returning from China, my father found himself near Tula not far from his native Silver Ponds. There he formed an army to be sent to the Stalingrad region and visited his parents' house several times. Before leaving for the front, he received a blessing from his mother—a prayer and a pectoral cross. Was the prayer found after his death the one recorded in 1942? Who knows… But when in 2006 a new school was built in Silver Ponds and named after V. I. Chuikov, a bronze monument was erected at the façade. Vasily Ivanovich sits in the uniform of a lieutenant general with the Orders of the Red Banner and Red Star on his chest and an Orthodox cross in hand. The officials saw a discrepancy here, but the fellow countrymen who knew Chuikov unanimously confirmed: ‘It was so!’ And we all believe that the prayer found in his [communist] party card is the one received from his mother before being sent to Stalingrad.” Later during a harrowing experience in the liberation of Ukraine, Vasily Ivanovich recognized God's clear protection as saving him from certain death. His son related the following  in 2012: “At the headquarters of the army, a commotion had already begun: the commander had disappeared! And [my] father gave a clear-text radiogram with his coordinates. The Germans intercepted it and immediately threw three flights of attack aircraft on this house - nine planes! And they wrapped up such a ‘carousel’! There was not a single chance to survive under this shelling. My father told me how he jumped out of the hut, and there was a field around, and there was nowhere to hide! ‘I,’ he recalled, ‘leaned against the wall and did not even bend over.’ So he stood while this raid lasted. ‘When the stormtroopers finally flew away, I turned around: the wall was actually not there - it was all like a sieve. And on me - not a scratch! And I understood that God saved me. I wanted to cross myself, but my hands were cramped from tension - I [could not] unclench my fist. I tried to fold my fingers into the sign of the cross - it didn’t work.’ So he crossed himself with his fist. Since then, it [was] a habit for my father to cross with his fist.”