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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.”

Pictured: Marshal V. I. Chuikov in attendance at the 26th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in Moscow, February 1981; lapel pin (top) identifying a Deputy of the Supreme Soviet; lapel pin (bottom) signifying a Delegate for the 26th Congress. The 26th Congress was the final one attended by Chuikov, who would suffer from a lengthy illness later that year. Marshal Chuikov enjoyed a distinguished career in the military, in public service, in diplomacy, and as a much-celebrated author and speaker. Vasily Ivanovich lived until the age of 82, and is still remembered and revered for his numerous contributions. One of the joys of being able to investigate his life and work is spending time reviewing the sheer volume of information in existence, meaning that one could spend many years researching and continue to learn new things. In considering his length of tenure and high success in elevated military and government positions, one can glean a wealth of knowledge in effective leadership practices. Even though the focus of this blog is to explore Marshal Chuikov’s life and work through the lens of western leadership and management theories, his is an example that transcends geographical boundaries, cultural confines, and the political realm. Volumes have been written about the specific period of time during which his command of the 62nd Army was crucial to the defense of Stalingrad; however, there is so much more to Chuikov’s biography. In studying the treasure trove of experiences Vasily Ivanovich had during his lifetime, it is intriguing to discover the characteristics which determined his successful leadership over a lengthy period of time. Author and minister John C. Maxwell identified three traits for leadership longevity—character, competence, and consistency. Values, beliefs, and actions define a person's character. A person with character "walks the walk and talks the talk." Competence refers to the ability to perform the task. A leader's ability to produce results is directly related to their quality of work. Integrity, professional behaviors, and temperament also determine consistency. Leaders are held accountable for keeping promises, completing deadlines, and setting high standards of excellence. After conducting much study and research (and only scratching the surface thus far), it is my belief that Marshal Chuikov possessed these fine qualities and many more, and serves as a prime example of what an effective, authentic leader should be…

Pictured: Colonel-General V. I. Chuikov outside of Odessa, Ukraine on 7 April 1944; Marshal Chuikov with Marshal of Aviation V. A. Sudets in Odessa for the 30th anniversary of the liberation, 10 April 1974. Examining social science theories through a historical lens is not a novel undertaking. However, embarking on a comprehensive study of a Soviet Marshal’s life, work, and experience to explore the application of such theories is a unique approach—and one which is personally rewarding. My dream is to publish one day, and this blog serves as a channel to share and organize researched content. One of the first social science concepts I had the opportunity to teach at the college level is Tuckman’s Linear Model of Group Development. There are various stages to team development and cohesion—forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. While the forming stage is self-explanatory, the storming stage describes intra-group conflict. If team members can work through the struggle and congeal, they move to the norming stage where everyone is in one accord. Next, a unified group can perform very well, often having a synergistic effect (synergy – the outcome is greater than the sum of the parts). When performance is complete, the members adjourn to take on new tasks. In his book titled From Stalingrad to Berlin, Vasily Ivanovich shared how the numerous armies within the 3rd Ukrainian Front solidified into a unified performing force to triumph over a stubborn enemy. Their combined efforts led to the liberation of Odessa, a city in Ukraine which was subjected to Axis control from 1941 until 1944 by German and Romanian troops. “On 6 April [1944] the troops of the 8th Guards Army, having overcome rivers and estuaries, countless small bays and bays, approached the last Khadzhibey estuary in front of Odessa in the Belka, Staraya Vandalinovka sector. The German command had every reason to expect that it was here that it would be possible to delay the crossing of our troops, gain some time and organize the defense of Odessa. The narrowest part of the estuary was 800 meters, [with a] depth reaching two meters. The enemy could organize a defense on the right bank. [But] the troops of the 8th Guards Army managed to get ahead of the enemy and cross the estuary on the move. The gates to Odessa were open, [and] the mechanized cavalry group of I. A. Pliev came steeply to the right at that time, overhanging Odessa from the northwest. The right-wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front cut off the entire enemy grouping concentrated in the Odessa region. The entire Odessa operation, undoubtedly, went down in history as one of the brilliant ones in terms of the excellent interaction of large military formations of the 3rd Ukrainian Front in it. Several armies acted in the same rhythm, in the same tempo, each in its own sector solving its own problem. The 5th Shock and 6th Armies moved along the Black Sea coast. Their movement in itself - without a flank march covering the enemy by several of our other armies - would have been impossible. The enemy, fearing encirclement, retreated. The 5th Shock and 6th armies pressed on him, not giving him the opportunity to gain a foothold anywhere. So, the troops of the front prepared for the assault on Odessa. Behind there were difficult battles and overcoming water obstacles, behind was the feat of soldiers and officers of several armies. The fighters were inspired to take part in the liberation of the last major city in Ukraine. And they went to a new feat.”

Pictured: Marshal V. I. Chuikov was celebrated as an honorary citizen of the city of Lepel, Belarus in 1979, and a long street in the city is named after him.  As a young regimental commander, he helped liberate Lepel from the White Poles on 14 May 1920. A highly decorated veteran of the Russian Civil War and the Great Patriotic War, Marshal Chuikov was also presented with honorary citizenship awards for the cities of Volgograd, Snezhinsk, Zaporozhye, and Ulan-Ude. In 1979, he was also recognized in a special ceremony as an honorary citizen of Lepel, in northern Belarus. To be the recipient of such an award is considered to be a high honor. A city or other government may confer symbolic, honorary citizenship on a person who is deemed particularly admirable or otherwise deserving of the distinction by the government. In the case of Lepel, Chuikov was involved in the liberation of the city during the Russian Civil War in 1920. In his memoirs titled From Stalingrad to Berlin , Marshal Chuikov recalled a lighthearted anecdote about his soldiers in a fishing expedition before the liberation of the city of Lepel: “Having gathered about 100 Red Army men and commanders, I led them to the banks of the small river Ulla [in northern Belarus]. Having lined up people on the riverbank, I threw a grenade into the water. […] In a word, the effect of the explosion was exceptional. But then something happened that I never expected. The surface of the water was covered with stunned fish. My fighters, without undressing, plunged into the pool and began to catch prey. I was seriously afraid that someone might drown in the excitement. But there were no drowned people, and the regimental kitchens received fresh fish. At that famine time, every piece of meat and fish was worth its weight in gold.” Prior to the liberation of Lepel, Regiment Commander Chuikov gathered as much intelligence as possible. Having captured two enemy soldiers, they shared in detail about the surrounding fortifications which aided in planning the attack: “The prisoners told us in detail about the fortifications and forces defending Lepel, indicated on the map the places where trenches were going, the location of machine-gun nests, observation posts—in a word, they provided extremely valuable information. I breathed a sigh of relief—the start was good. The offensive was scheduled for May 14th. During the night, the regiment turned around to attack, and I contacted my neighbor on the left, the 44th Infantry Regiment of our brigade. From the neighbor on the right—the 6th division—we were separated by the Ulla River. Almost all of the division's artillery was to be concentrated in the sector of the 43rd and 44th regiments in order to support us with fire. But we found only one Matveev battery in position, with which we often interacted in the east. Other gunners were late for their firing positions. I had to be nervous for another reason. Dawn was coming, it was getting lighter every minute, but there was still no connection with the command posts of the brigade and division. I, a 20-year-old regiment commander, faced a difficult problem: to wait for the artillery to approach and communicate with the command, thereby losing the chances of a sudden strike, or to immediately, without fire support, raise the regiment to attack. There was a big risk in both decisions. And the regiment deployed in battle formation was waiting for the order. The enemy had already discovered our battle formations in some places, and a skirmish began. Ivan Katalev, our Commissar, and Adjutant Nesgovorov were next to me. They looked at me expectantly. The situation escalated with every minute. Soon the sun will rise, and we will be in front of the enemy at a glance. This threatened to disrupt the entire operation. And I made up my mind. Through the adjutant, I conveyed the order to the Battery Commander Matveev to immediately open fire on the enemy’s second line of defense, which runs almost near the city, and, turning to the Commissar, I said: “Let's go into the chain—and attack.” With satisfaction, I saw a joyful twinkle in the eyes of Katalev and Nesgovorov. A sigh of relief escaped them both. It became easier in my soul. The Commissar and I stood up to our full height: ‘Follow us, attack!!’”

Pictured: Marshal Chuikov’s obituary; photo of his gravesite and special carnations placed on Chuikov's grave on the 40th anniversary of his funeral, taken 23 March 2022 by Vasily Koshkin. Marshal Chuikov was a leader who was not tied down by a template—both in battle and in life. Even when faced with his own death, this extraordinary soldier and public servant desired to be buried in the place that would forever be etched in his mind—Stalingrad—instead of opting for burial in Moscow. The fiery trials of the Battle of Stalingrad shaped his character and left an indelible mark on his life. Aside from the aftereffects of having survived such an ordeal—weeping eczema, nightmarish dreams, hearing loss, etc.—his time in the city as one of her defenders changed his perspective on life, so much so that he longed to be laid to rest with his soldiers who were buried at Mamaev Kurgan in a mass grave. Breaking with Soviet dignitary burial tradition, he made a final request : “In July 1981, the seriously ill Marshal Chuikov wrote a letter to the Central Committee of the CPSU: Feeling the approach of the end of my life, I am fully conscious of asking: after my death, bury the ashes on Mamayev Kurgan in Stalingrad, where I organized it on 12 September 1942 my command post. ... Thousands of soldiers whom I commanded are buried there…  In the same will, he asked that there be no monument on his grave.” Michael Jones’ account in Stalingrad: How the Red Army Triumph ed, wrote in more detail about Chuikov’s will: "I wish to be buried at the Mamaev Kurgan…where you can hear the roar of the Volga waves, the sound of gunshot and feel the agony of Stalingrad’s ruins. Here lie buried many of the soldiers that I commanded. Warriors of the Soviet Union—follow the example of the defenders of Stalingrad, and victory will be yours." Once the letter was written, Marshal Chuikov called his son to share the news of his decision to break with the tradition of the burial of Soviet Marshals in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis  in Moscow. Alexander Vasilievich shared the following : “’Father called me to his place and said that he wanted me to be one of the first to know that he sent the text of the will to the Central Committee of the CPSU. In it, he asked to be buried on Mamaev Kurgan. He said he wanted to lie with his soldiers.'” After Marshal Chuikov passed in 1982, he made the journey back  to the place to which he had given his heart—Stalingrad. He received a hero's farewell: “After parting in Moscow, the coffin was sent to Volgograd. The whole city came out to say goodbye to Vasily Ivanovich. When he was carried around the city on a gun carriage, people without hats stood along the entire path of the funeral procession—thousands of people came to pay their respects. His grave is decorated with a black granite slab, on which is written: Twice Hero of the Soviet Union . Marshal of the Soviet Union. Chuikov Vasily Ivanovich (12.II.1900-18.III.1982). Eternal glory! The will of the legendary commander was fulfilled. Chuikov is one of only two Marshals of the Soviet Union in history buried outside of Moscow.”

Pictured: Fyodor Fedorovich Shakhmagonov’s book titled Evgeny Vuchetich , published in 1970. The translated inscription—"To Marshal of the Soviet Union Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov – the Stalingrad Commander and sincere person, a fighter for the Russian land. Treptow Park [in Berlin] and Mamaev Kurgan owe their return to you, Vasily Ivanovich. Shakhmagonov” It is always interesting to learn more about Marshal Chuikov’s story and the people whom he encountered. With his natural charisma, warm sense of humor, and his competitive nature, he typically left quite an impression on others. One such person is Fyodor Fedorovich Shakhmagonov, a writer who worked with famed author and screenwriter Mikhail Sholokhov during Soviet times. Fyodor’s son, Nikolai Fedorovich, wrote briefly about his father’s relationship with Marshal Chuikov. I n his memoirs , h e shared a couple of anecdotes about their hunting adventures as well as Vasily Ivanovich’s love for playing chess: “There was such a story that the director of the Tarnovo state farm was a soldier of the 8th Guards Army of General Chuikov when Berlin was taken, and Chuikov promised [him] to bring [some] cars, but he forgot about it. My father wrote an article in the Pravda  newspaper, which was called ‘Marshal Visiting a Soldier,’ where he reminded Chuikov of his promise. Chuikov groaned, and after the harvesting, he sent a battalion of vehicles to Tarnovo, in general, he sent a lot of vehicles. […] In Tarnovo, Fyodor Fedorovich and Chuikov were hunting. Even then, my father said: ‘Now I understand what Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov is like in Stalingrad, who sat there tightly . We played chess with him all night long until dawn and he stood deadly  on this chessboard.’ The man, of course, was unique.”

Pictured: Marshal V.I. Chuikov, 1967. Management and leadership professionals often encounter resistance from other department heads with sharing of resources and collaboration. Within an organization, holding departments, specializations, or locations as separated groups of experts creates silos. The problem arises when employees are physically separated, but their priorities are departmental rather than company-wide. It is easy to see how a siloed approach is not effective nor efficient when it comes to meeting organizational objectives and goals. However, a siloed approach is still utilized in all sectors of industry. According to The New York Times article “Soviet Is Revising Its Civil Defense” appearing 17 March 1965, Marshal Chuikov was assigned as the Chief of the Civil Defense in the Soviet Union in January 1964. He referred to the development of a centralized, comprehensive civil defense structure in an interview with the Novosti Press Agency in 1965, which in turn distributed the information to Soviet media. However, Vasily Ivanovich’s appointment to this position came much earlier—in 1961—during the time when he also served as the Chief of the Soviet Ground Forces. Given Chuikov’s wartime experiences in seeing firsthand the devastation to the civilian population of Stalingrad and beyond, he held a deep sense of patriotism and responsibility to protect and defend Soviet citizens. It was a duty he took very personally and seriously. Having been a veteran of heavy combat on the front lines and having served in leadership positions in Germany and with the Kiev Military District, he understood intimately the need for a coordinated defense effort. Using this approach meant collaboration with other departments, open communication between various stakeholders, and the wise utilization of mass media to distribute information to the public. Instead of each locality being responsible for its own defense (which proved to be non-existent in some cases), a thorough plan incorporating organized defense covering citizens from birth to old age was developed and implemented. Vasily Ivanovich knew that a segmented approach—and a siloed system—would not be effective in the event of an attack by weapons of mass destruction. And, during the Cold War, the threat was real…

Pictured: Commander of the 62nd Army, Lieutenant-General V. I. Chuikov, Kommisar Major-General K. A. Gurov, and Lieutenant Colonel Matvey Vainrub in Stalingrad. As an adjunct professor of the managerial sciences, it is a rewarding experience to serve students and help them make the connection between theory and practice. One helpful concept in developing effective workplace cultures is Frederick Herzberg’s theory focusing on team member motivation. Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory describes two basic elements that motivate employees in organizations—motivators and hygiene factors, both of which play a critical role. Intrinsic motivators such as achieving, recognizing, and progressing promote job satisfaction. Having motivation factors in place contributes to employee satisfaction and increases productivity. Factors related to hygiene are not directly related to workplace satisfaction, but they must exist to prevent dissatisfaction in the workplace. Hygiene factors encompass extrinsic concerns like pay grade, workplace policies, relationships with peers, and procurement of supplies for the team. Examining the life and work of Marshal Chuikov, discovering the parallels with his practice and western theoretical models, and finding such a close alignment is gratifying. It demonstrates the wider application of such theories. Also, it serves as a reminder that effective leadership transcends time, social and cultural context, organizational type and form, and geographical borders. Regarding Herzberg’s theory and Marshal Chuikov’s leadership practices which engendered team member satisfaction, his command of the 62nd Army is an excellent example of the ways in which Vasily Ivanovich strove to connect with his soldiers. He asked for their insights and listened to them, considered and implemented their input, recognized their individual contributions and celebrated them, and motivated his soldiers by fighting right alongside them—which aligns with the first part of Herzberg’s theory. David Stone’s article published in The Journal of Slavic Military Studies includes Chuikov’s philosophy which guided his actions on his soldiers’ behalf: “In discussing his men, [Chuikov] recalled that ‘…in the forefront of my reflections was the individual soldier. He is the main hero of war. More than anyone else it is he who has to meet the enemy face to face... I underline this point that he studies the enemy, because the soldier has a mind, a heart, an ability to think and not merely to understand the orders of his commander; he can weigh up the situation and the enemy’s intentions. In street fighting, a soldier is on occasion his own general. He needed to be given correct guidance and, so to speak, the trust of the generals.’ The small storm groups were no different, for the tactics of the storm group are based on rapid action, a sudden charge, a wide sense of initiative, and boldness on the part of every soldier. These groups need to be flexible in tactics, because, after entering a fortified building and the labyrinth of rooms occupied by the enemy, they are faced with a welter of unexpected situations.” Regarding the second part of the theory focusing on hygiene factors, Chuikov set an example of officers sharing rations with their troops and encouraged an environment fostering a strong comradery between the soldiers and their officers. And, his warriors knew that their Commander consistently tried to keep them supplied although it was very challenging to do so. They understood the severity of the situation and did their part in helping to make sure there were enough resources. David Stone shared more about this factor in Stalingrad: “[The] insatiable demand for ammunition illustrates very well the need for better supply to make improvement in Soviet performance possible. The demand for ammunition forced the Soviets to superhuman efforts to force supplies across the Volga to beleaguered Soviet defenders on the west bank. As Chuikov wrote, ‘We needed a lot of ammunition, the more the better in fact, because knowing the enemy’s intention to wipe out the troops defending the city as rapidly as possible, we could not, and had no right to, tell the men to use ammunition sparingly in battle. Our soldiers made sure they always had a proper store of grenades, mortar bombs, bullets, and shells. They always said quite openly that they were prepared to tolerate hunger and cold, as long as they were not left without ammunition.’ The particular features of fighting in the city made it essential for infantry units to have ample automatic weapons, grenades, and bottles of incendiary liquid.”

Pictured: Lieutenant-General V. I. Chuikov following the Battle of Stalingrad; cover art for In the Battles for Ukraine , 1972. Investing in team member development is the cornerstone to successful organizations. Statistics echo this sentiment—a recent study affirmed that employee retention rates rise 30-50%  for companies with strong learning cultures. Consistent training reduces the disparity  between teams of employees. This is especially true within the ranks of a nation’s defense. In wartime, military training becomes a matter of life and death. After the Battle for Stalingrad in 1943, Lieutenant-General Chuikov knew it was only the beginning of the path to Berlin. In his book titled In the Battles for Ukraine , he outlined tasks to be completed for the next steps. One important practice to note is the amount and frequency of training that took place. Teaching replacement troops how to fight well and survive took consistent study and effort, and this training meant everyone—from the Military Council to the ordinary soldier—had to be vigilant and prepared. “Meanwhile, time was setting new tasks on the order of the day. We had to tirelessly prepare for the coming battles [and] master the tactics of offensive battles. It's hard to learn, easy to fight. This long-standing army principle is known to everyone. Unfortunately, we often forgot about it. The combat training of troops during an offensive is especially important. When breaking through the defense, the attacker usually suffers very large losses. The Military Council of the [62nd] Army pondered a lot about how and how to reduce possible losses in the upcoming fierce battles. We pinned our greatest hopes on the artillery. The army's artillery was commanded by General N.M. Pozharsky. In Stalingrad, he showed himself to be a great master of the organization of artillery fire both in defense and in the offensive. But the offensive for which we were preparing on the Northern Donets differed in many respects from the offensive in which the 62nd Army took part in Stalingrad. The artillery of the army faced very varied tasks. It is clear that, first of all, our artillerymen had to prepare for massive fire on the enemy's defense. This meant the delivery of a huge amount of ammunition, the synchronized work of gunners with transport units. This meant: the organization of army artillery depots in a combat situation, their camouflage, their location... To locate army artillery depots is a complex science. It is necessary to reckon on the great depth of the advance of our troops and the possibility of transferring shells from the warehouses, to reconcile communications and so on. But the breakthrough of the enemy's defense entrusted the artillerymen with other tasks: accompanying the advancing infantry with wheels, direct fire at enemy tanks, at the accumulation of his infantry, operational, timely repulse of enemy counterattacks during the offensive. The artillerymen conducted the exercises, mastered all the components of the battle, the rifle units were trained. We had to cross the Northern Donets under enemy fire—having overcome this water obstacle, deploy battles, breaking into the defenses, which included wire obstacles, minefields, and anti-tank ditches, and escarpments along the riverbank, and trenches, and firing points of all categories. The simplest enumeration of the obstacles that we had to overcome already shows how many-sided training the soldiers, junior commanders and officers should have had. Unshot people poured into the army, and each had to start all over again. Learn to dig in, teach to bury yourself in the ground, cultivate a respectful attitude towards a shovel, a helmet, teach to crawl on the ground without raising your head, merging with the ground, leveling with the grass. How to throw a grenade? This is also a kind of art, and it's not just about throwing the grenade as far as possible. The throw must be accurate. Accurate in place, accurate in time. It must explode exactly at the moment when its explosion is most effective. In a word, in all units, in all subdivisions, stubborn studies were going on..."

Pictured: Lieutenant-General V. I. Chuikov after the victory at Stalingrad, displaying the Guards designation badge along with his two Order of the Red Banner medals. Red Army soldiers  who were referred to as "Guardsmen" enjoyed great prestige and increased pay in addition to wearing the unique Guards badge, and were also proud of their military achievements. Combatants in Guard units were selected from Red Army units which distinguished themselves by excellent training, discipline, and fighting courage. Chuikov’s 62nd Army was awarded the honor of being promoted to a Guards Army on 16 April 1943, which came with a new numerical designation of 8. Interestingly, Vasily Ivanovich was 8th in the birth order of his siblings, and 8 is considered  to be a very fortunate number in China where he spent years in service representing the Soviet Union. In Marshal Chuikov’s book titled The Fall of Berlin , he described the importance of being a Guards-designated army as well as his sense of pride in being the commander of such an elite force: “Our army had always fought on the main line of advance, and had carried out every assignment as it should be done, like Guardsmen. Now, in a new situation, on a new front, it must take up the place due to it. The prospect now before us was of showing in practice, in the very first attack we made, what Guards regiments could do. Practically every man feels a heightened sense of his own dignity when he faces a new situation and has new duties to measure up to. Nature has not left me devoid of such feelings. Incidentally I do not believe people who assume an unreal modesty and allege that they do not think of themselves, of their own dignity. Nonsense? In warfare the absence of feelings of self-assertion makes a man indifferent, uninterested. Could I, in this new situation, be indifferent to the fighting fame of my regiments?  Of course not. If it were otherwise, better to hand your army over to another and go on the retired list” (26). In a book review crafted by R. Kolkowiez printed in the American journal Problems of Communism  in 1969, the author commented that Chuikov was “not a modest man,” citing the italicized portion of Vasily Ivanovich’s passage from The Fall of Berlin  (44). However, it seems that another assessment is more appropriate here. The 8th Guards Army had accomplished much before they arrived in Poland and Germany, and accounts of their battle successes spread globally via news sources. The 62nd (later 8th Guards) Army—the defenders of Stalingrad—were celebrated far and wide. A high morale and sense of pride grew within the soldiers akin to the concept of self-efficacy in psychological studies. A person's perception of self-efficacy  refers to a belief that they are able to execute behaviors producing specific performance outcomes consistently. It is not a characteristic leading to hubris but is a quality of people who possess confidence in their strengths, knowledge, training, and abilities. With this confidence comes a sense of accountability, especially in situations like the ones faced by these warriors. Chuikov realized that the tasks ahead of the 8th Guards Army—to eventually take the city of Berlin as part of the 1st Belorussian Front and end the war in Europe—would require every ounce of intensity and power he and his soldiers could muster over an extended period of time. His statement reflected this realization—much would be expected of them as they moved closer to the lair of the Fascists…

Pictured: Cover of The Beginning of the Path  ( Nachalo Puti ); reviews for Marshal Chuikov’s books (in a Russian language publication from 1962, and from The New York Times  on 6 April 1964); cover art for the English language translation of his memoirs. In an article written by Harrison Salisbury for The New York Times  58 years ago, two books covering the events of Stalingrad—the English translation of Marshal Chuikov’s book titled The Battle for Stalingrad  and Walter Goerlitz’s Paulus and Stalingrad —were presented as complementary works. At the time it was published, The Battle for Stalingrad  was described as “the most detailed, authoritative account of that battle ever published from the Russian side, written by the general who commanded the Russian defenders of the city during the six months of the most savage fighting in World War II” (back cover). The following is Salisbury’s affirmation about the importance of Chuikov’s writing in particular: “Until recently it has been difficult to assess the truth about Stalingrad. Almost all the documentation was German. From the Russian side had come only wartime communiques, personal battle stories, and self-serving commentaries designed to burnish Stalin’s escutcheon. Now this situation is rapidly changing. Soviet military historians and commanders have been encouraged to write of the Stalingrad events and, in general, to present fairly scholarly studies of World War II. Stimulated by Premier Khrushchev’s effort to demolish the Stalin myth, an increasing number of useful memoirs and military studies have appeared. These are beginning to become available in English. One of the most useful is this first volume of Marshal Chuikov’s story, whose title, literally translated from Russian is 'The Start of the Path.' Marshal Chuikov, tough, blunt, battle-hardened—a real soldier’s soldier—commanded the famous Soviet 62nd Army, the force actually entrusted with the street-by-street, building-by-building defense of the Volga River city. Today, Chuikov is Supreme Commander of the Soviet Land Forces. For evidence of Soviet military errors, misjudgments, and mistakes, Marshal Chuikov’s work is an excellent sourcebook. It quickly becomes apparent that if Hitler’s influence led the German generals to disaster, Stalin’s came close to the same result on the Russian side. But any idea that the German generals were gifted with superior military wisdom, which would have triumphed had it not been for Der Fuehrer, or that the Soviet generals were just propaganda puppets of the Kremlin, quickly evaporates. Each side had its handicaps. But in the end judgment, skill, and strength triumphed. An accessory myth has made its appearance among some American commentators. They suggest that Stalingrad was a sham battle, a product of Communist propaganda, an event of little significance. No one reading these complementary works (Goerlitz has had access to many Paulus materials and memoir sources not heretofore consulted) can emerge with any judgment other than that of Sir Winston Churchill that at Stalingrad […] the ‘hinge of fate’ was turned by superior Russian generalship, courage, and soldierly capability.”