Georgy Zhukov - Post War Service Under Stalin

Post War Service Under Stalin

After the German capitulation Zhukov became the first commander of the Soviet Occupation Zone in Germany. On 10 June Zhukov returned to Moscow to prepare for the Moscow Victory Parade of 1945 in Red Square. On 24 June, I. V. Stalin appointed him Commander-in-Chief of the Parade. After the Victory Ceremony, on the night of 24 June, Zhukov went to Berlin to resume his command.

During May 1945, Zhukov signed three important resolutions regarding the maintenance of an adequate standard of living for the German people living in the Soviet occupation zone:

• Resolution 063 (11 May 1945): dealing with the provision of food for the people living in Berlin
• Resolution 064 (12 May 1945): allowed for the restoration and maintenance of the normal activities of the public service sector of Berlin
• Resolution 080 (31 May 1945): dealt with providing milk supplies for the children living in Berlin.

Zhukov requested the Soviet Government to urgently transport to Berlin 96,000 tons of grain, 60,000 tons of potatoes, 50,000 cattle, and thousands of tons of other foodstuffs, such as sugar and animal fat. He issued strict orders that his subordinates were to "Hate the Nazism but respect the German people", and to make all possible efforts to restore and maintain a stable living standard for the German population.

From 16 July to 2 August, G. K. Zhukov participated in the Potsdam Conference with the other Allied governments. As one of the four commanders-in-chief of Allied forces in Germany, Zhukov established good relationships with the other commanders-in-chief, namely General of the Army Dwight David Eisenhower (US), Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery (UK) and Marshal Jean de Lattre de Tassigny (France). These four generals exchanged views about matters such as judging war criminals, rebuilding Germany, relationships between the Allies and in defeating the Japanese Empire. Eisenhower seemed to be especially satisfied with, and respectful of, his relationship with Zhukov. Eisenhower's successor, General Lucius Dubignon Clay, also praised the Zhukov-Eisenhower friendship, and commented:

The Soviet-America relationship should have developed well if Eisenhower and Zhukov had continued to work together. —Lucius Dubignon Clay.

American General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied commander in the West, was a great admirer of Zhukov, and the two toured the Soviet Union together in the immediate aftermath of the victory over Germany.

Zhukov was not only the supreme Military Commander of the Soviet Occupation Zone in Germany, but became its Military Governor on 10 June 1945. A war hero, hugely popular with the military, Stalin viewed Zhukov as a potential threat to his leadership. He replaced Zhukov with Vasily Sokolovsky on 10 April 1946. After an unpleasant session of the Main Military Council—in which Zhukov was bitterly attacked and accused of political unreliability and hostility to the Party Central Committee—he was stripped of his position as Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet Ground Forces. He was assigned command of the Odessa Military District, far from Moscow and lacking in strategic significance and troops. He arrived there on 13 June.

Zhukov suffered a heart attack in January 1948, spending a month in hospital. In February 1948, he was given another secondary posting, this time command of the Urals Military District.

Throughout this time Lavrentiy Beria was apparently trying to topple Zhukov. Two of Zhukov's subordinates, Marshal of the Red Air Force Alexander Alexandrovich Novikov and Lieutenant-General ru:Konstantin Fyodorovitch Teleghin (Member of the Military Council of 1st Belorussia Army Group) were arrested and tortured in Lefortovo prison at the end of 1945. During the confrontation, G. K. Zhukov unmasked the calumniation of Director of Intelligent Bureau F. I. Golikov about Zhukov's misspend of war booty and exaggeration of the Nazi Germany's strength. During this time Zhukov were accused to be a Bonapartist.

In 1946, seven rail carriages with furniture that Zhukov was taking to the Soviet Union from Germany were impounded. In 1948, his apartments and house in Moscow were searched and many valuables looted from Germany were found. In his investigation Beria concluded that Zhukov had in his possessions 17 golden rings, three gemstones, the faces of 15 golden necklaces, more than 4,000 meters of cloth, 323 pieces of fur, 44 carpets taken from German palaces, 55 paintings and 20 guns". Zhukov admitted he would avoid such "errors and follies" thereafter. These incidents were ironically called "the Investigation of the Cup" by the Soviet military.

About Beriya's "inspection", Zhukov wrote his comment in a memorandum using for explaining this matter to Andrei Zhdanov:

I do not need to defend myself because, actually, these things are completely not necessary for me, and probably somebody had placed them into my storehouse. I demand a public inspection with clear undertakings in order to avoid misunderstandings and caluminations. Surely I still and will wholeheartly serve the Motherland, the Party, and the Great Comrade Stalin. —G. K. Zhukov

When learning of Zhukov's "misfortunes"— and despite not understanding all the problems — Eisenhower expressed his sympathy for his "comrade-in-arms" (Zhukov).

On February 1953, I. V. Stalin ordered Zhukov to leave the post of commander of Ural Military Zone, and then called him back to Moskva. Several opinions suggested Zhukov was needed for the war at Korea, but in fact during one month at Moskva, Stalin did not give Zhukov any tasks. At 9:50AM on 5 March 1953, Stalin suddenly died, and since this event, Zhukov's life stepped to a brand new stage.