Chapter 138: Competing Candidates
We can simply list the abilities required for the position : First and foremost, a high level of military theory is a must, and those who do not have this ability cannot enter the General Staff.
Secondly, the ability of organization and coordination is also indispensable. Often, the organization of a large-scale battle tests this ability. To put it simply, the entire Soviet Red Army had only 300 divisions, but the battle line it had to deal with was thousands of kilometers long, and it was also necessary to guard against the threat from Japan in the Far East. Therefore, deploying troops is actually a job of robbing Peter to pay Paul, and after the east wall is demolished, you can't let wild dogs and the like break in from the east. This tests the ability of organization and coordination.
In addition, a macroscopic perspective and a comprehensive mindset are also essential. Don’t think that the Chief of Operations only needs to consider military issues. That kind of cognition is too one-sided and too simple. Because the Chief of Operations must not only consider the army and equipment, but also the country’s economic issues, and consider how much intensity of war the country’s economic foundation can support and how much loss it can withstand. At the very least, he needs to consider the comparison of the war resources and economic potential of both sides. Only in this way can he make the most reliable suggestions for the strategic plan formulated by the General Staff.
In addition, he must have a clear mind and keen insight. During the war, all kinds of information from intelligence departments, intelligence departments, and war fronts will be summarized under the Chief of the Operations Department of the General Staff. He must extract the most critical and accurate information from these complex intelligence information, and use it as a reference to make suggestions to the Chief of the General Staff.
In addition, the ability to get along with others, especially the ability to deal with superiors, is also a must, after all, Stalin is not so easy to serve. In addition, good physical fitness and good memory are also indispensable.
In terms of memory, Stalin might suddenly call the Minister of Operations over and ask about the situation of a certain division, where the division is currently, who is the division commander, who is the political commissar, whether the troops are fully staffed, how many tanks, how many artillery pieces there are, and similar questions. If the Minister of Operations doesn't know anything and has to go back to check the details, then he should not be the minister, at least not for long. In addition, Stalin might have paid attention to the battles that were taking place somewhere and asked about the situation there, such as which troops were there, who was in command, how the battles were in the past few days, which German troops were involved in the battle, who was in command, etc. If the Minister of Operations can't answer, he should also be fired.
Considering all these, we can see how difficult and important the position of Chief of the Operations Department of the General Staff is.
Precisely because of the high requirements of this position, it becomes increasingly important. To put it bluntly, in today's Soviet military system, among the many roles that truly take charge of the war situation, the Chief of Operations of the General Staff can definitely be ranked among the top five.
In addition, the Operations Department of the General Staff Headquarters has many subordinate departments, such as the Intelligence Department, Communications Department, Surveying and Mapping Department, Senior Advisory Bureau, Equipment Department, Training Department, etc. It can be said that the departments are complicated, and these departments themselves are not responsible for the corresponding specific affairs, they are responsible for dealing with the corresponding departments. For example, the Equipment Department is not responsible for the production and mobilization of equipment, but is responsible for dealing with the Soviet Army's logistics equipment department. For example, the Intelligence Department is not responsible for collecting intelligence, but is responsible for dealing with a series of intelligence departments including the National Security Council.
Because of the special nature of the department and the fact that it was a war period, the position meant dealing with numerous state agencies, and the accumulation of his network of contacts was astonishing.
If we count them one by one, almost all the powerful military figures who have stood at the pinnacle of Soviet history have served in the position of Chief of the Operations Department of the General Staff. Just imagine, how could such a position not be attractive to Yuri?
But then again, being attractive is one thing, and actually doing it is another.
Ever since joining the war, Yuri's ideal has been to gain merit on the battlefield, use merit as a stepping stone, and move step by step towards a glorious life.
Now, the Battle of Stalingrad is drawing to a close, and he has managed to become an army commander through his previous efforts and struggles. According to his thinking, the next step should be to work towards the position of front commander. If he chooses to serve in the General Staff at this time, where will this glorious military achievement come from? What about his rank of general? What about his rank of marshal?
"Are you a little hesitant?" Khrushchev was a shrewd man. He obviously saw what was on Yuri's mind, so he smiled and said, "Borenka , I can understand your hesitation, but you should have a sharper political sense."
Here, Khrushchev did not call Yuri by his name, but used his nickname instead, which seemed more intimate.
"You are not even 30 yet, and you are already a general. This has broken the record for the appointment of senior generals," Khrushchev patted Yuri on the shoulder and continued, "Considering the balance factor, the Supreme Command Headquarters and the People's Commissariat of Defense may be conservative and cautious in your promotion. You should have already felt this."
Yuri frowned slightly. In fact, he did have some feelings. During the Battle of Stalingrad, he held the city for several months. During this period, he also commanded the 62nd Army. However, even so, he received no rewards except a few commendations from the headquarters. In contrast, commanders of the 62nd Army, such as Chuikov, were rumored to get new promotion opportunities.
In addition, Rokossovsky had recommended him to be the commander of the 65th Combined Arms Army, but this recommendation was not approved. In the end, he could only be the commander of the 57th Infantry Army. This fact is obviously also a sign. In the final analysis, his age limits his further promotion.
The most important point is that at present, on the Soviet-German battlefield, the situation of the Soviet army has reversed, from being passive in the past to being active now. In this situation, the Soviet army needs commanders who are more mature, prudent and steady , and his youth does not seem to fit this requirement.
"Borenka, I think highly of you, so I am willing to give you more advice and opportunities," Khrushchev said. "From my point of view, you should not focus all your energy on the front line. You should pay more attention to other things. For example, consider this war from a higher and more comprehensive perspective and grasp some newer and more important things. In this regard, the position of Minister of Operations is obviously more suitable for you."
Yuri was somewhat hesitant. From a rational analysis, he agreed with Khrushchev's suggestion, but emotionally, he hoped to stay on the front line and express himself more on the battlefield.
"You can think carefully about it for a while, but I hope you can make a final decision before the end of this battle." Khrushchev was absolutely tolerant of Yuri. He did not urge him or ask him to make a decision immediately. "Of course, my proposal is just a proposal now. Even if you are willing to return to Moscow, it is not completely certain whether you can get this position."
At this point, Khrushchev frowned and paused for a while. He raised his left hand and scratched his head with his middle finger. Then he said, "As far as I know, Comrade Beria, Comrade Zhukov and Comrade Vasilevsky have all recommended their own candidates. As for the final decision, it still needs to be made by Comrade Stalin himself. However, considering that the previous ministers of operations did not receive the approval of Comrade Stalin, and you, you left a good impression on Comrade Stalin, so if I recommend you, the chances of success are still very high."
Yuri knew a little about the frequent changes of the Chief of Operations. Stalin was difficult to serve. Most importantly, he was not completely ignorant of military issues, and it was not easy for anyone to fool around with him. Therefore, in the past six months, the Chief of Operations of the General Staff had been replaced by nine people, and some of them were even fired within two weeks. Now, this position is still concurrently held by Antonov, the First Deputy Chief of the General Staff, because no one is qualified for the job - it seems that Stalin is not very satisfied with Antonov.
In fact, what Yuri didn't know was that Khrushchev had already discussed this issue with some military generals including Zhukov and Vasilevsky.
Zhukov and Vasilevsky's preferred candidates were Grigory Alexeevich Vorozhikin and Semyon Pavlovich Ivanov respectively. At the same time, they also disagreed with transferring Yuri from the front-line troops.
Rokossovsky also disagreed with this proposal. He preferred to keep Yuri in the Don Front. He even thought that the position of chief of staff of the front was more suitable for Yuri.
As for Beria, the candidate he recommended was Sergei Matveyevich Shtemenko, a young man of just 35 years old, not very famous, and not many people knew him. Beria recommended him because the two had a good relationship. They had gone to the Caucasus together as representatives of the headquarters to inspect the war situation a few months ago.
As far as these candidates are concerned, Yuri really has no advantage. After all, the others all grew up from staff positions and are experienced, and he is the youngest and has the least experience. But as Khrushchev said, he also has his own advantages, that is, his brilliant record. Since he commanded the battle, he has never lost a battle. Therefore, Stalin was deeply impressed by him.
