Historical personalities in Spectre of Communism | Part 4
The German army is a machine, and machines can be broken! (c) Konstantin Rokossovsky
Konstantin Konstantinovich (Xaverevich) Rokossovsky (Polish: Konstanty Rokossowski; 21 December 1896 – 3 August 1968) was a Soviet and Polish officer who became Marshal of the Soviet Union, Marshal of Poland, and served as Poland's Defence Minister from 1949 until his removal in 1956 during the Polish October. He was among the most prominent Red Army commanders of World War II.
Rokossovsky got himself a reputation of Soviet most gallant commander, who cares for his troops, and for whom words honor and duty are not the empty words. He was calm, composed, and courteous with both his subordinates and superiors. His military talent and expertise are also highly acclaimed.
In Russia, they say I'm a Pole, in Poland they call me Russian. (c) Konstantin Rokossovsky
He was born and brought up in Poland, his mother being Russian, and father a Pole. He was serving first in the Russian army during WW1, then in the Soviet one. It’s during his Soviet career he had to pretend he had no Polish father (hence made up patronymic “Konstantinovich”, Xaverevich being the real one), and was unrelated to a Rokossovsky noble family of his ancestors. Nonetheless, the highest authorities knew of it and did take it into consideration when they planned to appoint Rokossovsky. After the war, he was posted in Soviet Poland, where he did not live for 35 years, and the locals were considering him a Russian overseer. The ultimate irony.
In 1937 during the Army purges, he was arrested and taken prisoner for almost 3 years. He was accused of being both a Polish and Japanese spy, based on the fresh testimony of a person 10 years after death.
According to Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Rokossovsky endured two mock shooting ceremonies where he was taken out at night by a firing squad, but then returned to prison. He was set free in 1940 when the lack of qualified General Staff became glaringly apparent. Despite all the hardships, he remained loyal to the Soviet state.
Rokossovsky was an imposing figure, tall, very good-looking, and well dressed; I understand he was a bachelor and was much admired by ladies. (c) Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery
Konstantin Konstantinovich (Xaverevich) Rokossovsky (Polish: Konstanty Rokossowski; 21 December 1896 – 3 August 1968) was a Soviet and Polish officer who became Marshal of the Soviet Union, Marshal of Poland, and served as Poland's Defence Minister from 1949 until his removal in 1956 during the Polish October. He was among the most prominent Red Army commanders of World War II.
Rokossovsky got himself a reputation of Soviet most gallant commander, who cares for his troops, and for whom words honor and duty are not the empty words. He was calm, composed, and courteous with both his subordinates and superiors. His military talent and expertise are also highly acclaimed.
In Russia, they say I'm a Pole, in Poland they call me Russian. (c) Konstantin Rokossovsky
He was born and brought up in Poland, his mother being Russian, and father a Pole. He was serving first in the Russian army during WW1, then in the Soviet one. It’s during his Soviet career he had to pretend he had no Polish father (hence made up patronymic “Konstantinovich”, Xaverevich being the real one), and was unrelated to a Rokossovsky noble family of his ancestors. Nonetheless, the highest authorities knew of it and did take it into consideration when they planned to appoint Rokossovsky. After the war, he was posted in Soviet Poland, where he did not live for 35 years, and the locals were considering him a Russian overseer. The ultimate irony.
In 1937 during the Army purges, he was arrested and taken prisoner for almost 3 years. He was accused of being both a Polish and Japanese spy, based on the fresh testimony of a person 10 years after death.
According to Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Rokossovsky endured two mock shooting ceremonies where he was taken out at night by a firing squad, but then returned to prison. He was set free in 1940 when the lack of qualified General Staff became glaringly apparent. Despite all the hardships, he remained loyal to the Soviet state.
Rokossovsky was an imposing figure, tall, very good-looking, and well dressed; I understand he was a bachelor and was much admired by ladies. (c) Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery