Ivan Stepanovich Konev ( 1897-1973)
Born in Lodeyno in the Russian Federation, Konev joined the army in 1916 and the Bolshevik party two years later. He served as a district military commissar in Vologda governorship, and during the Soviet Russian civil war, commanded an armoured train, a brigade and then an army corps. He graduated from the Frunze Military Academy in 1934. During the Second World War, he was a front-line officer, seeing active service in the battles of Moscow and Kursk and the Berlin and Prague engagements. In 1945- 6, as commander-in-chief of the Soviet Central Army Group, he was chief government commissioner for Austria. In 1946-50 and again in 1955-6, he was commander-in-chief of Soviet land forces. He was first deputy defence minister in 1955-61 and commander-in-chief of the Combined Armed Forces of the Warsaw Pact in 1955-60. In 1961-2, he was commander-in-chief of the Soviet forces in Germany.
Please send comments or suggestions.