User:Scerus/My Sandpit

Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov was a Soviet officer and politician who led the U.S.S.R from 1945 to 1971, serving concurrently as the Chairman of the Council of Ministers. As leader, he implemented de-Stalinization policies and sought detente with the west, he is also known for his liberal reforms in the domestic life of many Soviets, lessening religious controls and partially liberalizing the economy to encourage foreign capital. Following the death of Stalin from a heart-attack in July 1945, he assumed the leadership in the midst of a leadership crisis, and was largely seen as a compromise and/or caretaker while candidates would eventually agree on a single nominee. However, following the execution of Lavrentiy Beria and his determination to hold office.

His opponents thereafter withdrew due to his immense popularity among both the military and troops returning home. Unlike his predecessors, he did not seek to force his will on others while presiding over the Council of Ministers. Instead, he permitted them to operate independently without his intervention, a welcome change from the terror of Stalin during the 1930's. Despite his "Bonaparte" image, he eventually formed a close relationship with the party "bigwigs" such as Nikita Khrushchev and Leonid Brezhnev.

Despite the fear of many Soviet POW's, Zhukov greeted many in secret, reassuring them that he would allow them to return home, and even granted them the honour of marching in the Victory Day parades. Acknowledging their suffering.

During the war, he served honorably in the Red Army, and was present during the final Germany instrument of surrender in 1945. In 1949, he supported German reunification, arguing that a continued occupation could not be sustained by the Soviet economy. Overseeing a broad de-mobilization of the Red Army, initially placing emphasis on nuclear weapons, until the 1958 Comprehensive Nuclear Ban Treaty, and the following 1961 Strategic Arms Limitation Protocol.