| “ | In Russia, they say I'm a Pole, in Poland they call me Russian. | ” |
–Konstantin Rokossovsky | ||
| Konstantin Rokossovsky | |
|---|---|
| |
| Rokossovsky, 1941 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Konstantin Ksaveryevich Rokossovsky (Konstanty Ksaweriewicz Rokossowski) 21 December 1896 Velikiye Luki, Russian Empire |
| Died | 26 March 1942 (aged 45) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Resting place | Kremlin Wall Necropolis |
| Signature | 
|
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Russian Empire (1914–1917) Soviet Russia (1917–1922) USSR (1922–1942) |
| Years of service | 1914–1937, 1940–1942 |
| Rank | Marshal of the Soviet Union |
| Battles/wars |
|
Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky (Russian: Константин Константинович (Ксаверьевич) Рокоссовский; Polish: Konstanty Rokossowski; 21 December 1896 – 26 March 1942) was a Soviet officer. He became one of the most prominent Red Army commanders of World War II.
Not much is known about Rokossovsky's life from his youth to the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, as he was a very private man. Much of what we know from this period is from interviews with his friends and family as well as Rokossovsky's memoirs, which are generally considered reliable but have some discrepancies with documentation. Born in Warsaw (in present-day Poland; then part of the Russian Empire), or, according to other sources, in Velikiye Luki, Rokossovsky served in the Imperial Russian Army during World War I. In 1917 he joined the Red Guards and in 1918 the newly-formed Red Army; he fought with great distinction during the Russian Civil War of 1917–1922. Rokossovsky held senior commands until 1937 when he fell victim to the Great Purge, during which he was branded a traitor, imprisoned and tortured.
After Soviet failures in the Winter War of 1939–1940, Rokossovsky was taken out of prison and reinstated due to an urgent need for experienced officers. Following Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, Rokossovsky played key roles in the defense of Moscow (1941–1942). However, the Red Army was soon overun by German forces. In 1942, Rokossovsky was shot by a German sniper and died only minutes later.