Zhukov heard Stalin say this, and after a moment of silence, he asked: "Comrade Stalin, I would like to ask, when do you think the most opportune time is?" ”

"The best time is when the command of the 1st Belorussian Front and the new Polish government enter the city of Warsaw." Stalin looked up at Zhukov and said: "Then you can go and take over Rokossovsky's post." ”

"Comrade Stalin," Zhukov said with a look of embarrassment on his face when he heard that Stalin was eager to let himself take over Rokossovsky's post: "Although our troops have occupied the whole of Warsaw, the situation along the Vistula is still very serious. To the north of Warsaw was the fortress of Modlin, where the Germans had gathered heavy troops; To the south, they had gathered heavy forces and were preventing Chuikov's Eighth Guards Army and the Polish First Army from expanding their landing grounds. ”

Having said this, Zhukov deliberately paused for a moment to observe Stalin's reaction. Seeing that he took out two cigarettes from the cigarette case and crushed them, and put them in the pipe, he did not light them immediately, but clenched them in his hands in a daze. According to what he knew about Stalin, this was weighing one thing repeatedly, so he struck while the iron was hot and said: "I think that at such a time, it is both appropriate and inappropriate to change the commander of the front in an important direction." ”

"When do you think Rokossovsky should be transferred from the 1st Front?" Stalin, who seemed determined to replace Rokossovsky, stubbornly asked: "Tell me, when is the most opportune time?" ”

Seeing that Stalin's attitude was so resolute, Zhukov felt that he could not save Rokossovsky, so he could only sigh and say: "Comrade Stalin, I think it is better to wait until after the October Revolution Day, when the whole situation will be more polite to our army, and even if the commander of the front army is replaced, it will not have too much adverse impact on the operation of the troops." ”

"Well," said Stalin, who finally relented when he heard Zhukov say this, "then let this matter be put aside for the time being, and we will talk about it after we have celebrated the great October Revolution." ”

He put the pipe in his mouth and, after lighting it, said to Zhukov with some slurred words: "Comrade Zhukov, when you go to the General Staff later, tell Antonov by the way, and say that the merger of the 1st and 2nd Belorussian Fronts will not be considered for the time being." ”

"Comrade Stalin, you are quite right in this decision." Zhukov said with a smile on his face: "I think that in the current situation, it is really not the best time to merge the two fronts. With that, he nodded to Stalin, turned and walked out of the office.

After leaving the office, on the way to the General Staff, Zhukov kept thinking: Do I need to ventilate this matter to Rokossovsky, so that he can also be mentally prepared? But on second thought, no, only Stalin and I knew about this matter so far, and once Stalin found out that I had leaked secrets, it would cause a lot of unnecessary trouble.

Before he could come up with the best of both worlds, he found himself at the door of the General Staff. Antonov was about to go out, and when he saw Zhukov standing at the door, he couldn't help but say in surprise: "Comrade Marshal, didn't you go to Comrade Stalin, why did you come back so soon?" ”

"Yes, I just returned from Comrade Stalin!" Zhukov said and walked into Antonov's office, and at the same time said: "Bring me a cup of hot tea, I have been busy all day, and I don't even bother to drink saliva." ”

Antonov hurriedly walked to the samovar, turned on the faucet and poured Zhukov a cup of black tea, put two sugar cubes, and then put it down in front of him, and asked with concern: "Comrade Marshal, I don't know what is important about the Supreme Commander-in-Chief himself summoning you to his office?" ”

'Nothing serious,' said Zhukov after taking a sip of hot tea, "and we talked about the current situation in Poland and some of the plans for the future." ”

When Antonov heard Zhukov mention the Polish battlefield, he asked with a smile: "Comrade Marshal, since the Supreme Commander himself mentioned the Polish battlefield, did he say when the First and Second Belorussian Fronts will be merged?" With the ability of Field Marshal Rokossovsky, if the Supreme High Command had placed the combined Front under his command, the defeat of the Germans would have been greatly accelerated. ”

"Comrade Chief of the General Staff," Zhukov asked, putting down his teacup, looking at Antonov, "do you think the Supreme Command will make Rokossovsky the commander of this newly merged Front?" ”

"Wouldn't it?" Antonov felt that Zhukov's tone of speech was a little wrong, but he couldn't say what was wrong, so he could only say according to his own train of thought: "I think that the commander of the front army who can command a million-strong army to fight, except for Konev, is only Rokossovsky." I really can't think of anyone who can surpass Rokossovsky. ”

"There are a lot of people who can surpass Rokossovsky." Zhukov smiled bitterly and said: "At least there is one in front of you." ”

"What, you?" When Antonov heard Zhukov say this, he immediately realized that something was wrong with the problem, and he asked tentatively: "Comrade Marshal, is it possible that the Supreme Commander-in-Chief himself intends for you to take this post?" ”

"Yes," Zhukov nodded, affirmingly: "Comrade Stalin said this to me personally." ”

Antonov had already sat down to chat with Zhukov, and when he heard Zhukov say this, he suddenly jumped up from his seat and asked in surprise: "You are the commander of the newly merged front, what about Marshal Rokossovsky?" How does the High Command intend to place him? ”

"Comrade Chief of the General Staff, don't ask this question again." Zhukov said helplessly: "You just asked, and I won't answer." ”

Zhukov heard Stalin say this, and after a moment of silence, he asked: "Comrade Stalin, I would like to ask, when do you think the most opportune time is?" ”

"The best time is when the command of the 1st Belorussian Front and the new Polish government enter the city of Warsaw." Stalin looked up at Zhukov and said: "Then you can go and take over Rokossovsky's post." ”

"Comrade Stalin," Zhukov said with a look of embarrassment on his face when he heard that Stalin was eager to let himself take over Rokossovsky's post: "Although our troops have occupied the whole of Warsaw, the situation along the Vistula is still very serious. To the north of Warsaw was the fortress of Modlin, where the Germans had gathered heavy troops; To the south, they had gathered heavy forces and were preventing Chuikov's Eighth Guards Army and the Polish First Army from expanding their landing grounds. ”

Having said this, Zhukov deliberately paused for a moment to observe Stalin's reaction. Seeing that he took out two cigarettes from the cigarette case and crushed them, and put them in the pipe, he did not light them immediately, but clenched them in his hands in a daze. According to what he knew about Stalin, this was weighing one thing repeatedly, so he struck while the iron was hot and said: "I think that at such a time, it is both appropriate and inappropriate to change the commander of the front in an important direction." ”

"When do you think Rokossovsky should be transferred from the 1st Front?" Stalin, who seemed determined to replace Rokossovsky, stubbornly asked: "Tell me, when is the most opportune time?" ”

Seeing that Stalin's attitude was so resolute, Zhukov felt that he could not save Rokossovsky, so he could only sigh and say: "Comrade Stalin, I think it is better to wait until after the October Revolution Day, when the whole situation will be more polite to our army, and even if the commander of the front army is replaced, it will not have too much adverse impact on the operation of the troops." ”

"Well," said Stalin, who finally relented when he heard Zhukov say this, "then let this matter be put aside for the time being, and we will talk about it after we have celebrated the great October Revolution." ”

He put the pipe in his mouth and, after lighting it, said to Zhukov with some slurred words: "Comrade Zhukov, when you go to the General Staff later, tell Antonov by the way, and say that the merger of the 1st and 2nd Belorussian Fronts will not be considered for the time being." ”

"Comrade Stalin, you are quite right in this decision." Zhukov said with a smile on his face: "I think that in the current situation, it is really not the best time to merge the two fronts. With that, he nodded to Stalin, turned and walked out of the office.

After leaving the office, on the way to the General Staff, Zhukov kept thinking: Do I need to ventilate this matter to Rokossovsky, so that he can also be mentally prepared? But on second thought, no, only Stalin and I knew about this matter so far, and once Stalin found out that I had leaked secrets, it would cause a lot of unnecessary trouble.

Before he could come up with the best of both worlds, he found himself at the door of the General Staff. Antonov was about to go out, and when he saw Zhukov standing at the door, he couldn't help but say in surprise: "Comrade Marshal, didn't you go to Comrade Stalin, why did you come back so soon?" ”

"Yes, I just returned from Comrade Stalin!" Zhukov said and walked into Antonov's office, and at the same time said: "Bring me a cup of hot tea, I have been busy all day, and I don't even bother to drink saliva." ”

Antonov hurriedly walked to the samovar, turned on the faucet and poured Zhukov a cup of black tea, put two sugar cubes, and then put it down in front of him, and asked with concern: "Comrade Marshal, I don't know what is important about the Supreme Commander-in-Chief himself summoning you to his office?" ”

'Nothing serious,' said Zhukov after taking a sip of hot tea, "and we talked about the current situation in Poland and some of the plans for the future." ”

When Antonov heard Zhukov mention the Polish battlefield, he asked with a smile: "Comrade Marshal, since the Supreme Commander himself mentioned the Polish battlefield, did he say when the First and Second Belorussian Fronts will be merged?" With the ability of Field Marshal Rokossovsky, if the Supreme High Command had placed the combined Front under his command, the defeat of the Germans would have been greatly accelerated. ”

"Comrade Chief of the General Staff," Zhukov asked, putting down his teacup, looking at Antonov, "do you think the Supreme Command will make Rokossovsky the commander of this newly merged Front?" ”

"Wouldn't it?" Antonov felt that Zhukov's tone of speech was a little wrong, but he couldn't say what was wrong, so he could only say according to his own train of thought: "I think that the commander of the front army who can command a million-strong army to fight, except for Konev, is only Rokossovsky." I really can't think of anyone who can surpass Rokossovsky. ”

"There are a lot of people who can surpass Rokossovsky." Zhukov smiled bitterly and said: "At least there is one in front of you." ”

"What, you?" When Antonov heard Zhukov say this, he immediately realized that something was wrong with the problem, and he asked tentatively: "Comrade Marshal, is it possible that the Supreme Commander-in-Chief himself intends for you to take this post?" ”

"Yes," Zhukov nodded, affirmingly: "Comrade Stalin said this to me personally." ”

Antonov had already sat down to chat with Zhukov, and when he heard Zhukov say this, he suddenly jumped up from his seat and asked in surprise: "You are the commander of the newly merged front, what about Marshal Rokossovsky?" How does the High Command intend to place him? ”

"Comrade Chief of the General Staff, don't ask this question again." Zhukov said helplessly: "You just asked, and I won't answer." ”

When Antonov heard Zhukov mention the Polish battlefield, he asked with a smile: "Comrade Marshal, since the Supreme Commander himself mentioned the Polish battlefield, did he say when the First and Second Belorussian Fronts will be merged?" With the ability of Field Marshal Rokossovsky, if the Supreme High Command had placed the combined Front under his command, the defeat of the Germans would have been greatly accelerated. ”

"Comrade Chief of the General Staff," Zhukov asked, putting down his teacup, looking at Antonov, "do you think the Supreme Command will make Rokossovsky the commander of this newly merged Front?" ”

"Wouldn't it?" Antonov felt that Zhukov's tone of speech was a little wrong, but he couldn't say what was wrong, so he could only say according to his own train of thought: "I think that the commander of the front army who can command a million-strong army to fight, except for Konev, is only Rokossovsky." I really can't think of anyone who can surpass Rokossovsky. ”

"There are a lot of people who can surpass Rokossovsky." Zhukov smiled bitterly and said: "At least there is one in front of you." ”

"What, you?" When Antonov heard Zhukov say this, he immediately realized that something was wrong with the problem, and he asked tentatively: "Comrade Marshal, is it possible that the Supreme Commander-in-Chief himself intends for you to take this post?" ”

"Yes," Zhukov nodded, affirmingly: "Comrade Stalin said this to me personally." ”