In 1941, Stalin and Zhukov quarreled, the two had their own opinions, and the atmosphere was tense for a while, but at this moment, Stalin's chief of guard, Arkakiev, suddenly raised his hand and slapped Zhukov twice.
As the most tragic war in human history, World War II brought extremely heavy blows to all countries participating in the war, but also many famous generals emerged.
In the Soviet Union at that time, there was such a person who was entrusted with the defeat of the army, and finally turned the tide, and was even called the last hope of the Soviet Union by the people at that time, he was a famous legend Zhukov in the history of the world.
Back in 1941, Nazi Germany tore up the pre-war contract with the Soviet Union and launched the "Barbarossa Plan" to destroy the Soviet Union.
The German armored vehicles crushed the Soviet defense line like wild beasts, and the Soviet army was defeated without pre-war preparation, and had to let the German army penetrate deep into the heart of the Soviet Union.
At that time, Zhukov was only 45 years old, but he was already a veteran of the battlefield. He experienced first-hand the brutal confrontation of the First World War, and accumulated a lot of strategy and experience in the Soviet Union's three-year civil war.
In the face of the national crisis, he resolutely stood up and wanted to use his own strength to build an unbreakable barrier for the motherland.
While Zhukov's ideas are rosy, the reality is much more critical. At that time, according to the German army's march route, Moscow, Kiev and other important cities had been listed as the key targets of the German army.
Faced with a tired crisis, Stalin decided to hold Kiev on the southern front in order to prevent the German army from moving south, but Zhukov strongly opposed this.
He believes that Kiev is important, but Moscow is the heart of the Soviet Union, and if it is lost, the consequences will be unimaginable. Against all odds, he suggested abandoning Kiev for the time being and concentrating Soviet troops on the defense of Moscow.
However, Stalin's stubbornness and temper tantrum are well known. Hearing Zhukov's objections, he was furious, and the two began to quarrel involuntarily at a military meeting. At this time, everyone else was silent, and everyone thought that Zhukov was going to be unlucky.
At this moment, an unexpected person stood up, and this person was Arkadyev, Stalin's bodyguard. He suddenly rushed forward and slapped Zhukov twice on the cheek!
The crisp slap was especially loud in the silent conference room, and everyone was stunned, including Stalin himself.
Facing Zhukov's blank and angry expression, Arkadyev sharply reprimanded Zhukov and said that he would make Zhukov pay attention to his words, fulfill his duty, and obey Stalin's arrangement.
These two slaps interrupted Zhukov's defense and woke him up. Zhukov covered his hot cheeks and held back the anger in his heart, he knew that now was not the time to act rashly, and the fate of the country was more important than personal honor and disgrace.
Despite the fact that Zhukov was dismissed, Stalin's stubbornness ultimately paid a terrible price for his bad decisions. Kiev fell, hundreds of thousands of Soviet soldiers died heroically, and the German army drove straight into the city of Moscow.
At the critical moment, Stalin finally realized his mistake, and he put down his posture and personally visited Zhukov, imploring him to come back to the mountain and turn the tide.
Zhukov did not care about personal gains and losses, resolutely accepted a new appointment, and shouldered the heavy responsibility of defending the capital.
Zhukov was well aware that in the face of a well-equipped and high-morale German army, it was not wise to fight head-on. Therefore, he resolutely adjusted his strategy and tactics, took advantage of the vast territory of the Soviet Union and the severe cold climate, and adopted flexible and mobile guerrilla tactics to continuously deplete the German army's vital strength and morale.
In the end, Zhukov successfully resisted the German attack under the city of Moscow and won a great victory in the defense of Moscow.
The Battle of Moscow greatly boosted the morale of the Soviet military and civilians, reversed the situation on the Soviet-German battlefield, and made Stalin fully realize Zhukov's outstanding military talent.
Since then, Zhukov has become Stalin's most trusted general, and he is also known as the "savior of the Soviet Union".
During the long Great Patriotic War, Zhukov participated in and commanded almost all major battles, from the defense of Moscow to the Battle of Stalingrad, from the Battle of Kursk to the liberation of Berlin.
On May 8, 1945, Nazi Germany announced its unconditional surrender, and the smoke of the European theater of World War II finally dissipated. Amid the cheers of the Soviet people celebrating their victory, Zhukov rode a white horse and led the victorious army, receiving the admiration of people all over the world.
After the war, Zhukov was awarded the rank of "Marshal of the Soviet Union", becoming one of the generals with the highest military honor in the history of the Soviet Union.
His life was full of legends, growing from an ordinary soldier to the military commander of the Soviet Union, who, with his wisdom, courage and loyalty, won the victory of the Great Patriotic War for the Soviet people.
And those two resounding slaps have also become a special mark in Zhukov's legendary life, always reminding him that we must put the interests of the country and the people first, and always keep a clear head and firm faith, so that we can make the right choice in the torrent of history and finally move to the other side of victory.
Reference: CCTV "[Video] Revealing the Legendary Life of Generalissimo Zhukov of the Former Soviet Union"
