STAVKA

STAVKA was the general headquarters for the Soviet Armed Forces during World War II (The Great Patriotic War).

STAVKA, headqurters of the "Main Command of the Armed Forces of the Union of SSR", was established on June 23, 1941 by the top secret decree signed by Joseph Stalin in his both top capacities as the head of state and as the leader of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. According to this decree STAVKA comprised of the defence minister Marshal Semyon Timoshenko (as its president), the head of General Staff Georgi Zhukov, Stalin, Vyacheslav Molotov, Marshal Kliment Voroshilov, Marshal Budionniy and the Secretary of the Navy admiral Kuznetsov.

The same decree organized at Stavka "the institution of permanent counsellors of Stavka comprising of comrades Marshal Kulik, Marshal Shaposhnikov, Meretskov, head of the Air Force Zhigarev, Vatutin, head of Air Defence Voronov, Mikoyan, Kaganovich, Lavrenty Beria, Voznesenskiy, Zhdanov, Malenkov, Mekhlis".

Very soon afterwards the deputy defence minister army general Meretskov was arrested following the false charges by Beria and Merkoulov. Meretskov was subsequently released from the jail and on the same day at the end of the first week of September 1941 was called for by Stalin.

STAVKA of the Main Command was reorganised into the STAVKA of the Supreme Command on July 10, 1941. On August 8, 1941 it was again reorganised into STAVKA of the Supreme Chief Command.