Stavka

STAVKA was the general headquarters for the Soviet Armed Forces During The Great Patriotic War (WWII).

STAVKA, as the 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. According to this decree STAVKA comprised of Narkom oborony /the defence minister/ Marshal Semyon Timoshenko (as its president), the head of General Staff Georgi Zhukov, Stalin, Molotov, Marshal Voroshilov, Marshal Budionniy and narkom /secretary/ of the Navy admiral Kuznetsov.

The same order ruled to organize at stavka "the institution of permanent counsellors of Stavka comprising of comrades Marshal Koulik, Marshal Shaposhnikov, Meretskov, head of the Air Force Zhigarev, Vatutin, head of Air Defence Voronov, Mikoyan, Kaganovich, Beriya, Voznesenskiy, Zhdanov, Malenkov, Mekhlis".

Very soon afterwards the deputy defence minister army general [[Kirill Afanasyevich] Meretskov] was arrested following the false charges by Beriya and by narkom of state security 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 J.Stalin.

STAVKA of the Main Command was reorganised into the STAVKA of the Supreme Command on July10,1941. On August 8,1941 it was again reorganised into STAVKA of the Supreme Chief Command.