What did Leonid Breshnev do in ww2?

[17poundr]

I remember seeing a documentary about ww2, and it featured the victory parade by the Red Army marching through Berlin right after the war had ended.
The commentator said when the higher officers marched past, that " Amongst the officers was a young general named Leonid Breshnev, who would one day be the top man of the Soviet Union".

What did Breshnev do in ww2, was he a political officer like Chrutshev?
Or an Army officer?

Not that being a political officer was anything easy, they took responcibility, and fought too, just look at Chrutshev's record, Moscow christmas 41, stalingrad christmas 42, he was in the thick of it.
I wonder what the young Breshnev was in?
Anybody???

[Andrey]

Originally Posted by 17poundr

I remember seeing a documentary about ww2, and it featured the victory parade by the Red Army marching through Berlin right after the war had ended.
The commentator said when the higher officers marched past, that " Amongst the officers was a young general named Leonid Breshnev, who would one day be the top man of the Soviet Union".

What did Breshnev do in ww2, was he a political officer like Chrutshev?
Or an Army officer?

Not that being a political officer was anything easy, they took responcibility, and fought too, just look at Chrutshev's record, Moscow christmas 41, stalingrad christmas 42, he was in the thick of it.
I wonder what the young Breshnev was in?
Anybody???

Brezhnev was political officer.

I do not know what Brezhnev did in 1941-42.

But I know that in 1943 Colonel Brezhnev took part on battle for liberation of Novorossiysk.

Soviet troops had small coastal bridghead there which later got name "Malaya Zemlya" ("Small land"). Germans tried to eliminate it at any cost, Soviet Command tried to hold it at any cost. It was hell, constant bombings, artillery strikes, German attacks. Brezhnev was there.

Later he wrote book "Malaya Zemlya" about it.

[laszlo.nemedi]

Originally Posted by Andrey

Brezhnev was political officer.

I do not know what Brezhnev did in 1941-42.

But I know that in 1943 Colonel Brezhnev took part on battle for liberation of Novorossiysk.

Soviet troops had small coastal bridghead there which later got name "Malaya Zemlya" ("Small land"). Germans tried to eliminate it at any cost, Soviet Command tried to hold it at any cost. It was hell, constant bombings, artillery strikes, German attacks. Brezhnev was there.

Later he wrote book "Malaya Zemlya" about it.

As I remember there was a Soviet 20 parts documentary series in the tv about 20 years ago, and one of them was about the Malaya Zemlya about one hour. I felt it was put in the series only because of Brezhnev. However it was interesting.
Andrey, do you know about this series?


Edit: As I remember its title was Velikaya Otechestvennaya Voyna (Great Patriotic War).

[Trigger Happy]

My guess is that he was political officer somewhere close to Khrushchev.

[Wolfe Tone]

IIRC when Brezhnev was in the fighting around the Little Land he was in small boat going into the beachead (?) when they took a near miss by a German Shell. He was knocked unconscious and flung overboard and had to be rescued.

Some of the German novel ''Cross of Iron'' is set about there.

[Henryk]

In the final years of the Brezhnev era his wartime exploits were greatly exaggerated by panderers and sycophants. As often is the case, Brezhnev himself began believing in his own propaganda and enjoyed posing for photographs bedecked in great splendour of ribbons and medals, attesting to his military achievements. There is a Soviet anecdote from that period:

STAVKA meeting, Spring 1945. Konev and Zhukov present to Stalin their plans for the final assault on Berlin. They offer detailed charts, summaries, long lists of figures.

Stalin puffs on his pipe for a long time, saying nothing. Tension in the room becomes unbearable. Finally, Stalin nods:
- I personally have no objections, but I think we should check with lieutenant Brezhnev...

[laszlo.nemedi]

Originally Posted by Henryk

In the final years of the Brezhnev era his wartime exploits were greatly exaggerated by panderers and sycophants. As often is the case, Brezhnev himself began believing in his own propaganda and enjoyed posing for photographs bedecked in great splendour of ribbons and medals, attesting to his military achievements. There is a Soviet anecdote from that period:

STAVKA meeting, Spring 1945. Konev and Zhukov present to Stalin their plans for the final assault on Berlin. They offer detailed charts, summaries, long lists of figures.

Stalin puffs on his pipe for a long time, saying nothing. Tension in the room becomes unbearable. Finally, Stalin nods:
- I personally have no objections, but I think we should check with lieutenant Brezhnev...

very good

[17poundr]

Originally Posted by Andrey

Brezhnev was political officer.

I do not know what Brezhnev did in 1941-42.

But I know that in 1943 Colonel Brezhnev took part on battle for liberation of Novorossiysk.

Soviet troops had small coastal bridghead there which later got name "Malaya Zemlya" ("Small land"). Germans tried to eliminate it at any cost, Soviet Command tried to hold it at any cost. It was hell, constant bombings, artillery strikes, German attacks. Brezhnev was there.

Later he wrote book "Malaya Zemlya" about it.

Thanks for the info.
Some of the guys seem to think he was a leftenant in 45, I thought he was a young general.
Which is true?

[Henryk]

Originally Posted by 17poundr

Some of the guys seem to think he was a leftenant in 45, I thought he was a young general.
Which is true?

No, I don't think he was a lieutenant in '45 - that's just an old joke

[Andrey]

Originally Posted by Henryk

In the final years of the Brezhnev era his wartime exploits were greatly exaggerated by panderers and sycophants. As often is the case, Brezhnev himself began believing in his own propaganda and enjoyed posing for photographs bedecked in great splendour of ribbons and medals, attesting to his military achievements. There is a Soviet anecdote from that period:

STAVKA meeting, Spring 1945. Konev and Zhukov present to Stalin their plans for the final assault on Berlin. They offer detailed charts, summaries, long lists of figures.

Stalin puffs on his pipe for a long time, saying nothing. Tension in the room becomes unbearable. Finally, Stalin nods:
- I personally have no objections, but I think we should check with lieutenant Brezhnev...

Meaning of joke is not that Brezhnev was leitenant in 1945. In 1943 he was colonel. Meaning of joke is that Brezhnev was too low rank officer during war for Zhukov and so on could to advuse with him. In 70th years Soviet historians and moviemakers tried to do pleasant thing for Brezhnev and overestimated grossly his personal contribution in war. He was usual colonel and there were tens thousands of other such officers. In result significance of "Malaya Zemlya" beachhead where Brezhnev fought was also overestimated grossly.

[Andrey]

Originally Posted by laszlo.nemedi

As I remember there was a Soviet 20 parts documentary series in the tv about 20 years ago, and one of them was about the Malaya Zemlya about one hour. I felt it was put in the series only because of Brezhnev. However it was interesting.
Andrey, do you know about this series?


Edit: As I remember its title was Velikaya Otechestvennaya Voyna (Great Patriotic War).

As I understand you mean "Great Patriotic War: Unknown war". It is Soviet-American documntary movie which was made in 70th when relations between USSR and USA were very good (relatively). One of tasks of this documentary was to say for modern Americans about real contibution of USSR in victory over Germany. Name "Unknown war" is because it was completely unknown for Americans in that time in result of Cold War propaganda.

I saw it in 80th when I was boy. Unfortunally Russian TV doesn't show it (I do not know why). And I do not remember exactly concrete content of every part. I do not remember part about "Malaya Zemlya". I remember that in the biginning of every part striking bell was shown in all screen.

[laszlo.nemedi]

Originally Posted by Andrey

As I understand you mean "Great Patriotic War: Unknown war". It is Soviet-American documntary movie which was made in 70th when relations between USSR and USA were very good (relatively). One of tasks of this documentary was to say for modern Americans about real contibution of USSR in victory over Germany. Name "Unknown war" is because it was completely unknown for Americans in that time in result of Cold War propaganda.

I saw it in 80th when I was boy. Unfortunally Russian TV doesn't show it (I do not know why). And I do not remember exactly concrete content of every part. I do not remember part about "Malaya Zemlya". I remember that in the biginning of every part striking bell was shown in all screen.

I remember the Leningrad part (there Shostakovich: Leningrad Symphony was the background, I love this music), I remember the Malaya Zemlya part, but most of it I don't remember either, but many many archive movie was showed. So it would be very interesting to see it again...

[amvas]

In the course of WW2 Breznev was political officier. In the course of Novorossiysk landing operation he was a member of political council of the 18th Army. I will tell you only one significant fact about his experience -during the war he groed only in one(!) rank!!

[Andrey]

Originally Posted by amvas

In the course of WW2 Breznev was political officier. In the course of Novorossiysk landing operation he was a member of political council of the 18th Army. I will tell you only one significant fact about his experience -during the war he groed only in one(!) rank!!

Did you mean "Member of Military Council"? (It is large scale commissar)

[amvas]

Originally Posted by Andrey

Did you mean "Member of Military Council"? (It is large scale commissar)

Ah, yep...