The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-07-18
Zhukou, War Hero, Denoted Stalin Shakes Up Red Army's High Command
BY HARRISON SALISBURY United Press Foreign News Editor Copyright, 1946, By United Pressl

Copyright, 1946, By United Press)
 New York, July 18-(UP1-Gener- alissimo Stalin has shaken up the high command of the Red Army and relegated Marshal George K. Zhu- kov, the Soviet Unions top war hero, to an obscure provincial post.
 An announcement of the Red Army shake-up has yet been made to the Soviet public but the United Press today learned that it already has been carried out.
 The chief victim of the Red Army reorganization, so far as the United Press has been able to learn, was Zhukov, commander of all Red Army ground forces and the top military hero of Russia's World War II cam paigns.
 Confirmation Obtained
 First intimation of the Red Army shake-up came in a brief United Press dispatch which cleared Mos COW censorship.
 It said:
 'Unconflrmed reports said today that Marshal Zhukov has been ap- pointed to command the Odessa military disrict.
 Today the United Press obtained confirmation that Zhukov has beer relieved of his high command and sent to the obscure Odessa post-a move comparable to relegating Gen Dwight D. Eisenhower to command a U. S. Army post at New Orleans
 Zrukov, it was learned, is not the only victim of the reorganization o1 the Red Army's top command. How ever, details of the changes are no yet available.
 Friendly With Americans
 Zhukov, during his service as Soy. jet representative on the Allied Con. trol Commission in Berlin, had be. come a warm personal friend o. Eisenhower who then represented the United States on that body.
 Zhukovis successor as commandel of Soviet ground forces was not known.
 While the shake-up of the Soviet high command was understood tC have been sweeping in nature, it ap- peared not to have been as severe as the famous purge" of the Soviet High Command in 1887 when the top ranking hierarchy of the army was virtually swept away by execu- tionS and severe sentences imposed on charges of collaborating with foreign states and representative of Leon Trotsky. ....
 There has been no indication thus far that the shakeup involved any Soviet suspicion of foreign links with the Red Army High Command
 Pilotburo Seeks Powers
 The shake-up in the Red Army iS parallel to similar ''purgeS" an6 'clean-ups" going forward in Soviet industry and a general tightening up of discipline within the Soviete Union.
 It recalled speculation that the postwar era might see a struggle for power between Red Army lead CTS who sill firmly control the coun- try through the powerful Politburo
 Relegation of Russia's outstanding military figure to comparatively obscure post might be interested as serving notice upon the new military elite that the Politburo is deter. mined to continue doing business as usual.
 The fact that Zhukov was sent te Odessa attracted some attention While the Odessa military district never has been considered an inn portant army job in Russia, it wa: noted that it might hold increased significance because of its geograph- ical location close to the trouble spots of the Balkans and the Dar- danelles over which RusSia now is engaged in running press ano propaganda dispute with Turkey.