| Aleksandr Mikhaylovich Vasilevsky | |
|---|---|
| |
| Allegiance |  Russian Empire (1915–1917)
|
| Service/branch | Red Army |
| In service | 1915–1943 |
| Rank |  Colonel General
|
| Battles/wars | World War Russian Civil War Winter War European War |
Aleksandr Mikhaylovich Vasilevsky (Russian: Алекса́ндр Миха́йлович Василе́вский, 30 September (O.S. 18 September) 1895 Vichuga – 5 December 1977) was a Russian career officer in the Red Army who was promoted to the rank of Colonel General in 1941. He was a co-signer of the Soviet Armistice Agreement.
Vasilevsky began his military career during the World War, earning the rank of captain by 1917. At the start of the October Revolution and the Civil War he was conscripted into the Red Army. After the civil war, he quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a regimental commander by 1930. In this position, he showed great skill in organizing and training his troops. Vasilevsky's talent was noticed, and in 1931 he was appointed a member of the Directorate of Military Training. In 1937, following Stalin's Great Purge, he was promoted to General Staff officer.
At the start of the European War, Vasilevsky coordinated and executed the Red Army's offensive on the Donets, in the Donbass, Belarus and Baltic states, ending his victory streek with the offensive in East Prussia in April 1941.