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Stavka () was the term used to refer to a command element of the armed forces from the time of the Kievan Rus′, more formally during the history of Imperial Russia as administrative staff and General Headquarters during late 19th Century Imperial Russian armed forces and those of the Soviet Union. In western literature it is sometimes incorrectly written STAVKA in uppercase, although the word is not an acronym. The term may be applied to personnel of the military Staff, as well as to military Staff location, its original meaning from the old Russian word ставка — Tent.
The commander-in-chief of the Russian army at the beginning of World War I was Grand Duke Nicholas Nicholaievitch, a grandson of Tsar Nicholas I. Appointed at the last minute in August 1914, he played no part in formulating the military plans in use at the beginning of the war. He was competent, if not brilliant. Nikolai Yanushkevich was his chief of staff. In the summer of 1915 the Tsar himself took personal command, with Mikhail Alekseyev as his chief of staff.
The Stavka was divided into several departments:
The Stavka was first established in Baranovichi. In August 1915, after the German advance, the Stavka re-located to Mogilev.
The same decree organized at Stavka "the institution of permanent counsellors of Stavka" : Marshal Kulik, Marshal Shaposhnikov, Kirill Meretskov, head of the Air force Zhigarev, Nikolay Vatutin, head of Air Defence Voronov, Mikoyan, Kaganovich, Lavrenty Beria, Voznesensky, Zhdanov, Malenkov, Mekhlis.
Very soon afterwards the deputy defence minister army Meretskov was arrested following the false charges by Beria and Merkulov. 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 (Stavka Verkhovnogo Komandovaniya) on July 10, 1941. On August 8, 1941 it was again reorganised into Stavka of the Supreme Main Command (Stavka Verkhovnogo Glavnokomandovaniya).
On the same day were instituted the commands of Strategic Directions.
Category:Military of Russia Category:Military of the Soviet Union Category:Staff (military)
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