Seeing that Malashenko already had a clear plan, Zhukov simply stopped asking further questions and, as he said himself, gave full power over personnel appointments to Malashenko.
But there was another thing that Zhukov had been thinking about on the way here and had not made up his mind. Only now did he finally make up his mind to ask Malashenko face to face.
"Comrade Petrov, he... how is his physical condition recently? Can he still hold on?"
As a unit that even Stalin often asked about, it is impossible for Zhukov not to understand some specific situations of the leadership division. For example, who should be remembered specifically about the senior leading cadres of the division headquarters. This is for communication and understanding from superiors.
There is no single most direct communication channel for an army.
In addition to the division commander Malashenko, whom he was already very familiar with, Zhukov of course also remembered the deputy division commander Lavrinenko and the division political commissar Petrov, but the chief of staff, who had a less strong sense of presence, did not remember them very clearly.
But this is normal. As far as Zhukov himself knows, Political Commissar Petrov is an extremely loyal and reliable old party member, a good comrade, and a complete workaholic who manages everything in detail. Except for those he is responsible for
In terms of political work, Malashenko, the division commander, did many things on his behalf when he was away from the division headquarters.
After all, in the leadership division, there are daily situations where the chief and deputy division commanders are not at the division headquarters. Don’t ask where they are, they are leading the charge on the front line. Malashenko also euphemistically said, “A qualified division commander must be in a place where he can hear artillery fire.”
"Command the battle at the closest distance". If you don't do this, it will be as if the division commander is not qualified.
Whenever this happens, there must be someone at the division headquarters who can control the overall situation. Since the chief and deputy division commanders are not at the division headquarters, only the deputy political commander, that is, our political commissar, is left to take charge of all matters under the overall command of the division headquarters.
It so happened that Comrade Political Commissar was capable of both literary and military skills and he did all of this very well, and he fit well with Malashenko, the unconventional teacher.
Such a magical pairing is rare within the Red Army, so if Zhukov can remember Malashenko, it is natural that he can also remember Commissar Petrov. This is not surprising.
Because of this, Zhukov had known about the news that Commissar Petrov was in poor health and was terminally ill, but he had been paying close attention to it.
What Zhukov did not tell Malashenko at this moment was that he had actually identified candidates for the political commissar of the leadership division a long time ago. If an unexpected incident occurred, he could ensure that the position would not be vacant and that the position would be filled immediately.
As a model unit for the entire Red Army, the Leadership Division cannot lack the position of political commissar, just as the Leadership Division cannot lack the soul core of Malashenko on the battlefield.
It was also after hearing Zhukov suddenly ask about this matter that his expression suddenly became much calmer, and Malashenko, who seemed to be very worried, thought in silence for a while before speaking to Zhukov again.
"Comrade Political Commissar's situation is indeed not very good recently, Comrade Marshal."
"During the time before I left, he was often in so much pain that he couldn't sleep at night. His and I set up camp beds at the division headquarters, and his bed was closer to his desk. He said that this would make it easier for him to get up at any time at night to work or do business.
When you're done, you can rest at any time. My bed is set up opposite him."
"That night I heard constant crunching noises in the division headquarters. It was strange. At first I thought it was rats breaking in and gnawing on things. When I turned on the light, I found out that it was Comrade Political Commissar holding his stomach and turning over and over on the cot.
He was so painful that he was sweating all over, but he still gritted his teeth and kept silent. He always said that he should not disturb the comrades to rest, especially me, because I had to lead the troops to fight the next day, and it was always like this."
"I wanted to help him up to drink water, but he was so weak that he couldn't even sit up. I had no choice but to hold his back with my hands and help him up. I came to feed him water. I shouted
Go and call Kalachev. He is the best military doctor in our division. Although he is an American, he has always been loyal to his original motherland and is an absolutely reliable and good comrade."
"Karachev told me that Comrade Comrade Political Commissar's condition is very bad, and it is a miracle that he can still hold on now. If it were an ordinary person, Bao Buqi would be lying in bed every day waiting to die, and only the last one would be left.
tone."
"I asked Kalachev whether Comrade Comrade Political Commissar could continue to stay on the front line. He pondered for a while and answered me, saying that this was beyond the scope of the cases he had known about. In his medical experience, he had never heard that pancreatic cancer could be treated.
He is someone who is still standing at such a time. As for whether he can stay on the front line, he has no idea. Every step Comrade Political Commissar takes is a refreshment for him."
Having said this, Malashenko's emotions had already been completely immersed in that memory, and even the tone of his speech was slightly trembling as there was something wrong with it.
"I was extremely scared that night, Comrade Marshal. It is no exaggeration to say that I was really afraid that he would leave me, leave the comrades, and leave this collective that night. I didn't know what to do. I was at a loss. He was the one who was with me.
On the battlefield, there is no one most important person in life on the front line. Without him, it would be like breaking me in half and losing half of me."
"But I didn't expect that he stood up well the next morning and could still move around on his own, eat, and drink medicine. There were no problems with this. He could even continue to work with the same smile as usual.
To the comrades, it was as if nothing happened last night, and Karachev was so shocked that he called God."
"But...but actually the more this happens, the more worried I am about him. He has always been holding on like this. It is his desire to witness the day of victory and his firm and loyal faith that are supporting his already overwhelmed
Body. I'm worried that this support may collapse at any time, and what should I do if that happens? This is the worst thing I can think of right now, it's really bad."
"..."
It should be said that Zhukov fell into a state of speechlessness for a while. When he saw Malashenko's state as if he had lost his soul, Zhukov stood for the first time in this perspective and realized that Petrov's political commissar
Malashenko's special importance.
Some things can be persuaded and comforted with words, but some things cannot.
For Malashenko, who has made it this far, Zhukov understands that too many feeble words are unnecessary.
A major general and a two-time hero of the Soviet Union, Malashenko will know what he should do and what he should not do. Even if he falls into this state, it is only temporary. What should be faced must be faced.
He will adjust his condition well. Zhukov has this confidence in Malashenko.
All that is left to do is to pat Malashenko on the shoulder and give him some precious time to be alone. This is what Malashenko needs most at this moment.
"Take care of yourself, go home and see Natalia. I watched their performance the day before yesterday. She misses you very much."
"If you have any questions, please contact Malokov directly. While you are in Moscow, he will be fully responsible for handling matters and applications related to you. We look forward to your bringing news of another victory for the motherland."