November 1, 1957
FIELD MARSHAL ZHUKOV: Reports concerning the fate of Field Marshal Georgy Zhukov continue to be unclear. Several sources in Moscow, however, appear to be shedding some light on the reasons for his fall from grace. It appears that Zhukov nurtured ambitions of becoming another Napoleon and wanted an end to the influence of the Communist Party over the Soviet army. Accordingly, he had placed a number of senior officers who were blindly obedient to him in positions of power, and moreover opposed the appointment of Nikita Khruschev as prime minister, a post he himself coveted. Against this background, a dispatch last night from the Moscow correspondent of the Italian Communist newspaper L’Unita, which is considered to be a reliable report as it was approved by the Soviet censor and had the blessing of the Kremlin,claimed: «Field Marshal Zhukov is likely to be punished.» The report makes no mention what form the punishment is likely to take but explained that the government’s decisions would concern the Communist Party only. That is, the former World War II hero would no longer be a member of the Communist Party.
