New Minister Of Soviet Armed Forces

Chronicle (Levin), 26 March 1949, Page 5

New Minister Of Soviet Armed Forces

(N.Z.P.A.-

-Reuter,

Copyrlght)

Reeeived Friday, 7.30 p.m. LONDON, Mareh 25. I The Moscow radio announeed that Marslial Bulganin has been'relieved of his post as Minister of the Russian Armed Forces and Marshal Vassilevskv has been appointed in his plaee. The text of the announcement, which was broadcast at midnight, said: "The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the IJ.S.S.R. has relieved Marshal Mikolai Bulganin, vice-chairman of the Council of Ministers of thh IJ.S.S.R., of his duties of Minister of the Armed Forces of the U.S.S.R.. The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R. has appointed Marshal of the Soviet Union Alexander Vassilevskv as Minister of the Armed Forces of thte U.S.S.R." The Moscow radio added that Marshal Bulganin remains a vice-chairman of the Council of Ministers as in the cases of Mr. Molotov arid Mr. Mikoyal who were relieved of their departmental duties earlier this month; Fifty-three-year-old Marshal Bulganin 1 has been Minister of the Soviet Armed Forces since March 1947 when he took over from Mr. Stalin who held the post during the war. Forty-seven-year-old Marshal Vassilevsky was relieved of his post as Chief of Staff last November because he was "overburdened with work." He was appointed Chief of Staff in 1943 after the successful Stalingrad counteroffensive in which he was Marshal Zhukov's right-hand man.