Aleksandr Vasilevsky

"A man who knew his job as he spent a long time commanding a regiment and who earned great respect from everybody." (c) Georgy Zhukov about Vasilevsky Aleksandr Mikhaylovich Vasilevsky was one of the best Soviet commanders over the course of WW2. One could argue who was the top commander, but officially, Vasilevsky was recognized as the number 2 commander after Zhukov - he was receiving all the top awards shortly after him. Additionally, he was arguably the best USSR strategist. His unofficial ranking as a number 2 commander made him most likely replacement for Zhukov, should he fall out of Stalin’s favor.