Associated Press

Marshal Ivan S. Konev continued From Page 1, Col.4 was little known in the West, Marshal Konev, himself, had a varied military career under the Communist Party, which he joined in 1918, and rose through the ranks to his promotion as marshal in 1944.
General Grechko was sent in 1953 to replace Gen. Vasily I. Chuikov as commander of the Soviet occupation forces in Ease Germany.
It was noted at the time that he had been closely associated with the future premier Khrushchev since the start of World War II.
During World War II, General Grechko’s forces were on the first Ukrainian Front, where Mr. Khrushchev was active as a political commissar. After World War II General Grechko served as commander of the Kiev Military district, where Mir Khrushchev’s influence was strong.
His shift from the Kiev military district to East Germany apparently was related to the purge of Lavrenti P. Beria, in which Mr. Khrushchev played an important role. The shift took place shortly before the East German revolt of June, 1953, which is believed to have played a key role in Beria’s fall from power.
On his return to Moscow late in 1957, Marshal Grechko was named chief of Soviet and forces. The following February he was named Hero of the Soviet Union for his World War II service.
Marshal Konev took an active part in the removal of Marshal Georgi K. Zhukov from his post as Defense Minister in 1957.
Born in a peasant family in Kivov Province, Marshal Konev was a lumberjack when World War I broke out and has drafted into the Czarist Army. He sided with the Bolsheviks and in 1918 joined the Communist party. His military ability and his political loyalty made possible his long climb up through army ranks.
After World War II, Marshal Konev became Soviet commander in Austria, where he and Ge. Mark W. Clark of the United States not infrequently clashed.
On his sixtieth birthday in 1957, Marshal Konev received the country’s highest award, the Order of Lenin, for his services to the Soviet Army and to the nation.