Ivan Konev

“Once I said to Konev, "You've made ten demands at this Council meeting that we can't meet. But suppose I should say, 'All right. We agree to all ten demands.' Then what would you do?" "Tomorrow," he said, "I'd have ten new ones."”

“Our difficulties with the Russians increased, but I never really blamed Konev. He obviously was merely carrying out instructions. He even had a sense of humor about it occasionally. Once when we were discussing Austrian politics, the name of the Communist party leader, Ernst Fischer, was mentioned. Jokingly, I said: "Well, I don't like him because he is a Communist." Konev grunted. "That's fine," he said. "I don't like him either because he's an Austrian Communist."”

“Our neighbors use searchlights, for they want more light. I tell you, Nikolai Pavlovich, we need more darkness.”

“I do not want to give any orders to the airmen, but get hold of a Komsomol air unit, and say I want volunteers for the job.”

“We plan alone but we fulfill our plans together with the enemy, as it were, in accordance with his opposition.”

“As for me, I had to know exactly what the situation was in Dukla Pass. Moscow had demanded it.”