Fedor Ivanovich Tolbukhin (16 June 1894 – 17 October 1949) was a Soviet military commander. During World War II, Tolbukhin was responsible for invading/liberating much of Eastern Europe, including Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Hungary. Tolbukhin was unusual among Soviet military leaders in that he was careful about planning his operations, with an eye to minimizing Soviet casualties. During the war, he participated the Battle of Stalingrad, for which he received praise for his prowess by his commanding officer. In 1944, as commander of the Fourth Ukrainian Front, he occupied Bulgaria, and then liberated Yugoslavia that winter.
After the war he was made commander-in-chief of the Southern Group of Forces, which comprised the Balkans. In January 1947, Tolbukhin was made the commander of the Transcaucasus Military District, a post he held until his death.
After the Soviet government collapsed during World War II, Fedor Tolbukhin and the Fourth Ukrainian Front continued daring and desperate guerrilla raids against German positions. His talent for sneaking up on his enemy, dealing a destructive blow, and fading away earned him the nickname "Phantom".
In 1947, Tolbukhin led a very successful raid against the occupied Ukrainian city of Zaporozhye.[1]
