Georgiy Zakharov
Encyclopedia
Not to be confused with the Red Air Force general Georgi Zakharov
.
Georgiy Fedotovich Zakharov was a Soviet general officer, mainly notable for his service in World War II
.
region), and began military service in 1915.
, having completed training at a school for ensigns in 1916. In October 1917, he was elected a regimental commander. During the Russian Civil War
, from August 1919 he became a company commander in the Red Army
, and was in combat on the Eastern Front.
Zakharov continued his training throughout the 1920s, including the officer training courses known as Vystrel (1923). He also took a teaching assignment at the Frunze Military Academy from 1933, and underwent further training at the Military Academy of General Staff in 1939.
From 1939–1941 Zakharov served as Chief of Staff of the Ural military district.
Zakharov was serving as Chief of Staff
of the 22nd Army
, which saw action against the German invasion Operation Barbarossa
, in the environs of Vitebsk
, Velikie Luki and Nevel
. From August 1941 Zakharov was Chief of Staff, and during October- November the commander of the Bryansk Front
, which covered the Oryol
- Tula
and L'vov - Kursk
axes.
From December 1941 Zakharov was deputy Commander of the Western Front, which participated in the counterattack on the approaches to Moscow
during the Battle of Moscow
. From April 1942 Zakharov was Chief of Staff of the North Caucasian Strategic Direction, from May, the commander of the North Caucasian Front
, and from August, the commander of South-Western Front(Stalingrad). From October 1942 Zakharov was the deputy commander of the Stalingrad Front
, where he successfully exercised leadership of the armies on the Front's left wing during the Soviet counterattack. During January 1943 Zakharov was appointed Deputy Commander of the Southern Front
, while from February he was commander of 51st Army
.
From July 1943 Zakharov commanded the 2nd Guards Army, which performed outstandingly during the penetration of the German defences on the Mius and Molochnaya rivers. Under his leadership the 2nd Guards Army broke through powerful fortified positions on the Perekop Isthmus during April 1944, and participated in the liberation of Sevastopol
.
During 1944 Zakharov was given the responsibility of commanding 2nd Belorussian Front
during the major strategic offensive Operation Bagration. The Front's performance during this operation was criticised as inadequate, and from November Zakharov was effectively demoted to command of 4th Guards Army
, which was employed in forcing crossings of the Danube
and participated in the envelopment of German forces in Budapest
during the Battle of Budapest
. In April 1945, Zakharov was once again given command of a Front, the 4th Ukrainian Front
.
, with four Orders of the Red Banner
, two Orders of Suvorov
1st Class, the Order of Kutuzov
1st Class, Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky
1st Class, Order of Suvorov 2nd Class, and numerous medal
s.
Georgi Zakharov
Not to be confused with Army General Georgiy Zakharov.Georgi Nefiodovich Zakharov was a Soviet Air Force general....
.
Georgiy Fedotovich Zakharov was a Soviet general officer, mainly notable for his service in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Early life
Zakharov was born on April 23, 1897 in the village of Shilov, Russia (now in the SaratovSaratov
-Modern Saratov:The Saratov region is highly industrialized, due in part to the rich in natural and industrial resources of the area. The region is also one of the more important and largest cultural and scientific centres in Russia...
region), and began military service in 1915.
WWI service
Zakharov participated in the First World War with the rank of a second lieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, having completed training at a school for ensigns in 1916. In October 1917, he was elected a regimental commander. During the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
, from August 1919 he became a company commander in the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
, and was in combat on the Eastern Front.
Zakharov continued his training throughout the 1920s, including the officer training courses known as Vystrel (1923). He also took a teaching assignment at the Frunze Military Academy from 1933, and underwent further training at the Military Academy of General Staff in 1939.
From 1939–1941 Zakharov served as Chief of Staff of the Ural military district.
WWII service
During the first days of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Zakharov was serving as Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
of the 22nd Army
22nd Army (Soviet Union)
The 22nd Army was a field army of the Russian Ground Forces, part of the Moscow Military District. It was active from 1941 to 2010. The order for the formation's dissolution was signed by the Minister of Defence on 1 July 2009....
, which saw action against the German invasion Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, in the environs of Vitebsk
Vitebsk
Vitebsk, also known as Viciebsk or Vitsyebsk , is a city in Belarus, near the border with Russia. The capital of the Vitebsk Oblast, in 2004 it had 342,381 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth largest city...
, Velikie Luki and Nevel
Nevel
Nevel is a town and the administrative center of Nevelsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located on Lake Nevel southeast of Pskov. Population:...
. From August 1941 Zakharov was Chief of Staff, and during October- November the commander of the Bryansk Front
Bryansk Front
The Bryansk Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during the Second World War.General Andrei Yeremenko was designated commander of the Front when it first formed in mid-late August 1941, comprising, in Erickson's words, 'on paper two armies, 50th and 13th, with eight rifle divisions each, three...
, which covered the Oryol
Oryol
Oryol or Orel is a city and the administrative center of Oryol Oblast, Russia, located on the Oka River, approximately south-southwest of Moscow...
- Tula
Tula, Russia
Tula is an industrial city and the administrative center of Tula Oblast, Russia. It is located south of Moscow, on the Upa River. Population: -History:...
and L'vov - Kursk
Kursk
Kursk is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym Rivers. The area around Kursk was site of a turning point in the Russian-German struggle during World War II and the site of the largest tank battle in history...
axes.
From December 1941 Zakharov was deputy Commander of the Western Front, which participated in the counterattack on the approaches to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
during the Battle of Moscow
Battle of Moscow
The Battle of Moscow is the name given by Soviet historians to two periods of strategically significant fighting on a sector of the Eastern Front during World War II. It took place between October 1941 and January 1942. The Soviet defensive effort frustrated Hitler's attack on Moscow, capital of...
. From April 1942 Zakharov was Chief of Staff of the North Caucasian Strategic Direction, from May, the commander of the North Caucasian Front
North Caucasian Front
The North Caucasian Front or North Caucasus Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. This sense of the term is not identical with the more general usage of military front which indicates a geographic area in wartime, although a Soviet Front may operate within designated...
, and from August, the commander of South-Western Front(Stalingrad). From October 1942 Zakharov was the deputy commander of the Stalingrad Front
Stalingrad Front
The Stalingrad Front was a front of the Soviet Union's Red Army during the Second World War. The name indicated the primary geographical region in which the Front first fought, based on the city of Stalingrad on the Volga River....
, where he successfully exercised leadership of the armies on the Front's left wing during the Soviet counterattack. During January 1943 Zakharov was appointed Deputy Commander of the Southern Front
Southern Front
The Southern Front is a geographical area where armies are engaged in conflict* The Soviet Southern Front was one of the Soviet Fronts in WWII*Southern Front...
, while from February he was commander of 51st Army
51st Army (Soviet Union)
The 51st Army was a field army of the Red Army that saw action against the Germans in World War II on both the southern and northern sectors of the front. In particular, it was involved in the Crimean debacle of May 1942, and the final cutting-off of German forces in the Courland area next to the...
.
From July 1943 Zakharov commanded the 2nd Guards Army, which performed outstandingly during the penetration of the German defences on the Mius and Molochnaya rivers. Under his leadership the 2nd Guards Army broke through powerful fortified positions on the Perekop Isthmus during April 1944, and participated in the liberation of Sevastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
.
During 1944 Zakharov was given the responsibility of commanding 2nd Belorussian Front
2nd Belorussian Front
The 2nd Belorussian Front was a military formation of Army group size of the Soviet Army during the Second World War...
during the major strategic offensive Operation Bagration. The Front's performance during this operation was criticised as inadequate, and from November Zakharov was effectively demoted to command of 4th Guards Army
4th Guards Army (Soviet Union)
The Fourth Guards Army was an elite army headquarters of the Soviet Union during World War II and the postwar era.Formed on the basis of the 24th Army on April 16, 1943, the Fourth Guards Army fought in decisive actions such as the Battle of Kursk, the Iassy-Kishinev Offensive, the struggle for...
, which was employed in forcing crossings of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and participated in the envelopment of German forces in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
during the Battle of Budapest
Battle of Budapest
The Siege of Budapest centered on the Hungarian capital city of Budapest. It was fought towards the end of World War II in Europe, during the Soviet Budapest Offensive. The siege started when Budapest, defended by Hungarian and German troops, was first encircled on 29 December 1944 by the Red Army...
. In April 1945, Zakharov was once again given command of a Front, the 4th Ukrainian Front
4th Ukrainian Front
The 4th Ukrainian Front was a front of the Red Army during World War II...
.
Cold War service
After the war Zakharov commanded the troops of Southern-Ural (1945–46) and Eastern Siberian (1947–50) military districts, and was the chief of Vystrel courses (1950–53). From September 1954 he was the Deputy Department Chief of combat training of ground forces.Decorations
Zakharov was awarded with the Order of LeninOrder of Lenin
The Order of Lenin , named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was the highest decoration bestowed by the Soviet Union...
, with four Orders of the Red Banner
Order of the Red Banner
The Soviet government of Russia established the Order of the Red Banner , a military decoration, on September 16, 1918 during the Russian Civil War...
, two Orders of Suvorov
Order of Suvorov
The Order of Suvorov is a Soviet award, named after Aleksandr Suvorov , that was established on July 29, 1942 by a decision of the Presidium of Supreme Soviet of the USSR. This decoration was created to award senior army personnel for exceptional leadership in combat operations...
1st Class, the Order of Kutuzov
Order of Kutuzov
The Order of Kutuzov is a Soviet and Russian military award, named after famous Russian Field Marshal Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov ....
1st Class, Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky
Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky (Soviet Union)
The Order of Bohdan Khmelnitsky was a Soviet award named after Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Hetman of the Ukrainian Cossack Hetmanate The award was first established on October 10, 1943, by the Presidium of Supreme Soviet of the USSR during World War II....
1st Class, Order of Suvorov 2nd Class, and numerous medal
Medal
A medal, or medallion, is generally a circular object that has been sculpted, molded, cast, struck, stamped, or some way rendered with an insignia, portrait, or other artistic rendering. A medal may be awarded to a person or organization as a form of recognition for athletic, military, scientific,...
s.