Alexey Antonov Vov. Army General Alexey Innokentievich Antonov

Alexey Innokentievich

Battles and victories

Army General, a prominent Soviet military leader and one of the most talented staff officers of the Soviet Armed Forces. Participated in the development of all significant operations of the Great Patriotic War since 1942, took part in the Yalta and Potsdam conferences (1945).

The only general awarded the Order of Victory. The remaining gentlemen of this highest order held the rank of no lower than marshal.

Alexey Innokentyevich was an extremely competent military man, a man of great culture and charm.

G.K. Zhukov about A.I. Antonov

The future Chief of the General Staff of the Soviet Army was born in the city of Grodno on September 15, 1896 in the family of a career military man and spent his entire childhood moving. In 1908, their father died, and by the beginning of the First World War, the Antonovs moved to St. Petersburg, to live with relatives on their mother’s side. In 1914, his mother died.

Alexey grew up as a modest and sickly boy, so the question of officer service was very difficult for him. On the one hand, there is the example of the officer service of his father and grandfather, on the other, a thirst for science, an internal desire to be realized in the civil service. Antonov graduated from high school and successfully passed the entrance exams to the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics at Petrograd University. However, he failed to get an education. Due to his poor financial situation, he went to work at a factory.

After being drafted into the army in 1916, he was sent to an accelerated wartime course at the Pavlovsk Military School. In the same year, Ensign Antonov was enlisted in the Jaeger Regiment. In July 1917, he took part in the offensive of Russian troops on the Southwestern Front, during which he received a shrapnel wound to the head. He was awarded the Order of St. Anne for bravery and sent to reserve units formed in the capital.

He took part in organizing the defense of Petrograd from the Kornilov troops in September 1917. In the spring of the following year, A.I. Antonov made a last attempt to avoid a military career, but the Civil War returned him to the army. In April 1919, Antonov began serving in staff positions. Under the command of Antonov, the 15th Inzen Division, seizing the initiative, in 1920 cleared Kuban and southern Ukraine of White Guard units. For his services, he received an honorary weapon and a certificate of honor from the Revolutionary Military Council, which stated: “with his active participation in the latest military operations on Sivash, he contributed... to consolidating the gains of the great proletarian October.”

The Civil War finally determined the path of Alexei Innokentyevich Antonov. He abandoned his civilian career forever and devoted his peacetime work to strengthening the combat readiness of units and formations in Ukraine, as well as intense military studies - preparing for entry into the Military Academy. M.V. Frunze. During this period, he developed into a military leader with a great general political and military outlook.

He has a gentle character, broad initiative, is quick-witted, and skillfully understands any situation. Disciplined, healthy, hardy in camp life. Has extensive practical experience in staff work. Valuable staff member. Valuable qualities: accuracy and perseverance.

From the certification of the commander of the Ukrainian Military District I.E. Yakira on A.I. Antonov, 1925

During his studies, his remarkable abilities in military affairs, a scientific approach to research and an analytical mind emerged. Having successfully mastered the French language, Antonov received the qualification of a military translator. Antonov’s bright personality and personal qualities attracted the attention of leaders and mentors, which led to his appointment to the post of chief of staff of the 46th Infantry Division. Having gotten up to speed and having worked there for some time, Alexey Innokentievich felt the need to improve his qualifications and returned to his studies. In 1933, he graduated from the operational department of the Military Academy named after M.V. Frunze. His boss and faculty commissioner G.S. Isserson gave him an excellent description, noting, among other things: “An excellent operational and staff worker. Ready to work at senior headquarters.”

Having completed his training, A.I. Antonov continues to serve in staff positions in the 46th Infantry Division, in a fortified area, and also as the head of the First (operational) department of the headquarters of the Kharkov Military District. Antonov was able to put into practice many of the theoretical principles of Soviet military thought, participating in the organization of major military maneuvers on September 12-17, 1935. For the successful completion of the maneuvers, Antonov received gratitude from the People's Commissar of Defense K.E. Voroshilov.

The knowledge gained and accumulated experience again set him apart from others, and in 1936 the district command sent him for training at the newly opened Academy of the General Staff of the Red Army. There his classmates were A.M. Vasilevsky, N.F. Vatutin, I.Kh. Bagramyan, L.A. Govorov. His academic success brought him to the forefront, and the very next year Antonov was appointed chief of staff of the Moscow Military District. In this position, he paid great attention to the development of mechanized units, as well as (based on the experience of the Civil War in Spain) the preparation of air and anti-tank defense, and the development of interaction between various types of troops. It seemed that this very organized and intelligent man with enormous energy had extra hours in his day. After hard work with the troops of the capital district, Antonov found time to train students at the department of general tactics of the Military Academy named after M. V. Frunze. There, in his classes, Soviet military leaders became acquainted with the evolution of the practical use of German (including tank) troops during the events of 1936 - 1940.

In March 1941, Major General Antonov was appointed deputy chief of staff of the Kyiv Special Military District. It was he, an expert in Wehrmacht combat operations, who had to prepare troops on the western border of the USSR to repel the approaching German aggression. However, this task was not fully accomplished. By the time Antonov arrived in Kyiv, the strength of the KOVO troops was 65 - 70%. On June 24, 1941 (with the separation from the control district of the Southwestern Front), General Antonov was appointed to the post of Chief of Staff of the Kyiv Special Military District, successfully continuing the mobilization work he had begun somewhat earlier. He also dealt with the evacuation of the population and material assets from the front line, the formation of new military units and subunits. In August 1941, Antonov worked to form the administration of the Southern Front and subsequently headed its headquarters.

The critical situation in the autumn of 1941 also allowed Antonov to demonstrate his skills. At the end of August - beginning of September 1941, the German Army Group South reached the Dnieper on a wide front from Kherson to Kiev, part of the enemy formations had already crossed the Dnieper, and by the end of September, Soviet troops were pushed back 100 kilometers to Melitopol. On October 5, Antonov moved to the battlefield at the headquarters of the 9th Army to develop measures for the withdrawal of troops from the threat of encirclement and defense of Rostov-on-Don. While conducting heavy battles against a more prepared enemy, the Soviet military leadership, however, did not ignore military analytical work. General Antonov was instructed to summarize the experience accumulated during the first months of the war.

Air Marshal F.Ya. Falaleev, Army General A.I. Antonov, and Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov

In less than a month, he collected and processed all the data, which resulted in recommendations for combat, reconnaissance, camouflage and interaction of forces. The work carried out by Antonov played a key role in the Rostov defensive operation of 1941. Timely regrouping, careful strengthening of defensive positions and more effective control of troop actions made it possible to prevent the Germans from crossing the river on the move. Moreover, von Kleist's 1st Panzer Army was driven back 10-15 kilometers by the 9th Army's counterattack.

Thanks to an in-depth analysis of the enemy’s strategy and tactics and forecasting possible options for his actions, the threat to Rostov-on-Don has become much lesser. The losses of the German army near Taganrog amounted to about 35 thousand soldiers and officers, and the German command abandoned the initial plans to cover Rostov on both sides. On November 5, the German army moved directly to Rostov, intending to take the city with a blow from the north.

The enemy was still on the outskirts of the city when the headquarters of the Southern Front was already planning a counterattack, which was pre-emptively carried out on November 17, 1941 by the forces of the 9th, 18th, 37th and 56th armies. The blow was delivered to the rear of the enemy's 1st Tank Army in the western and southwestern direction. On the night of November 28, Rostov-on-Don was liberated, and by December 2, German units were pushed back beyond the Mius River, where the front stabilized for a long time. This operation became one of the first successful offensives of the Red Army in the Great Patriotic War.

On December 13, Alexey Antonov was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for a successfully planned and carried out operation, and on December 27 he was promoted to lieutenant general.

At the beginning of January 1942, Antonov again proved himself to be a talented strategist; he led the development of the Barvenkovo-Lozovsky operation. The Soviet offensive planned with his participation southeast of Kharkov initially led to significant success. However, mistakes by Headquarters and the command of the South-Western direction led to a heavy defeat of Soviet troops near Kharkov in May 1942.

On July 28, 1942, with the beginning of the battle for the Caucasus, a united North Caucasus Front was created, of which Antonov was appointed chief of staff. The commander of the Transcaucasian Front, Army General Tyulenev, wrote in his memoirs: “Antonov personally carefully carried out all the calculations for the upcoming military operations, planned the necessary regroupings of troops, outlined the nodes of resistance and counterattacks,” which made it possible to more effectively and successfully conduct combat operations on this section of the front. The ability to think outside the box prompted Antonov to recommend to the front military council the creation of mountain MLRS batteries (multiple launch rocket systems) on railcars.

In November 1942, Antonov was appointed chief of staff of the Transcaucasian Front. The key task at this stage was the complete liberation of the North Caucasus. Among other things, Antonov prioritized the formation of divisions on a national basis. By the end of the year, 19 national divisions and more than 200 fighter battalions had been created

At the beginning of December 1942, the Chief of the General Staff Vasilevsky offered Antonov the position of his deputy, head of the Operations Directorate of the General Staff, especially emphasizing the approval of his candidacy personally by I.V. Stalin. On December 11, Antonov arrived in Moscow.

“Name of Victory”: Antonov Alexey Innokentievich

Before Antonov’s appointment, the chiefs of the Operations Directorate of the General Staff, due to insufficiently well-organized work, were replaced 7 times within six months. The duties of the head of the department, among other things, included daily reports to Headquarters on the state of affairs at the fronts. At first, as head of the Operations Directorate, Antonov was practically not involved in working with Headquarters. And work at the General Staff was not entirely comfortable for him. He petitioned several times to be transferred back to the front, closer to the scene of events, but was constantly refused. Moreover, Vasilevsky in one of his reports characterized Alexei Innokentyevich as extremely valuable to the General Staff and Headquarters.

At the beginning of January 1943, First Deputy Chief of the General Staff Antonov was sent to the Bryansk Front to the location of the 18th Separate Rifle Corps as a representative of Headquarters. His work in the Ostrogozh-Rossoshanskaya and Voronezh-Kastornenskaya operations made a significant contribution to the success of the Red Army. Antonov's merits and authority were recognized by everyone, including the Chief of the General Staff and Stalin personally. Upon his return, he began to often visit the Supreme Commander with reports.

He made a significant contribution to the very order of work of the Operations Directorate and the entire General Staff as a whole for its optimization and efficiency. Among the most significant innovations is a single universal system of conventional topographic symbols. Now the map could be read without the presence of its compiler, which previously significantly complicated and slowed down the work. A strict work schedule was established. Antonov made increased demands, first of all, on himself, being on duty for an average of 17-18 hours a day. According to the recollections of Antonov’s deputy Shtemenko, “he knew the situation thoroughly, but he nevertheless spent 2-3 hours preparing for each report at Headquarters. Antonov was tactful with his subordinates, never raised his voice, but he was stingy with encouragement, almost never wrote down, but at the same time he remembered everything.”

Despite a more rational and efficient distribution of time and effort, the volume of information processed by the General Staff continued to grow. In its structure, by order of Antonov, the Main Organizational Directorate and the Directorate for the Use of War Experience appeared. A corps of officers representing the General Staff was created under the Operations Directorate.

Antonov's main focus was strategic planning. Starting with the Kursk operation, Antonov participated in the development of all key operations and campaigns of the USSR Armed Forces, visiting Supreme Commander-in-Chief I.V. several times a day with carefully prepared reports. Stalin. During this period, General Antonov worked especially closely with Vasilevsky and Zhukov. The general idea of ​​the operation was to counter the German offensive expected on the Kursk Bulge with a deeply echeloned defense, weakening and exhausting the German troops, and then launch a counteroffensive with the forces of five fronts and destroy the enemy forces. In general, this plan was successfully implemented during the defensive phase of the battle.

After the start of the Soviet counteroffensive on the Kursk Bulge, on August 7, 1943, Antonov came to the conclusion that in the course of moving forward, the principle of maximum concentration of forces in the chosen direction to Kharkov was being violated. The corresponding instruction sent in this regard to the commander of the Voronezh Front, General Vatutin, was almost too late: the enemy took advantage of the current situation and counterattacked, but the formations of Soviet troops that arrived in time did not allow a significant change in the balance of forces. The Kharkov group of Germans was drained of blood and began to retreat.

Looking through the archive materials of Stavka, you notice that since the end of 1943, most of the directive documents were signed by Stalin together with Antonov or by Antonov alone on behalf of Stavka.

YES. Volkogonov. Stalin. Political portrait

Significant contribution of A.I. Antonov contributed to the third winter military campaign, planning for which began in November 1943. The plans of the Supreme Command Headquarters included the deployment of a full-scale offensive operation on a wide front from the Baltic to the Black Sea by troops of all branches and fronts. As a result of the operation, it was planned to liberate Ukraine, Crimea and reach the border of the USSR, defeat Army Group North, completely lift the blockade of Leningrad, and create the foundations for the liberation of the Baltic states. The key figures in working out the details of the plan were Zhukov, Vasilevsky and Antonov. During the campaign, all the main goals of the command were achieved, and on March 26 the troops reached the border.

The development of the 1944 summer campaign at the General Staff was also carried out with the direct participation of Alexei Innokentyevich Antonov. Antonov reported to Stalin about its main provisions at the end of April, and on May 1 the latter signed the corresponding order for its approval. The result of the campaign was supposed to be the complete liberation of the occupied territories of the USSR.

The main blow was planned to be delivered in the Belarusian direction, the development of which was personally worked out by Antonov. When preparing Operation Bagration, the General Staff paid special attention to disinformation of the enemy regarding the directions of the main attacks and the number of troops. It was necessary to create the impression among the enemy that the Soviet summer offensive would begin in Ukraine. Thus, on May 3, Antonov instructed the commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, Army General Malinovsky, to “show behind the right flank of the front the concentration of eight to nine rifle divisions, reinforced with tanks and artillery... Show the movement and location of individual groups of people, vehicles, tanks, guns and equipment of the area " Similar orders were given to the command of other formations.

The development and preparation of the operation lasted several weeks. On May 20, her plan was signed by Antonov for execution. The immediate task was to destroy the enemy’s Minsk group through flank attacks on Army Group Center. The offensive operation lasted 2 months, ending with the complete defeat of the opposing German troops.

With the opening of the second front in Europe on June 6, 1944, the need arose to coordinate the actions of the allies, which for Antonov meant new worries and a wider range of emerging problems. Exchange of information with allies and coordination of various operations became one of the key areas of Antonov’s work. He had to coordinate targets for bombing strikes, the range of action of the allied air forces, determine the timing of actions and the direction of efforts of troops and navies. To achieve the fastest results in this area, Soviet proposals were prepared for the Yalta Conference, which opened on February 4, 1945.

On the first day of the conference, Antonov made a detailed report on the situation and planned operations on the Soviet-German front. Among other things, at the conference it was decided to entrust all work on coordinating the actions of the allied forces to the General Staff of the Red Army in close cooperation with the heads of the military missions of the allied states in Moscow. At the conference, the question was raised about the timing of the start of the war with Japan. Antonov, right in Yalta, had to make the appropriate calculations, predict the situation and determine with what forces and in what time frame it would be possible to strike at the Kwantung group. According to preliminary calculations, the offensive date was determined as two to three months after the surrender of Germany. An interesting fact about this planning is that during the immediate preparation of the Far Eastern campaign, no adjustments were required to these plans.

The authority of the talented strategist was so great that in 1943 - 1945. In Stalin’s Kremlin office, Antonov was more often than others from the leadership of the Armed Forces. He enjoyed great authority from Stalin, who, as a rule, listened to his recommendations in matters of conducting strategic operations.

This cultured and educated man made a very favorable impression. Antonov was very close to Stalin, who took into account his opinion, had obvious sympathy and trust in him, and spent long hours with him, discussing the situation at the fronts and planning future operations. Antonov behaved simply, without arrogance or ambition. He was always modestly dressed - a protective tunic, breeches, boots, and only the general's shoulder straps betrayed his high position in the army.

Aircraft designer A.S. Yakovlev about A.I. Antonov

In February 1945, with the transfer of Marshal Vasilevsky to the post of commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front, Antonov took the place of Chief of the General Staff. The commanders of the troops who came to Headquarters, before going to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, turned to Antonov for advice and an assessment of the preparation of military operations. Representatives of the Headquarters, sending their reports to Stalin, certainly addressed a copy of them to “Comrade Antonov,” knowing that the general would take all necessary actions on these reports accurately and on time.

The plan for the Berlin operation, prepared by the General Staff under the leadership of Antonov and presented to Headquarters on April 1, 1945, was immediately approved. The general did a great deal of work to clarify the plan and implement it directly with the front command.

On June 4, 1945, General Antonov was awarded the highest military order of the USSR “Victory” “for skillfully fulfilling the tasks of the Supreme High Command in conducting large-scale military operations.” The award is unique in its essence, since all 14 holders of the order except Antonov held the rank of marshal or higher.

With the end of the war, Antonov was faced with the difficult task of transferring troops to peaceful lines. This included demobilization, changes in the organizational structure of troops and military educational institutions. By the summer of 1945, the Red Army numbered 11.3 million. In less than six months, all fronts and many armies were disbanded, and the number of military educational institutions was significantly reduced. Since March 1946, General Antonov again held the position of First Deputy Chief of the General Staff, and in 1946 he was elected as a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

On November 6, 1948, Antonov was transferred to the Transcaucasian Military District, where for a year he was the first deputy commander of the district troops of Marshal of the Soviet Union Tolbukhin, and in 1950, for the first time in a long period of staff work, he received a command position - commander of the district troops.

In April 1954, he became first deputy chief of the General Staff, Marshal Sokolovsky, and, at the same time, a member of the board of the USSR Ministry of Defense. After the signing of the Warsaw Pact on May 14, 1955, Antonov was entrusted with the main work of organizing the command and control apparatus of the armies of the Warsaw Pact countries and training troops for joint actions. He is personally involved in organizing and conducting most of the exercises of the troops of the allied countries. As chief of staff of the United Armed Forces of the Warsaw Pact countries, A.I. Antonov remained until the end of his days.

Accurate, responsible, knowing the value of time and actions, during his life he invested enormous work, his extraordinary organizational skills and military talent in the defense of the Motherland, the strengthening and power of its armed forces.

A.I. Antonov (right) and S.M. Shtemenko

A major military leader, Antonov was a lyricist by nature. He loved nature, had a keen sense of music and enjoyed it in his free hours. His deputy during the war, S. Shtemenko, noted: “Without exaggeration, we can say that Alexey Innokentievich was an exceptional person. His distinctive features were, first of all, high erudition, general and especially military culture, which were manifested in the breadth and depth of his approach to all issues of work, in speech, behavior, and attitude towards people. In six years of working together on the General Staff, I never once saw him “lose his temper,” lose his temper, or curse someone. He had a surprisingly even, balanced character, which, however, had nothing in common with softness. Antonov's poise and sincerity were combined with rare firmness and perseverance, I would say, even with some dryness in official matters. He did not tolerate superficiality, haste, imperfections and formalism. He was stingy with rewards, and only thinking, proactive, accurate and impeccable people could earn them. He valued time very much and planned it carefully. Apparently, this is why his speech was distinguished by conciseness and clarity of thought. An enemy of long and frequent meetings, he held them only in exceptional cases and always briefly... At home, he was a pleasant conversationalist and a hospitable host. His wife, Maria Dmitrievna, was a match for him, and in character and attitude towards people she was even somewhat similar to him.”

In his youth, Antonov dreamed of becoming a forester. But after the February Revolution, the soldiers elected Ensign Antonov as an assistant to the regimental adjutant. He remained a military man all his life, and the ensign rose to the rank of army general and chief of the General Staff of the Soviet Army.

A.I. died Antonov June 18, 1962 in Moscow. The urn with the general's ashes is located in the Kremlin wall on Red Square.

SURGHIK D.V., IVI RAS

Literature

Lubchenkov Yu. 100 Great Commanders of the Second World War. M., 2005.

Gaglov I. I., General Antonov, M., 1978.

Military Encyclopedic Dictionary. M., 1986.

Internet

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A person who combines the body of knowledge of a natural scientist, a scientist and a great strategist.

Miloradovich

Bagration, Miloradovich, Davydov are some very special breed of people. They don't do things like that now. The heroes of 1812 were distinguished by complete recklessness and complete contempt for death. And it was General Miloradovich, who went through all the wars for Russia without a single scratch, who became the first victim of individual terror. After Kakhovsky’s shot on Senate Square, the Russian revolution continued along this path - right up to the basement of the Ipatiev House. Taking away the best.

Eremenko Andrey Ivanovich

Commander of the Stalingrad and South-Eastern Fronts. The fronts under his command in the summer and autumn of 1942 stopped the advance of the German 6th field and 4th tank armies towards Stalingrad.
In December 1942, the Stalingrad Front of General Eremenko stopped the tank offensive of General G. Hoth's group on Stalingrad, for the relief of the 6th Army of Paulus.

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

He was the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War! Under his leadership, the USSR won the Great Victory during the Great Patriotic War!

Platov Matvey Ivanovich

Military Ataman of the Don Cossack Army. He began active military service at the age of 13. A participant in several military campaigns, he is best known as the commander of Cossack troops during the Patriotic War of 1812 and during the subsequent Foreign Campaign of the Russian Army. Thanks to the successful actions of the Cossacks under his command, Napoleon’s saying went down in history:
- Happy is the commander who has Cossacks. If I had an army of only Cossacks, I would conquer all of Europe.

Karyagin Pavel Mikhailovich

Colonel Karyagin's campaign against the Persians in 1805 does not resemble real military history. It looks like a prequel to "300 Spartans" (20,000 Persians, 500 Russians, gorges, bayonet attacks, "This is madness! - No, this is the 17th Jaeger Regiment!"). A golden, platinum page of Russian history, combining the carnage of madness with the highest tactical skill, amazing cunning and stunning Russian arrogance

Suvorov Alexander Vasilievich

For the highest art of military leadership and immeasurable love for the Russian soldier

Skopin-Shuisky Mikhail Vasilievich

I beg the military historical society to correct the extreme historical injustice and include in the list of the 100 best commanders, the leader of the northern militia who did not lose a single battle, who played an outstanding role in the liberation of Russia from the Polish yoke and unrest. And apparently poisoned for his talent and skill.

Govorov Leonid Alexandrovich

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, Generalissimo of the Soviet Union, Supreme Commander-in-Chief. The brilliant military leadership of the USSR in the Second World War.

Skobelev Mikhail Dmitrievich

A man of great courage, an excellent tactician and organizer. M.D. Skobelev had strategic thinking, saw the situation both in real time and in the future

Osterman-Tolstoy Alexander Ivanovich

One of the brightest "field" generals of the early 19th century. Hero of the battles of Preussisch-Eylau, Ostrovno and Kulm.

Romanov Alexander I Pavlovich

The de facto commander-in-chief of the allied armies that liberated Europe in 1813-1814. "He took Paris, he founded the Lyceum." The Great Leader who crushed Napoleon himself. (The shame of Austerlitz is not comparable to the tragedy of 1941)

Yudenich Nikolai Nikolaevich

October 3, 2013 marks the 80th anniversary of the death in the French city of Cannes of the Russian military leader, commander of the Caucasian Front, hero of Mukden, Sarykamysh, Van, Erzerum (thanks to the complete defeat of the 90,000-strong Turkish army, Constantinople and the Bosporus with the Dardanelles retreated to Russia), the savior of the Armenian people from the complete Turkish genocide, holder of three orders of George and the highest order of France, the Grand Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honor, General Nikolai Nikolaevich Yudenich.

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

He led the armed struggle of the Soviet people in the war against Germany and its allies and satellites, as well as in the war against Japan.
Led the Red Army to Berlin and Port Arthur.

Prince Svyatoslav

Full Knight of the Order of St. George. In the history of military art, according to Western authors (for example: J. Witter), he entered as the architect of the “scorched earth” strategy and tactics - cutting off the main enemy troops from the rear, depriving them of supplies and organizing guerrilla warfare in their rear. M.V. Kutuzov, after taking command of the Russian army, essentially continued the tactics developed by Barclay de Tolly and defeated Napoleon’s army.

Kutuzov Mikhail Illarionovich

After Zhukov, who took Berlin, the second should be the brilliant strategist Kutuzov, who drove the French out of Russia.

Paskevich Ivan Fedorovich

Hero of Borodin, Leipzig, Paris (division commander)
As commander-in-chief, he won 4 companies (Russian-Persian 1826-1828, Russian-Turkish 1828-1829, Polish 1830-1831, Hungarian 1849).
Knight of the Order of St. George, 1st degree - for the capture of Warsaw (the order, according to the statute, was awarded either for the salvation of the fatherland, or for the capture of the enemy capital).
Field Marshal.

Suvorov Alexander Vasilievich

An outstanding Russian commander. He successfully defended the interests of Russia both from external aggression and outside the country.

Barclay de Tolly Mikhail Bogdanovich

It's simple - It was he, as a commander, who made the greatest contribution to the defeat of Napoleon. He saved the army under the most difficult conditions, despite misunderstandings and grave accusations of treason. It was to him that our great poet Pushkin, practically a contemporary of those events, dedicated the poem “Commander”.
Pushkin, recognizing Kutuzov's merits, did not oppose him to Barclay. In place of the common alternative “Barclay or Kutuzov,” with the traditional resolution in favor of Kutuzov, Pushkin came to a new position: both Barclay and Kutuzov are both worthy of the grateful memory of posterity, but Kutuzov is revered by everyone, but Mikhail Bogdanovich Barclay de Tolly is undeservedly forgotten.
Pushkin mentioned Barclay de Tolly even earlier, in one of the chapters of “Eugene Onegin” -

Thunderstorm of the twelfth year
It has arrived - who helped us here?
The frenzy of the people
Barclay, winter or Russian god?...

Ermolov Alexey Petrovich

Hero of the Napoleonic Wars and the Patriotic War of 1812. Conqueror of the Caucasus. A smart strategist and tactician, a strong-willed and brave warrior.

Maksimov Evgeniy Yakovlevich

Russian hero of the Transvaal War. He was a volunteer in fraternal Serbia, participating in the Russian-Turkish war. At the beginning of the 20th century, the British began to wage war against the small people - the Boers. Eugene successfully fought against the invaders and in 1900 was appointed military general. Died in Russian Japanese war. In addition to his military career, he distinguished himself in the literary field.

Suvorov Alexander Vasilievich

The great Russian commander, who did not suffer a single defeat in his military career (more than 60 battles), one of the founders of Russian military art.
Prince of Italy (1799), Count of Rymnik (1789), Count of the Holy Roman Empire, Generalissimo of the Russian land and naval forces, Field Marshal of the Austrian and Sardinian troops, Grandee of the Kingdom of Sardinia and Prince of the Royal Blood (with the title "King's cousin"), Knight of all Russian orders of their time, awarded to men, as well as many foreign military orders.

Monomakh Vladimir Vsevolodovich

Yudenich Nikolai Nikolaevich

One of the most successful generals in Russia during the First World War. The Erzurum and Sarakamysh operations carried out by him on the Caucasian front, carried out in extremely unfavorable conditions for Russian troops, and ending in victories, I believe, deserve to be included among the brightest victories of Russian weapons. In addition, Nikolai Nikolaevich stood out for his modesty and decency, lived and died as an honest Russian officer, and remained faithful to the oath to the end.

Stessel Anatoly Mikhailovich

Commandant of Port Arthur during his heroic defense. The unprecedented ratio of losses of Russian and Japanese troops before the surrender of the fortress is 1:10.

Nakhimov Pavel Stepanovich

Vladimir Svyatoslavich

981 - conquest of Cherven and Przemysl. 983 - conquest of the Yatvags. 984 - conquest of the Rodimichs. 985 - successful campaigns against the Bulgars, tribute to the Khazar Khaganate. 988 - conquest of the Taman Peninsula. 991 - subjugation of the White Croats. 992 - successfully defended Cherven Rus in the war against Poland. In addition, the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles.

John 4 Vasilievich

Peter the First

Because he not only conquered the lands of his fathers, but also established the status of Russia as a power!

Vatutin Nikolay Fedorovich

Operations "Uranus", "Little Saturn", "Leap", etc. and so on.
A true war worker

Dubynin Viktor Petrovich

From April 30, 1986 to June 1, 1987 - commander of the 40th combined arms army of the Turkestan Military District. The troops of this army made up the bulk of the Limited contingent of Soviet troops in Afghanistan. During the year of his command of the army, the number of irretrievable losses decreased by 2 times compared to 1984-1985.
On June 10, 1992, Colonel General V.P. Dubynin was appointed Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces - First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation
His merits include keeping the President of the Russian Federation B.N. Yeltsin from a number of ill-conceived decisions in the military sphere, primarily in the field of nuclear forces.

Brusilov Alexey Alekseevich

In World War I, commander of the 8th Army in the Battle of Galicia. On August 15-16, 1914, during the Rohatyn battles, he defeated the 2nd Austro-Hungarian Army, capturing 20 thousand people. and 70 guns. On August 20, Galich was captured. The 8th Army takes an active part in the battles at Rava-Russkaya and in the Battle of Gorodok. In September he commanded a group of troops from the 8th and 3rd armies. From September 28 to October 11, his army withstood a counterattack by the 2nd and 3rd Austro-Hungarian armies in battles on the San River and near the city of Stryi. During the successfully completed battles, 15 thousand enemy soldiers were captured, and at the end of October his army entered the foothills of the Carpathians.

Gorbaty-Shuisky Alexander Borisovich

Hero of the Kazan War, first governor of Kazan

Minikh Christopher Antonovich

Due to the ambiguous attitude towards the period of Anna Ioannovna’s reign, she is a largely underrated commander, who was the commander-in-chief of the Russian troops throughout her reign.

Commander of Russian troops during the War of the Polish Succession and architect of the victory of Russian weapons in the Russian-Turkish War of 1735-1739.

Kosich Andrey Ivanovich

1. During his long life (1833 - 1917), A.I. Kosich went from a non-commissioned officer to a general, commander of one of the largest military districts of the Russian Empire. He took an active part in almost all military campaigns from the Crimean to the Russian-Japanese. He was distinguished by his personal courage and bravery.
2. According to many, “one of the most educated generals of the Russian army.” He left behind many literary and scientific works and memories. Patron of sciences and education. He has established himself as a talented administrator.
3. His example served the formation of many Russian military leaders, in particular, General. A. I. Denikina.
4. He was a resolute opponent of the use of the army against his people, in which he disagreed with P. A. Stolypin. "An army should shoot at the enemy, not at its own people."

Linevich Nikolai Petrovich

Nikolai Petrovich Linevich (December 24, 1838 - April 10, 1908) - a prominent Russian military figure, infantry general (1903), adjutant general (1905); general who took Beijing by storm.

Stalin (Dzhugashvili) Joseph Vissarionovich

He was the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of all armed forces of the Soviet Union. Thanks to his talent as a Commander and Outstanding Statesman, the USSR won the bloodiest WAR in the history of mankind. Most of the battles of World War II were won with his direct participation in the development of their plans.

Makhno Nestor Ivanovich

Over the mountains, over the valleys
I've been waiting for my blue ones for a long time
Father is wise, Father is glorious,
Our good father - Makhno...

(peasant song from the Civil War)

He was able to create an army and conducted successful military operations against the Austro-Germans and against Denikin.

And for * carts * even if he was not awarded the Order of the Red Banner, it should be done now

Dragomirov Mikhail Ivanovich

Brilliant crossing of the Danube in 1877
- Creation of a tactics textbook
- Creation of an original concept of military education
- Leadership of the NASH in 1878-1889
- Enormous influence in military matters for a full 25 years

Suvorov Alexander Vasilievich

according to the only criterion - invincibility.

Margelov Vasily Filippovich

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

Commander-in-Chief of the Red Army, which repelled the attack of Nazi Germany, liberated Europe, author of many operations, including “Ten Stalinist Strikes” (1944)

Baklanov Yakov Petrovich

The Cossack general, “the thunderstorm of the Caucasus,” Yakov Petrovich Baklanov, one of the most colorful heroes of the endless Caucasian War of the century before last, fits perfectly into the image of Russia familiar to the West. A gloomy two-meter hero, a tireless persecutor of highlanders and Poles, an enemy of political correctness and democracy in all its manifestations. But it was precisely these people who achieved the most difficult victory for the empire in the long-term confrontation with the inhabitants of the North Caucasus and the unkind local nature

Loris-Melikov Mikhail Tarielovich

Known mainly as one of the minor characters in the story “Hadji Murad” by L.N. Tolstoy, Mikhail Tarielovich Loris-Melikov went through all the Caucasian and Turkish campaigns of the second half of the mid-19th century.

Having shown himself excellently during the Caucasian War, during the Kars campaign of the Crimean War, Loris-Melikov led reconnaissance, and then successfully served as commander-in-chief during the difficult Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878, winning a number of important victories over the united Turkish forces and in the third once he captured Kars, which by that time was considered impregnable.

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

He was the Supreme Commander-in-Chief during the Great Patriotic War, in which our country won, and made all strategic decisions.

Gagen Nikolai Alexandrovich

On June 22, trains with units of the 153rd Infantry Division arrived in Vitebsk. Covering the city from the west, Hagen's division (together with the heavy artillery regiment attached to the division) occupied a 40 km long defense line; it was opposed by the 39th German Motorized Corps.

After 7 days of fierce fighting, the division's battle formations were not broken through. The Germans no longer contacted the division, bypassed it and continued the offensive. The division appeared in a German radio message as destroyed. Meanwhile, the 153rd Rifle Division, without ammunition and fuel, began to fight its way out of the ring. Hagen led the division out of encirclement with heavy weapons.

For the demonstrated steadfastness and heroism during the Elninsky operation on September 18, 1941, by order of the People's Commissar of Defense No. 308, the division received the honorary name “Guards”.
From 01/31/1942 to 09/12/1942 and from 10/21/1942 to 04/25/1943 - commander of the 4th Guards Rifle Corps,
from May 1943 to October 1944 - commander of the 57th Army,
from January 1945 - the 26th Army.

Troops under the leadership of N.A. Gagen took part in the Sinyavinsk operation (and the general managed to break out of encirclement for the second time with weapons in hand), the Battles of Stalingrad and Kursk, battles in the Left Bank and Right Bank Ukraine, in the liberation of Bulgaria, in the Iasi-Kishinev, Belgrade, Budapest, Balaton and Vienna operations. Participant of the Victory Parade.

Shein Alexey Semyonovich

The first Russian generalissimo. Leader of the Azov campaigns of Peter I.

Uvarov Fedor Petrovich

At the age of 27 he was promoted to general. He took part in the campaigns of 1805-1807 and in the battles on the Danube in 1810. In 1812, he commanded the 1st Artillery Corps in the army of Barclay de Tolly, and subsequently the entire cavalry of the united armies.

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

Chairman of the State Defense Committee, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Armed Forces during the Great Patriotic War.
What other questions might there be?

Batitsky

I served in the air defense and therefore I know this surname - Batitsky. Do you know? By the way, the father of air defense!

He became famous as a talented staff officer. He participated in the development of almost all significant operations of the Soviet troops in the Great Patriotic War since December 1942.
The only one of all Soviet military leaders awarded the Order of Victory with the rank of army general, and the only Soviet holder of the order who was not awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Romanov Pyotr Alekseevich

During the endless discussions about Peter I as a politician and reformer, it is unfairly forgotten that he was the greatest commander of his time. He was not only an excellent organizer of the rear. In the two most important battles of the Northern War (the battles of Lesnaya and Poltava), he not only himself developed battle plans, but also personally led the troops, being in the most important, responsible directions.
The only commander I know of who was equally talented in both land and sea battles.
The main thing is that Peter I created a domestic military school. If all the great commanders of Russia are the heirs of Suvorov, then Suvorov himself is the heir of Peter.
The Battle of Poltava was one of the greatest (if not the greatest) victory in Russian history. In all other great aggressive invasions of Russia, the general battle did not have a decisive outcome, and the struggle dragged on, leading to exhaustion. It was only in the Northern War that the general battle radically changed the state of affairs, and from the attacking side the Swedes became the defending side, decisively losing the initiative.
I believe that Peter I deserves to be in the top three on the list of the best commanders of Russia.

Vasilevsky Alexander Mikhailovich

Alexander Mikhailovich Vasilevsky (September 18 (30), 1895 - December 5, 1977) - Soviet military leader, Marshal of the Soviet Union (1943), Chief of the General Staff, member of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command. During the Great Patriotic War, as Chief of the General Staff (1942-1945), he took an active part in the development and implementation of almost all major operations on the Soviet-German front. From February 1945, he commanded the 3rd Belorussian Front and led the assault on Königsberg. In 1945, commander-in-chief of Soviet troops in the Far East in the war with Japan. One of the greatest commanders of the Second World War.
In 1949-1953 - Minister of the Armed Forces and Minister of War of the USSR. Twice Hero of the Soviet Union (1944, 1945), holder of two Orders of Victory (1944, 1945).

Kutuzov Mikhail Illarionovich

The greatest Commander and Diplomat!!! Who utterly defeated the troops of the “first European Union”!!!

Chernyakhovsky Ivan Danilovich

To a person to whom this name means nothing, there is no need to explain and it is useless. To the one to whom it says something, everything is clear.
Twice hero of the Soviet Union. Commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front. The youngest front commander. Counts,. that he was an army general - but just before his death (February 18, 1945) he received the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union.
Liberated three of the six capitals of the Union Republics captured by the Nazis: Kyiv, Minsk. Vilnius. Decided the fate of Kenicksberg.
One of the few who drove back the Germans on June 23, 1941.
He held the front in Valdai. In many ways, he determined the fate of repelling the German offensive on Leningrad. Voronezh held. Liberated Kursk.
He successfully advanced until the summer of 1943, forming with his army the top of the Kursk Bulge. Liberated the Left Bank of Ukraine. I took Kyiv. He repulsed Manstein's counterattack. Liberated Western Ukraine.
Carried out Operation Bagration. Surrounded and captured thanks to his offensive in the summer of 1944, the Germans then humiliatedly walked through the streets of Moscow. Belarus. Lithuania. Neman. East Prussia.

Belov Pavel Alekseevich

He led the cavalry corps during the Second World War. He showed himself excellently during the Battle of Moscow, especially in defensive battles near Tula. He especially distinguished himself in the Rzhev-Vyazemsk operation, where he emerged from encirclement after 5 months of stubborn fighting.

Grachev Pavel Sergeevich

Hero of the Soviet Union. May 5, 1988 “for completing combat missions with minimal casualties and for the professional command of a controlled formation and the successful actions of the 103rd Airborne Division, in particular, in occupying the strategically important Satukandav pass (Khost province) during the military operation “Magistral” "Received the Gold Star medal No. 11573. Commander of the USSR Airborne Forces. In total, during his military service he made 647 parachute jumps, some of them while testing new equipment.
He was shell-shocked 8 times and received several wounds. Suppressed the armed coup in Moscow and thereby saved the system of democracy. As Minister of Defense, he made great efforts to preserve the remnants of the army - a similar task to few people in the history of Russia. Only because of the collapse of the army and the reduction in the number of military equipment in the Armed Forces was he unable to victoriously end the Chechen War.

Shein Mikhail Borisovich

He headed the Smolensk defense against Polish-Lithuanian troops, which lasted 20 months. Under the command of Shein, multiple attacks were repelled, despite the explosion and a hole in the wall. He held back and bled the main forces of the Poles at the decisive moment of the Time of Troubles, preventing them from moving to Moscow to support their garrison, creating the opportunity to gather an all-Russian militia to liberate the capital. Only with the help of a defector, the troops of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth managed to take Smolensk on June 3, 1611. The wounded Shein was captured and taken with his family to Poland for 8 years. After returning to Russia, he commanded the army that tried to recapture Smolensk in 1632-1634. Executed due to boyar slander. Undeservedly forgotten.

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Alexey Innokentievich Antonov(September 15 (28), 1896, Grodno - June 18, 1962, Moscow) - Soviet military leader, army general, member of the Supreme Command Headquarters, Chief of the General Staff in 1945-1946, first Chief of Staff of the United Armed Forces of the Warsaw Countries. He became famous as a talented staff officer. He participated in the development of almost all significant operations of the Soviet troops in the Great Patriotic War since December 1942. Participant of the Yalta and Potsdam Allied Conferences.

The only one of all Soviet military leaders awarded the Order of Victory with the rank of army general, and the only Soviet holder of the order who was not awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Three times holder of the Order of Lenin, four times - the Order of the Red Banner.

Biography

Childhood and youth

Born on September 15 (28), 1896 in the city of Grodno (Belarus) in the family of Innokenty Alekseevich Antonov - captain, artillery officer, and Teresa Ksaverevna Antonova - housewife. By nationality - Tatar-Kryashen.

Antonov’s grandfather, Alexey, is a native of Siberia, graduated from the Moscow Alexander Military School, and is also an officer. Teresa Ksaveryevna is Polish, the daughter of someone exiled to Siberia for participating in the uprising of 1863-1864. Innokenty Antonov successfully passed the exams at the Academy of the General Staff, where he was not enrolled due to his wife’s Catholic religion: “If your wife converts to Orthodoxy, you will be enrolled in the Academy.” After refusing such an offer, I. A. Antonov was sent to the 26th artillery brigade, stationed in Grodno, where his son was born. Alexey was the second child in the family; his older sister, Lyudmila, had just begun to walk at the time of Alexey’s birth. At an early age, Alexey Antonov became fluent in both Russian and Polish.

In 1904, the family moved to Ukraine - to Ostrog, Volyn province, where Antonov Sr. was transferred to the post of battery commander. Here Alexey entered the gymnasium. The question of his future military career was not even raised due to his illness, shyness and nervousness. The father, who had come to terms with the fact that his son would not continue the military traditions of the family, spent a lot of time with his son and dealt with issues of his physical and intellectual development: he tempered his son, taught him horse riding and playing chess, became interested in photography, and from the age of 10-11 every I took him to field camps in the summer. In 1908, Alexei's father died, and he, his mother and sister lived on his pension. The mother worked part-time preparing students for exams. In 1914, with the outbreak of World War I, the Antonovs moved to St. Petersburg to live with Teresa Ksaveryevna’s relatives, where Alexey entered the 8th grade of the gymnasium. In 1915, after a serious illness, Antonov’s mother died, and the issuance of a pension for his father ceased. Alexey graduates from the First St. Petersburg Gymnasium, after which he enters the university at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, where he never begins to study: due to lack of funds, together with two comrades he goes to work as a rejector at the Polyakov plant in the village of Slavyanka near St. Petersburg.

In 1916 he was drafted into the active army. In December of the same year, he graduated from an accelerated course of study at the Pavlovsk Military School, and with the rank of ensign he was sent to the Life Guards Jaeger Regiment. At the beginning of 1917, the regiment was sent to the 8th Army of the Southwestern Front under General Alexei Kaledin. Antonov received his baptism of fire in the summer of 1917 - on the night of June 18, after artillery preparation, the regiment, along with other units and formations of the front, went on the offensive south of Stanislav. By June 27, the 8th Army occupied Galich, and Kalush on June 28. On July 16, German units launched a counteroffensive; during one of the battles, Antonov received a shrapnel wound to the head and was evacuated to a hospital in Petrograd. For his bravery in battle, Antonov was awarded the Order of St. Anne.

After recovery, Antonov was transferred to the guard reserve regiment of chasseurs, where he was elected assistant to the regimental adjutant. On August 27, a meeting was held in the regiment regarding the Kornilov mutiny. The resolution of the meeting stated: “the regiment is awaiting an order to march to protect the revolution from attack on it by treason.” The formation of Red Guard detachments began at the capital's enterprises. Antonov dealt with organizational issues of forming consolidated units, providing them with weapons and uniforms. On August 28, these units took up defensive positions around Petrograd. Alexey Antonov, as part of one of the combined detachments, was engaged in the construction of defensive structures in the Pulkovo Heights area. By August 31, the rebellion was suppressed.

He cannot be called the Marshal of Victory. Antonov went down in history as the General of Victory. In June 1945, he, a member of the Headquarters, and, by that time, the chief of the General Staff, was awarded the “Marshal’s” Order of Victory. “For number 12,” historians clarify today. The only general among those awarded.

By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Major General Alexey Innokentyevich Antonov was thoroughly prepared: he had a military academic education, worked as a senior teacher, deputy head of the department of general tactics at the Frunze Academy.

A.I. Antonov in 1926

Given his high professional knowledge, in August 1941 he was appointed to the post of chief of staff of the Southern Front. A difficult situation developed there at that time: the enemy broke through to the Dnieper. General Antonov was able to ensure the coordinated work of the departments and departments of the front's field control and help subordinate headquarters. He promptly informs the General Staff and the headquarters of neighboring fronts about the situation at the front, and repeatedly goes to the troops to create a reliable defense on the spot.

Major General A.I. Antonov at the beginning of the war

Antonov developed a plan for the Rostov offensive operation of the Southern Front, which was carried out in late November - early December 1941. As a result, the German 1st Tank Army was thrown back 60-80 kilometers west of Rostov. The troops of the Southern Front thwarted the enemy's plans to break into the Caucasus. Alexey Innokentyevich thought through and prepared the operation, inferior to the enemy in manpower and with an acute shortage of tanks. For the successful conduct of this operation, he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner and the rank of lieutenant general.

In July 1942, Antonov was appointed chief of staff of the North Caucasus Front. Then he headed the headquarters of the Black Sea Group of Forces. He had to plan command and control of troops in defensive and offensive operations in mountainous terrain. In November 1942, having become the chief of staff of the Transcaucasian Front, Antonov organized the defense of the Caucasus. And not without success. The enemy, despite the superiority of forces, was forced at the end of 1942 to stop the offensive and go on the defensive. The Red Army thwarted the German command's plan to seize the Caucasus, bled its strike force dry, and gained time to prepare a counteroffensive.

In December 1942, Antonov was appointed head of the Operations Directorate and deputy chief of the General Staff. In May 1943, he became first deputy chief of the General Staff, and in February 1945 - chief of the General Staff and member of the Supreme High Command Headquarters.

Army General A.I. Antonov - Chief of the General Staff

During his time at the General Staff, Antonov’s military talent was especially clearly revealed. An example of a creative approach to planning tasks of a strategic scale and command of troops were many offensive strategic operations developed with his direct participation. So, on May 20, 1944, he presented to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief the plan for Operation Bagration, which provided for a simultaneous breakthrough of the enemy’s defenses in six sectors, dismembering his troops and defeating them piece by piece. Particular importance was attached to the elimination of the most powerful flank groupings in the areas of Vitebsk and Bobruisk, the rapid advance to Minsk, as well as the encirclement and destruction of the main forces of Army Group Center east of Minsk to a depth of 200-300 kilometers. As a result of the implementation of this plan, Soviet troops liberated Belarus and reached the Baltic Sea and the borders of East Prussia.

Among the successfully carried out strategic operations developed with the participation of Antonov were also East Prussia, Vistula-Oder, East Pomeranian, Vienna, Berlin, and Prague. Each of them bears the stamp of a thorough assessment of the strategic situation and the desire to achieve surprise in striking the enemy.

Antonov's name is still in the shadows. Today it is customary to write about him something like this: “He became famous as a talented staff officer. He participated in the development of almost all significant operations of the Soviet troops in the Great Patriotic War, starting in December 1942. Participant of the Yalta and Potsdam Allied Conferences. The only one of all Soviet military leaders awarded the Order of Victory with the rank of Army General, and the only Soviet holder of the order who was not awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union."

"War is over. The leader no longer needs friendship with Antonov, and reminders of him as a strategist are extremely undesirable. Stalin, a recognized grandmaster of intrigue, carries out such a multi-move combination. The first move - on June 4, 1945, Antonov was awarded the Order of Victory. This is wonderful! - readers will exclaim - and even with the same formulation as I have already given before: for planning and coordinating combat operations of the fronts. Indeed, recognition of merit. But there are two nuances.

Firstly, the award was given not during the war, like almost everyone else, but after the war. And secondly, on the same day, Marshal Timoshenko was awarded the Order of Victory with the same wording. A man who, as commander of various fronts, failed several operations, was removed from command posts and served as a representative of Headquarters. Moreover, Tymoshenko was first on the award list. Thus, in the eyes of many military men who were far from the Kremlin, the Antonov Order lost its luster. The leader never did anything by accident.

The next move is unprecedented both in concept and execution: on June 26, 1945, the title of Generalissimo of the Soviet Union was established, and the next day it was awarded to the outstanding strategist Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin for the victory over Germany. Thus, Antonov goes into an even deeper shadow.” (Samuel Kur. “The General and the Generalissimo. Alexei Antonov and Stalin”).

Yalta Allied Conference. General Antonov stands behind Marshal Stalin

Let us leave such conclusions to the conscience of the authors. And let’s not follow them in wondering whether the post-war “career leaps” can be considered a humiliation for the Russian Soviet general. It’s just that Antonov was always involved in specific matters. This was especially noticeable if “this is how the circumstances developed.” A typical example: when, during the Yalta Conference, it was necessary to quickly calculate the number of forces and means necessary to defeat the Kwantung Army, Antonov completed the task so scrupulously that months later, during the immediate preparation of the operation in the Far East, only minor clarifications had to be made to the calculations.

One thing is certain: the personality of Army General Antonov still remains in the shadows - for posterity. Maybe this is also because Alexey Innokentyevich himself was a very modest person in life?

Head of the Operations Directorate of the General Staff, “Antonov behaved simply, without arrogance or ambition. He was always modestly dressed - a protective tunic, breeches, boots, and only the general's shoulder straps betrayed his high position in the army." This is what the famous aircraft designer Alexander Sergeevich Yakovlev wrote about the general.

“He never raised his voice to anyone,” “he worked 18 hours a day,” “he managed to flawlessly organize the work of the Operations Directorate of the General Staff,” this is how his contemporaries recalled General Antonov. A small touch to the period of Antonov’s life related to the leadership of this same Operations Directorate of the General Staff: in 1942, in six months, 7 leaders were replaced in this position. Only Antonov, a man who never raised his voice, brought order...

Yes, the Supreme Commander listened to this man. The same A.S. Yakovlev writes: “Antonov was very close to Stalin, who took into account his opinion, had obvious sympathy and trust in him, spent long hours with him, discussing the situation at the fronts and planning future operations.” Balanced, always calm, accurate in assessing the current situation, the general was not afraid to defend his point of view. Including, in one famous office in the Kremlin. This happened, for example, during the preparation for the battle on the Kursk Bulge, and later, during the liberation of Ukraine.

Aircraft designer A.S. Yakovlev

This is how his comrade, Army General S.M., recalled Alexei Innokentyevich Antonov. Shtemenko:

“He did not tolerate superficiality, haste, imperfections and formalism. He was stingy with rewards, and only thinking, proactive, accurate and impeccable people could earn them. He valued time very much and planned it carefully. Apparently, this is why his speech was distinguished by conciseness and clarity of thought. An enemy of long and frequent meetings, he held them only in exceptional cases and always briefly. Some even called him a pedant in business and behavior. But this judgment was rash: the matter was about something else, and we, who worked with him, understood well and were grateful to A.I. Antonov for his fundamental, consistent demands, absolutely necessary in military service, and even in the days of a difficult war. It happens that a person is one at work and another at home. I had the opportunity to visit Antonov’s family more than once. At home, he was a pleasant conversationalist and a hospitable host. His wife, Maria Dmitrievna, was a match for him, and in her character and attitude towards people she was even somewhat similar to him. It is not without reason that they say that when a husband and wife live long and well, they become similar to each other. All this can be attributed to the Antonov family.”

Army General S.M. Shtemenko

They said that the death of his wife greatly damaged the general’s health. Of course, a strong and charming man, not yet an old man, he married a second time. Apparently, women generally loved him very much. Therefore, there is nothing strange in the fact that the famous ballerina Olga Lepeshinskaya also fell in love with him. But... they lived together for a little less than 6 years. Then the general died.

Ballerina Olga Lepeshinskaya

And one more touch to the portrait of Army General Antonov. He “had great respect for the memory of his father and mother, kept their photographs and letters as relics,” recalled his sister, Lyudmila Innokentievna. Once upon a time, Alyosha Antonov’s father, having successfully passed the exams at the Academy of the General Staff, abandoned a brilliant career for the sake of his beloved wife. Instead of St. Petersburg, he was assigned to an artillery brigade. The brigade was stationed in the provincial town of Grodno. By the way, the future General of Victory was born there...

Antonov Alexey Innokentievich. Army General since August 1943. On June 4, 1945 he was awarded the Order of Victory number 12. With details - Andrey Svetenko in the section on "".

Antonov is the only one of all those awarded this highest military order of the Great Patriotic War who was neither a marshal nor a Hero of the Soviet Union. At the same time, Antonov was the chief of the general staff, and, perhaps more importantly, a member of the Supreme High Command at the final stage of the war. A talented staff officer, Alexey Innokentievich participated in the development of virtually all significant operations of the Soviet troops, starting with the Battle of Stalingrad. He took part in the Yalta and Potsdam conferences.

During the First World War, as they said then, he was a wartime officer - with the rank of ensign in the tsarist army, he fought on the Southwestern Front against the Austro-Hungarians. From April 1919 - military expert of the Red Army, fought in Novorossiysk and Crimea. He earned a reputation as an excellent operational staff worker back in the mid-30s. Antonov was the embodiment of the concept of “military intellectual,” he never raised his voice, was impeccably clear, responsible, reasonable and friendly. He enjoyed authority from Stalin - the Supreme Commander was always interested in Antonov's opinion and never neglected the judgments of the chief of the general staff. “He undoubtedly had extraordinary organizational abilities, a brilliant comprehension of the enemy’s plans and the ability to cleverly destroy these plans,” this is how Marshal Vasilevsky spoke about Antonov, who at one time invited Alexei Innokentyevich to become his deputy, the head of the operational directorate of the General Staff.

It is curious that against the backdrop of general reviews of Antonov’s gentle character and politeness, there is a judgment by General Larin, who fought with Antonov at the beginning of the war on the North Caucasus front, - “the ice sphinx.” Yes, perhaps, there was something mysterious about Antonov, something closed and inaccessible, if only because no one had ever seen him lose his balance or lose his temper. General Shtemenko, who on duty communicated with Antonov more often than others, in his memoirs describes in detail this amazing combination of Antonov’s qualities. Balance and sincerity were combined with rare firmness; Antonov was stingy with encouragement and praise; it was difficult to earn them. At the same time, the enemy of long meetings and pumping, in general, held meetings extremely rarely and as briefly as possible. Many considered him a pedant in business and behavior.

It happens that a person is one at work and another at home. At home, Shtemenko recalled, Antonov was “such a pleasant conversationalist and hospitable host.”

There is such a caustic remark: modesty is the shortest path into the unknown. Modest both in form - only the shoulder straps betrayed his high position in the army - and in essence. After the end of the war, Alexey Antonov carried out extensive work on demobilization, disbanding fronts and formations, and in the end he himself left the post of Chief of the General Staff, going to a secondary role - deputy. In 1950, as if in mockery, he was appointed for the first time to a command post - commander of the Transcaucasian Military District. In 1954 Antonov was returned to Moscow. He again became Deputy Chief of the General Staff; after the signing of the Warsaw Pact in 1955, Antonov headed the newly created Headquarters of the United Armed Forces, in which position he served until the last day of his life. General Antonov died in June 1962. The urn with ashes rests in the Kremlin wall on Red Square.