Aleksei Antonov
Aleksei Antonov | |
---|---|
Алексей Антонов | |
Russian SFSR, Soviet Union | |
Resting place | Kremlin Wall Necropolis, Moscow |
Spouse | |
Awards | Order of Victory |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Soviet Russia (1921–1922) Soviet Union (1922–1962) |
Branch/service | Soviet Army |
Years of service | 1921–1962 |
Rank | General |
Commands | Transcaucasus Military District |
Battles/wars |
|
Aleksei Innokentievich Antonov (
Career
Born in
In 1941, Antonov became chief of staff for the Soviet
Richard Overy writes of him at this time:
Vasilevsky came to rely on one subordinate above all others: the chief of operations, General Aleksei Antonov. [...] On December 11 [1942] the forty-six-year-old Antonov stepped into the role which was more directly exposed to Stalin's inquisitive leadership than any other. Antonov rose to the challenge. Instead of rushing off to report to Stalin when he arrived in Moscow, he spent the first week familiarizing himself thoroughly with the General Staff and the state of the front. Only when he was fully primed did he go to see his commander. The two men developed the most effective working relationship of the war. Antonov displayed a calm intelligence married to a massive energy and exceptional industry. According to his deputy, General Sergei Shtemenko, Antonov never lost his temper or allowed circumstances to get the better of him. He was firm, caustic, slow to praise and a tough taskmaster, but the rigorous regimen that he imposed on his staff won their respect. Above all he was adept at manipulating Stalin. He did not sugar-coat his reports. He was prepared to stand up to Stalin with what his deputy regarded as a 'brave outspokenness'. So skilled was he at providing the evening situation reports concisely and accurately that even Zhukov bowed to his capability and allowed Antonov to present them in his place. The trust that Stalin came to place in Antonov was reflected in his survivability. He retained his office until February 1945, when he was made chief of staff in Vasilevsky's place.[6]
By 1944, Antonov was Chief Spokesman and was present at the
After the war, Antonov became Deputy Commander-in-Chief and then Commander-in-Chief of the
Antonov died on 16 June 1962 in Moscow, and his ashes interred in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis.[citation needed]
Family
In 1956, Antonov married ballerina Olga Lepeshinskaya. It was his second marriage.[10]
References
- ^ TatarFact - Татарның бөек улы — армия генералы Антонов Алексей Иннокентьевич Archived 21 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine(in Russian)
- ^ Генерал армии Алексей Иннокентьевич Антонов(in Russian)
- ^ "Биографии. А.... Антонов Алексей Иннокентьевич, генерал армии, начальник штаба МВО в 1937–1938 гг".
- ^ R. Overy, Why the Allies Won (2006) p. 332
- ^ S. M. Shtemenko, Volume 1, p. 220, 225
- ISBN 0-7139-9223-9), pp. 189–90.
- ^ R. Gellately, Stalin's Curse (2013) p. 104
- ^ Session with British and US Chiefs of Staff at the Yalta Conference, 5 February 1945, FRUS Malta & Yalta, doc. 330
- ^ R. Overy, Why the Allies Won (2006) p. 333
- ^ Z. Sambuu. From Herdsman to Statesman (2010) p. 102
Sources
- Bonn, Keith E. (2005). Slaughterhouse: Handbook of the Eastern Front. Aberjona Press.
- S. M. Shtemenko. The Soviet General Staff. Progress Publisher, Moskva.
Further reading
- S. Bialer ed., Stalin's Generals (New York 1969)
- H. Salisbury ed., Marshal Zhukov's Greatest Battles (London 1969)