Leonid Govorov

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Aleksandrovich and the family name is Govorov.
Leonid Aleksandrovich Govorov
5th Army
Leningrad Front
Leningrad Military District
Battles/wars
Awards
Croix de guerre 1939-1945
Other workChief Inspector of Ground Forces
Commander of National Air Defense Forces
Deputy Minister of Defense

Leonid Aleksandrovich Govorov (

Military Academy of Red Army General Staff. He participated in the Winter War of 1939–1940 against Finland as a senior artillery officer.[1]

In World War II, Govorov rose to command an army in November 1941 during the Battle of Moscow. He commanded the Leningrad Front from April 1942 to the end of the war. He reached the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union in 1944, and was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and many other awards.[2] He was the father of Soviet General Vladimir Govorov.

Early years and Russian Revolution

Leonid Aleksandrovich Govorov was born into a peasant family of

podporuchik.[1]

When the

Spring Offensive of the Russian Army, a general drive westwards by White forces in the east. He deserted in November 1919, fleeing to Tomsk, where he took part in an uprising against White authorities as part of a fighting squad. Govorov joined the Red Army in January 1920, serving in the 51st Rifle Division as an artillery battalion commander. With the division, he fought in the Siege of Perekop in November, during which Soviet forces drove Pyotr Wrangel's White Army out of Crimea. Govorov was wounded twice during the year and was awarded the Order of the Red Banner in 1921 for his actions in Crimea.[1]

Interwar years

Govorov with his wife, 1923

In 1923 he met in Odessa, and later married Lydia Izdebska, the daughter of a former manager of a Polish estate. In 1924 their son Vladimir was born.[3]

Govorov obtained further military education, graduating from the Artillery course in 1926, the Higher Academy course in 1930, and the

Military Academy of Red Army General Staff, from which he graduated in 1938.[4]

From 1936, he was head of artillery in the

Dzerzhinsky Artillery Academy. In 1939, he finished his first research publication.[5] This was the period of Joseph Stalin's Great Purge. Govorov was close to being arrested, but in the end survived thanks to the intervention of Mikhail Kalinin[6] and continued to rise in rank.[2]

World War II

In 1939 the Soviet Union invaded Finland, and Govorov was appointed chief of artillery of the 7th Army, as his research while at Dzerzhinsky Artillery Academy was about assaulting and penetrating fortified enemy positions. He commanded the massive artillery assault that allowed the Soviet breakthrough along the Mannerheim Line in 1940. For this he was awarded the Order of the Red Star and promoted to the rank of division commander. He was then appointed Deputy Inspector-General of Artillery of the Red Army.[5]

After

Mozhaisk. As a result, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general of artillery.[7]

Defense of Leningrad

In April 1942 Govorov was appointed commander of the Leningrad Group of Forces of the

Lyuban Offensive Operation resulted in the encirclement and destruction of most of the Soviet 2nd Shock Army.[9] In this situation, Govorov's background as an artilleryman was considered most valuable, since the city was under constant shelling, and one of Govorov's tasks was to launch an artillery counter-offensive against the German guns.[7]

Govorov with Andrei Zhdanov during the defense of Leningrad

As soon as he became the commander of the Leningrad Front in July 1942, Govorov mounted local attacks in several sectors of the front, while preparing a much larger offensive. Together with the Volkhov Front, the Leningrad Front would break the blockade of the city by eliminating the German positions south of

Sinyavino Offensive failed and the 2nd Shock army was decimated for the second time in a year, but the German forces suffered heavy casualties and canceled Operation Northern Light.[11]

Operation Iskra, January 1943

In late November 1942, Govorov began planning the next operation to break the blockade of Leningrad. In December, the plan was approved by the

Colonel General on 15 January and was awarded the Order of Suvorov 1st Class on 28 January.[14]

The Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts tried to follow up their success with a much more ambitious offensive operation named

army general.[1]

Soviet Counter Offensive

The Soviet offensive started on 14 January 1944. By 1 March the Leningrad, Volkhov and 2nd Baltic Fronts had driven Army Group North back up to 300 kilometres (190 mi) on a 400 kilometres (250 mi) front, liberating the southern Leningrad region and part of the Kalinin region.

Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive, which led to Soviet recapture of Vyborg, Govorov was promoted to the rank of marshal of the Soviet Union. Later his forces recaptured the Baltic states, and in autumn 1944 his forces blocked Army Group North in what became known as Courland Pocket. On 27 January 1945, Govorov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.[1]

Post-war career

Marshal Leonid Govorov at the 30th October Revolution anniversary parade in 1947.

In the postwar years Govorov was commander of the

St Petersburg is named after him.[1]

Honours and awards

Govorov on a 2022 stamp of Russia
Soviet Awards
Hero of the Soviet Union (No. 5370–27 January 1945)[20]
Order of Victory (No. 10–31 May 1945)
Five
Orders of Lenin
(10 November 1941, 2 January 1942, 27 January 1945, 21 February 1945, 21 February 1947)
Order of the Red Banner, three times (1921, 3 November 1944, 15 November 1950)
Order of Suvorov, 1st class, twice (28 January 1943, 21 February 1944)
Order of Kutuzov, 1st class (29 July 1944)
Order of the Red Star (15 January 1940)
Medal "For the Defence of Leningrad"
Medal "For the Defence of Moscow"
Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"
Jubilee Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army"
Jubilee Medal "30 Years of the Soviet Army and Navy"
Medal "In Commemoration of the 800th Anniversary of Moscow"
Foreign Awards
Order of the Republic (Tuvan People's Republic, 3 March 1942)
Chief Commander of the Legion of Merit (USA)
Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour (France)
Croix de Guerre 1939-45
(France)

Citations and notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Leonid Govorov". Герои страны ("Heroes of the Country") (in Russian). Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  2. ^ a b Glantz p. 214
  3. ^ (uk)В. Орлов Лідія Іздебська: одеська дружина відомого маршала, Одесситка, 23.06.2022
  4. ^ Glantz, p 214
  5. ^ a b Kiselev p. 115
  6. ISBN 0-300-07812-9
    ), p. 6.
  7. ^ a b Glantz, p. 214
  8. ^ Glantz (2002), p. 182
  9. ^ Isayev p. 134
  10. ^ Glantz (2002), p. 213–214
  11. ^ Glantz, p.230
  12. ^ Glantz p. 265
  13. ^ Glantz p. 284–285
  14. ^ Kiselev p. 140
  15. ^ Glantz p. 284
  16. ^ Glantz p. 323
  17. ^ Glantz p. 333
  18. ^ a b Glantz p. 410
  19. ^ Glantz p. 409–410
  20. ^ "Говоров Леонид Александрович". warheroes.ru.

References

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