Sergey Akhromeyev
Sergey Akhromeyev | |
---|---|
Russian SFSR, Soviet Union | |
Died | August 24, 1991 Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union | (aged 68)
Buried | |
Allegiance | Soviet Union |
Service/ | Soviet Army |
Years of service | 1942–1991 |
Rank | Marshal of the Soviet Union (1983–1991) |
Commands held | Rifle Platoon
Motorized Battalion
Tank Battalion
Tank Regiments
Soviet General Staff |
Battles/wars | World War II Soviet–Afghan War |
Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union |
Sergey Fyodorovich Akhromeyev (Russian: Серге́й Фёдорович Ахроме́ев; May 5, 1923 – August 24, 1991[1]) was a Soviet military figure, Hero of the Soviet Union (1982) and Marshal of the Soviet Union (1983).
When he was the first deputy chief of staff of the Soviet Army, he formulated a military plan to
Early life
Sergey Akhromeyev was born on 5 May in 1923 in Vindrey, a village in the Tambov Governorate of the Russian SFSR (now Mordovia), in a family of Russian[2] ethnicity. His father fell under dispossession and died in the late 1940s in Central Asia. His mother, after divorcing her husband in 1928, left with her children to Moscow, where she worked at the plant in Krasny Bogatyr.[3]
Career
World War II
In 1940, he graduated from the 1st Special Naval School in Moscow and in the same year began military service, enrolling in the
Enrolled in August 1942 as a cadet in the courses of lieutenants at the 2nd Astrakhan Infantry School, which he graduated in the same year. From May to August 1942 he was a cadet with the
At one point he was ordered to guard and hold a road on which the German Army would be trying to advance. Despite a bloody battle, he was able to accomplish the task. Relating the story during a meal with Secretary of State
From July 1944, he was commander of a motorized battalion of machine gunners of the 14th Self-Propelled Artillery Brigade of the Reserve of the High Command in the Kharkov and Moscow Military Districts. On 1945, he graduated from the Higher Officers' School of Self-Propelled Artillery of the Armored and Mechanized Forces of the Red Army.[4]
Akhromeyev recalled his war experiences:
"A total of 18 months, I have never been in a house, even when the temperature is as low as minus 50 degrees celsius. I have been sleeping outside in two winters, and I have never had a warm day. Always fighting, always starving. Moreover, there are so many dead. 8 out of 10 boys of my age are dead. Of my 32 middle school classmates, only one of my classmates and I survived."
When the war ended in 1945, he was the commander of a tank battalion.
Post-war service
After the war, from June 1945 to September 1945, he was deputy commander of the
In 1952 he graduated from the
From October 1968 to May 1972, he served as commander of the
From March 1974 to February 1979, he was the Chief of the Main Operations Directorate (GOU) of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces and Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces.
Soviet-Afghan War
The army headquarters in Kabul often gathered military leaders for various meetings. By the way, Marshal Akhromeyev was then Deputy Chief of the General Staff, every day, without holidays and weekends, he was at these meetings at five in the morning.
BI Tkach
In 1979, while serving as the First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR, Akhromeyev formulated a comprehensive plan to invade
The young Soviet generals advocated for the invasion of Afghanistan.. Marshals Vasily Chuikov, Kirill Moskalenko and others held this view. During his time as deputy chief of staff, he almost gave up all rest time and devoted himself to work.[8]
Chief of the General Staff and retirement
In 1980, he was awarded the
Following his retirement from the armed forces, he served as the Deputy of the Council of the Union of the
From May 1989, he served as an advisor to the
From December 1988, he served as the Inspector General of the Group of Inspectors General of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union. In March 1990, he was made advisor to the President of the USSR on military affairs. He resigned from all positions in 1991. On November 14,[year missing] in an interview with the conservative Soviet magazine, he stated that in case of internal division within the USSR, there is a possibility that the military will be dispatched to prevent the country's disintegration. He stated:
"I openly state my position. I support the socialist way of life. If someone attempts to split the country or change its social system by force or other unconstitutional acts, the president and the Soviets can decide to use force to ensure the protection of our motherland. Unify and maintain its constitutional social system."
His comments attracted attention.
According to Russian political writer Roy Medvedev:
"Marshal Akhromeyev was a worthy military leader and was highly respected in the army and in the party. The Marshal was discouraged by the behavior of the President of the USSR, who stopped giving his adviser and assistant any assignments and constantly postponed the decision a number of important military problems that Akhromeyev considered urgent. In the end, Akhromeyev submitted his resignation letter back in June 1991, but Gorbachev was also slow to resolve this issue."
Involvement in the August Coup and death
During the
On August 20, Akhromeyev and Grigory Baklanov gathered a working group and organized the collection of information and analysis of the situation. On August 21, according to Akhromeyev, two reports prepared by this group were considered at a meeting of the Emergency Committee. In addition, Akhromeev prepared a draft text for Yanayev for his planned report at the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet. However, Yanayev did not like the text prepared by Akhromeev. On August 22, he sent a personal letter to Gorbachev, where he declared his support of the coup and urged Gorbachev to take action to prevent the dissolution of USSR. On August 23, he attended a meeting of the USSR Supreme Soviet Committee for Defense and State Security. He was, among others author of the planned assault on the White House. The defeat of the coup heralded the imminent end of his political career.[14]
After its failure, Akhromeyev committed suicide.[15] Shortly after his death, there was speculation that the suicide and suicide note were fake and that he was in fact murdered. Among other things, there was speculation as to why he did not shoot himself with his service weapon. There have also been rumors that he has been murdered to prevent him from revealing the partnership of others in a coup attempt. Army general Valentin Varennikov expressed doubts about the suicides of Akhromeyev and Boris Pugo.[16] In addition to personal messages to his family, he left a note explaining that he could not continue living when the institutions to which he had devoted his life were disintegrating.[17]
Akhromeyev was buried at the
According to Marshal Dmitry Yazov:[13]
"But as for Akhromeyev, everything is literally in the case. And all the notes, and this ribbon on which he hanged himself. And a note about the first time the ribbon broke.. I'm sure that Akhromeyev laid hands on himself. I knew Sergey Fyodorovich well. He could not come to terms with what happened to his country".
Legacy
Akhromeyev's memoirs were released posthumously in 1992. In 2015, Russian authorities unveiled a memorial plaque honoring him on the wall of House number#11, Building#4 on Mosfilmovskaya Street in Moscow, where Akhromeyev lived from 1978 to 1991.[19][20]
Personal life
Akhromeyev was married to Tamara Vasilievna Akhromeyeva. They had two daughters, Tatiana and Natalia.[21]
Honours and awards
- Soviet awards
- Hero of the Soviet Union (7 May 1982)
- Four Orders of Lenin(23 February 1971, 21 February 1978, 28 April 1980, 7 May 1982)
- Order of the October Revolution (1 July 1988)
- Order of the Red Star, twice (15 September 1943, 30 December 1956)
- Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class (6 April 1985)
- Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR, 3rd class (30 April 1975)
- Lenin Prize (1980)
- Medal "For Battle Merit" (15 November 1945)
- Medal "For Distinction in Guarding the State Border of the USSR"
- Medal "For the Defence of Stalingrad" (1942)
- Medal "For the Defence of Leningrad" (1942)
- Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1945)
- Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945"(1965)
- Jubilee Medal "Thirty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1975)
- Jubilee Medal "Forty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1985)
- Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin" (1969)
- Jubilee Medal "30 Years of the Soviet Army and Navy" (1948)
- Jubilee Medal "40 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (1958)
- Jubilee Medal "50 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (1968)
- Jubilee Medal "60 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (1978)
- Jubilee Medal "70 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (1988)
- Medal "For Strengthening Military Cooperation"
- Medal "For Impeccable Service" 1st class
- Medal "Veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
- Medal "In Commemoration of the 800th Anniversary of Moscow" (1947)
- Foreign Awards
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan:
- Order of the Red Banner (1982)
- Order Saur Revolution (1984)
- Medal "From a grateful Afghan people" (1988)
People's Republic of Bulgaria:
- Order of Georgi Dimitrov (1988)
- Order "The People's Republic of Bulgaria", 1st class (1985)
- Order "September 9, 1944", 1st class with Swords (1974)
- Medal "For Strengthening brotherhood in arms" (1977)
- Medal "30 Years of Victory over Nazi Germany" (1975)
- Medal "40 Years of Victory over Fascism" (1985)
- Medal "90th anniversary of the birth of Georgi Dimitrov" (1974)
- Medal "100th Anniversary of Birth of Georgi Dimitrov" (1984)
- Medal "100 years of the liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman yoke" (1978)
- Order of the Red Banner (1982)
- Order of 25 February 1948 (1985)
- Medal "30 Years of the Slovak National Uprising" (1974)
- Medal "40 Years of the Slovak National Uprising" (1984)
Cuba:
- Medal "20 years of the Revolutionary Armed Forces" (1976)
- Medal "30 years of the Revolutionary Armed Forces" (1986)
- Scharnhorst Order (1983)
- Medal "Brotherhood in Arms", 1st class (1980)
- Medal "30 Years of the People's Army of the GDR" (1986)
- Order of Sukhbaatar (1981)
- Medal "30 Years of Victory over Japan" (1975)
- Medal "40 Years of Victory in Khalkhin-Gol" (1979)
- Medal "60 Years of the Armed Forces of the MPR" (1981)
- Medal "40 Years of Liberation of Korea" (1985)
- Medal "Brotherhood in Arms" (1988)
Socialist Republic of Romania:
- Medal "For Military Merit" (1985)
- Military Exploit Order, grade 1 (1985)
References
- ^ Список депутатов Верховного Совета СССР 11 созыва
- ^ Герои Страны
- ^ a b "Сергей Федорович Ахромеев. Начальник Генерального штаба. Маршал Советского Союза". encyclopedia.mil.ru. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ^ a b "Ахромеев Сергей Фёдорович". warheroes.ru. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ^ "After Words with Ken Adleman". After Words. May 7, 2014. C-SPAN.
- ^ a b "Сергей Ахромеев (маршал)". stuki-druki.com. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ^ "Ахромеев Сергей Федорович". ruspekh.ru. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ^ Clifford Krauss (26 August 1991). "SOVIET TURMOIL; Sergei F. Akhromeyev: Complete Soviet Soldier, Well-Liked in West". nytimes.com. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ a b "АХРОМЕЕВ СЕРГЕЙ ФЁДОРОВИЧ". eurasian-defence.ru. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ^ Svetlana Savranskaya (14 May 2020). "Top Secret Chernobyl: The Nuclear Disaster through the Eyes of the Soviet Politburo, KGB, and U.S. Intelligence. Volume 2". nsarchive.gwu.edu. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
- ^ Новая и новейшая история
- ^ "Загадка смерти маршала Ахромеева. Как свели в могилу легендарного офицера, знавшего главные тайны СССР". life.ru. 18 July 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ^ a b "Маршал Язов: Горбачев был изменник в полном смысле этого слова". ekogradmoscow.ru. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ^ "ЖЕРТВЫ ГКЧП". vivovoco.astronet.ru. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ^ a b Jackson, Robert L. (August 16, 1991). "Friend's Suicide Saddens Retired Adm. Crowe - Military: 'We grew to be quite close,' former Joint Chiefs chairman says of Soviet Marshal Akhromeyev". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 30, 2009.
- ^ "Мы спасали Великую страну". old.redstar.ru. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ^ Вечерний Тбилиси Archived 2012-09-18 at archive.today
- ISBN 978-1429942294.
- ^ "Открыта мемориальная доска Герою Советского Союза, маршалу Сергею Федоровичу Ахромееву". ramenki.mos.ru. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ^ Glazami marshala i diplomata: Kriticheskii vzgliad na vneshniuiu politiku SSSR do i posle 1985 goda in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
- ^ "Как убивали маршала Ахромеева". zen.yandex.ru. Retrieved November 8, 2020.