Nikolai Ogarkov

Nikolai Vasilyevich Ogarkov
Nickname	"formidable soldier" «грозный солдат»
Born	October 30, 1917(1917-10-30) Molokovo, near Tver, Russia
Died	January 23, 1994(1994-01-23) (aged 76) Moscow, Russia
Allegiance	Soviet Union
Years of service	1938-1994
Rank	Marshal of the Soviet Union
Commands held	Soviet General Staff
Awards	Hero of the Soviet Union (1977) Order of Lenin (2) Order of the October Revolution Order of the Patriotic War (2) Order of the Red Banner Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces Order of the Red Star Order of Suvorov, 1st Class

Nikolai Vasilyevich Ogarkov (Russian: Николай Васильевич Огарков; October 30, 1917 in the village of Molokovo, near Tver - January 23, 1994), was promoted to Marshal of the Soviet Union in 1977. Between 1977 and 1984 he was Chief of the General Staff of the USSR. He became widely known in the West when he became the Soviet military's spokesman following the shootdown of Korean Air Lines Flight 007 near Moneron Island in September 1983. He was fired by General Secretary Konstantin Chernenko in 1984 for his advocacy of less spending on consumer goods, and increased spending on weapons research and development.

He is generally credited with recognising that U.S superiority in information technology in the 1970s was leading to a "military technical revolution" (MTR). This would be referred to in the United States as the Revolution in Military Affairs.

Marshal Ogarkov is buried in Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.

Awards

• Hero of the Soviet Union (October 28, 1977)
• two Orders of Lenin
• Order of the October Revolution
• Order of the Red Banner
• Order of Suvorov, 1st Class
• two Orders of the Patriotic War 1st Class and one - 2nd Class
• two Orders of the Red Star
• Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces, 3rd Class
• 17 medals
• 37 foreign orders

External links

• (Russian) Biography
• Works by or about Nikolai Ogarkov in libraries (WorldCat catalog)