Matvei Zakharov
Matvei Vasilevich Zakharov | |
|---|---|
 Marshal Matvei Zakharov, USSR stamp (1978). | |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  Soviet Union |
| Service/ | Red Army |
| Years of service | 1917 — 1971 |
| Rank | Marshal of the Soviet Union |
| Battles/wars | Russian Civil War Great Patriotic War |
| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union (2) Hero of Czechoslovakia Order of Lenin (5) Order of the Red Banner (4) Order of the October Revolution Order of Suvorov, 1st Class (2) Order of Kutuzov, 1st Class (2) Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, 1st Class Order of the Red Star |
Matvei Vasilevich Zakharov (Russian: Матве́й Васи́льевич Заха́ров), (August 17, 1898 – January 31, 1972) Marshal of the Soviet Union, Chief General Staff, Deputy Defense Minister, born in Kalinin now returned its original name of Tver, northwest of Moscow, to peasant parents. Zakharov joined the Red Guards (precursor to the Red Army) in 1917. He served under Kliment Voroshilov during the Russian Civil War. Zakharov graduated from the Frunze Military Academy in 1928, and from Soviet General Staff Academy in 1937 (his graduation was actually a year ahead of schedule, due to the lack of officers in the Red Army because of the explosive growth of the army, as well as Stalin's purges.) Zakharov held a number of high-ranking positions before World War II even began. In 1937 he was made the Chief of Staff of the Leningrad Military District, then from 1938-1940 he was the Deputy Chief General Staff, and then the Chief of Staff of the Odessa Military District.
When war broke out with the opening of Operation Barbarossa, Zakharov was in command of several armies in the South. However, by the end of 1941, he was moved north, where he was made the Chief of Staff of the Northwestern Theatre. Soon thereafter, he was made the Chief of Staff of the Kalinin Front, a role he held for most of 1942. In 1943, he was made the Chief of Staff of the Steppe Front, which was renamed the 2nd Ukrainian Front around mid-year. It was in this capacity that Zakharov proved himself as one of the Soviet Union’s top military commanders. He helped plan a number of brilliant operations against German forces, first as a subordinate to Marshal Ivan Konev, and then under Marshal Rodion Malinovsky. After the cessation of hostilities with Germany, Zakharov was transferred east, where he was made the Chief of Staff of the Transbaikal Front, and helped plan the subsequent invasion of Manchuria.
After the war, Zakharov held a number of key positions in the army. Between 1945-1960, Zakharov was the Commandant of the General Staff Academy, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Chief Inspector of the Army, Commander in Chief of the Leningrad Military District and Commander in Chief of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. On May 8 1959, Zakharov was made a Marshal of the Soviet Union. After attaining that rank, Zakarhov was simultaneously made Chief of the General Staff and Deputy Minster of Defence from 1960-63. He then briefly went back to the General Staff Academy where he was once again the commandant until 1964, when he was made the Deputy Minister of Defense, a post he held until his retirement in 1971. Marshal M. V. Zakharov died on January 31 1972. The urn containing his ashes is buried by the Kremlin Wall Necropolis.
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