Ivan Gerasimovich Sovetnikov (; June13, 1897February1, 1957) was a

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

military leader.

Biography

He fought in the First World War and the Russian Civil War. From May 1938 to April 1939 he was commander of the 7th Rifle Division, then became assistant commander of the

Kiev Military District The Kiev Military District (; , abbreviated ) was a military district of the Imperial Russian Army and subsequently of the Red Army and Soviet Armed Forces. It was first formed in 1862, and was headquartered in Kiev (Kyiv) for most of its exist ...

. In July 1939, he was appointed commander of the ''Jitomir Army Group'' (from September 16 - ''Shepetov Army Group'', from September 18 - ''Northern Army Group''), September 26 transformed into the 5th Army. He commanded the 5th Army during the 1939

Polish campaign The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak Republic, and the Soviet ...

and the 1940

Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and northern Bukovina Between 28 June and 3 July 1940, the Soviet Union occupied Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, following an ultimatum made to Romania on 26 June 1940 that threatened the use of force. Those regions, with a total area of and a population of 3,776 ...

. With the German invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, Ivan Sovetnikov became deputy commander of the South-western Front. On July 12, 1942, the South-Western Front was disbanded, the Stalingrad Front was created as it successor. On September 30, 1942, the Stalingrad Front was renamed the Don Front, which was transformed into the Central Front on February 15, 1943. Ivan Sovetnikov held the position of deputy commander of all these fronts. On June 22, 1943, Ivan Sovetnikov was appointed commander of the 34th Army (Northwest Front). In November 1943, units of the 34th Army were transferred to the 1st Strike Army, and the Army's command was transferred to the command of the newly formed 4th Army (Caucasus Front), which included the Soviet troops in Iran. Ivan Sovetnikov commanded the 4th Army until the end of the war. After the war, Ivan Sovetnikov was appointed first deputy commander of the troops of the

Turkestan Military District The Turkestan Military District (, ''Turkestansky voyenyi okrug (TurkVO)'') was a military district of both the Imperial Russian Army and the Soviet Armed Forces, with its headquarters at Tashkent. The District was first created during the 1874 R ...

. Since 1950 he was deputy commander of the

Carpathian Military District The Red Banner Carpathian Military District (, ) was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces during the Cold War and subsequently of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the early Post-Soviet period. It was established on 3 May 1946 on the ...

. He was elected deputy of the Supreme Council of the Tajik USSR and deputy of the Supreme Council of the USSR. He died on February 1, 1957, in Lviv, and was buried in the Lviv city cemetery.
Ivan Sovetnikov was awarded two

Orders of Lenin The Order of Lenin (, ) was an award named after Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution. It was established by the Central Executive Committee on 6 April 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Soviet ...

, four

Orders of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner () was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. It was the highest award of Sovi ...

, and numerous medals. 1897 births 1957 deaths People from Insar People from Insarsky Uyezd Communist Party of the Soviet Union members First convocation members of the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic Soviet lieutenant generals Russian military personnel of World War I Soviet military personnel of the Russian Civil War Soviet people of the Spanish Civil War People of the Soviet invasion of Poland Soviet military personnel of World War II Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union alumni {{USSR-bio-stub