, birth_date = , death_date = , image = , image_size = , birth_place =

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the List of Russian monarchs, Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended th ...

, death_place =

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

, placeofburial =

Novodevichy Cemetery Novodevichy Cemetery ( rus, Новоде́вичье кла́дбище, Novodevichye kladbishche) is a cemetery in Moscow. It lies next to the southern wall of the 16th-century Novodevichy Convent, which is the city's third most popular touris ...

, placeofburial_label = , nickname = , allegiance = , branch =

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian language, Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist R ...

, serviceyears = 1932–1967 , rank =

Colonel general Colonel general is a three- or four-star military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, and was a ra ...

, unit = , commands = 299th Rifle Division

13th Guards Rifle Division The 13th Guards Poltava Order of Lenin Twice Red Banner Orders of Suvorov and Kutuzov Rifle Division () was an infantry division of the Red Army that was highly decorated during World War II. Formed in January 1942 from the 87th Rifle Divisio ...

34th Guards Rifle Corps

13th Army Thirteenth Army or 13th Army may refer to: *Thirteenth Army (Japan) *Japanese Thirteenth Area Army *13th Army (Russian Empire), unit in World War I *13th Army (RSFSR), a unit in the Russian Civil War *13th Army (Soviet Union) *13th Air Army The 76 ...

Siberian Military District The Siberian Military District was a Military district of the Russian Ground Forces. The district was originally formed as a military district of the Russian Empire in 1864. In 1924 it was reformed in the Red Army. After the end of World War II the ...

Northern Group of Forces The Northern Group of Forces (; ) was the military formation of the Soviet Army stationed in Poland from the end of Second World War in 1945 until 1993 when they were withdrawn in the aftermath of the fall of the Soviet Union. Although officially ...

, battles = , awards =

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...

, relations =

Pavel Gayev , birth_date = 17 August 1901 , death_date = , image = Pavel V. Gayev 1937-03-11.jpg , image_size = 200px , caption = Photo taken in Warsaw on 11 March 1937 , birth_place = Nizhny Tagil, Russian Empire , death_pl ...

Alexander Rodimtsev Alexander Ilich Rodimtsev (; 8 March 1905 13 April 1977) was a colonel general in the Red Army during World War II and who was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union in 1937 and 1945. Career Rodimtsev joined the Red Army in the 1920s. He fo ...

Aleksey Zhadov , laterwork = , signature = Sign of Baklanov 1943.png , signature_size = 150px , signature_alt = Gleb Vladimirovich Baklanov (russian: Глеб Владимирович Бакланов; – 16 January 1976) was a

Soviet Army uk, Радянська армія , image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg , alt = , caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army , start_date ...

colonel general Colonel general is a three- or four-star military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, and was a ra ...

and a

. Born to a wealthy family, Baklanov was drafted into the

and was selected for command positions during the interwar period. He served in staff positions and was wounded during the

Winter War The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...

while a regimental chief of staff. After the

German invasion of the Soviet Union Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...

in June 1941, he became a regimental commander but was wounded in fighting in Belarus and did not return to the front until early 1942 as a brigade commander. Baklanov commanded the 299th Rifle Division during the

Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad (23 August 19422 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II where Nazi Germany and its allies unsuccessfully fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (later re ...

, being decorated for his actions, and went on to lead the

at the

Battle of Kursk The Battle of Kursk was a major World War II Eastern Front engagement between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in the southwestern USSR during late summer 1943; it ultimately became the largest tank battle in history. ...

among other actions. In mid-1944 he was promoted to command a rifle corps, a position in which he ended the war. For his leadership in the capture of

Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...

in the final weeks of the war Baklanov was made a Hero of the Soviet Union. He held senior command positions after the end of the war, commanding the

, the

, and the

before his retirement during the Cold War.

Early life

Baklanov was born on to a wealthy family in

. His father Vladimir Baklanov owned a weaving factory and his mother Alexandra had been an actress before bearing children. His sister

Olga Baclanova Olga Vladimirovna Baklanova (russian: О́льга Влади́мировна Бакла́нова; 19 August 1893 – 6 September 1974), known professionally as Olga Baclanova, was a Russian-born actress who found success in Hollywood film and ...

left the Russian SFSR in 1926 and did not return, having chosen to become a naturalized American citizen. After completing secondary school he attended the V.I. Lenin Moscow Polytechnic College before being drafted into the Red Army in November 1932.

Interwar period and Winter War

Baklanov was sent to the 1st Moscow Proletarian Rifle Division and graduated from a one-year command course in December 1933, going on to serve in its 3rd Rifle Regiment as a platoon commander, assistant company commander, battalion chief of staff, chief of chemical defense for the regiment, and assistant regimental chief of staff. He was transferred to the reserve in July 1938 during the

Great Purge The Great Purge or the Great Terror (russian: Большой террор), also known as the Year of '37 (russian: 37-й год, translit=Tridtsat sedmoi god, label=none) and the Yezhovshchina ('period of Yezhov'), was Soviet General Secreta ...

but returned to duty in May 1939 as chief of staff of the 541st Rifle Regiment of the

136th Rifle Division The 136th Rifle Division was a division in the Red Army during World War II. It was formed three times. 1st Formation 1939 – February 1942: On 22 June 1941 it was part of the 23rd Rifle Corps of the Transcaucasian Military District. Redesign ...

, serving in the

against Finland in late 1939 and early 1940. Wounded in combat during the war, Baklanov received the

Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of th ...

in recognition of his actions, his first decoration. After the end of the Winter War, he completed the first course at the

Frunze Military Academy The M. V. Frunze Military Academy (russian: Военная академия имени М. В. Фрунзе), or in full the Military Order of Lenin and the October Revolution, Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Academy in the name of M. V. Frunze (rus ...

, before being appointed chief of staff of the 6th Motor Rifle Regiment of the 1st Moscow Motor Rifle Division in December 1940. Baklanov became a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in the same year.

German-Soviet War

Shortly after

Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named afte ...

, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, began, the 1st Motor Rifle Division was rushed to the Western Front in late June 1941. Baklanov was soon promoted to command the 175th Motor Rifle Regiment of the division, but he was wounded near

Orsha Orsha ( be, О́рша, Во́рша, Orša, Vorša; russian: О́рша ; lt, Orša, pl, Orsza) is a city in Belarus in the Vitebsk Region, on the fork of the Dnieper and Arshytsa rivers. History Orsha was first mentioned in 1067 as Rsha ...

during the border battles. Upon recovery in November he was made commander of a battalion of students at the Omsk Infantry School. Returning to the front in January 1942, Baklanov took command of the 157th Rifle Brigade, part of the 11th Army of the

Northwestern Front The Northwestern Front (Russian: ''Северо-Западный фронт'') was a military formation of the Red Army during the Winter War and World War II. It was operational with the 7th and 13th Armies during the Winter War. It was re-cr ...

, distinguishing himself in fighting at

Staraya Russa Staraya Russa ( rus, Старая Русса, p=ˈstarəjə ˈrusːə) is a town in Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Polist River, south of Veliky Novgorod, the administrative center of the oblast. Its population has steadily decreased o ...

. Transferred south to command the 299th Rifle Division in June 1942, he led it in the

as part of the 66th Army. 66th Army commander

Rodion Malinovsky Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovsky (russian: Родио́н Я́ковлевич Малино́вский, ukr, Родіо́н Я́кович Малино́вський ; – 31 March 1967) was a Soviet military commander. He was Marshal of the Sovi ...

evaluated Baklanov as a "personally brave, strong-willed, and demanding commander...quickly acquiring experience in division command...a developing, capable commander." He was awarded the

Order of Alexander Nevsky The Order of Alexander Nevsky ( ''orden Alexandra Nevskogo'') is an order of merit of the Russian Federation named in honour of saint Alexander Nevsky (1220–1263) and bestowed to civil servants for twenty years or more of highly meritorious s ...

and the American Distinguished Service Cross for his actions at Stalingrad, and promoted to major general on 1 March 1943. Baklanov was transferred to command the

in May 1943, leading it in the

and the

Battle of the Dnieper The Battle of the Dnieper was a military campaign that took place in 1943 in Ukraine on the Eastern Front of World War II. One of the largest operations of the war, it involved almost 4,000,000 troops at a time stretched on a front. Over four ...

as part of the

32nd Guards Rifle Corps 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societies ...

of the

5th Guards Army The 5th Guards Army was a Soviet Guards formation which fought in many critical actions during World War II under the command of General Aleksey Semenovich Zhadov. The 5th Guards Army was formed in spring 1943 from the 66th Army in recognition o ...

of the

Voronezh Front The 1st Ukrainian Front ( Russian: Пéрвый Украи́нский фронт), previously the Voronezh Front ( Russian: Воронежский Фронт) was a major formation of the Soviet Army during World War II, being equivalent to ...

. During the northern hemisphere winter of 1943–1944 the division transferred to the

2nd Ukrainian Front The 2nd Ukrainian Front (2-й Украинский фронт), was a front of the Red Army during the Second World War. History On October 20, 1943 the Steppe Front was renamed the 2nd Ukrainian Front. During the Second Jassy–Kishinev ...

with the army and fought in the Uman–Botoșani Offensive with the 32nd Rifle Corps; Baklanov received a second Order of the Red Banner for his leadership in the offensive. Corps commander Major General Dmitry Zherebin wrote that he was "bold and decisive in battle...in command of the division he showed exceptional leadership skill." After leading the division during the Lvov–Sandomierz Offensive in the northern hemisphere summer of 1944 following its transfer with the army to the

1st Ukrainian Front The 1st Ukrainian Front ( Russian: Пéрвый Украи́нский фронт), previously the Voronezh Front ( Russian: Воронежский Фронт) was a major formation of the Soviet Army during World War II, being equivalent to ...

, he was promoted to command the 34th Guards Rifle Corps of the army in August. Courtney Hodges meets Gleb Baklanov April 1945

Gleb Baklanov Salute 1945 Moscow Victory Parade

Baklanov led the corps during the battles to hold the

Sandomierz bridgehead Sandomierz bridgehead, also known as Sandomierz-Baranów bridgehead ( pl, przyczółek baranowsko-sandomierski, russian: Сандомирский плацдарм) was a pocket of resistance created by Red Army's 1st Ukrainian Front in late July 1 ...

for the rest of the year, in the breakout from the bridgehead during the Vistula–Oder Offensive in early 1945. During the preparation for the offensive, the pursuit of retreating German forces to the

Oder The Oder ( , ; Czech language, Czech, Lower Sorbian language, Lower Sorbian and ; ) is a river in Central Europe. It is Poland's second-longest river in total length and third-longest within its borders after the Vistula and Warta. The Oder ri ...

, the crossing of the river and the expansion of a bridgehead, Baklanov "showed ability and perseverance in organization and leadership of the corps, consistently completing his assigned combat tasks", according to his army commander, Colonel General Aleksey Zhadov. In the subsequent

Berlin Offensive The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II. After the Vistula–O ...

, the corps crossed the

Neisse The Lusatian Neisse (german: Lausitzer Neiße; pl, Nysa Łużycka; cs, Lužická Nisa; Upper Sorbian: ''Łužiska Nysa''; Lower Sorbian: ''Łužyska Nysa''), or Western Neisse, is a river in northern Central Europe.Spree, and the

Elbe The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Rep ...

, making the one of the first

meetings A meeting is when two or more people come together to discuss one or more topics, often in a formal or business setting, but meetings also occur in a variety of other environments. Meetings can be used as form of group decision making. Defini ...

with units of the

First United States Army First Army is the oldest and longest-established field army of the United States Army. It served as a theater army, having seen service in both World War I and World War II, and supplied the US army with soldiers and equipment during the Kore ...

. It ended the war fighting the

Prague Offensive The Prague offensive (russian: Пражская стратегическая наступательная операция, Prazhskaya strategicheskaya nastupatel'naya operatsiya, lit=Prague strategic offensive) was the last major military ...

during early May. For his "heroism and skilled leadership of troops in the battle for

" Baklanov was awarded the title

on 29 May. During the

Moscow Victory Parade of 1945 The Moscow Victory Parade of 1945 ( rus, Парад Победы, r= Parad Pobedy) also known as the Parade of Victors ( rus, Парад победителей, r= Parad pobediteley) was a victory parade held by the Soviet Armed Forces (with the C ...

on 26 June, he commanded the combined regiment representing the

Postwar

After the war, Baklanov continued to command the 34th Guards Rifle Corps when it relocated to 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 ...

, and transferred to command the 20th Guards Rifle Corps of the same district after the former was disbanded. He was promoted to lieutenant general on 5 July 1946. After graduating from Higher Academic Courses at the Military Academy of the General Staff in 1948, he served as head of the Physical Training and Sports Department of the Ground Forces from June of that year. In this capacity, he led a Soviet delegation to the 1948 Summer Olympics in London to investigate the possibility of Soviet participation in the Olympics. Baklanov became commander of the

in 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 ...

in 1954, first deputy commander and chief of staff of the

in Poland between 1959 and 1960, and commander of the

between May 1960 and September 1964. He was promoted to colonel general on 7 May 1960, and was commander of the Northern Group of Forces from November 1964 to April 1967 before his retirement in June 1967. Baklanov first requested to retire in August 1966, but was denied; his second request in 1967 was accepted. Baklanov died on 16 January 1976 and is buried at the

Personal life

Baklanov married Klavdiya Mareyeva and had a son, Andrei, and a daughter, Yelena. He was a deputy of the

Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union The Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ( rus, Верховный Совет Союза Советских Социалистических Республик, r=Verkhovnyy Sovet Soyuza Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respubl ...

during its sixth and seventh convocations, and a member of the

Soviet Olympic Committee The National Olympic Committee of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (russian: link=no, Национальный Олимпийский комитет Союза Советских Социалистических Республик – Н� ...

. A Moscow gymnastics champion in his youth, Baklanov served as president of the Gymnastics Federation of the Soviet Union between 1972 and 1975.

Awards

Baklanov received the following awards and decorations: *

Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (russian: Орден Ленина, Orden Lenina, ), named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was established by the Central Executive Committee on April 6, 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration ...

(3) *

Order of Kutuzov The Order of Kutuzov (russian: орден Кутузова ''orden Kutuzova'') is a military decoration of the Russian Federation named after famous Russian Field Marshal Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov (1745–1813). The Order was established du ...

, 1st class *

Order of Suvorov The Order of Suvorov () is a military decoration of the Russian Federation named in honor of Russian Generalissimo Prince Alexander Suvorov (1729–1800). History The Order of Suvorov was originally a Soviet award established on July 29, 1942 ...

, 2nd class * Order of Kutuzov, 2nd class *

Order of the Red Star The Order of the Red Star (russian: Орден Красной Звезды, Orden Krasnoy Zvezdy) was a military decoration of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 6 April 193 ...

* Distinguished Service Cross (United States) * Commander of the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

Czechoslovak War Cross 1939–1945 The Czechoslovak War Cross 1939 (''Československý válečný kříž 1939'' in Czech, ''Československý vojnový kríž 1939'' in Slovak) is a military decoration of the former state of Czechoslovakia which was issued for those who had provide ...

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * *