Nikolai Nikolayevich Voronov (; - 28 February 1968) 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, chief marshal of the artillery (1944), and

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...

(7 May 1965). He was commander of artillery forces of the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

from 1941 until 1950. Voronov commanded the Soviet artillery during the

Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad ; see . rus, links=on, Сталинградская битва, r=Stalingradskaya bitva, p=stəlʲɪnˈɡratskəjə ˈbʲitvə. (17 July 19422 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II, ...

and was the

Stavka The ''Stavka'' ( Russian and Ukrainian: Ставка, ) is a name of the high command of the armed forces used formerly in the Russian Empire and Soviet Union and currently in Ukraine. In Imperial Russia ''Stavka'' referred to the administrat ...

representative to various fronts during the

Siege of Leningrad The siege of Leningrad was a Siege, military blockade undertaken by the Axis powers against the city of Leningrad (present-day Saint Petersburg) in the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Front of World War II from 1941 t ...

and the

Battle of Kursk The Battle of Kursk, also called the Battle of the Kursk Salient, was a major World War II Eastern Front battle between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in southwestern Russia during the summer of 1943, resulting in ...

. He also fought in the

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

, the Polish-Soviet War and the

Battle of Khalkin Gol The Battles of Khalkhin Gol (; ) were the decisive engagements of the undeclared Soviet–Japanese border conflicts involving the Soviet Union, Mongolian People's Republic, Mongolia, Empire of Japan, Japan and Manchukuo in 1939. The conflict wa ...

, as well as serving as an advisor to the

Spanish Republican Army The Spanish Republican Army () was the main branch of the Spanish Republican Armed Forces, Armed Forces of the Second Spanish Republic between 1931 and 1939. It became known as People's Army of the Republic (''Ejército Popular de la República'' ...

during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

Early life

Nikolai Voronov was born on 5 May 1899 in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

to Nikolai Terentyvich Voronov, a clerk, and Valentina Voronov. After the

Revolution of 1905 The Russian Revolution of 1905, also known as the First Russian Revolution, was a revolution in the Russian Empire which began on 22 January 1905 and led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy under the Russian Constitution of 1906, t ...

, Voronov's father became unemployed due to his

Russian Social Democratic Labour Party The Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP), also known as the Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party (RSDWP) or the Russian Social Democratic Party (RSDP), was a socialist political party founded in 1898 in Minsk, Russian Empire. The ...

sympathies. On 30 November 1908, his poverty-stricken mother committed suicide by taking

cyanide In chemistry, cyanide () is an inorganic chemical compound that contains a functional group. This group, known as the cyano group, consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. Ionic cyanides contain the cyanide anion . This a ...

. Voronov dropped out of a private school in 1914 due to financial problems and in 1915 got a job working as a secretary for an attorney. In the fall of 1916, his father was drafted. In 1917, Voronov passed an

external degree An external degree is a degree offered by a university to students who have not been required to be physically present within the geographic territory of the institution. These undergraduates may be called ''external students'' and may study at c ...

examination.

Military service

Russian Civil War and Polish-Soviet War

In March 1918, Voronov joined the

. In the same year, he completed the 2nd Petrograd Artillery courses, after which he was a platoon commander in a howitzer battalion in the Petrograd 2nd Battery. As part of the 15th Army, he fought in battles against

Nikolai Yudenich Nikolai Nikolayevich Yudenich ( Russian: Николай Николаевич Юденич; – 5 October 1933) was a commander of the Russian Imperial Army during World War I. He was a leader of the anti-communist White movement in northweste ...

's forces near

Pskov Pskov ( rus, Псков, a=Ru-Псков.oga, p=psˈkof; see also Names of Pskov in different languages, names in other languages) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in northwestern Russia and the administrative center of Pskov O ...

. In 1919, Voronov joined the

Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks) The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU),. Abbreviated in Russian as КПСС, ''KPSS''. at some points known as the Russian Communist Party (RCP), All-Union Communist Party and Bolshevik Party, and sometimes referred to as the Soviet ...

. Beginning in April 1920, Voronov fought in the

Polish–Soviet War The Polish–Soviet War (14 February 1919 – 18 March 1921) was fought primarily between the Second Polish Republic and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, following World War I and the Russian Revolution. After the collapse ...

with the 83rd Regiment of the 10th Rifle Division. His battery was armed with the

76 mm divisional gun M1902 The 76.2 mm divisional gun model 1902 () was a Russian light field gun used in the Russo-Japanese War, World War I, the Russian Civil War, and a number of interwar armed conflicts with participants from the former Russian Empire (the Soviet U ...

instead of the

122 mm howitzer M1910 122 mm howitzer M1910 () was a Russian 121.92 mm (4.8 inch) field howitzer used throughout World War I in large numbers. Following the defeats of the Russo-Japanese War, Russia sought to modernize some of its equipment, which inclu ...

. On 17 August, Voronov received a severe concussion during a battle in the village of

Józefów nad Wisłą Józefów nad Wisłą () is a small town in Opole Lubelskie County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Józefów nad Wisłą. It lies approximately south-west of Opole Lubel ...

. When he regained consciousness, he found that Polish troops had captured the village. The injured Voronov attempted to escape on a horse, but was captured. During his eight months of captivity, Voronov suffered from typhus and twice came close to having his leg amputated. He was repatriated at the end of the war in April 1921.

Interwar period

In the summer of 1922, Voronov was appointed commander of the howitzer battery of the

27th Rifle Division The 27th Rifle Division () was a tactical unit in the Red Army of Soviet Russia and then the Soviet Union, active between 1918 and 1945. First formed during the Russian Civil War on November 3, 1918, as part of 5th Red Army. Commanded by Vitov ...

. In fall 1923 he attended the school of higher artillery commanders and after graduation continued to serve with the 27th Rifle Division. During the 1926 maneuvers, Voronov distinguished himself commanding the artillery of the

Belorussian Military District The Byelorussian Military District (; alternatively Belarusian; ) was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces. Originally formed just before World War I as the Minsk Military District out of the remnants of the Vilno Military District an ...

. As a reward, he was granted permission to take the entrance examination for the

Frunze Military Academy The M. V. Frunze Military Academy (), 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 (), was a military academy of the Soviet and later the Russian Armed Forces ...

. In 1930, Voronov graduated from the academy. He became the commander of the artillery regiment of the 1st Moscow Rifle Division. In August 1932, Voronov was sent to Italy as part of the Soviet mission there. In April 1934, he was appointed chief military

Commissar Commissar (or sometimes ''Kommissar'') is an English transliteration of the Russian (''komissar''), which means ' commissary'. In English, the transliteration ''commissar'' often refers specifically to the political commissars of Soviet and ...

of the 1st Artillery School. In 1936, he was awarded the

Order of the Red Star The Order of the Red Star () 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 1930 but its statute was only defined in decree of the Presidium of the ...

for his management of the school. In 1935, he served on the Soviet military mission to Italy for the second time, and was promoted to

Kombrig () is an abbreviation of Commanding officer of the brigade (), and was a military rank in the Soviet Armed Forces of the USSR from 1935 to 1940. It was also the designation to military personnel appointed to command a brigade sized formation (X ...

on 11 November. In 1937, he was sent under the name "Voltaire" as an advisor to the Spanish Republicans, where he worked on the training of artillery units on the

Madrid Front The siege of Madrid was a two-and-a-half-year siege of the Republican-controlled Spanish capital city of Madrid by the Nationalist armies, under General Francisco Franco, during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). The city, besieged from Oct ...

. During his tour in Spain, Voronov was awarded the

Order 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 ...

and the

Order 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 S ...

. In June 1937, Voronov returned to Moscow. Nikishov Voronov Zhukov

He was promoted to

Komkor () is the syllabic abbreviation for corps commander (; ). It was a Military ranks of the Soviet Union, military rank in the Red Army and Red Army Air Force of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in the period from 1935 to 1940. It was als ...

and replaced

Komdiv () is the syllabic abbreviation to commanding officer of the division (; ), and was a military rank in the Soviet Armed Forces of the USSR in the period from 1935 to 1940. It was also the designation to military personnel appointed to command ...

N.M. Rogowski as the chief of the artillery of the Red Army, who was later shot during the

Case of Trotskyist Anti-Soviet Military Organization The Case of the Trotskyist Anti-Soviet Military Organization, also known as the Military Case or the Tukhachevsky Case, was a 1937 secret trial of the high command of the Red Army, a part of the Great Purge. Defendants The Case was a secret ...

, on 20 June 1937. Voronov started work on the modernization of the Red Army artillery, and in November 1937 submitted a memorandum to

Kliment Voroshilov Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov ( ; ), popularly known as Klim Voroshilov (; 4 February 1881 – 2 December 1969), was a prominent Soviet Military of the Soviet Union, military officer and politician during the Stalinism, Stalin era (1924–195 ...

on the modernization of the artillery. At the end of July 1938 Voronov went as part of a special commission of the People's Commissariat of Defence to test the combat training of the

Far Eastern Military District The Far Eastern Military District () was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Pacific Fleet and part of the Siberian Military District to form the new Eastern Military District. Histo ...

during the

Battle of Lake Khasan The Battle of Lake Khasan (), also known as the Changkufeng Incident (Chinese and Japanese: zh, s=張鼓峰事件, labels=no; Chinese pinyin: zh, hp=Zhānggǔfēng Shìjiàn, labels=no; Japanese romaji: ), was an attempted military incursion b ...

. In June 1939, he was sent to

Khalkhyn Gol The Khalkh River (also spelled as Khalkha River or Halaha River; ; ''Ha-la-ha''; Ha-lo-hsin Ho) is a river in eastern Mongolia and northern China's Inner Mongolia region. The river is also referred to with the Mongolian genitive suffix ''-iin' ...

to lead the

1st Army Group First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

's artillery during the

Battles of Khalkhin Gol The Battles of Khalkhin Gol (; ) were the decisive engagements of the undeclared Soviet–Japanese border conflicts involving the Soviet Union, Mongolian People's Republic, Mongolia, Empire of Japan, Japan and Manchukuo in 1939. The conflict wa ...

. For his actions during the battle, Voronov was awarded a second

. In September 1939, Voronov commanded the

's artillery during the

Soviet invasion of Poland The Soviet invasion of Poland was a military conflict by the Soviet Union without a formal declaration of war. On 17 September 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Second Polish Republic, Poland from the east, 16 days after Nazi Germany invaded Polan ...

. He was severely injured in a car accident and said his life was saved by a silver pen given to him by

Dolores Ibárruri Isidora Dolores Ibárruri Gómez (; 9 December 189512 November 1989), also known as ("the passionate one" or Passion flower"), was a Spanish Republican politician during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) and a communist. She is renowned for ...

in Spain. In November, Voronov inspected the troops of the

Leningrad Military District The Order of Lenin Leningrad Military District () is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The district was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1968. In 2010, it was merged with the Moscow Military District, the Northern ...

, in readiness for the

Winter War The Winter War was a war between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of World War II, and ended three and a half months later with the Moscow Peac ...

. During the war, he led artillery units, mainly those of the 7th Army, and fought in the offensive against the Mannerheim Line. For his actions during the war, Voronov was awarded a second

and was promoted to

Komandarm 2nd rank 2nd rank () is the abbreviation to commanding officer of the army 2nd class (; ), and was a military rank in the Soviet Armed Forces of the USSR in the period from 1935 to 1940. It was also the designation to military personnel appointed to co ...

. On 4 June 1940, he was given the rank of

colonel general Colonel general is a military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically General officer#Old European system, general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, ...

of the artillery after the introduction of Red Army general officers ranks. Voronov led the

Kiev Special Military District Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

's artillery during the

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 ...

. An order of the People's Commissariat of Defence on 13 July abolished the position of chief of the artillery and introduced the position of first deputy chief of

GRAU The Main Missile and Artillery Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (), commonly referred to by its transliterated acronym GRAU (), is a department of the Russian Ministry of Defense. It is subordinate to the Chief of ...

. Voronov was appointed to this position, subordinate to

Grigory Kulik Grigory Ivanovich Kulik (; ; 9 November 1890 – 24 August 1950) was a Soviet military commander and Marshal of the Soviet Union who served as chief of the Red Army's Main Artillery Directorate from 1937 until June 1941. Born into a Ukrainian ...

World War II

On 19 June 1941, Voronov was transferred to the post of Chief of the Main Directorate of Air Defence, who was now personally accountable to the

People's Commissar of Defence The Minister of Defence of the Soviet Union () refers to the Minister (government), head of the Ministry of Defense (Soviet Union), Ministry of Defence who was responsible for defence of the Socialist state, socialist/Communist state, communist R ...

. During the first days of the war on the Eastern Front; Voronov reinforced the air defence of

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. On 19 July, the post of chief of the artillery was restored and Voronov was appointed to that position. On 20 July, he was ordered organized antitank artillery during the Yelnya Offensive. After returning to Moscow, Voronov, together with

Leonid Govorov Leonid Aleksandrovich Govorov (; – 19 March 1955) was a Soviet Union, Soviet military commander. Trained as an artillery officer, he joined the Red Army in 1920. He graduated from several Soviet military academies, including the Military Aca ...

, developed detailed instructions on antitank tactics, which was soon sent to the troops as a

directive. As part of the

State Defense Committee The State Defense Committee () was an extraordinary organ of state power in the Soviet Union during the German-Soviet War, also called the Great Patriotic War, with complete state power in the country. General scope The Soviets set up the GKO ...

, Voronov went to

Leningrad Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

to organized antitank defence and the artillery. Through the efforts of Voronov, the GRAU became subordinate to the Chief of the Artillery. Voronov also set up an artillery headquarters, led by

Ivan Susloparov Ivan Alexeyevich Susloparov (; the surname is often transcribed in the French manner, Sousloparov) (19 October 1897 – 16 December 1974) was a Soviet general who served in World War II as the Military Liaison Mission Commander with the French g ...

. After his return in mid-September to Moscow, Voronov at the request of the

Leningrad Front The Leningrad Front () was formed during the 1941 German approach on Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) by dividing the Northern Front into the Leningrad Front and Karelian Front on August 27, 1941. History The Leningrad Front was immediately ...

's military council was sent to Leningrad, where he assisted in the carrying out of counterattacks. After returning to Moscow in October, Voronov reviewed the readiness of the Moscow Reserve Front and also worked on the formation of antitank and artillery regiments intended for the defence of Moscow. In late October, Voronov was sent back to Leningrad to organized the front's artillery during the

Sinyavino Offensive The Sinyavino offensives were a series of Soviet offensives in 1941–1943 during World War II around the Sinyavino Heights, east of Leningrad, to lift the Siege of Leningrad. The area was only fully liberated during the Leningrad–Novgorod offe ...

in the area of the

Nevsky Pyatachok Nevsky Pyatachok () is the name of the Neva Bridgehead 50 km east south-east of St. Petersburg, Leningrad and 15 km south of Shlisselburg. It was the site of one of the most critical and costly campaigns during the Siege of Leningrad f ...

. Voronov organized artillery production and the defence of the

Road of Life The Road of Life () was the set of ice road transport routes across Lake Ladoga to Leningrad during the Second World War. They were the only Soviet winter surface routes into the city while it was besieged by the German Army Group North und ...

until his return to Moscow on 5 December. He also met his father, who continued to stay in the city. Voronov worked on the supply, acquisition and coordination of artillery units in the areas of the

Winter Campaign of 1941–42 Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Differe ...

. In his report to

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...

of 28 February, Voronov raised the question of military air defence, which since November 1941 had remained without leadership. On 2 June, by order of the People's Commissariat for Defence, all air defence units were subordinated to the front artillery commanders and the chief of the artillery. In early June, Voronov took part in the planning and conducting of operations on the left flank of the Western Front. In July, he went to

Stalingrad Volgograd,. geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn. (1589–1925) and Stalingrad. (1925–1961), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. The city lies on the western bank of the Volga, covering an area o ...

to assist the retreating

62nd Army The 62nd Army () was a field army established by the Soviet Union's Red Army during the Second World War. History The Army was formed on 28 May 1942 as the 7th Reserve Army, a part of the Reserve of the Supreme High Command. The formation wa ...

and 64th Army. During the Moscow Conference,

Shaposhnikov Shaposhnikov may refer to * Shaposhnikov (surname) *Shaposhnikov, Belgorod Oblast Shaposhnikov () is a rural locality (a khutor) in Alexeyevsky District, Belgorod Oblast Belgorod Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (an o ...

, Voroshilov and Voronov represented the Soviet Union during talks with the British military delegation. In September, Voronov accompanied

Aleksandr Vasilevsky Aleksandr Mikhaylovich Vasilevsky ( 1895 – 5 December 1977) was a Soviet general who served as a top commander during World War II and achieved the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union. During World War II, he served as the Chief of the General ...

on a tour of the Southwestern Front,

Stalingrad Front The Stalingrad Front was a front, a military unit encompassing several armies, of the Soviet Union's Red Army during the Second World War. The name indicated the primary geographical region in which the Front first fought, based on the city of St ...

and

Don Front The Don Front was a front of the Soviet Red Army during the Second World War, which existed between September 1942 and February 1943, and was commanded during its entire existence by Konstantin Rokossovsky. The name refers to Don River, Russia. F ...

. Voronov began to plan the artillery barrage in

Operation Uranus Operation Uranus () was a Soviet 19–23 November 1942 strategic operation on the Eastern Front of World War II which led to the encirclement of Axis forces in the vicinity of Stalingrad: the German Sixth Army, the Third and Fourth Romani ...

. After the approval of the plan for Operation Uranus, Voronov worked with the chiefs of artillery of the fronts and supervised the training of units to conduct the offensive. During the beginning of the operation, Voronov was in the command post of the 21st Army. On 31 October, Voronov issued a decree on the establishment of artillery divisions in the

Reserve of the Supreme High Command The Reserve of the Supreme High Command (Russian: Резерв Верховного Главнокомандования; also known as the '' Stavka'' Reserve or RVGK () or RGK ( comprises reserve military formations and units; the ''Stavka'' ...

(''

'' Reserve). In late November, Voronov, Vasilevsky and

Alexander Novikov Alexander Alexandrovich Novikov (; – 3 December 1976) was the chief marshal of aviation for the Soviet Air Forces during the Soviet Union's involvement in the World War II, Second World War. Lauded as "the man who has piloted the Red Air F ...

visited the area of

Operation Little Saturn Operation Little Saturn () was a Red Army offensive on the Eastern Front of World War II that led to battles in Don and Chir rivers region in German-occupied Soviet Union territory in 16–30 December 1942. The success of Operation Uranus, lau ...

. From 16 to 19 December, Voronov coordinated the artillery of the Southwestern and

Voronezh Front The 1st Ukrainian Front (), previously the Voronezh Front (), was a major formation of the Red Army during World War II, being equivalent to a Western army group. They took part in the capture of Berlin, the capital of Nazi Germany. Wartime ...

s. On 19 December, he was sent to the Don Front to aid in the planning and implementation of operations for the elimination of the surrounded German troops in Stalingrad. On 10 January 1943, after an artillery barrage, Operation Koltso was launched. For the operation, Voronov was awarded the

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 Union, Soviet award established on ...

1st class. On 18 January, he was promoted to

Marshal of the Artillery Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...

. On 31 January,

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...

Friedrich Paulus Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus (23 September 1890 – 1 February 1957) was a German ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (Field Marshal) during World War II who is best known for his surrender of the German 6th Army (Wehrmacht), 6th Army during the Battle ...

surrendered to Soviet troops and Voronov personally interrogated him. In early February, Voronov was sent to the Northwestern Front to assist with the planning and operation of the Demyansk Offensive. In April, the

Katyusha rocket launcher The Katyusha ( rus, Катю́ша, p=kɐˈtʲuʂə, a=Ru-Катюша.ogg) is a type of rocket artillery first built and fielded by the Soviet Union in World War II. Multiple rocket launchers such as these deliver explosives to a target area m ...

units were handed over to the chief of the artillery, but self-propelled artillery units were placed under command of tank units, despite Voronov's protests. From May to June, Voronov oversaw the formation of the first five breakthrough artillery corps, and on 5 July served as the representative for the commander of the

Bryansk Front The Bryansk Front () was a Front (military formation), major formation of the Red Army during the World War II, Second World War. First Formation (August - November 1941) General Andrei Yeremenko was designated commander of the Front when it fi ...

, as well as checking the preparation of the artillery bombardment in the

. On 3 August, he was sent to the Western Front to monitor the planning and conduct of the Battle of Smolensk. On 30 August, Voronov was sent to the

Kalinin Front The Kalinin Front was a major formation of the Red Army active in the Eastern Front of World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions ...

. On 20 October, he coordinated the actions of the

1st Baltic Front The First Baltic Front ( Russian: Пéрвый Прибалтийский фронт) was a major formation of the Red Army during the Second World War. It was commanded by Army General Andrey Yeryomenko, succeeded by Army General Bagramyan. It ...

2nd Baltic Front The 2nd Baltic Front () was a Front (military formation), major formation of the Red Army during the World War II, Second World War. History The 2nd Baltic Front was formed on October 20, 1943 as a result of the renaming of the Baltic Front, it ...

and Western Front. In early 1944, he had to resign from his position as a

representative and return to Moscow for treatment of health issues. Voronov then helped redeploy ammunition and artillery to the Far Eastern Front. On 21 February, he was promoted to chief marshal of the artillery. On 20 March 1944, Voronov was featured on the cover of

Time magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps as ''TIME'') is an American news magazine based in New York City. It was published weekly for nearly a century. Starting in March 2020, it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York Cit ...

Postwar

In May 1946, Voronov began the establishment of the Academy of Artillery Sciences. He was also elected a deputy of the

Soviet of the Union The Soviet of the Union (, ''Sovet Soyuza''; , ''İttifaqı Soveti''; ; , Moldovan Cyrillic: ; ; ; ; ; , ''Bileleşigiň Geňeşi''; ) was the lower chamber of the Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, elected on the b ...

. In 1950, he was released from his position and became the president of the Academy of Artillery Sciences, responsible for developing strategic nuclear weapons. In 1953, he was appointed chief of the Military Artillery Command Academy in Leningrad. In October 1958, transferred to the Group of Inspectors General of the Ministry of Defence due to health issues, where he was until his death. In 1963, Voronov published his memoirs, titled 'На службе военной', or ''On Military Service''. On 7 May 1965, he was awarded the title

on the 20th anniversary of the end of World War II. On 23 February 1968, a tumor was discovered and Voronov was operated on. On 28 February he died without regaining consciousness. He was cremated and his ashes were buried in the

Kremlin Wall Necropolis The Kremlin Wall Necropolis is the former national cemetery of the Soviet Union, located in Red Square in Moscow beside the Moscow Kremlin Wall, Kremlin Wall. Burials there began in November 1917, when 240 pro-Bolsheviks who died during the Mosc ...

Personal life

Voronov was an avid football fan and was a supporter of

CSKA Moscow CSKA Moscow () is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. It was created in 1911 in the Russian Empire on base of OLLS (Skiing Society, founded 1901). Later, during the Soviet Union, Soviet era, it was the central part of the Armed Forces (sports ...

. He married Nina and had a son, Vladimir.

Honours and awards

Voronov received the following Soviet awards:Medals displayed in

Central Armed Forces Museum The Central Armed Forces Museum () also known as the Museum of the Soviet Army, is located in northern Moscow, Russia, near the Red Army Theater. History The first exposition which showed the military condition of the Soviet Republic and the R ...

, six times *

Order of the October Revolution The Order of the October Revolution (, ''Orden Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii'') was instituted on 31 October 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was conferred upon individuals or groups for services furthering communis ...

, four times *

, 1st Class, three times *

Medal "For the Defence of Leningrad" The Medal "For the Defence of Leningrad" () was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union established on December 22, 1942 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to recognise the valour and hard work of the Soviet ...

Medal "For the Defence of Stalingrad" The Medal "For the Defence of Stalingrad" () was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union. Medal history The Medal "For the Defence of Stalingrad" was established on December 22, 1942 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet o ...

Medal "For the Defence of Moscow" The Medal "For the Defence of Moscow" () was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union awarded to military and civilians who had participated in the Battle of Moscow. History The Medal "For the Defence of Moscow" was established on May ...

Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" The Medal "For the Victory Over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" () was a military decoration of the Soviet Union established on May 9, 1945, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to denote military partici ...

Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" The Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" () was a state commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established on May 7, 1965 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to denote the twenti ...

Medal "For the Victory over Japan" The Medal "For the Victory over Japan" () was a campaign medal of the Soviet Union established on September 30, 1945 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union to commemorate the Soviet ...

Jubilee Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" The Jubilee Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" () was a state military commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established on January 24, 1938 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to denote the twentie ...

Jubilee Medal "30 Years of the Soviet Army and Navy" The Jubilee Medal "30 Years of the Soviet Army and Navy" () was a state military commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established on February 22, 1948 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to denote the thirtieth annive ...

Jubilee Medal "40 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" The Jubilee Medal "40 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" () was a state military commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established on December 18, 1957 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to denote the fortieth anni ...

Jubilee Medal "50 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" The Jubilee Medal "50 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" () was a state military commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established on December 26, 1967 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to denote the fiftieth anniv ...

Medal "In Commemoration of the 800th Anniversary of Moscow" The Medal "In Commemoration of the 800th Anniversary of Moscow" () was a state commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on September 20, 1947 and bestowed to prominent Sovie ...

* Medal "In Commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of Leningrad" * Honorary weapons He also received the following foreign awards: *

Order of Sukhbaatar The Order of Sukhbaatar (or Order of Suche Bator) is a state decoration of Mongolia, originally instituted on 16 May 1941. It was awarded to Mongolians and foreigners "for special services to defenses, economic and cultural construction of the Mon ...

(Mongolia) *

(Mongolia) * Order of the Partisan Star, 1st class (Yugoslavia) *

Order of National Liberation The Order of People's Liberation or Order of National Liberation ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Orden narodnog oslobođenja, Орден народног ослобођења; ) was a decoration of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the fifth-highest d ...

(Yugoslavia) *

Cross of Grunwald The Order of the Cross of Grunwald (') was a military decoration created in Poland in November 1943 by the High Command of Gwardia Ludowa, a World War II Polish resistance movement organised by the Polish Workers Party. On 20 February 1944 it ...

, 1st class (Poland) * Commander of the

Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta (, ) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on alien (law), foreigners for outstanding achievements in ...

(Poland) Nikolai Voronov is interred in the

at the

Red Square Red Square ( rus, Красная площадь, Krasnaya ploshchad', p=ˈkrasnəjə ˈploɕːɪtʲ) is one of the oldest and largest town square, squares in Moscow, Russia. It is located in Moscow's historic centre, along the eastern walls of ...

Dates of rank

Voronov's promotion dates were as follows: *

: 26 November 1935 *

: 20 June 1937 *

Colonel General Colonel general is a military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically General officer#Old European system, general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, ...

: 7 May 1940 *

: 18 January 1943 (equivalent to NATO

four star rank Military star ranking is military terminology, used in mainly English speaking countries, to describe General officer, general and flag officers. Within Member states of NATO, NATO's armed forces, the stars are equal to Ranks and insignia of NATO, ...

) * Chief Marshal of Artillery: 21 February 1944

References

Sources

Bibliography

Memoirs

* (Russian) Voronov, Nikolai Nikolayevich. ''На службе военной (On military service)''. Moscow: Voenizdat, 1963

Books

* Alpert, Michael. ''A New International History of the Spanish Civil War''. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 1994 *

Beevor, Antony Sir Antony James Beevor, (born 14 December 1946) is a British military historian. He has published several popular historical works, mainly on the Second World War, the Spanish Civil War, and most recently the Russian Revolution and Civil War. ...

. ''The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936–1939''. New York: Penguin, 2006 * Bellamy, Chris. ''Absolute War: Soviet Russia in the Second World War.'' New York: Vintage Books, 2007; Knopf Doubleday, 2008 * Braithwaite, Rodric. ''Moscow 1941: A City & Its People at War''. London: Profile Books, 2010 * Glantz, David M. ''Soviet Military Deception in the Second World War''. London: Frank Cass and Company, 1989 * Keegan, John. ''Who's Who in World War II''. London: Routledge, 2002 * (Russian) Kiselev, A.N., ed. ''Полководцы и военачальники Великой Отечественной: Выпуск 1 (Military Commanders of the World: Book 1)''. Moscow: Young Guard, 1971 * Knight, Amy. ''Beria: Stalin's First Lieutenant''. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1995 * Irincheev, Bair; Delf, Brian. ''The Mannerheim Line 1920–39: Finnish Fortifications of the Winter War''. Oxford: Osprey, 2013 * Nenye, Vesa; Munter, Peter; Wirtanen, Toni. ''Finland at War: The Winter War 1939–40''. Oxford: Osprey, 2015 * Prochurov, A.M. ''The Great Soviet Encyclopedia'' (3rd edition). New York: Macmillan, 1979 * Reese, Roger R. ''The Soviet Military Experience: A History of the Soviet Army, 1917–1991''. London: Routledge, 2002 * Romero Salvado, Francisco J. ''Historical Dictionary of the Spanish Civil War''. Lanham: Scarecrow Press, 2013 * Richardson, R. Dan. ''Comintern Army: The International Brigades and the Spanish Civil War.'' Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2015 * Thomas, Hugh. ''The Spanish Civil War'' (Revised edition). New York: Random House, 2013 * Van Dyke, Carl. ''The Soviet Invasion of Finland, 1939–40''. London: Routledge, 2013 * Zabecki, David T. ''World War II in Europe: An Encyclopedia''. London: Routledge, 2015

External links

Generals.dk
{{DEFAULTSORT:Voronov, Nikolai 1899 births 1968 deaths Military personnel from Saint Petersburg People from Sankt-Peterburgsky Uyezd Bolsheviks Second convocation members of the Soviet of the Union Soviet Marshals of Artillery 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 the Winter War Soviet military personnel of World War II Soviet prisoners of war Frunze Military Academy alumni Heroes of the Soviet Union Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Recipients of the Order of Suvorov, 1st class Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Grunwald, 1st class Commanders of the Order of Polonia Restituta Recipients of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1944–1989) Burials at the Kremlin Wall Necropolis

Early life

Military service

Russian Civil War and Polish-Soviet War

Interwar period

World War II

Postwar

Personal life

Honours and awards

Dates of rank

See also

References

Sources

Bibliography

Memoirs

Books

External links