Hovhannes Khachatury Bagramyan
December 2, 1897 – September 21, 1982
Marshal of the Soviet Union Hovhannes Bagramyan
Place of birth	Chardaklu, Russian Empire
Place of death	Moscow, Soviet Union
Allegiance	Democratic Republic of Armenia Soviet Union
Years of service	1915–1968
Rank	Marshal of the Soviet Union
Commands	Eleventh Guards Army First Baltic Front, Baltic Military District, Reserve Forces of the Red Army, Military Academy of the Soviet Union Deputy Minister of Defense
Battles/wars	World War I, Turkish-Armenian War, World War II
Awards	Hero of the Soviet Union (2) Order of Lenin (7) Order of the October Revolution Order of the Red Banner (3) Order of Suvorov, 1st Class (2) Order of Kutuzov, 1st Class
Other work	Memoirs: (Armenian) Part I Այսպես է Սկսվել Պատերազմը (This is How the War Began). Yerevan, 1975 (Russian) Part II Так шли мы к Победе (Thus We Went to Victory), Moscow, 1977

Hovhannes Khachatury Bagramyan ^(I) (Armenian: Հովհաննես Խաչատուրի (or, Քրիստափորի, Christapory) Բաղրամյան; Russian: Оване́с Хачату́рович Баграмя́н; December 2 [O.S. November 20] 1897 – September 21, 1982) was a Soviet Armenian military commander and Marshal of the Soviet Union. During World War II, Bagramyan was the first non-Slavic military officer to become a commander of a Front. He was among several Armenians in the Soviet Army who held the highest proportion of high ranking officers in the Soviet military during the war,^[1] and one of fifty Armenians who attained the rank of General in the same period.^[2] is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... The subject of this article was previously also known as Russia. ... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Democratic_Republic_of_Armenia. ... Motto None Anthem Mer Hayrenik (Our Fatherland) Map of the Democratic Republic of Armenia from March 1919 to March 1920. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union. ... The rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union (Russian: Marshal Sovietskogo Soyuza [Маршал Советского Союза]) was in practice the highest military rank of the Soviet Union. ... The First Baltic Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. ... The Baltic Military District was a military district of the Soviet armed forces, formed briefly before the German invasion, and then reformed after World War II and disbanded after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Combatants Democratic Republic of Armenia Turkish Revolutionaries Commanders Drastamat Kanayan Movses Silikyan Kazım Karabekir Strength 50,000. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Hero of the Soviet Union (Russian: Герой Советского Союза, Geroy Sovyetskovo Soyuza) was the highest honorary title and the superior degree of distinction of the Soviet Union. ... The Order of Lenin (Russian: Орден Ленина, Orden Lenina), named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was the highest national order of the Soviet Union. ... The Order of the October Revolution was instituted on October 31, 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. ... The Soviet government of Russia established the Order of the Battle Red Banner, better-known as the Order of the Red Banner (in Russian: Орден Крaсного Знамени Orden Krasnogo Znameni) on September 16, 1918 during the Russian Civil War. ... The Order of Suvorov (Russian Орден Суворова) is a Soviet award, named after Aleksandr Suvorov, was established on July 29, 1942 (during World War II) by a Decision of the Presidium of Supreme Soviet of the USSR. The medal was created to award army personnel for exceptional duty in combat operations. ... Order of Kutuzov 1st class (first variant) The Order of Kutuzov (Russian: Орден Кутузова) is a Soviet and Russian military award, named after famous Russian Field Marshal Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov. ... is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Old Style or O.S. is a designation indicating that a date conforms to the Julian calendar, formerly in use in many countries, rather than the Gregorian calendar, currently in use in most countries. ... is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Soviet redirects here. ... The rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union (Russian: Marshal Sovietskogo Soyuza [Маршал Советского Союза]) was in practice the highest military rank of the Soviet Union. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Slavic peoples are the most numerous ethnic and linguistic body of peoples in Europe. ... A Front (фронт) was a major military organization in the Soviet Army, roughly equivalent to an army or army group in British or American military terminology. ... This article is about the armed forces of the Soviet Union. ...

Bagramyan's experience in military planning as a chief of staff allowed him to distinguish himself as a capable commander in the early stages of the Soviet counter-offensives against Nazi Germany. He was given his first command of a unit in 1942, and in November 1943 received his most prestigious command as the head of the First Baltic Front. As head of the Baltic Front, he participated in the offensives which moved westward and pushed German forces out of the Baltic republics. Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... The First Baltic Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. ... Combatants Red Army Wehrmacht Commanders Soviet STAVKA German OKW Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties 260,000 all causes Unknown // The Baltic Offensive, also formally referred to as the Baltic Strategic Offensive Operation[1][2][3][4] as it was called by the Red Army who undertook it, denotes the battle between... Wehrmacht   (armed forces, literally defence force(s)) was the name of the armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Baltic States. ...

He did not immediately join the Communist Party after the consolidation of the October Revolution, becoming a member only in 1941, which was atypical for a Soviet military officer. After the war, he served as a deputy member of the Supreme Soviets of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic and Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic and was a regular attendee of the Party Congresses. In 1952, he became a candidate for entry into the Central Committee and, in 1961, was inducted as a full member. Outside Armenia, he is primarily known by the Russified version of his name, Ivan (or Ovannes) Khristoforovich Bagramyan (Russian: Ива́н Христофо́рович Баграмян). For his contributions during the war, he was widely regarded as a national hero in the Soviet Union,^[3] and continues to hold such esteemed status among Armenians. The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Russian: Коммунисти́ческая Па́ртия Сове́тского Сою́за = КПСС) was the name used by the successors of the Bolshevik faction of the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party from 1952 to 1991, but the wording Communist Party was present in the partys name since 1918 when the Bolsheviks became the Russian... For other uses, see October Revolution (disambiguation). ... The Supreme Soviet (Russian: , Verhovniy Sovet, literally the Supreme Council) comprised the highest legislative body in the Soviet Union in the interim of the sessions of the Congress of Soviets, and the only one with the power to pass constitutional amendments. ... State motto: Visu zemju proletārieÅ¡i, savienojieties! Official language Latvian, Russian (de facto). ... language None. ... The Congress of the CPSU was the gathering of the delegates of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and its predecessors. ... The Central Committee, abbreviated in Russian as ЦК, Tseka, was the highest body of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). ... Russification is an adoption of the Russian language or some other Russian attribute (whether voluntarily or not) by non-Russian communities. ...

Early life

Hovhannes Bagramyan was the son of Khachatur Bagramyan, an Armenian railway worker, and was born in the village of Chardakhlu near Yelizavetpol (later Kirovabad, now Ganja, Azerbaijan), then part of the Russian Empire. Hamazasp Babadjanyan, who was to become the chief marshal of the Soviet Armor corps, was born in the same village. Like his father, he followed a path in rail work where he first attended a two year school in Yelizavetpol and later the railway technical institute in Tiflis, Georgia and became a train mechanic.^[4] Municipality: Ganja Area: 1000 km² Altitude: -100 m Population: 300,000 census 2003 Postal Code: AZ1000 Area code: 016 Municipality code: GA Mayor: Eldar Azizov For other uses, see Ganja (disambiguation). ... Ganja (Gəncə or Ҝәнҹә) is an ancient town now in the Republic of Azerbaijan. ... For the city in Tajikistan, see Panj. ... The subject of this article was previously also known as Russia. ... Chief Marshal of the Armored troops of USSR Hamazasp Babadzhanian Hamazasp Khachaturovich Babadzhanian (Russian: , Armenian: ) (February 18, 1906 — November 1, 1977) — Chief Marshal of the Armored troops of the USSR. (1975), Hero of the Soviet Union (April 26, 1944). ... View of Tiflis from the Grounds of Saint David Church, ca. ...

World War I

A young Bagramyan in a photo taken in 1916 while he was serving in the Imperial Russian military.

In 1915, he joined the Russian Army as a volunteer (to detachment volunteer units) in the Second Caucasus Frontier Regiment of the Russian Expedition Corps and spent the remainder of World War I fighting the Ottoman Empire on the Caucasian Front. In June, 1917 he graduated from the Tiflis military academy with the rank of praporshchik in the Russian army. His unit was demobilized the same year, following the overthrow of the Russian Provisional Government in the Bolshevik October Revolution. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Military history of Imperial Russia is that of the Russian Empire from its creation in 1721 by Peter the Great, until the Russian Revolution of 1917, which led to the establishment of the Soviet Union // Peter the Great Peter I, a child of the second marriage of Tsar Aleksey... A detachment is a military unit. ... Armenian volunteer units were Armenian soldiers in Russian, French and British armies during the WWI. Majority of these units support the military activities at Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. Most famous commanders of these units were on alongside the Russian army units, such as Andranik Toros Ozanian whom... Russian Caucasus Army of the World War One was the army established from Russian Cossacks (three sotnias from Kars (non-Cossack district)) under the nominal command of the Governor General of the Caucusus Illarion Vorontsov-Dashkov. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Ottoman (disambiguation). ... Praporshchik (Russian: ) was originally a name of a junior officer position in Strelets New Regiments. ... Bolshevik Party Meeting. ... For other uses, see October Revolution (disambiguation). ...

However, with the creation of the newly established Democratic Republic of Armenia in 1918, Bagramyan enlisted in the Third Armenian Regiment of that country's armed forces.^[4] After the Ottoman Empire signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (March 3, 1918) with the Russian SFSR, from April 1, 1918 he was in the Armenian First Cavalry Regiment, which helped stave off the Ottoman 3rd Army military offensives intent on conquering the remains of the republic in the regions of Karaourgani and Sarıkamış.^[4] He most notably participated in the May 1918 battle of Sardarapat, where the Armenian military secured a crucial victory against Turkish forces. He remained in the regiment until May, 1920. Motto None Anthem Mer Hayrenik (Our Fatherland) Map of the Democratic Republic of Armenia from March 1919 to March 1920. ... The military history of Armenia encompasses a period of several thousand years, as the Armenian people have existed as a nation since the Early Bronze Age. ... The first two pages of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, in (left to right) German, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Ottoman Turkish and Russian The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, at Brest-Litovsk (now Brest, Belarus) between the Russian SFSR and the Central Powers, marking... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... State motto: Russian: Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! Translation: Workers of the world, unite! Capital Moscow Official language Russian Established In the USSR:  - Since  - Until November 7, 1917 November 7, 1917 December 12, 1991 (dissolution) Area  - Total  - Water (%) Ranked 1st in the USSR 17,075,200 km² 13% Population  - Total   - Density Ranked 1st in the... is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... The Ottoman Third Army protected the northern and eastern parts of the Ottoman Empire. ... Sarıkamış (Armenian: Սարիկմիսհ (Latin transliteration: Sarikamish)) is a district of Kars Province of Turkey. ... Combatants Ottoman Empire Democratic Republic of Armenia Commanders Vahib Pasha Movses Silikian Strength Third Army 100,000 [2] 40,000 Casualties 30,000 30,000 30,000 Armenian civilian casualties The Battle of Sardarabad was a battle of the Caucasus Campaign of World War I that took place in the...

Interwar years

Following the toppling of the tsarist government by the Bolsheviks in October 1917, the Russian army invaded the southern Caucasus republics of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia. In May 1920, Bagramyan initiated a local rebellion against the Dashnak-led government of Armenia and joined the Eleventh Soviet Red Army.^[5][6] He became the commander of a cavalry regiment, taking part in several battles during the Russian Civil War, and also fighting against Armenian and Georgian nationalist forces. In 1923, he was made the commander of the Alexandropol Cavalry Regiment, a position he held until 1931. Two years later, Bagramyan graduated from the Leningrad Cavalry School and, in 1934, from the Frunze Military Academy.^[4] Tsar (Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian цар, Russian  , in scientific transliteration respectively car and car ), occasionally spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English, is a Slavonic term designating certain monarchs. ... Bolshevik Party Meeting. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion, because: it is patent nonsense. ... The 11th Soviet Red Army was a contingent of the then newly created Russian Red Army improvised by the Bolsheviks. ... The Russian Civil War (1917-1922) began immediately after the collapse of the Russian provisional government and the Bolshevik takeover of Petrograd, rapidly intensifying after the dissolution of the Russian Constituent Assembly and signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. ... Gyumri, formerly known by the following names in chronological order: Alexandropol, Kumayri, Gyumri, Leninakan, and Gyumri (again), is the capital of the Shirak province of Armenia, and a fortress of great strength. ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and... There were a number of military academies in Soviet Union of different specialties. ...

Bagramyan in 1938.

In his memoirs, Pyotr Grigorenko, a Ukrainian commander who attended Frunze, told how Bagramyan was expelled from the academy by his superiors after they learned he had been a secret member of the banned Dashnak Armenian nationalist party for more than a decade. Pending his arrest, Grigorenko described Bagramyan "deeply depressed, saying he only wished they'd arrest him soon so that he could get it over with."^[7] Grigorenko advised that he appeal the arrest warrant which Bagramyan reluctantly did and, with the help of Armenian politburo member Anastas Mikoyan, the arrest warrant was revoked and he accepted to be "rehabilitated."^[8] From 1934 to 1936, he served as the chief of staff of the Fifth Cavalry Division, and from 1938, he worked as a senior instructor and lecturer at the military academy of the Soviet General Staff. Concurrently, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin had purged much of the Soviet officer corps of its "experienced" commanders. While fellow students from the military academy, Andrei Yeremenko and Georgy Zhukov, had seen their careers rise, his had remained stagnant.^[9] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Pyotr Grigoryevich Grigorenko, alternative Petro Grigorenko (Russian: Петр Григоренко) (1907-1987) is a former Major General in the Soviet Army and prominent Soviet human right activist, a dissident and a writer. ... Politburo is short for Political Bureau. ... Anastas Hovhannesi Mikoyan (Armenian Ô±Õ¶Õ¡Õ½Õ¿Õ¡Õ½ Õ€Õ¸Õ¾Õ°Õ¡Õ¶Õ¶Õ¥Õ½Õ« Õ„Õ«Õ¯Õ¸ÕµÕ¡Õ¶; (November 25, 1895 [O.S. November 13] - October 21, 1978) was an Armenian Old Bolshevik and Soviet statesman during the Stalin and Khrushchev years. ... Rehabilitation in the context of Soviet or Russian topics is often a false friend used to translate the Russian term reabilitatsiya as applied to convicted persons. ... Josef Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili (Georgian: , Ioseb Besarionis Dze Jughashvili; Russian: , Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili) (December 18 [O.S. December 6] 1878[1] – March 5, 1953), better known by his adopted name, Joseph Stalin (alternatively transliterated Josef Stalin), was General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Unions Central Committee from... The Great Purge (Russian: , transliterated Bolshaya chistka) is the name given to campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin during the late 1930s. ... Marshal of the Soviet Union Andrei Yeremenko Andrei Ivanovich Yeremenko (Yeryomenko, Андрей Иванович Ерёменко) (October 14, 1892 - November 19, 1970) Soviet general during World War II, Marshal of the Soviet Union, born in Markovka in the province of Kharkov in Ukraine to a peasant family. ... Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov, GCB (Russian: ) (December 1, 1896 [O.S. November 19]–June 18, 1974), was a Soviet military commander who, in the course of World War II, led the Red Army to liberate the Soviet Union from the Nazi occupation, to overrun...

In 1940, when General Zhukov was promoted to commander of the Kiev Military District in the Ukraine, Bagramyan wrote a letter asking to serve under his command. Zhukov agreed, and in December asked for his help writing a paper to be presented to the commanders of the Soviet Military Districts. Bagramyan's paper, Conducting a Contemporary Offensive Operation, apparently impressed Zhukov, as he promoted Bagramyan to become the head of Operations for the Soviet Twelfth Army based in the Ukraine.^[10] Within three months however, Bagramyan, then a colonel, was appointed deputy chief of staff of the Southwestern Front, headquartered in Kiev.^[4] Military districts are territorial entities used for the purposes of military planning and strategizing. ... This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... The Southernwestern Front was one of the Soviet Army fronts during the World War II. In 1941 it took part in the tank battles in western Ukraine and the defensive operation around Kiev, in which the Front Chief of Staff General Mikhail Kirponos was killed and the entire Front captured...

World War II

Ukraine

In June 1941, Nazi Germany violated the Molotov-Ribbentrop non-aggression pact and invaded the Soviet Union. Unlike many of the border troops who were caught off guard by the offensive, Bagramyan and his commander, General Mikhail Kirponos believed an invasion by Germany was inevitable.^[11] However, Kipronos chose to ignore Bagramyan's viewpoint that the German offensive would employ the lightning speed Blitzkrieg tactics like those used in the campaigns in Poland in 1939 and Western Europe in 1940.^[12] Since the winter of 1939-40, Bagramyan had been busy devising a battle plan that would counter threats from the western Ukraine that was approved after numerous revisions on May 10, 1940.^[13] Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Molotov signs the German-Soviet non-aggression pact. ... Combatants Germany, Romania, Finland, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia  Soviet Union Commanders Adolf Hitler Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb Fedor von Bock Gerd von Rundstedt Heinz Guderian Günther von Kluge Franz Halder Maresal Ion Antonescu C.G.E. Mannerheim Giovanni Messe, CSIR Italo Gariboldi, ARMIR Joseph Stalin Kliment Voroshilov Semyon Timoshenko Fyodor... Mikhail Petrovich Kirponos (Russian: , Ukrainian: ) (January 12, 1892 — September 20, 1941) was a Ukrainian-born general of the Red Army. ... The defining characteristic of what is commonly known as Blitzkrieg is that it is a highly mobile form of mechanized warfare. ... is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On the morning of June 22, he was tasked with the overseeing of a transfer of a military convoy to Ternopol. While his column was passing the Soviet airfields near the city of Brody, German air strikes hit the aircraft on the ground. Several hours later, they arrived in Ternopol, having been strafed twice by the planes.^[14] Three days after the invasion, the plans for the counter-offensive were implemented but disorder enveloped the troops and the attack collapsed.^[15] He took part in the great tank battles in western Ukraine and the defensive operation around Kiev, in which Kirponos was killed and the entire Front captured by the Germans. He was one of a handful of senior officers who escaped from the encircled army. is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Ternopil (Ukrainian: Тернопіль, Ternopil’; Polish: ; Russian: ) is a city in western Ukraine, located on the banks of the Seret river. ... For other uses, see Airport (disambiguation). ... Tarnopol Voivodeship bis 17 September 1939, location the city A church in Brody (1625). ... Combatants Germany Soviet Union Commanders Gerd von Rundstedt Semyon Budyonny (Removed from duty on Sept. ...

Bagramyan was then appointed chief of staff to Marshal Semyon Timoshenko and along with future Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev, then a political officer, coordinated the fighting around Rostov. In his memoirs, Khrushchev described Bagramyan as a "very precise person who reported on everything just as it was. How many troops we had, their positions, and the general situation."^[16] Marshal of the Soviet Union Semyon Timoshenko Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko (Russian: Семён Константинович Тимошенко) (February 6 O.S (February 18 N.S.), 1895-March 31... Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (Russian: , Nikita Sergeevič Chruščiov; IPA: , in English, , or , occasionally ); surname more accurately romanized as Khrushchyov[1]; April 17 [O.S. April 5] 1894[2]–September 11, 1971) was the chief director of the Soviet Union after the death of Joseph Stalin. ... A political commissar is an officer appointed by a government to oversee a unit of the military. ... The eastern front at the time of the Battle of Rostov. ...

Bagramyan, right, studying a battle map along with Marshal Semyon Timoshenko and political officer Nikita Khrushchev in early 1942.

Khrushchev went on to detail an account in where Marshal Semyon Budyonny, sent by the chief of the operations department from the Soviet capital of Moscow to Kiev and representing the STAVKA, courtmartialed Bagramyan,^[17] who protested and stated that if he was an incapable staff officer, then he should instead be given a field unit to command. To Bagramyan's astonishment, Budyonny went on to attempt to convince him to agree to his execution. Khrushchev remarked that the argument was essentially sparked arbitrarily and had taken place after an "abundant feast with cognac" and that "in those days we didn't take that kind of conversation seriously."^[18] According to him, at the time however, the Soviet military was especially suspicious of the men in its ranks, itself judging that there were "enemies of the people...everywhere, especially the Red Army."^[19] Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Marshal of the Soviet Union Semyon Timoshenko Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko (Russian: Семён Константинович Тимошенко) (February 6 O.S (February 18 N.S.), 1895-March 31... Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (Russian: , Nikita Sergeevič Chruščiov; IPA: , in English, , or , occasionally ); surname more accurately romanized as Khrushchyov[1]; April 17 [O.S. April 5] 1894[2]–September 11, 1971) was the chief director of the Soviet Union after the death of Joseph Stalin. ... Semyon Budyonny (also spelled Budennii, Budenny, Budyenny etc, Russian: Семён Михайлович Будённый) (April 25 [O.S. April 13] 1883 – October 26, 1973) was a Soviet military commander and an ally of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. ... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... Stavka (Ставка) was the General Headquarters of armed forces in late Imperial Russia and in the Soviet Union. ... The term enemy of the people (Russian language: враг народа, vrag naroda) was a fluid designation under the Bolsheviks rule in regards to their real or suspected political or class opponents, sometimes including former allies. ...

Bagramyan was instrumental in the planning of two Soviet counter-offensives against the Germans, including the major push made by Soviet forces in December during the battle of Moscow, and for this was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General.^[4] In the same month, he was made the chief of staff of a military operations group that would oversee three Army Groups: the Southern, the Southwestern and Bryansk Fronts.^[20] In March 1942, he went along with Khrushchev and Timoshenko to Moscow to present the plans of a new counter-offensive in the Ukrainian city of Kharkov to Stalin. Stalin, impressed with his plan, approved the operation and on April 8, promoted Bagramyan as Chief of Staff of the Southwestern Front. On May 12, 1942, armies of the Southwestern Front attacked Kharkov but the launch of the offensive came at an inopportune moment since they were attacking from the Barvenkovo Salient, a region that German forces were near closing.^[21] Combatants Nazi Germany Soviet Union Commanders Fedor von Bock, Heinz Guderian Georgy Zhukov, Aleksandr Vasilevsky Strength As of October 1: 1,000,000 men, 1,700 tanks, 14,000 guns, 950 planes[1] As of October 1: 1,250,000 men, 1,000 tanks, 7,600 guns, 677 planes[2... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... The Southern Front was one of the Soviet Army fronts during the World War II, cretaed under the command of Army General Ivan Tyulenev. ... Historic coat of arms of Bryansk (1781). ... Kharkov (rus: Ха́рьков) or Kharkiv (ukr: Ха́рків) is the second largest city in Ukraine, a center of Kharkivska oblast. It is situated in the northeast of the country and has a population of two million. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year (99th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... In military terms, a salient is a battlefield feature that projects into enemy territory. ...

While Soviet forces were initially successful in recapturing Kharkov, they found themselves trapped by the German army after the closing of Barvenkovo. On May 18, Bagramyan asked Timoshenko to alter the plans but Timoshenko along with Stalin refused to approve his request.^[22] Soviet losses were heavy as the 6th, 9th and 57th armies (approximately 18–20 divisions) comprising a large portion of the Southwestern Front, were all destroyed and Bagramyan was removed from his post on June 28 by STAVKA. According to Khrushchev, Bagramyan was so devastated from the immense loss of men that after the operation was called off, "he burst into tears. His nerves cracked...He was weeping for our army."^[23] Held responsible for the failure of the operation and "poor staff work", he was demoted to chief of staff of the Soviet 28th Army.^[24] Several days later, he wrote a letter to Stalin asking to "serve at the front at any capacity, however modest."^[25] British military historian John Erickson however contends that Bagramyan was unfairly scapegoated by Stalin in his attempts to "hunt for [the] culprits" of the mismanagement of operations.^[26] Combatants Germany Soviet Union Commanders Fedor von Bock, Friedrich Paulus Semyon Timoshenko Strength 300,000 men, 1000 tanks, 1500 aircraft 640,000 men, 1200 tanks, 1000 aircraft Casualties 20,000 killed, wounded or captured 207,057 killed, wounded or captured, 652 tanks, 1,646 guns, 3,278 mortars, 57,626... is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The 6th Army, a field army of the Soviet Red Army was formed in August, 1939 in the Kiev Special Military District. ... Symbol of the Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division in NATO code A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of around ten to twenty thousand soldiers. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... John Erickson (1929 - 2002) was a British historian who wrote extensively on the Second World War, with key books on Operation Barbarossa and the Battle of Stalingrad. ...

The Sixteenth Army

Though he had never led a fighting unit prior to the war, he was given his first command of an army in the Western Front as his superiors, and particularly field marshal Zhukov were impressed with his skills and capabilities as a staff officer.^[27] Zhukov, with the approval of STAVKA, appointed him commander of the 16th Army, replacing its former commander, Konstantin Rokossovsky who had been sent to command the Bryansk Front. On July 30, Soviet forces launched a new offensive as a continuing part of the Battles of Rzhev in Western Russia in an effort to push back German forces that were advancing towards Moscow near the Volga River. For the next two weeks, Soviet forces were successful and made several gains in the region. On August 11, however, German forces mounted a surprise offensive on the southern flank of Western Front, splitting the 61st Army from the 16th, both of which were not taking part in the July offensive.^[28] The German forces threatened Bagramyan's left flank as he quickly moved his forces to counter their movements and halted them from advancing further on September 9. Marshal of the Soviet Union Konstantin Rokossovsky Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovskiy (Russian: Константин Константинович Рокоссовский, Polish: Konstanty Rokossowski) (December 21, 1896 – August 3, 1968) was a Soviet military commander and Polish Defence Minister. ... is the 211th day of the year (212th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The formation of the Rzhev salient during the winter of 1941-1942. ... The Volga (Russian: , Tatar Cyrillic: Идел, Latin: İdel) is the largest river in Europe in terms of length, discharge, and watershed. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

With the rest of the Eastern Front battles almost entirely focused on Stalingrad and the Germans' attempts to drive down to the Caucasus, the 16th Army was not called up to action until February 1943. By then, the German Sixth Army besieging Stalingrad had been encircled and surrendered as Soviet forces remained on the constant offense. The 16th Army at the time was composed of four divisions and one infantry brigade and in light of the new offensive, Bagramyan's force was given two extra divisions, an infantry brigade, four tank brigades and several artillery regiments.^[29] The 16th Army launched an attack against German forces in Bryansk along the Western and Bryansk Fronts where it performed with distinction. For its efforts and fighting record, the Sixteenth Army was renamed the Eleventh Red Guards Army.^[4] Combatants Germany Romania Italy Hungary Croatia Soviet Union Commanders Adolf Hitler Friedrich Paulus # Erich von Manstein Hermann Hoth Petre Dumitrescu Constantin Constantinescu Italo Garibaldi Gusztav Jany Vasiliy Chuikov Aleksandr Vasilyevskiy Georgiy Zhukov Semyon Timoshenko Konstantin Rokossovskiy Rodion Malinovskiy Andrei Yeremenko Strength Army Group B: German Sixth Army # German Fourth Panzer... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Caucasus Mountains. ... The Sixth Army was a German field army which saw action in World War I and World War II. It is perhaps best known for its involvement in the Battle of Stalingrad. ... In military science a brigade is a military unit that is part of a division and includes regiments (where that level exists), or (in modern armies) is composed of several battalions (typically two to four) and directly attached supporting units. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, bicycles, or other means. ... For other uses, see Artillery (disambiguation). ... Guards (Russian: гвардия) or Guards units (Russian: гвардейские части) were and are elite military units in Imperial Russia, Soviet Union and Russian Federation. ...

Kursk

As the battle of Stalingrad marked the turning point of the war, German forces reorganized for a new offensive in the summer of 1943 to attack the Soviet held Kursk salient in Russia. The German High Command was to utilize veteran units in its ambitions to destroy the salient, including the Ninth Army and the II SS Panzer Corps.^[30] STAVKA, already informed of the impending attacks, called for an advance towards the German defenses positioned near the town of Kozelsk which would push south where it would be aided by the armies of Central Front. The forces would then proceed to cut off a 75-mile gap that would effectively surround the Germans and cut if off from reinforcements. This was similar to the 1942 launched Operation Uranus, where the Soviet army encircled and trapped the Sixth Army in Stalingrad. Kursk (Russian: ; pronunciation: koorsk; IPA: ) is a city in the western part of Central Russia, at the confluence of Kur, Tuskar, and Seym rivers. ... The German Ninth Army (German: ) was a World War II field army. ... The II.SS-Panzerkorps was a German Waffen-SS armoured corps which saw action on both the Eastern and Western Fronts during World War II. // The II.SS-Panzerkorps was formed in July 1942 in Bergen in The Netherlands as SS-Panzer-Generalkommando. ... Kozelsks Coat of Arms Kozelsk (Козельск in Russian, also spelt Kozielsk in English) is a town in the Kaluga Oblast in Russia, located on the Zhizdra River (Okas tributary) 72 km southwest of Kaluga. ... The Central Front was a Front (military subdivision) of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. ... The eastern front at the time of Operation Uranus. ...

Bagramyan as commander of the First Baltic Front planning with his chief of staff officer Vladmir Kurasov in June 1944.

Bagramyan's Eleventh Army was tasked to take part in the offensive and was given an additional three infantry divisions and two tank corps, a force composed of fifteen divisions.^[31] Bagramyan however argued to STAVKA that its planning was too audacious in the hopes of repeating a successful encirclement like that in Uranus. He claimed that his forces would be overstretched and would have difficulty in attacking the entrenched German positions in Bolkhov. To avoid a repetition of the failure in Kharkov the previous year, he instead asked that the 61st Army from the Bryansk Front aid the Eleventh in destroying the German forces in Bolkhov, thus eliminating the Ninth Army's protection from the north.^[32] He appealed to his front commander Vasily Sokolovsky as well the Bryansk's M. A. Reyter who both rejected his proposal. In April, STAVKA recalled the main commanders of the Fronts and Armies to Moscow on a briefing of the preparations for the battle. Against the protestations of Sokolovsky and Reyter, Bagramyan proposed his alternative plan to Stalin, who agreed and approved that it would be the more correct course to follow.^[33] Bagramyan was given twenty days to prepare the Eleventh Army and on May 24 reported that his forces were ready. The Eleventh Army now was composed of 135,000 men, 280 armored fighting vehicles, 2,700 artillery pieces and several hundred planes to lend air support for the ground forces.^[34] Stalin however, feeling it was necessary to further deteriorate the fighting abilities of German forces, delayed the offensive.^[35] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A corps (plural same as singular; a word that migrated from the French language, pronounced IPA: (cor), but originating in the Latin corpus, corporis meaning body) is either a large military unit or formation, an administrative grouping of troops within an army with a common function (such as artillery or... Bolkhov (Болхов in Russian) is a town in the Oryol Oblast in Russia, located on the Nugr River (Okas tributary) 56 km away from Orel. ... Vasily Danilovich Sokolovsky (Russian: Василий Данилович Соколовский) (July 21, 1897 - May 10, 1968), Soviet military commander, was born into a peasant family in Kozliki, a small town in the province of Grodno, near Białystok in Poland (then part of the Russian Empire). ... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is a military vehicle, equipped with protection against hostile attacks and often mounted weapons. ...

On July 5, 1943, after several months of postponing the offensive, German forces launched Operation Citadel in the area around Kursk. German losses were initially heavy due to Soviet defensive preparations. Taking advantage of this, on July 12, Bagramyan's forces commenced their offensive, codenamed Operation Kutuzov, and quickly breached through German defenses, advancing a distance of 45 miles (72 km) by July 18.^[36] By July 28, the operation successfully concluded and he was promoted to the rank of Colonel-General. In the ensuing month, his forces took part in the large-scale tank offensives which effectively routed the German assaults and forced Germany to remain on the defensive for the remainder of the war. is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Battle of Kursk Conflict World War II Date July 4, 1943 - July 22, 1943 Place Kursk, USSR Result Indecisive The Battle of Kursk was a significant battle on the Eastern Front of World War II. It remains the largest armored engagement of all time, and included the most costly single... is the 193rd day of the year (194th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Operation Kutuzov was a military operation by the Red Army in its fight against the German Wehrmacht during World War II. It was named after Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov, the Tsarist general credited with saving Russia from defeat during the invasion by Napoleon in 1812. ... is the 199th day of the year (200th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 209th day of the year (210th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Colonel General is a senior military rank which is used in some of the world’s militaries. ...

Belarus

Among the distinguished units under Bagramyan's overall command in the Baltic was the Sassuntsi-Davit Tank Regiment.

With the end of operations in Kursk, the Soviets began a series of offensives on various fronts to push the Germans out of the occupied Soviet republics. In October 1943, Bagramyan's Eleventh Army was transferred to the Second Baltic Front which was concentrated on the retaking of Belarus and namely, the Baltic republics. In November, Stalin offered Bagramyan the position of head commander of the First Baltic Front which had the similar objectives of the Second but was making little headway in its attempts to advance northwards.^[37] Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... The Sassuntsi-Davit Tank Regiment (Armenian: ) was a Soviet separate tank regiment during the Second World War, comprised primarily of ethnic Armenians. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Baltic States. ... The First Baltic Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. ...

Stalin would allow him to retain the Eleventh Army and suggested that Colonel-General N. E. Chibisov, an officer he had served under, assume his position. Bagramyan however commented that he had had a frictional relationship with Chibisov and instead nominated Lieutenant-General K. N. Galitsky. Stalin, belatedly realizing that Bagramyan was implying that the two would be unable to coherently coordinate together due to a conflict of holding the same rank, agreed to Bagramyan's suggestion and promoted him to the rank Army General.^[38] He also agreed to have the Second Baltic Front return a tank corps and an infantry division that was taken from the Eleventh Army, thus bolstering the forces under Bagramyan to a total of four armies: the Eleventh, Thirty-ninth, Forty-third Guards and the Fourth Shock.^[39] Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... General of the Army (Russian: генерал армии, general armii) was a rank of the Soviet Union which was first established in June 1940 as the highest rank for Red Army generals, inferior only to the Marshal of the Soviet Union. ...

In the winter of 1943, his forces advanced forward towards the Belarusian city of Vitebsk. One of the keys of Bagramyan's progress was that many of the soldiers were part of veteran units that had been trained in the Arctic regions of Siberia,^[40] enabling them to easily push through entrenched defenses the Germans had spent months preparing. Among the key locations imperative to reach Vitebsk was the small town of Gorodok, serving as a communications hub that the Germans had heavily fortified. Despite the heavy defense preparations, Bagramyan was able to utilize his heavy artillery and air support from the Red Air Force in late December to bombard the town and then launch a three-pronged attack from the ground.^[40] The German garrison was overwhelmed, and by December 24, two infantry divisions and one tank division surrendered. In Moscow, the news of the victory at Gorodok prompted a 124 cannon salute in honor of Bagramyan and the First Baltic Front.^[40] Coat of arms of Vitebsk. ... The red line indicates the 10°C isotherm in July, commonly used to define the Arctic region border Satellite image of the Arctic surface The Arctic is the region around the Earths North Pole, opposite the Antarctic region around the South Pole. ... “Siberian” redirects here. ... Gorodok may refer to: Gorodok, name of several rural settlements in Russia Bely Gorodok, an urban-type settlement in Tver Oblast, Russia Lesnoy Gorodok, a suburban (dacha) settlement in Moscow Oblast, Russia Nauchny Gorodok, an urban-type settlement in Altai Krai, Russia Novy Gorodok, an urban-type settlement in Kemerovo... Soviet Air Force, also known under the abbreviation VVS, transliterated from Russian: ВВС, Военно-воздушные силы (Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily), formed the official designation of the airforce of the Soviet Union. ... is the 358th day of the year (359th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

General deployments of Soviet and German forces during Operation Bagration in June 1944.

On April 2, 1944 Stalin granted Bagramyan's request to relieve the troops of the Front of offensive duties. However, German forces took this to their advantage as they mounted a new offensive against Soviet partisan fighters in Belarus. Bagramyan's senior staff diverted air support and other crucial supplies to aid the partisans, allowing most of them to escape the German encirclement.^[41] With the advance of Soviet forces in the Baltic and the Ukraine, German Army Group Center had largely been isolated as STAVKA prepared to eliminate the pocket (consisting of Third Panzer, Second, Fourth, and Ninth Armies). STAVKA's plan, codenamed Operation Bagration was kept secret from all of the involved Front commanders. Bagramyan himself was only informed in May 1944 of his role in the offensive.^[42] Download high resolution version (1256x956, 334 KB)Operation Bagration -- June 22 - August 19, 1944 Source: US ARMY License: US Government document. ... Download high resolution version (1256x956, 334 KB)Operation Bagration -- June 22 - August 19, 1944 Source: US ARMY License: US Government document. ... Combatants Germany Soviet Union Commanders Ernst Busch Walther Model Ferdinand Schörner Konstantin Rokossovsky Georgy Zhukov Aleksandr Vasilevsky Strength 800,000 1,700,000 Casualties : 400,000 killed, 158,000 POWs, 590,000 wounded : 260,000 killed, 250,000 wounded 116,000 POWs 60,000 KIA/MIA, 110,000 WIA... is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Belorussian guerrillas liquidated, injured and took prisoner some 1. ... Army Group Centre (Heeresgruppe Mitte in German) was one of three German army formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, code-named Operation Barbarossa. ... III Armeekorps III Armeekorps (mot) III Panzerkorps Gruppe Breith III Panzerkorps III Corps was a corps level formation of the German Heer which saw action in World War II. // The III Corps was formed in October 1934 as III. Armeekorps. ... Combatants Germany Soviet Union Commanders Ernst Busch Walther Model Ferdinand Schörner Konstantin Rokossovsky Georgy Zhukov Aleksandr Vasilevsky Strength 800,000 1,700,000 Casualties : 400,000 killed, 158,000 POWs, 590,000 wounded : 260,000 killed, 250,000 wounded 116,000 POWs 60,000 KIA/MIA, 110,000 WIA...

Bagration called for the First, Second and Third Belarusian Fronts and the First Baltic to engulf Army Group Center. Bagramyan was tasked with attacking the forces in the pocket, cross the Daugava River and, along with Third Belarusian, clear the surrounding areas of Vitebsk of German forces. Although he felt the plans for the Bagration were sound, he worried about the possibility of a German incursion by Army Group North against his forces from the north. He appealed to his superiors once more, Zhukov and Alexander Vasilevsky, to have the First Baltic Front move westwards to help eliminate the Third Panzer Army, thus splitting Army Group North in two.^[43] Zhukov and Vasilevsky accepted his argument, introducing it to Stalin in a meeting on May 23 who formally approved it in a directive on May 31. Daugava sunset. ... Army Group North (Heeresgruppe Nord in German) was a high level command grouping of military units operating for Germany during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached army corps, reserve formations, and direct-reporting units. ... Aleksandr Mikhaylovich Vasilevsky (Russian: , September 30, 1895 – December 5, 1977) was a Soviet military commander, promoted to Marshal of the Soviet Union in 1943. ... is the 143rd day of the year (144th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 151st day of the year (152nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Although Bagramyan found it acceptable to sustain heavy casualties (as did all the commanders of the Red Army), he was disturbed with the immense loss of life the war was taking against his men.^[44] He, however, attempted to reduce those levels primarily by maintaining the element of surprise in operations. In his preparations for Bagration, he planned for the Forty-third army to move through the more geographically difficult swamps and marshlands to Army Group North's right flank. This maneuver would thus take North by surprise since it expected the Soviet offensive to move through more suitable terrain.^[45] He proved correct, as in early June 1944, the Forty-third Army achieved success in its attack. Commander of the Forty-third Army, General A. P. Beloborodov wrote that during the offensive, they apprehended a German general who stated that German forces had been blindsided by the attacking forces.^[46]

As Bagramyan pushed towards Vitebsk, his forces were aided by the same Belarusian guerrilla fighters that had escaped the German encirclement in April. They provided vital intelligence, including information on the location of bridges and troop movements, and launched attacks against German logistics lines. On June 22, 1944, Bagration began as Bagramyan proceeded in moving westwards as previously planned. However, a widening gap on the Front's northern flank grew as it advanced while the Second Baltic Front, tasked to help defend that area, took no action.^[47] Stalin agreed to send a tank corps to reinforce Bagramyan's forces but ordered him to capture Polatsk, which would sever Army Group North's communication lines and open up a route towards the central Baltic. By July 3, his troops had accomplished the tasks set forth in the directive, destroyed the Third Panzer Army and captured Polatsk.^[48] For his achievements, on July 7 he was decorated with the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.^[4] Guerilla may refer to Guerrilla warfare. ... is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Polatsk (Belarusian: По́лацак, По́лацк, also spelt as Polacak; Polish: Połock; Russian: По́лоцк, also transliterated as Polotsk, Polotzk, Polock) is the most historic city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina river. ... is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Hero of the Soviet Union (Russian: Герой Советского Союза, Geroy Sovyetskovo Soyuza) was the highest honorary title and the superior degree of distinction of the Soviet Union. ...

The Baltics

Bagramyan conferring with Marshal Alexander Vasilevsky in 1945.

With the overall success of Soviet forces in Bagration, his Front was expanded by three armies (although he ceded the Fourth Shock Army to Second Baltic), the Thirty-ninth army (previously under the command of Third Belarusian), the Fifty-first and the Second Guard Armies.^[49] The First Baltic Front was ordered by STAVKA to move westward in order to stop Army Group North's remaining forces from escaping to Germany. Despite this, Bagramyan understood that many of the general orders being given to the German Army were directed by the country's leader, Adolf Hitler rather than the General Staff and knew that while there was a possibility that they would confront them in the Lithuanian city of Kaunas, he felt the more likely location would be in Latvia's capital, Riga.^[50] He spoke with Vasilevsky who agreed to change the plans if his theory and intuition proved correct. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Aleksandr Mikhaylovich Vasilevsky (Russian: , September 30, 1895 – December 5, 1977) was a Soviet military commander, promoted to Marshal of the Soviet Union in 1943. ... Hitler redirects here. ... Location Ethnographic region AukÅ¡taitija County Kaunas County Municipality Geographic coordinate system Number of elderates 11 General Information Capital of Kaunas County Kaunas city municipality Kaunas district municipality Population 361,274 in 2005 (2nd) First mentioned 1361 Granted city rights 1408 Kaunas ( (help· info), approximate English transcription [ˈkəʊ.nÉ™s... Coordinates: , Founded 1201 Government  - Mayor Jānis Birks Area  - City 307. ...

As the First Baltic began moving towards Lithuania and into eastern Latvia, it became clear that Army Group North would attempt to outflank Bagramyan's forces near Daugavpils, as he had previously predicted. Vasilevsky, keeping his promise, appealed to Stalin to allow Bagramyan to move to Daugavpils but he refused to do so.^[51] Vasilevsky in turn, took it upon his own initiative and gave Bagramyan the go ahead. However, with the loss of the Fourth Shock, Bagramyan was left shortchanged since his promised Thirty Ninth Army had not only not arrived but was composed of only seven divisions (in comparison to the Fourth's ten). Feeling that time was being lost, he pressed on with the units he had. Daugavpils (Belarusian Дзьвінск Dźvinsk, Russian Двинcк Dvinsk, Lithuanian Daugpilis, German Dünaburg, Polish Dźwinów, Dźwińsk or Dyneburg, Yiddish דענענבורג Denenburg), population 115,265 in 2000 census) is the second largest city in Latvia. ...

By July 9, his ground forces had made significant gains in cutting off a vital ro