Baghramyan Ivan Khristoforovich, a brief biography of which is presented in this article, was born in 1897, November 20, in the village of Chardakhly, located in Azerbaijan, near Elizavetpol. He was from a poor family.
His father worked as a railwayman. Ivan himself learned to read and write. He received his first education at the parish Armenian school. After that, in 1907-12, Ivan continued his studies in Tiflis, at the local railway school. From 1912 to 1915 Baghramyan received his specialty already at a technical school, and then became a practical technician.
The beginning of military service
Baghramyan Ivan Khristoforovich worked for several months, after which he joined the ranks of the Russian army as a volunteer. He began military service in the reserve infantry battalion, then served in the second border regiment (infantry). Being an educated and brave man, Baghramyan was awarded the direction of the ensign school. He graduated in 1917. After this, Baghramyan Ivan Khristoforovich participated in battles with Turkish bash-bazooki. He served first in the third rifle regiment, and then in the first cavalry Armenian division.
February Revolution and Civil War in the fate of Baghramyan
Baghramyan Ivan Khristoforovich (his photo is presented in this article) in the days of the February revolution was influenced by the Dashnaks. He served on their side until 1920, when the Armenian counter-revolution was not suppressed. Baghramyan Ivan Khristoforovich at the end of 1920 volunteered for the Red Army. He served there for the first time as the commander of the First Armenian Regiment, and then actively participated in the Civil War (in the 11th Army) as a commander. Also, Ivan Khristoforovich contributed to the establishment of Soviet power in Georgia and Armenia.
Until February 1921 he was the commander of the squadron, assistant commander. In 1921, from March to September, he was the secretary of the Georgian Military Mission of the Armenian USSR. After some time, he again took up his former position. Baghramyan Ivan Khristoforovich was in charge of reconnaissance of the regiment until the end of 1923.
Continuing education
After the Civil War ended, he passed special courses aimed at improving the command structure. As a regiment commander, he was sent in 1923 to the Armenian Rifle Division. Bagramyan from 1924 to 1925 studied at the Cavalry courses for commanding officers in the city of Leningrad. His classmates were outstanding personalities such as K.K. Rokossovsky and G.K. Zhukov. After graduation, Baghramyan returned to his division to a previously held position. He served in it until 1931.
Baghramyan in 1931 began his studies at the Academy. Frunze. He graduated in June 1934. In November 1935, Baghramyan was promoted to colonel. The following year, starting in October, he took up duties in the operations department of the headquarters, becoming his chief. At that time, mass purges of the Red Army were carried out in the country. There was also incriminating evidence on Baghramyan. However, they managed to save him - A.I. Mikoyan intervened.
Baghramyan in October 1938 graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff. In it, he remained to serve as a teacher of tactics.
The beginning of World War II in the fate of Ivan Khristoforovich
After the start of World War II, the Kiev Military District was renamed the Southwestern Front. Ivan Khristoforovich became the chief of operational management and the deputy chief of staff of this front. At this post, he participated in the development of the 1st powerful Army offensive near Lutsk, Rivne and Dubno. It slowed down the advance of the German armored forces, but did not save the entire South-Western Front. Unwillingness to give Kiev to the German invaders led to the fact that the front was surrounded. The divisions that were surrounded were given the last order - to try to break free in the direction of Romna, where the troops tried their best to keep the passage. As a result, the front headquarters was divided, and his officers began to command separate groups. Ivan Khristoforovich managed to withdraw his troops from the encirclement. Their number was about 20 thousand. For participating in the Kiev defensive operation in 1941, on August 12, he was awarded the title of Major General. Baghramyan received the Order of the Red Banner as an award .
Baghramyan becomes commander of the Southwestern Front. The rank of lieutenant general
The headquarters of the Southwestern Front was destroyed, and Baghramyan was appointed commander of this front. The army’s counteroffensive to Rostov was carried out according to his plan in the difficult days of the fighting for Kiev. Baghramyan himself actively participated in the management of the army. The German invaders as a result of this operation were driven back from the city of Rostov-on-Don. This was a significant contribution to the victory gained during the Moscow battle. Baghramyan was sent in winter to command groups of troops located in the capital’s area. Successful counterattacks, which he led, caused the destruction of certain parts of the Wehrmacht, located near Yelets. The Red Army managed to push the Germans 80-100 km away, thereby destroying the Elets ledge. Baghramyan was awarded the rank of lieutenant general for his brilliant work.
1942 in the career of Baghramyan
Ivan Khristoforovich continued to command in the South-West direction. Since January 1942, under his leadership, the offensive Barvenkovo-Lozovsky operation was developed and carried out. In the same year, in May, he participated in the planning of the offensive Kharkov operation. Due to the mistakes made, however, she became unsuccessful. A large group of Russian troops was succeeded in encircling the German army during this offensive, and then to destroy it. As a result of these failures, the German invaders had a chance to break through to the Caucasus and to Stalingrad. The commander and chief of staff of the Southwestern units were removed from their posts. This fate did not pass by such a talented military man as Ivan Baghramyan, whose brief biography interests us. The direction itself was disbanded. Nevertheless, after the start of the offensive, his poor preparedness became clear. The command counted primarily on the fact that in the summer the Nazis would again try to take Moscow. The active offensive decided to continue Tymoshenko. However, he later realized the fact that the resistance of the enemy troops became increasingly active. The order to stop the offensive led to the fact that the Germans were given the opportunity to again surround the Russian troops. The failure of this operation caused the front commander and staff officers to lose their posts.
Ivan Khristoforovich, who had to leave his post, was in reserve for some time. But already in 1942, in July, he was sent to the Western Front as the commander of the 16th Army. In the course of the battles, his army inflicted tangible damage to the enemy, especially in the winter of 1942-43.
1943 year
After some time, the army led by Bagramyan was renamed the 11th Guards. In the summer of 1943, during the Battle of Kursk, speaking at the front as part of the Bryansk Front, his troops successfully carried out a flank operation, which made a significant contribution to the defeat of the main group of enemy troops. The strike from the flank inflicted by Baghramyan’s army was unexpected for the Germans. During the first two days of the offensive, his troops managed to break through the enemy defenses 25 km inland to the south. In order to stop the offensive operation, the Germans began to transfer their troops south and east of Orel. As a result of this, the Russian offensive on the Bryansk Front only increased. In addition, the armies of the Central Front, which launched an active offensive on July 17, also began to successfully advance towards Orel. In 1943, on August 5, the Russian troops managed to finally drive the Germans out of Orel. They now headed towards Bryansk. Baghramyan received the Order of Suvorov of the first degree and the rank of colonel general for successful operations.
Ivan Khristoforovich November 17, 1943 was given the rank of army general. Ivan Baghramyan, whose biography will still be marked by many achievements, was appointed on November 19 the commander of the first Baltic Front. Baghramyan commanded the armies that successfully conducted the Gorodok offensive operation, and also actively participated in the offensive Belarusian operation and in the offensive Baltic.
Continued success in 1944
In 1944, the armies led by Ivan Khristoforovich acted with particular success near Vitebsk, as well as in the process of transferring troops from the front to the Memel direction during the offensive Baltic operation. For the successful organization of troops received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union Ivan Bagramyan. His awards are numerous, but this one is especially significant.
Last year of war
In 1945, in the spring, he became the commander of a combat operational Zemland group. It was formed on the basis of the first Baltic Front. This group of troops was included in the third Belorussian front. She was subordinate to A.M. Vasilevsky, Marshal of the Soviet Union. With the support of aviation, Baghramyan’s troops went on the offensive on Koenigsberg. Within a few days he was successfully captured. Soon all the enemy’s Zemland troops failed.
In 1945, on April 24, Marshal Vasilevsky was taken from the front during the preparation of military operations in the Far East. Baghramyan, Army General, becomes the commander of the third Belorussian Front. Ivan Khristoforovich served in this rank until the end of World War II. In 1945, on June 24, he led the regiment of the first Baltic Front during the celebration of victory.
The fate of Baghramyan after the war
After the end of the war, General Baghramyan began to command the Baltic Military District. For health reasons, in May 1954 he moved to the USSR Ministry of Defense, to the Group of Inspectors General. A year later, on March 11, he was awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union. In addition, Baghramyan became deputy minister of defense.
The death of Baghramyan
He died on September 21, 1982. Baghramyan Ivan Khristoforovich (1897-1982) was buried in Moscow, on Red Square. He is the author of the books “On the Way to the Great Victory” and “So the War Began”. The country has not forgotten such a hero as Bagramyan Ivan Khristoforovich. His quotes, which can be called the most popular, are “So we went to victory” and “The great adopted sons of the Caucasus” (about Pushkin and Lermontov). Few of his statements gained great fame, which cannot be said about himself.
Baghramyan Ivan Khristoforovich received a lot of awards. The short biography you just read gives you basic information about it. We hope you learned something new from it. Not everyone knows about what an outstanding person Ivan Bagramyan was Khristoforovich. His biography was written by us in order to acquaint readers with him.