Aleksei Antonov

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Aleksei Innokentievich Antonov (Алексей Иннокентьевич Антонов) (1896-1962) was a General of the Soviet Army, and the awarded the Order of Victory for his efforts in World War II.

[edit] Career

Son of a Tsarist artillery officer, Aleksei Innokentievich Antonov graduated from Frunze Military Academy in 1921 and joined the Red Army. He became an instructor at Frunze Military Academy in 1938.

In 1941, Antonov became Chief of Staff, Soviet Southwestern Front and Southern Front. And in the following year, 1942, he became Deputy Chief General Staff of the combined Soviet forces and Head of the Operations Directorate. His job being to liaise with other officers and inform Stalin of the military situation(s).

By 1944 Antonov was Chief Spokesman and was present at both the Yalta and Potsdam Conferences. At the Yalta Conference he briefed the Western Allies on how the Allies could aid Soviets by bombing lines of communications which led to the Dresden raid.

After the war Antonov became Deputy Commander-in-Chief and then Commander-in-Chief of the Transcaucasus Military District. In 1955, he became Chief of Staff of the Combined Forces of the Warsaw Pact. He held this post until his death in 1962.

[edit] Sources

• Keith E. Bonn, Slaughterhouse: Handbook of the Eastern Front, Aberjona Press, 2005