The Supreme Commander of the Unified Armed Forces of the Warsaw Treaty Organization (Russian: Главнокомандующие Объединёнными вооружёнными силами стран-участниц Варшавского договора, romanized: Glavnokomanduyushchiye Obyedinonnymi vooruzhonnymi silami stran-uchastnits Varshavskogo dogovora) was a post in overall command of the military forces of the Warsaw Pact. Furthermore, the Supreme Commander was also a First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Soviet Union. The post, which was instituted in 1955 and abolished in 1991, was always held by a Soviet military officer.
Supreme Commander of the Unified Armed Forces of the Warsaw Treaty Organization | |
---|---|
Главнокомандующие Объединёнными вооружёнными силами стран-участниц Варшавского договора | |
Ministry of Defense | |
Member of | Warsaw Pact Ministry of Defense |
Seat | Moscow, Soviet Union |
Formation | 14 May 1955 |
First holder | Ivan Konev |
Final holder | Pyotr Lushev |
Abolished | 1 July 1991 |
Deputy | Chief of Combined Staff |
List of officeholders
editNo. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Marshal of the Soviet Union Ivan Konev (1897–1973) | 14 May 1955 | April 1960 | 4 years, 10 months | Soviet Army | [1] | |
2 | Andrei Grechko (1903–1976) [a] | Marshal of the Soviet UnionApril 1960 | 12 April 1967 | 7 years | Soviet Army | – | |
3 | Ivan Yakubovsky (1912–1976) | Marshal of the Soviet Union12 April 1967 | 30 November 1976 † | 9 years, 232 days | Soviet Army | [2] | |
4 | Viktor Kulikov (1921–2013) | Marshal of the Soviet Union7 January 1977 | February 1989 | 12 years | Soviet Army | [3][4] | |
5 | Army General Pyotr Lushev (1923–1997) | February 1989 | 1 July 1991 | 2 years, 5 months | Soviet Army | – |
Timeline
editSee also
edit- Supreme Allied Commander Europe – NATO counterpart
- Chief of Combined Staff of the Unified Armed Forces of the Warsaw Treaty Organization – head of the Combined Staff of the Warsaw Treaty Organization
Notes
edit- ^ Afterwards served as the Minister of Defence of the Soviet Union from 1967 to 1976
References
edit- ^ "KONEV REPLACED AS ALLIANCE CHIEF; Leader in Warsaw Pact Cites Health as Reason — Grechko Succeeds Him Konev Replaced as Commander Of Forces of Warsaw Alliance". The New York Times. United Press International. 25 July 1960. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ Christopher S. Wren (2 December 1976). "Marshal Yakubovsky Is Dead at 64; Commanded Warsaw Pact Forces". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ^ David K. Shipler (9 January 1977). "Gen. Kulikov, 55, Is Made Warsaw Pact Commander". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ^ John Fisher Burns (3 February 1989). "Warsaw Pact's Chief Is Replaced By One in Tune With Gorbachev". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 June 2022.