Sergei Galadzhev
Encyclopedia
Sarkis Theodorosi Galajyan (Armenian
: Սարգիս Թեոդորոսի Գալաջյան. Russified
: Сергей Федорович Галаджев [Sergei Fedorovich Galadzhev], also Сергей Теодоросович Галаджев [Sergei Teodorosovich Galadzhev]; April 17, 1902 - December 23, 1954) was an Armenian
-Soviet general and a political officer.
. Galadzhev fought in the Civil War, participating in the battles against Wrangel and Makhno
. He attended a commanders' course, but was transferred to non-combat duty when diagnosed with tuberculosis. After completing his mandatory military service he was dismissed. At 1924, he volunteered again to the Red Army, and was assigned to the 9th Don Division. A year later he became a Politruk, and on 1926 he joined the All-Union Communist Party(Bolsheviks). Galadzhev was transferred to the Political Directorate of the North-Caucasus Military District at 1931. He graduated from the Leningrad Military-Political Acadmemy during 1936.
After several years as an instructor, he was appointed Military Commissar of the 32nd Corps in the autumn of 1940.
. At 17 November, he was promoted to the rank of Divisional Commissar.
At 12 July 1942, the Front was disbanded and Galadzhev was transferred to the new Stalingrad Front
, where he was assigned with the same duty. He remained Chief of Political Directorate when the Front was renamed as the Don Front
on 30 September. On 8 December, after the separate ranks of the political officers were abolished, he was became a Major General.
The Don Front was restructured as the Central Front on 15 February 1943, with Galadzhev continuing to hold his position during the Battle of Kursk
and with the formation of the 1st Belorussian Front
on November that year from the Central's forces. In his memoirs, General Rokossovsky
referred to him as 'highly-qualified political officer and good comrade'. He served with the Front throughout the rest of the war, until it captured Berlin
, attaining the rank of Lieutenant General on 28 July 1944.
were established during May 1945. The general directly supervised the Ulbricht Group
when it began forming the basis for a future communist rule.
Galadzhev accompanied the Soviet delegations in several meetings with American officers. He personally spoke with Frank A. Keating
, Alvan Cullom Gillem Jr. and Alonzo Patrick Fox
of the 102nd Division. Galadzhev headed the Political Directorate of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany
until 9 July 1945, when he was replaced by General Mikhail Pronin.
At August, he was put in charge of the Political Directorate of the Central Group of Forces
, and on June 1946 he became the Political Directorate's Chief of the Soviet Army
, retiring at April 1950. He died due to severe illness, two years later.
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
: Սարգիս Թեոդորոսի Գալաջյան. Russified
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
: Сергей Федорович Галаджев [Sergei Fedorovich Galadzhev], also Сергей Теодоросович Галаджев [Sergei Teodorosovich Galadzhev]; April 17, 1902 - December 23, 1954) was an Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
-Soviet general and a political officer.
Early life
Born to an impoverished family, he started working in a bricks factory when he was fifteen. At 1919, after his father died of typhus, he joined the Red ArmyRed Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
. Galadzhev fought in the Civil War, participating in the battles against Wrangel and Makhno
Nestor Makhno
Nestor Ivanovych Makhno or simply Daddy Makhno was a Ukrainian anarcho-communist guerrilla leader turned army commander who led an independent anarchist army in Ukraine during the Russian Civil War....
. He attended a commanders' course, but was transferred to non-combat duty when diagnosed with tuberculosis. After completing his mandatory military service he was dismissed. At 1924, he volunteered again to the Red Army, and was assigned to the 9th Don Division. A year later he became a Politruk, and on 1926 he joined the All-Union Communist Party(Bolsheviks). Galadzhev was transferred to the Political Directorate of the North-Caucasus Military District at 1931. He graduated from the Leningrad Military-Political Acadmemy during 1936.
After several years as an instructor, he was appointed Military Commissar of the 32nd Corps in the autumn of 1940.
World War Two
When Germany invaded the Soviet Union, he rose through the ranks, becoming the Southwestern Front's Chief of Political Directorate on 5 October 1941. As such, he participated in the Battle of MoscowBattle of Moscow
The Battle of Moscow is the name given by Soviet historians to two periods of strategically significant fighting on a sector of the Eastern Front during World War II. It took place between October 1941 and January 1942. The Soviet defensive effort frustrated Hitler's attack on Moscow, capital of...
. At 17 November, he was promoted to the rank of Divisional Commissar.
At 12 July 1942, the Front was disbanded and Galadzhev was transferred to the new Stalingrad Front
Stalingrad Front
The Stalingrad Front was a front 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 Stalingrad on the Volga River....
, where he was assigned with the same duty. He remained Chief of Political Directorate when the Front was renamed as the Don Front
Don Front
The Don Front was a front of the Soviet Union's Red Army during the Second World War. The name refers to Don River, Russia....
on 30 September. On 8 December, after the separate ranks of the political officers were abolished, he was became a Major General.
The Don Front was restructured as the Central Front on 15 February 1943, with Galadzhev continuing to hold his position during the Battle of Kursk
Battle of Kursk
The Battle of Kursk took place when German and Soviet forces confronted each other on the Eastern Front during World War II in the vicinity of the city of Kursk, in the Soviet Union in July and August 1943. It remains both the largest series of armored clashes, including the Battle of Prokhorovka,...
and with the formation of the 1st Belorussian Front
1st Belorussian Front
The 1st Belorussian Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during World War II...
on November that year from the Central's forces. In his memoirs, General Rokossovsky
Konstantin Rokossovsky
Konstantin Rokossovskiy was a Polish-origin Soviet career officer who was a Marshal of the Soviet Union, as well as Marshal of Poland and Polish Defence Minister, who was famously known for his service in the Eastern Front, where he received high esteem for his outstanding military skill...
referred to him as 'highly-qualified political officer and good comrade'. He served with the Front throughout the rest of the war, until it captured Berlin
Battle of Berlin
The Battle of Berlin, designated the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, was the final major offensive of the European Theatre of World War II....
, attaining the rank of Lieutenant General on 28 July 1944.
Post-war career
Immediately after the Germans' surrender, Galadzhev was involved in organizing cultural life in the Soviet Occupation Zone. On his orders, the newspapers Tägliche Rundschau and Berliner ZeitungBerliner Zeitung
The Berliner Zeitung, founded in 1945, is a German center-left daily newspaper based in Berlin, published by Berliner Verlag. It is the only East German paper to achieve national prominence since unification. In 2003, the Berliner was Berlin's largest subscription newspaper—the weekend...
were established during May 1945. The general directly supervised the Ulbricht Group
Ulbricht group
The Ulbricht Group, led by Walter Ulbricht, was a group of exiled German communists who flew from the Soviet Union back to Germany on April 30, 1945...
when it began forming the basis for a future communist rule.
Galadzhev accompanied the Soviet delegations in several meetings with American officers. He personally spoke with Frank A. Keating
Frank A. Keating
Frank A. Keating was a career military officer who commanded the 102nd Infantry Division during World War II, was Governor of the U.S. Zone of Germany, and was Chief U.S. Military Advisor to Korea....
, Alvan Cullom Gillem Jr. and Alonzo Patrick Fox
Alonzo Patrick Fox
Alonzo Patrick Fox was a lieutenant general in the United States Army. He was prominent in the 1950s as a military advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs and as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for National Security Council Affairs following his...
of the 102nd Division. Galadzhev headed the Political Directorate of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany
Group of Soviet Forces in Germany
The Group of Soviet Forces in Germany , also known as the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany and the Western Group of Forces were the troops of the Soviet Army in East Germany....
until 9 July 1945, when he was replaced by General Mikhail Pronin.
At August, he was put in charge of the Political Directorate of the Central Group of Forces
Central Group of Forces
The Central Group of Forces was a Soviet military formation used to control Soviet troops in Central Europe on two occasions: in Austria and Hungary from 1945-55 and troops stationed in Czechoslovakia after the Prague Spring of 1968....
, and on June 1946 he became the Political Directorate's Chief of the Soviet Army
Soviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
, retiring at April 1950. He died due to severe illness, two years later.
External links
- Sergei Galadzhev on Hayazg.