Pyotr Georgievich Lushev ( ru , Пётр Гео́ргиевич Лу́шев; 18 October 1923 – 23 March 1997) was an
Army General
Army general is the highest ranked general officer in many countries that use the General officer#French (Revolutionary) system, French Revolutionary System.
In countries that adopt the general officer four rank system, it is rank of genera ...
of the
Soviet Army
uk, Радянська армія
, image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg
, alt =
, caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army
, start_date ...
during the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
who was the last
Supreme Commander of the Unified Armed Forces of the Warsaw Treaty Organization. Lushev was made a
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...
on his birthday in 1983.
Early life
Pyotr Georgievich Lushev was born into a peasant family in the village Poboishche Emetsky district of the Arkhangelsk province (now the Kholmogorsky district of the Arkhangelsk region),
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
. A few years later, the family moved to the settlement of the lumber mill named after Lenin (LDK No. 3) within the boundaries of Arkhangelsk. He graduated from secondary school No. 95 in Arkhangelsk
World War II
Immediately after the start of the
Great Patriotic War
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of conflict between the European Axis powers against the Soviet Union (USSR), Poland and other Allies, which encompassed Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Northeast Europe (Baltics), and Sou ...
in August 1941, Lushev was drafted into the
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
. He graduated from the courses as a
junior lieutenant Junior lieutenant is a junior officer rank in several countries, equivalent to Sub-lieutenant.
Germany
In the National People's Army, the rank of () was introduced in 1956.
Eastern Europe
In many Eastern European countries, the rank of junior ...
. He entered active service in the army in June 1942. He fought on the
Volkhov
Volkhov (russian: Во́лхов) is an industrial town and the administrative center of Volkhovsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the river Volkhov east of St. Petersburg. Population:
It was previously known as ''Zvan ...
and
Leningrad front
The Leningrad Front (russian: Ленинградский фронт) was formed during the 1941 German approach on Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) by dividing the Northern Front into the Leningrad Front and Karelian Front
The Karelian Front ...
s. He commanded an
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may range ...
, and from 1944 a rifle
company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...
. In 1945 he got promoted to senior
adjutant of the
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
. This post now corresponds to
chief-of-staff
The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...
of the battalion.
Lushev participated to the
Sinyavin offensive operation in 1942, during which he was wounded, the Leningrad-Novgorod operation, the Baltic operation, and the blockade of the
Courland pocket
The Courland Pocket (Blockade of the Courland army group), (german: Kurland-Kessel)/german: Kurland-Brückenkopf (Courland Bridgehead), lv, Kurzemes katls (Courland Cauldron) or ''Kurzemes cietoksnis'' (Courland Fortress)., group=lower-alpha ...
.
Cold War
After the war in 1947, he graduated from the officer training courses. He served as chief of staff of a tank battalion, and then later a commander of a tank battalion. He was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union since 1951. In 1954 he graduated from the Military Academy of Armored Forces named after JV Stalin. In 1954, he commanded a tank regiment, and was later a deputy commander and then a commander of a tank division. In 1966 he graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff.
From June 1969 he was first deputy commander, and from November 1971 - commander of the 1st Guards Tank Army in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany ( Dresden , GDR ). In 1973 he graduated from the Higher Academic Courses at the Military Academy of the General Staff. On July 30, 1973 he was made First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the
Group of Soviet Forces in Germany
The Western Group of Forces (WGF),. previously known as the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany (GSOFG). and the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG),. were the troops of the Soviet Army in East Germany. The Group of Soviet Occupati ...
. In June 1975 was made a commander of the troops of the
Volga Military District
The Volga Military District (PriVO) was a military district of the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation that existed from 1918 to 1989 and 1992 to 2001.
The district headquarters was located at Kazan, Saratov and Kuibyshev (Samara) at different ...
, colonel-general (February 1976). In December 1977 - commander of the troops of the
Central Asian Military District
The Red Banner Central Asian Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces, which existed in 1926–1945 and 1969–1989, with its headquarters at Tashkent (1926–1945) and Almaty (1969–1989). By USSR Order No.304 of 4 ...
. In November 1980 - commander of the troops of the
Moscow Military District
The Order of Lenin Moscow Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The district was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1968. In 2010 it was merged with the Leningrad Military Di ...
. The military rank "army general" was conferred by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of November 2, 1981. In July 1985 he was made the Commander-in-Chief of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany.
June 1986 - First Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR . Since January 24, 1989 - Commander-in-Chief of the United Armed Forces of the Warsaw Treaty member states , he was the last military commander to occupy this post. Since April 26, 1991 - military inspector-adviser of the
Group of Inspectors General
The Group of Inspectors General of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union (), colloquially known as the paradise group, was a body of the Soviet Ministry of Defense established in 1958. A sinecure position for semi-retired senior officers, th ...
of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR.
Member of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR 10th and 11th convocations (1979–1989). People's Deputy of the USSR in 1989–1991. Member of the CPSU Central Committee in 1981–1990.
Later life and legacy
In 1992 he retired, living in Moscow before his death on 23 March 1997; Lushev is buried in the
Novodevichy Cemetery.
In memory of Pyotr Lushev in 2005, a memorial plaque was erected on the building of the secondary school No. 95 in the city of Arkhangelsk, which he graduated from.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lushev, Pyotr
1923 births
1997 deaths
Soviet military personnel of World War II
Heroes of the Soviet Union
Recipients of the Order of Lenin
Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner
Army generals (Soviet Union)
People from Arkhangelsk Governorate
People from Kholmogorsky District
Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union alumni