russian: Амазасп Хачатурович Бабаджанян , native_name_lang = , image = Hamazasp Babadzhanian 4.jpg , image_size = , alt = , caption = , birth_date = , death_date = , birth_place = Çardaqlı,

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

, death_place =

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

, placeofburial = Novodevichy Cemetery , placeofburial_label = , placeofburial_coordinates = , nickname = , birth_name = , allegiance = , branch =

Armored troops Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especial ...

, serviceyears = 1925–1977 , rank = Chief marshal of the armored troops , servicenumber = , unit = , commands = 3rd Mechanized Brigade
20th Tank Brigade

11th Guards Tank Corps 11 (eleven) is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. It is the first repdigit. In English, it is the smallest positive integer whose name has three syllables. Name "Eleven" derives from the Old English ', which is first attested i ...

Odessa Military District The Odesa Military District (russian: Одесский военный округ, ОВО; , abbreviated ) was a military administrative division of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In 1998 most of its territory was transformed into the Southern Operat ...

Armored Forces Academy , battles =

Soviet-Finnish War The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...

* Battle of Moscow *

Battle of Kursk The Battle of Kursk was a major World War II Eastern Front engagement between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in the southwestern USSR during late summer 1943; it ultimately became the largest tank battle in history ...

* Lvov–Sandomierz Offensive * Vistula–Oder Offensive * Battle of Berlin

Hungarian Revolution of 1956 The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (23 October – 10 November 1956; hu, 1956-os forradalom), also known as the Hungarian Uprising, was a countrywide revolution against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989) and the Hunga ...

, battles_label = , awards =

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 ...

Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (russian: Орден Ленина, Orden Lenina, ), named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was established by the Central Executive Committee on April 6, 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration ...

(4)

Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of t ...

(4)
see below , spouse = , relations = , laterwork = , signature = , website = Hamazasp Khachaturi Babadzhanian (; , Amazasp Khachaturovich Babadzhanyan; 18 February 1906 – 1 November 1977) was a

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

Chief marshal of the armored troops. Anon. ''Babajanyan, Hamazasp Khachaturi,"

Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia The ''Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia'' ( hy, Հայկական սովետական հանրագիտարան, ''Haykakan sovetakan hanragitaran''; ASE) publishing house was established in 1967 as a department of the Institute of History of the Armen ...

. Yerevan: Armenian Academy of Sciences, 1976, vol. 2, p. 188. He was a recipient of the

(1944).

Biography

Early life

Babadzhanian was born into an

family in the village of Chardakhlu (Khachisar) near Yelizavetpol (later Kirovabad, now Ganja,

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of t ...

), then part of the

Ivan Bagramyan Ivan Khristoforovich Bagramyan,; russian: Ива́н Христофо́рович Баграмя́н, link=no also known as Hovhannes Khachaturi Baghramyan; russian: Оване́с Хачату́рович Баграмя́н, link=no ( – 2 ...

, a fellow Armenian who would also go on to become a

Marshal of the Soviet Union Marshal of the Soviet Union (russian: Маршал Советского Союза, Marshal sovetskogo soyuza, ) was the highest military rank of the Soviet Union. The rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union was created in 1935 and abolished in 19 ...

, was born in the same village. Babadzhanian attended the local, four-year primary school in Çardaqlı before moving to

Tiflis Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million pe ...

(Tbilisi) in 1915 to continue his education at an Armenian secondary school there. His family, however, was unable to support him financially for long and he was forced to return to home, where he went to work in the fields. In 1925, Babadzhanian applied to 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, afte ...

's Aleksandr Myasnikian Combined Military School in

Yerevan, Armenia Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and i ...

. The school was later relocated to Tbilisi and renamed the Transcaucasus Combined Infantry School, and he graduated from there as an officer in 1929. He was given various postings throughout the Soviet Union, serving as a commander of a battalion and later as a deputy for the army corps based in the

Transcaucasian Military District The Transcaucasian Military District, a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces, traces its history to May 1921 and the incorporation of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia into the Soviet Union. It was disbanded by being redesignated as a Grou ...

. Babadzhanian rounded out his studies at the

Frunze Military Academy The M. V. Frunze Military Academy (russian: Военная академия имени М. В. Фрунзе), or in full the Military Order of Lenin and the October Revolution, Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Academy in the name of M. V. Frunze (rus ...

in 1937, attaining the rank of major. In 1938 he was appointed as deputy of the commander of a regiment in Leningrad before being sent to the front following the outbreak of the Finno-Soviet

Winter War The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...

in 1939–1940.Khaleian, "Hamazasp Khachaturi Babadzhanian," p. 24. He served with distinction in the fighting and was later given command of the 751st Rifle Regiment, based in the North Caucasus Military District.

World War II

On July 5, a few weeks following Germany's

invasion of the Soviet Union Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named afte ...

, Babadzhanian was dispatched to

Smolensk Smolensk ( rus, Смоленск, p=smɐˈlʲensk, a=smolensk_ru.ogg) is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest ...

, where he assumed command of the 395th Rifle Regiment, 127th Rifle Division. His unit was involved in a

rearguard A rearguard is a part of a military force that protects it from attack from the rear, either during an advance or withdrawal. The term can also be used to describe forces protecting lines, such as communication lines, behind an army. Even more ...

action during a temporary retreat, putting up stiff resistance against Axis forces before turning once again to the offensive. His unit was the first to re-enter the city of

Yelnya Yelnya (russian: Ельня) is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. ;Urban localities * Yelnya, Yelninsky District, Smolensk Oblast, a town in Yelninsky District of Smolensk Oblast; administratively incorporated as Yelninskoye Ur ...

on September 8, 1941, an accomplishment that earned it a period of respite from the fighting. After a short rest and refit in

Kursk Kursk ( rus, Курск, p=ˈkursk) is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym rivers. The area around Kursk was the site of a turning point in the Soviet–German stru ...

, fighting soon enveloped that part of RSFSR and Babadzhanian's regiment engaged Axis forces in Fatezh and assisted in the evacuation of Kursk. Over the course of 1942, Babadzhanian's unit increasingly took part in offensive operations. In the winter of 1941–42, his division was sent to the southwestern front. In January, he was ordered to attack and capture German positions in the village of Sokolia Plota. Reconnaissance revealed that the Germans had concentrated there a force six times larger than his, a fact that forced him to launch an attack that would strike it on the flanks. His maneuver was successful in driving a wedge between the defending forces, which suffered heavy casualties and withdrew from their positions. His regiment went on to capture the village of Vipolzovo and Shumakovo Station, the beginning terminus to the Kursk-

Belgorod Belgorod ( rus, Белгород, p=ˈbʲeɫɡərət) is a city and the administrative center of Belgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Seversky Donets River north of the border with Ukraine. Population: Demographics The population of B ...

railway line, and drove deep into the region of Sedvenskiyi, south-east of Kursk. In September 1942, he was made commander the 3rd Mechanized Brigade, part of the Third Mechanized Corps. In July 1943, Babadzhanian's was sent north to take part in the

. He was given command of the 20th Tank Brigade, which at the time was part of the

Soviet Guards Guards (russian: гвардия) or Guards units (russian: гвардейские части, ''gvardeyskiye chasti'') were elite military units of Imperial Russia prior to 1917–18. The designation of Guards was subsequently adopted as a distin ...

8th Mechanized Corps. His brigade was tasked with blocking the Germans' northern and southern advances toward Kursk by taking up position at an intersection near

Oboyan Oboyan (russian: Обоя́нь) is a town and the administrative center of Oboyansky District in Kursk Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Psyol River at its confluence with the Oboyanka River, south of Kursk, the administrative cen ...

. The brigade sustained heavy losses from German armor assaults, and Babadzhanian himself was wounded during the course of the attacks. He rapidly recovered from his injuries and returned to active duty.Khaleyan, "Hamazasp Khachaturi Babadzhanian," p. 25. His unit was incorporated into the

1st Ukrainian Front The 1st Ukrainian Front ( Russian: Пéрвый Украи́нский фронт), previously the Voronezh Front ( Russian: Воронежский Фронт) was a major formation of the Soviet Army during World War II, being equivalent to ...

and sent once more to take part in the struggle to evict the Axis out of Ukraine. Over the course of the winter of 1943-44 Babadzhanian's brigade participated in the liberation of the towns and villages of

Vinnytsia Vinnytsia ( ; uk, Вінниця, ; yi, װיניצע) is a city in west-central Ukraine, located on the banks of the Southern Bug. It is the administrative center of Vinnytsia Oblast and the largest city in the historic region of Podillia. ...

Zhmerynka Zhmerynka ( uk, Жмеринка ) is a city in Vinnytsia Oblast (province) of central Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Zhmerynka Raion (district), the town itself is not a part of the district and is separately incorporated a ...

, and

Ternopil Ternópil ( uk, Тернопіль, Ternopil' ; pl, Tarnopol; yi, טאַרנאָפּל, Tarnopl, or ; he, טארנופול (טַרְנוֹפּוֹל), Tarnopol; german: Tarnopol) is a city in the west of Ukraine. Administratively, Ternopi ...

. The tanks under Babadzhanian's command distinguished themselves in particular in the battle of

Koziatyn Koziatyn ( uk, Козятин; also referred to as Kozyatyn, pl, Koziatyn, russian: Каза́тин) is a town in the Vinnytsia Oblast (province) in central Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Koziatyn Raion (district), the town ...

, which resulted in the annihilation of the German 70th Motorized Rifle Division. In March 1944, Babadzhanian led his brigade across the

Dniester The Dniester, ; rus, Дне́стр, links=1, Dnéstr, ˈdⁿʲestr; ro, Nistru; grc, Τύρᾱς, Tyrās, ; la, Tyrās, la, Danaster, label=none, ) ( ,) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and th ...

in a drive to retake the town of Stanislav. After even days of heavy fighting his forces took and occupied the right bank of the river. For its efforts, the commanders of the 8th Mechanized Corps on April 2 conferred upon Babadzhanian the title of

. From the summer of 1944 until 1945, his forces fought as part of the 1st and

2nd Belorussian Front The 2nd Belorussian Front ( Russian: Второй Белорусский фронт, alternative spellings are 2nd Byelorussian Front) was a military formation, of Army group size, of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. Soviet army g ...

s. On August 25, 1944, Babadzhanian, then a lieutenant colonel, was made commander of the

, part of the

1st Guards Tank Army The 1st Guards Tank Army () is a tank army of the Russian Ground Forces. The army traces its heritage back to the 1st Tank Army, formed twice in July 1942 and in January 1943 and converted into the 1st Guards Tank Army in January 1944. The arm ...

. In January 1945, as part of the Vistula–Oder Offensive, his armor provided heavy fire support for the units advancing into

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

, where they reduced the fortresses guarding the inner approaches into the country, and helped them in the capture of the cities of

Łódź Łódź, also rendered in English as Lodz, is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located approximately south-west of Warsaw. The city's coat of arms is an example of cant ...

Kutno Kutno is a city located in central Poland with 42,704 inhabitants (2021) and an area of . Situated in the Łódź Voivodeship since 1999, previously it was part of Płock Voivodeship (1975–1998) and it is now the capital of Kutno County. Dur ...

, and

Poznań Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint Joh ...

. By the end of the month, Babadzhanian's corps had reached the borders of Germany and begun military operations to take Landsberg,

Tczew Tczew (, csb, Dërszewò; formerly ) is a city on the Vistula River in Eastern Pomerania, Kociewie, northern Poland with 59,111 inhabitants (December 2021). The city is known for its Old Town and the Vistula Bridge, or Bridge of Tczew, which pl ...

Wejherowo Wejherowo ( csb, Wejrowò; german: Neustadt in Westpreußen, formerly Weyhersfrey) is a city in Gdańsk Pomerania, northern Poland, with 48,735 inhabitants (2021). It has been the capital of Wejherowo County in Pomeranian Voivodeship since 19 ...

, and a host of other towns in

Pomerania Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to ...

. As part of the 1st Belorussian Front, on February 2, the 11th Tank Corps crossed the Oder and, with artillery and air support, and took part in the capture of

Frankfurt an der Oder Frankfurt (Oder), also known as Frankfurt an der Oder (), is a city in the German state of Brandenburg. It has around 57,000 inhabitants, is one of the easternmost cities in Germany, the fourth-largest city in Brandenburg, and the largest German ...

. His forces arrived in time to take part in the battle for

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

, fighting in heavy street battles, alongside units of the 1st Ukrainian Front, and participating in the seizure of the Reichstag.

Later career

On July 11, 1945, Babadzhanian was promoted to major general in the Soviet tank forces. He graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff in 1948, and was appointed to responsible command positions. Babadzhanian served as the 1st Deputy Commander of the

Carpathian Military District The Red Banner Carpathian Military District (, ) was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces during the Cold War and subsequently of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the early Post-Soviet period. It was established on 3 May 1946 on the ...

from 1950 to 1951. In November 1956, Babadzhanian led the 8th Mechanized Army to

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

, during the Soviet intervention that led to the crushing of the

. From 1959, he was commander-in-chief of the forces in the

. From 1967 to 1969, he was the head of the Rodion Malinovsky Military Academy of Armored Forces and from May 1969, chief of the tank forces. Babadzhanian was a deputy of the

Soviet of Nationalities The Soviet of Nationalities (russian: Совет Национальностей, ''Sovyet Natsionalnostey'') was the upper chamber of the Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, elected on the basis of universal, equal and ...

during its sixth and seventh convocations, representing the

Moldavian SSR The Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic ( ro, Republica Sovietică Socialistă Moldovenească, Moldovan Cyrillic: ) was one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union which existed from 1940 to 1991. The republic was formed on 2 August 194 ...

. From 1969 to 1977, he was head of armored forces of the Soviet Army. Babadzhanian became Chief Marshal of the Tank and Armored Troops on April 29, 1975 (one of only two men to attain this rank) and held the position until his death. He died in

on November 1, 1977 and was buried with full honors at the Novodevichy Cemetery.

Memory

In 1978, an area in the North-Western Administrative District of

was named after Babadzhanian. One of the streets in

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and i ...

is named after Babadzhanian. A street in Odessa was renamed the Marshal Babadzhanian Street on 22 December 2012. On 23 May 2016, a monumental statue of Marshal Hamazasp Babadzhanian was erected in the

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ' ...

n capital

on a street bearing his name.

Published works

* ''Дороги Победы'' he Road to Victory Moscow: Molodaia Gvardiia, 1972. * ''Tанки и Tанковые Войска'' anks and Tank Forces Moscow: Voenizdat, 1970.

Awards and honors

Hamazasp Babajanyan's Monument, Avan (9)

;USSR *

Wound stripe A wound stripe is a distinction of dress bestowed on soldiers wounded in combat. It was typically worn on military uniform jackets. France In the French Army, the wound chevron or '' Insigne des blessés militaires'', was awarded beginning in 1 ...

;Foreign ;Honorary Citizen *

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

(1970) *

Zalishchyky Zalishchyky ( ; uk, Залiщики, Zalishchyky; pl, Zaleszczyki), also spelled Zalischyky, is a small city located on the Dniester river in Chortkiv Raion of Ternopil Oblast (province), in western Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Zal ...

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

Gdynia Gdynia ( ; ; german: Gdingen (currently), (1939–1945); csb, Gdiniô, , , ) is a city in northern Poland and a seaport on the Baltic Sea coast. With a population of 243,918, it is the 12th-largest city in Poland and the second-largest in th ...

(1972-2004).Babadzhanian's honorary citizenship of Gdynia was rescinded, following an unanimous vote by Gdynia's

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

in 2004.Uchwała Rady Miasta Gdyni z 22 września 2004
/ref>

References

Notes

External links