Far East Military District
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Far Eastern Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, which traces its history originally to the East Siberian Military District originally formed in 1918, during the Russian Civil War. Its headquarters are now at Khabarovsk. General Yuriy Yakubov, former Commander of Troops of the District, was replaced by General Vladimir Bulgakov in early September 2006.
Following the Soviet victory in the Civil War the Soviet forces in the area became the Special Red Banner Far Eastern Army of the Far Eastern Republic. The District was first briefly formed in 1935 from those forces, but then reverted to the title Special Red Banner Far Eastern Army, while still functioning as a military district. The Army became the Far Eastern Front in June 1938. Operation August Storm was launched against the Japanese held region of Manchukuo by the District's forces in the last days of the Second World War.
The 35th Red Banner Army, long stationed in the District, draws its history from the First Red Banner Army. After the end of the war with Japan, the First Army's headquarters was reorganised as the Headquarters Amur Military District, while part of its troops became part of 15th Army in the Kamchatka region and others joined Soviet Second Army. After some years as an Army Corps, the Army was reformed and given the number 35. Therefore this army has nothing in common with the 35th Army which was in the District during the Second World War.
The District gained the vast Sakha Republic from the disbanding Transbaikal Military District following reorganisation in the late 1990s, which also saw the disbandment of the 15th and 51st Armies. Forces within the District now include the 14th Separate Brigade of Special Designation (Spetsnaz) at Ussuriysk, the Fifth and 35th Armies, one Corps HQ, four Motor Rifle Divisions, and four Machine-Gun/Artillery Divisions. Under naval command is the North Eastern Group of Troops and Forces, formed in 1998 and incorporating troops of the former 25th Army Corps. It includes a motor rifle brigade on the Kamchatka peninsula.
[edit] Commanders Since World War II
- Army General М.А. Purkayev (09 1945-01 1947),
- Colonel General Nikolay Ivanovich Krylov (01 1947-04 1953),
- Marshal of the Soviet Union Rodion Malinovsky (04 1953-03 1956),
- Army General V.A. Penkovskiy (03/1956-07/1961),
- Army General Ya. G. Kreyzer (08/1961-12/1963),
- General Colonel I.G. Pavlovskiy (12/1963-04/1967),
- General Colonel О.А. Losik (04 05 1967-05 1969),
- Army General V.F. Тolubko (05 1969-04 1972),
- Army General V.I. Petrov (041972-051976),
- Army General I.M. Tretyak (06/1976-07/1984),
- Army General Dmitry Yazov (07/1984-01/1987),
- Colonel General M.A. Мoiseev (01 1987-12 1988),
- Colonel General V.I. Novozhilov (с 01 1989)
[edit] Sources and Further Reading
- Vladivostok Times
- Scott and Scott, The Armed Forces of the Soviet Union, Eastview Press, 1979
- Feskov et al, The Soviet Army in the Period of the Cold War, 1945-89
- IISS, The Military Balance 2006
- http://warfare.ru/?linkid=2224&catid=321