Kirill Moskalenko
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kirill Semenovich Moskalenko | |
|---|---|
| 1902-1985 | |
 Marshal of the Soviet Union Kirill Moskalenko |
|
| Place of birth | Grishino |
| Place of death | Moscow |
| Allegiance | Soviet Union |
| Years of service | 1920-? |
| Rank | Marshal of the Soviet Union |
| Unit | Artillery |
| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union |
| Other work | Commander of Strategic Missile Forces |
Kirill Semenovich Moskalenko (May 11, 1902–June 17, 1985) Marshal of the Soviet Union, Commander in Chief Strategic Missile Forces, Inspector General Ministry of Defense, born in village of Grishino, near Donetsk in Ukraine. Joined the Red Army in 1920, where he fought on various fronts during the Russian Civil War. Attended a number of Military Academies. During Soviet-Finnish War, he was the commander of artillery for the 51st division.
When Operation Barbarossa began in June 1941, Moskalenko was the commander of an anti-tank brigade. Between June 1941-March 1942, Moskalenko held the following commands, in this order: 1st Anti-Tank Brigade, XV Rifle Corps, 6th Army, and VI Cavalry Corps. He was the commander of the newly reformed 38th Army from March-July 1942. He was then the commander of 1st Tank Army (July-August 1942), 1st Guards Army (August-October 1942), before finally receiving command of 40th Army (which was apart of Voronezh Front), a position he held until October 1943. Moskalenko lead his troops during the winter counteroffensive and during the Battle of Kursk. Because of his contributions to a large number of key battles, such as Moscow, Stalingrad, and Kursk, Moskalenko was given the rank of Hero of the Soviet Union.
From October 1943 until the end of the war, Moskalenko was the commander of 38th Army. He led his troops as they helped drive the Germans from the Ukraine, Poland, and Czechoslovakia. After the war, Moskalenko served in various capacities in the Moscow Military District, before being appointed the Commander in Chief in 1953.
In 25th July 1953, Khrushchev secretly asked him to arrest Beria, which was done the next day during a Presidium meeting with the help of Marshal Zhukov. Because of the fear that the Soviet government had about the rising popularity of Zhukov, he could not carry a gun into the Kremlin. Moskalenko snuck into the Kremlin with the gun to arrest Beria. During the next 6 months he and Rudenko investigated the "Beria Case". In December 1953 the Soviet Supreme court found Beria guilty, after a 5 day proceeding. On the 23rd of December Beria was shot.
On March 11, 1955, Moskalenko, along with five other noteworthy commanders were given the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union. Moskalenko remained in the Moscow Military District until 1960, when he was made the Commander in Chief of Strategic Missile Forces. In 1962, he was made an Inspector General Ministry of Defense. He died on June 17, 1985 and is buried in the Novodevichie Cemetery.
