Mikhail Tikhonov

Mikhail Fyodorovich Tikhonov (; 11 November 1900 – 11 February 1971) was a Soviet Army lieutenant general and Hero of the Soviet Union. Tikhonov fought in the Russian Civil War and the Winter War. He commanded the 39th Guards Rifle Corps during the Vienna Offensive. After the end of World War II, Tikhonov continued his career in the Soviet Armed Forces and was the chief Soviet advisor to the Hungarian People's Army during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.

Early life Mikhail Tikhonov was born on 11 November 1900 in Odessa to a family of workers. In 1912, he graduated from the 4th class in the Vladivostok City College. He graduated from the vocational school in Kimry in 1914. Tikhonov worked as a messenger for a Moscow bookstore and at a Moscow slaughterhouse. From 1916, he was a mechanic at the railroad depot at Petrograd's Finland Station. He became a plumber in the Moscow City food department in June 1918. In October, he was in the Red Army.

Tikhonov first participated in the suppression of anti-Soviet forces in the Kirsanovsky Uyezd of Tambov Governorate and then fought on the Southern Front and on the Southeastern Front. He originally was an officer in the 3rd Reserve Cavalry Regiment. On 29 October 1918, he was wounded. Tikhonov joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1919. In October 1919, he graduated from the Moscow Cavalry Courses. Tikhonov became the commander of a cavalry squadron training courses for the 8th Army in October 1919. In April 1920, he became a platoon commander and head of intelligence for the 1st Cavalry Regiment of the 22nd Rifle Division. He was again wounded on 1 November. In December, Tikhonov was the adjutant in a unit of the 9th Kuban Army. In the same year, Tikhonov was awarded a Central Executive Committee of the RSFSR-inscribed gold watch for reported personal bravery. in the same brigade as part of the 13th Army. He was sent to study at the Military Academy of Command and Officers of the Red Army Air Force in October. After graduating in May 1941, he was appointed commander of the 7th Airborne Brigade, part of the 4th Airborne Corps in the Western Special Military District. After the German breakthrough in Case Blue during the summer, the division was transferred to Tuapse, where it reportedly disrupted German attacks on the city. Tikhonov was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for his actions defending Tuapse. On 17 November, he was promoted to major general. From 9 March to 2 April, Tikhonov commanded the 11th Guards Rifle Corps, part of the 9th Army during the advance on the Taman Peninsula. In July he became the deputy commander of the 58th Army, where he was wounded and in August the deputy commander of the 56th Army. Tikhonov fought in the Novorossiysk-Taman Operation and was wounded again in October.

In January 1944, Tikhonov was appointed commander of the 108th Rifle Corps of the Leningrad Front's 42nd Army. During the Leningrad–Novgorod Offensive, the army captured Ropsha, Krasnogvardeysk, Gdov and Koivisto, as well as helping break the Siege of Leningrad. He was promoted to lieutenant general on 22 February. On 9 August 1944, he became the commander of the 39th Guards Airborne Corps in Kalinin. In January 1945, the corps converted to infantry as part of the 9th Guards Army. The corps was sent to the front on 21 March and fought in the Vienna Offensive, in which it participated in the capture of Vienna. On 28 April, Tikhonov was awarded the Order of Kutuzov 1st class. After the capture of Vienna it advanced in the Prague Offensive. For his actions during the Vienna offensive, Tikhonov was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin on 29 June. In March 1957 he became the head of the department of general tactics and operational training at the Military-Engineering Red Banner Academy named for V.V. Kuybyshev. In October 1962, he retired and died on 11 February 1971. Tikhonov was buried in Novodevichy Cemetery.

Awards and decorations Soviet Union

Foreign