World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseKirill Afanasievich Meretskov was born in 1897 in Nazaryevo, Ryazan Governorate, Russian Empire. In 1909, at the age of 12, he began working at a factory. He joined the Bolsheviks, later the Communist Party, in Aug 1917, and in 1918 joined the Red Army. During the Russian Civil War, he was chief of staff of a regiment, and later a division. In 1921, he graduated from the military academy that would later become the Military Academy Name After M. V. Frunze in Moscow, Russia. In the 1920s and 1930s, he served in various positions in the Red Army, and participated in the Spanish Civil War under the pseudonym of "General Pavlovich".

ww2dbaseIn 1939, Meretskov was made the commanding officer of the Leningrad Military District at the rank of Komandarm 2nd Rank, which was equivalent to lieutenant general. When the Soviet Union invaded Finland during the Winter War of 1939-1940, Leningrad Military District was initially the primary force responsible for breaching the Finnish defenses. When the Soviet progress became far slower than originally planned, Meretskov was demoted in Dec 1939 he lead the 7th Army. He redeemed himself in Feb 1940 when the 7th Army, now heavily reinforced with heavy artillery and additional men, played a main role in the breaching of the Finnish defensive Mannerheim Line; for this, he would be made a Hero of the Soviet Union in Apr 1940. Between Aug 1940 and Jan 1941, he served as the Chief of the General Staff, then he briefly retired from military service, becoming a Deputy People's Commissar. When Germany turned against its former friend, the Soviet Union, in Jun 1941, Meretskov was arrested by the NKVD on the suspicion that he might be a traitor. He was tortured at the Lubyanka Prison in Moscow for about two months, and then signed a confession under duress; his case file was destroyed in 1955. Considered rehabilitated, he was made the commanding officer of the 7th Separate Army, and then made the commanding officer of the 4th Army deployed in defense of Leningrad, Russia. In Dec 1941, his 4th Army played a part in the recapture of Tikhvin, Russia about 180 kilometers east of Leningrad. From 1942 to Feb 1944, he was the commanding officer of the newly formed Volkhov Front; while holding this role he was awarded the Order of Suvorov 1st Class for his role in the opening of the "Road of Life" supply route into Leningrad. In Feb 1944, he was made the commanding officer of the Karelian Front; while in this role, due to his successes at Petrozavodsk, Petsamo, and others, he was promoted to the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union. In Apr 1945, he was made the commanding officer of the 1st Far East Front. In this role, he led the front into Japanese-held northeastern China during the Manchurian Strategic Offensive. Meretskov's decisiveness was a key factor in breaking the Japanese defensive positions near Harbin between 9 and 15 Aug 1945.

ww2dbaseAfter the Japanese surrender, Meretskov remained in northeastern China and assisted the establishment of Chinese and Korean political units; he was quoted as being one of the Soviets that helped built Korean communist Kim Il Sung's future political career. Returning to Russia, he was made the commander of the Moscow Military District between 1947 and 1949, and then went on to serve in similar roles in a number of military districts through 1955. Between 1955 and 1964, he was the Inspector-General Ministry of Defense. He passed away in 1968. His ashes were buried in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis.

Kirill Meretskov Interactive Map

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Kirill Meretskov Timeline