Makhmut Gareev facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Makhmut Gareev
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| Birth name | Makhmut Akhmetovich Gareyev |
| Born | 23 June 1923 Chelyabinsk, RSFSR, USSR |
| Died | 25 December 2019 (aged 96) Moscow, Russia |
| Allegiance |  Soviet Union,  Russia |
| Service/ |
Soviet Army, |
| Years of service | 1941–1992 |
| Rank |  General of the Army |
| Commands held | Chief Adviser to the President Democratic Republic of Afghanistan – Chief of the Armed Forces DRA President of the Academy of Military Sciences |
| Battles/wars | World War II Soviet–Afghan War |
| Awards | Order of Lenin Order of the Red Banner (4 times) Order of Alexander Nevsky Order of the Patriotic War (1st and 2nd class) Order of the Red Banner of Labour Order of the Red Star Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR (2nd and 3rd class) |
Makhmut Akhmetovich Gareyev (Russian: Махмут Ахметович Гареев, Tatar: Мәхмүт Әхмәт улы Гәрәев; 23 June 1923 – 25 December 2019) was an important Russian military leader. He became a General of the Army and wrote many books about World War II. He also served as a top officer in the General Staff of the Soviet military. Before he passed away, he was the president of the Russian Academy of Military Sciences.
General Gareyev was a brave veteran of the Second World War. He spent his whole career in the Soviet military, starting as a Junior Lieutenant and becoming a general in the 1970s.
He also worked as a military adviser to the President of Egypt in the 1970s. Later, from 1989 to 1991, he advised President Najibullah of Afghanistan.
In September 2015, the President of China, Xi Jinping, gave General Gareyev a special Medal of Honor. This was for his help in the 1945 battle to free Mudanjiang in Northeast China from Japanese forces.
Contents
Early Life and Joining the Army
Makhmut Gareyev was born in Chelyabinsk, Russia, on June 23, 1923. His family were Tatars. His father, Akhmat Gareyev, worked in a factory, and his mother, Rahema, was a homemaker. His family also lived in Central Asia for a time.
In 1939, when he was 16, Gareyev joined the Red Army as a volunteer. He finished his training at the Tashkent Infantry School in 1941. After school, he was first sent to an infantry unit in the Turkestan Military District.
Serving in World War II
In November 1942, Gareyev was sent to the Western Front. He fought as an infantry officer in the Battle of Rzhev, where he was injured. After recovering, he was promoted to a deputy commander of an infantry battalion. He also became a staff officer for the 45th Rifle Corps. In 1944, he was wounded in the head during fighting in Belarus.
After healing from his injury, he was sent to the Far East in January 1945. He joined the staff of the 5th Army. He fought in the Soviet–Japanese War, also known as "August Storm." He finished the war with the rank of Major.
After the War
After World War II, Gareyev continued to work with the 5th Army in the Far East. In 1950, he graduated from the M. V. Frunze Military Academy. For the next few years, he held various important roles. These included being a chief of staff and a senior officer in different military districts.
In 1959, he graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff. He then became a Deputy Division Commander. Later, he commanded a motor rifle division and a tank division. From 1968 to 1970, he was the Chief of Staff and then the First Deputy Commander of the 28th Combined Arms Army.
From 1970 to 1971, he worked as a military adviser to the United Arab Republic. In 1971, he became the commander of the Urals Military District. He continued to rise through the ranks. In 1974, he became head of the Military Scientific Directorate of the General Staff. He was promoted to Colonel General in October 1978.
In 1989, he became the Chief Military Adviser in Afghanistan. This was after Soviet troops had started to leave the country. He played a big part in planning military actions for the Afghan government forces. In 1990, he was promoted to the highest rank, General of the Army.
General Gareyev retired from active military service in 1992.
Family Life
After the war, Makhmut Gareyev married Tamara Ivanovna. She was from Belarus and passed away in 1998. They had two children together. Their son, Timur, was born in 1961 and became a retired Major General in the Russian army. Their daughter, Galia, born in 1952, worked as an English language teacher before retiring.
Military Studies and Writings
General Gareyev started working on military science in the 1960s. He wrote over 100 scientific papers and more than 300 articles. He was also the main author for many Soviet Army manuals.
In February 1995, he was chosen as the first president of the Academy of Military Sciences. This is a research group that is not part of the government. Gareyev spent a lot of time studying the history of the Great Patriotic War (World War II). He was very active in discussions about military history. He strongly disagreed with anyone who tried to change the true story of the war. He believed that trying to question the Soviet Union's victory over fascism was linked to propaganda against modern Russia.
He also served as an inspector general for the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. He was a Deputy Chairman of the Public Council under the Ministry of Defence. He also held a similar role for the Military Industrial Commission.
Makhmut Gareyev passed away on December 25, 2019, at the age of 96. He was buried at the Federal Military Memorial Cemetery.
Images for kids
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General Makhmut Gareyev
