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Vasiliy ButkovColonel General of Tank Troops, Hero of the Soviet Union
Date of Birth: 11.01.1901
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Content:
- Early Life and Military Service
- Civil War and Interwar Period
- World War II
- Hero of the Soviet Union
- Post-War Career
- Retirement and Legacy
Early Life and Military Service
Vasili Vasilievich Butkov was born on January 11, 1901, in Bolshaya Imennaya, Russia. His father was a factory worker, and after his father's death in 1915, Butkov began working at the Verkhnetuyursky plant.
In June 1918, Butkov joined the Red Guard, fighting against White Army forces and Czechs in the Urals. He was wounded in battle in July 1918 and recuperated in Kostroma.
Civil War and Interwar Period
From October 1918, Butkov served in the Red Army as a private, squad commander, and platoon assistant. He participated in battles against Kolchak and Wrangel's forces on the Eastern and Southern Fronts. In November 1920, he was wounded in the head and spent a month in the hospital.
From 1921 to 1922, Butkov attended the 16th Nizhny Novgorod Artillery Command Courses. He then transferred to the Kremlin Combined Military School, graduating in 1926. He held various positions in the Volga and Belarussian military districts.
World War II
At the outbreak of World War II, Butkov was Chief of Staff of the 5th Mechanized Corps on the Western Front. He later served as Deputy Chief of Staff and then Chief of Staff of the Red Army's Main Armored Directorate.
In April 1942, he became Chief of Staff of the 8th Tank Corps, which fought at Rzhev. From September 1942 to June 1945, he commanded the 1st Tank Corps, which participated in major battles, including the Battle of Stalingrad, the Battle of Kursk, and Operation Bagration.
Hero of the Soviet Union
On April 19, 1945, Butkov was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union for his leadership of the 1st Tank Corps.
Post-War Career
After the war, Butkov commanded armored and mechanized troops in various military districts. He also attended the Higher Academic Courses at the Academy of the General Staff and served as Chief Military Advisor in Czechoslovakia.
Retirement and Legacy
Butkov retired in 1961 and settled in Moscow, where he passed away on June 24, 1981. His name is commemorated in a street and a school in Kaliningrad and on a memorial in Nizhny Tura.
