Issa Pliyev

Issa Alexandrovich Pliyev
Born 25 November 1903
Stariy Batakoyurt, Russian Empire (now North Ossetia, Russia)
Died 2 February 1979 (aged 75)
Allegiance Soviet Union
Years of service 1926 - 1968
Rank General of the Army
Commands held 5th Cavalry Division
2nd Guards Cavalry Corps
1st Guards Cavalry Mechanized Group
Mobile Group Pliyev
Soviet Mongolian Cavalry Mechanized Group
13th Army
North Caucasus Military District
Soviet Ground Forces in Cuba
Battles/wars Battle of Moscow
Battle of Romania (1944)
Battle of Debrecen
Invasion of Manchuria
Awards Twice Hero of the Soviet Union

Issa Alexandrovich Pliyev (Ossetian: Плиты Алыксандры фырт Иссæ; Russian: Исса Александрович Плиев) (also spelled as Pliev) (25 November [O.S. 12 November] 1903 — 2 February 1979) was a Soviet military commander, Army General (1962), twice Hero of the Soviet Union (16 April 1944 and 8 September 1945), Hero of the Mongolian People's Republic (1971).

During World War II, Pliyev commanded several mechanized cavalry units, ranging from regiments to army corps. The military historians David Glantz and Jonathan House described Pliyev as a "great practitioner of cavalry operations in adverse terrain".[1] Pliyev became known in the West largely for his involvement in the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Early life and career

Issa Pliyev started his military career in the Red Army in 1922. He graduated from the Leningrad Cavalry school in 1926, from the Frunze Military Academy in 1933 and from the Soviet General Staff Academy. He joined the Communist party in 1926.[2]

World War II

At the start of the invasion of the Soviet Union, Pliyev commanded the 50th Cavalry Division (renamed 3rd Guards Cavalry Division). His unit participated in the Battle of Moscow and the Battle of Stalingrad.[2] Pliyev commanded cavalry-mechanized group consisting of 4th Guards Cavalry Corps and 4th Mechanized Corps during the Bereznegovataia-Snigirevka Operation along the Black Sea coast, as part of the 3rd Ukrainian Front under Army General Rodion Malinovsky.[3]

During Operation Bagration in the summer of 1944, part of the 1st Belorussian Front, Pliyev's cavalry-mechanized group attacked towards Slutsk.[4] According to Glantz and House, the unit was highly successful in exploiting the operational breakthrough.[1] In the fall of 1943, he commanded a cavalry-mechanized group consisting of two divisions during the Battle of Debrecen.[1]

He ended the war in command of the Soviet-Mongolian Cavalry-Mechanized Group of the Transbaikal front in Manchuria, fighting against the Japanese Kwantung Army.

Post-war

After the war, Pliyev continued his career in the military. He commanded 13th Army in 1947-49. In 1955-1958, he was appointed First Deputy and then in 1958 - Commander of the North Caucasus Military District.

In 1962 Pliyev's troops took part in suppressing Novocherkassk riots.[5] During the Cuban Missile Crisis he was the commander of Group of Soviet forces as part of the Operation Anadyr in Cuba.[2]

In 1968, Pliyev became an advisor for the General Inspectors Group of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR.

Awards

Pliyev was awarded five Orders of Lenin, three Orders of the Red Banner, two Orders of Suvorov (1st Class), Order of Kutuzov (1st Class), numerous medals and nine foreign orders.

Books Authored

Honours and Awards

Soviet Awards
Hero of the Soviet Union, two times
Order of Lenin, seven times
Order of the October Revolution
Order of the Red Banner, three times
Order of Suvorov, 1st class, two times
Order of Kutuzov 1st class
Medal "For the Defence of Stalingrad"
Medal "For the Defence of the Caucasus"
Medal "For the Defence of Moscow"
Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"
Medal "For the Victory over Japan"
Foreign Awards
Hero of the Mongolian People's Republic (Mongolian People's Republic)
Order of Sukhbaatar, three times (Mongolian People's Republic)
Order of the Red Banner, two times (Mongolian People's Republic)
Medal "For Victory over Japan" (Mongolian People's Republic)
Order of the Polar Star (Mongolian People's Republic)
Medal "30 year anniversary of the Battle of Khalkhin Gol" (Mongolian People's Republic)
Medal "40 year anniversary of the Battle of Khalkhin Gol" (Mongolian People's Republic)
Order of Red Banner (Czechoslovak Socialist Republic)
Czechoslovak Military Commemorative Medal (Czechoslovak Socialist Republic)
Silver Cross of Virtuti Militari (Poland)
Commander's Cross Polonia Restituta, (Poland)
Commander, Legion of Merit (USA)
Commander of the Legion d'Honneur (France)
Croix de guerre 1939–1945 with bronze palm (France)

References

Citations

Bibliography

See also


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