18 Facts About Yakov Kreizer

Yakov Grigorevich Kreizer was a Soviet field commander.

Yakov Kreizer enlisted in the Red Army in 1921, volunteered to the school for infantry officers in Voronezh and rose to Colonel and commander of 172nd Rifle Division.

In March 1941 Yakov Kreizer was appointed commander of 1st Moscow Motorized Rifle Division.

Yakov Kreizer was among a few senior officers who prepared his troops adequately for the requirements of the modern mobile war.

In July 1941 Yakov Kreizer became the first Red Army General to outfight the Wehrmacht in a large-scale engagement.

Yakov Kreizer's division took position along the Minsk-Moscow highway and faced the main brunt of German Army Group Center in its drive to Moscow, spearheaded by Heinz Guderian.

When German numerical superiority made further defense of Borisov impossible, Yakov Kreizer skilfully conducted a fighting retreat along the highway to Orsha.

Yakov Kreizer's resistance gave the Red Army enough time to bring up reserves to take up defensive positions along the river Dnieper.

At 35 years old Yakov Kreizer was promoted to Major-General; from being a divisional commander, he was promoted to commander of the 3rd Army, without ever having served at the corps level.

Yakov Kreizer was the first General to receive this award during World War II; his division was among the first military formations to be awarded the title of Guards, the highest honorific title in the Soviet army.

Yakov Kreizer commanded the Soviet Third Army in the Battle of Smolensk, which effectively brought about the strategic end to the German Blitzkrieg, as well as in the momentous Battle of Moscow.

For victory over Manstein, Yakov Kreizer was promoted to Lieutenant General.

In February 1943, after Malinovsky was appointed the Front Commander, Yakov Kreizer resumed command of the Second Guards Army.

Yakov Kreizer played one of the key roles in defeating the Wehrmacht in Ukraine, Crimea, Belorussia, the Baltics and was one of the few commanders of Field Armies to be promoted to Colonel General.

In 1953, during the Doctors Plot, Yakov Kreizer refused to sign a letter in favor of the campaign.

Under Khrushchev, Yakov Kreizer commanded several Military Districts, the highest Soviet territorial units, each consisting of several armies: South Ural Military District ; Transbaikal Military District and Ural Military District.

Yakov Kreizer was the only Jewish officer who achieved such high rank in the Soviet post-Great Purge military.

Yakov Kreizer served there until May 1969 when he joined the senior Group of General Inspectors of the Ministry of Defense, an honorific office for the most outstanding military commanders on their virtual retirement.