Leonov, Aleksei Ivanovich

Born May 20 (June 2), 1902, in the city of Kamensk, now Kamensk-Shakhtinskii, Rostov Oblast; died Nov. 14, 1972, in Moscow. Soviet military commander; marshal of the signal communications troops (1961). Member of the CPSU from 1928. Son of a worker.

Leonov entered the Soviet Army in 1918 and fought in the Civil War of 1918–20. He graduated from the Kiev Combined Military School in 1926, the Military Electrical Engineering Academy in 1938, and the Higher Academic Courses of the Military Academy of the General Staff in 1951. He served in the signal communications troops from 1932 and participated in battles on the Khalkhin-Gol River in 1939. In 1940–42, Leonov was chief of the signal communications department and directorate of the Transbaikal Military District and then of the Transbaikal Front. From 1942 to 1945 he was deputy chief of the signal communications troops of the Western Front and chief of the signal communications directorate of the Southwestern, Third and Second Ukrainian, and Transbaikal fronts.

He held responsible positions in the signal communications troops after the war. From 1953 to 1957, Leonov served as chief of the Higher Officers’ School and of advanced officers’ training courses. From 1957 to 1970 he was first deputy chief and chief of the signal communications troops of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR. In 1970 he became a military inspector and adviser. Leonov was awarded two Orders of Lenin, six Orders of the Red Banner, two Orders of Kutuzov First Class, the Order of Suvorov Second Class, the Order of Kutuzov Second Class, the Order of Bogdan Khmel’nitskii First Class, the Order of the Red Star, various medals, and eight foreign orders.