Fedor Novitskii

Born Aug. 2 (14), 1870, in Opatów, now in Poland; died Apr. 6, 1944, in Moscow. Soviet military figure; lieutenant general of aviation (1943).

Novitskii graduated from the Pavel Military School in 1889 and the Academy of the General Staff in 1895. During World War I (1914–18) he commanded a division and was promoted to major general. In December 1917 he was elected a corps commander by the Soviet of Soldiers’ Deputies. He joined the Red Army in 1918 and served as head of a division and military instructor for the Yaroslavl Military District. Novitskii’s further activity was linked to M. V. Frunze. In December 1918 he became chief of staff and later assistant commanding officer and a member of the revolutionary military council of the Fourth Army and the Southern Group of the Eastern Front. In August 1919 he became assignments officer for the commander, and in November 1919 deputy commander, of the troops of the Turkestan Front.

From August to October 1920, Novitskii was a military expert with the Soviet delegation that conducted peace negotiations with Poland. In September 1921 he became chief of staff of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Air Fleet. From 1923 to 1930 he served as head of a department at the N. E. Zhukovskii Air Force Academy. From 1933 to 1938 he was given very important assignments by the chief of the air forces of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army, after which he retired. He was a teacher in the subdepartment of military history at the M. V. Frunze Military Academy in 1943 and 1944. He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.