rigorous regimen that he imposed on his staff won their respect. Above all he was adept at manipulating Stalin. He did not sugar-coat his reports. He was prepared to stand up to Stalin with what his deputy regarded as a 'brave outspokenness'. So skilled was he at providing the evening situation reports concisely and accurately that even Zhukov bowed to his capability and allowed Antonov to present them in his place. The trust that Stalin came to place in Antonov was reflected in his survivability. He retained his office until February 1945, when he was made chief of staff in Vasilevsky's place. By 1944, Antonov was Chief Spokesman and was present at the Moscow, Yalta and Potsdam Conferences. At the Yalta Conference, he briefed the Western Allies on co-ordinating military actions, and by stressing how the Allies could aid Soviets through bombing lines of communications contributed to the Dresden raid. After the war, Antonov became Deputy Commander-in-Chief and then Commander-in-Chief of the Transcaucasus Military District. In 1955, he became Chief of Staff of the Combined Forces of the Warsaw Pact. He held this post until his death in 1962. Antonov died on 16 June 1962 in Moscow, and his ashes interred in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis. Family In 1956, Antonov married ballerina Olga Lepeshinskaya. It was his second marriage. References Sources S. M. Shtemenko. The Soviet General Staff. Progress Publisher, Moskva. Further reading S. Bialer ed., Stalin's Generals (New York 1969) H. Salisbury ed., Marshal Zhukov's Greatest Battles (London 1969) 1896 births 1962 deaths People from Grodno People from Grodnensky Uyezd Communist Party of the Soviet Union members Members of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union Army generals (Soviet Union) Russian military personnel of World War I Soviet military personnel of the Russian Civil War Soviet military personnel of World War II Frunze Military Academy alumni Recipients of the Order of Victory Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Recipients of the Virtuti Militari (1943–1989) Warsaw Treaty Organization people Academic staff of the Frunze Military Academy Recipients of the Order of Kutuzov, 1st class