Rodimtsev joined the Red Army in 1927. He fought in the
Spanish Civil War on the side of the
Republicans against
Francisco Franco in 1936-1937, where he earned his first decoration as a Hero of the Soviet Union. During the course of the
Second World War, he is best remembered for his role in the
Battle of Stalingrad, where he brilliantly commanded the
13th Guards Rifle Division which earned him his second order of Hero of the Soviet Union. The division was charged to hold the Germans between
Mamayev Kurgan and
Tsaritsa Gorge, which his outnumbered and outgunned force successfully did. Rodimtsev was vastly popular with his troops and was well known for his bravery. In 1943, after the Battle of Stalingrad, Rodimtsev commanded the
32nd Guards Rifle Corps, which included the
13th Guards Rifle Division, the
66th Guards Rifle Division, and the
6th Guards Airborne Division. The 32nd Guards Rifle Corps was an element of the
5th Guards Army, which was a part of the
Steppe Front (commanded by
Marshal Ivan Konev), and engaged
SS Panzer divisions at the
Battle of Kursk. After the war Rodimtsev served as the Deputy Commander of the
Eastern Siberian Military District, then served as a
military attaché in
Albania, before serving again as a deputy commander for a
Military District, this time for the
Northern Military District. ==References==