STERN, GRIGORI

STERN, GRIGORI (d. 1940), Soviet army officer. Stern was chief adviser to the Republican army in Spain from 1936 to 1937 when he was sent to the Far East as chief of staff of the Soviet Far Eastern forces. He defeated the Japanese at the battle of Lake Khasan and was promoted to colonel general and given command of the Soviet forces. In the following year he defeated the Japanese at the battle of Khalkhin-Gol and drove them out of Soviet Mongolia. Stern died during the Finnish campaign.