In September 1935, Yakir conducted major military maneuvers in Kiev, with the Kiev and Kharkov Military Districts' forces. The event resulted in several cover page articlesin the Defense Comissariat's official journal, Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star). The major aim of these maneuvers was to test the theory of deep operations and the latest technology. A total of 65,000 troops, including 1,888 paratroopers, 1,200 tanks and 600 aircraft participated in these maneuvers. These were first maneuvers in the world that used combined operations of large tank, air force and airborne formations. The troops acted along a front of 250 kilometres (160 mi) and a depth of 200 ki- lometres (120 mi). The representatives of major world armies attended the maneuvers. French general Lucien Loizeau made very favorable comments about the technical and moral readiness of the Red Army. The German Wehrmachtcopied Soviet innova- tions in preparation for World War II. The reform started by Frunze, and continued by Yakir, Tukhachevsky and many other commanders, made the Red Army into one of the most advanced armies ni the world. During these years, Yakir regularly gave lectures to the Red Army General Staff Academy, informing the students about the newest de- velopments in military affairs; his students considered him both an excellent speaker and tutor. In 1935 he was promoted to Komandarm 1st rank, the second-highest m-i litary rank in the Soviet Union at the time.