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The military ranks of the Soviet Union were those introduced after the October Revolution of 1917. At that time the Imperial Russian Table of Ranks was abolished, as were the privileges of the pre-Soviet Russian nobility.
Immediately after the Revolution, personal military ranks were abandoned in favor of a system of positional ranks, which were acronyms of the full position names. For example, KomKor was an acronym of Corps Commander, KomDiv was an acronym of Division Commander, KomBrig stood for Brigade Commander, KomBat stood for Battalion Commander, and so forth. These acronyms have survived as informal position names to the present day.
Personal ranks were reintroduced in 1935, and general officer ranks were restored in May 1940. The ranks were based on those of the Russian Empire, although they underwent some modifications. Modified Imperial-style rank insignia were reintroduced in 1943.
The Soviet ranks ceased to be used after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, although the military ranks and insignia of the modern Russian Federation and Ukraine have been largely adopted from the Soviet system.
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History
The early Red Army abandoned the institution of a professional officer corps as a "heritage of tsarism" in the course of the Revolution. In particular, the Bolsheviks condemned the use of the word "officer" and used the word "commander" instead. The Red Army abandoned epaulettes and ranks, using purely functional titles such as "Division Commander", "Corps Commander", and similar titles. In 1924 it supplemented this system with "service categories", from K-1 (lowest) to K-14 (highest). The service categories essentially operated as ranks in disguise: they indicated the experience and qualifications of a commander. The insignia now denoted the category, not the position of a commander. However, one still had to use functional titles to address commanders, which could become as awkward as "comrade deputy head-of-staff of corps". If one did not know a commander's position, one used one of the possible positions - for example: "Regiment Commander" for K-9.[1]
On September 22, 1935 the Red Army abandoned service categories and introduced personal ranks. These ranks, however, used a unique mix of functional titles and traditional ranks. For example, the ranks included "Lieutenant" and "Comdiv" (Комдив, Division Commander). Further complications ensued from the functional and categorical ranks for political officers (e.g., "Brigade Commissar", "Army Commissar 2nd Rank"), for technical corps (e.g., "Engineer 3rd Rank", "Division Engineer"), for administrative, medical and other non-combatant branches.
The Marshal of the Soviet Union (Маршал Советского Союза) rank was introduced on the March 17, 1940 as part of the proposal by Kliment Voroshilov to rationalise ranks. On May 7, 1940 further modifications to the system took place. The ranks of "General" or "Admiral" replaced the senior functional ranks of Combrig, Comdiv, Comcor, Comandarm; the other senior functional ranks ("Division Commissar", "Division Engineer", etc) remained unaffected. The Arm or Service distinctions remained (e.g. General of Cavalry, Marshal of Armoured Troops). On November 2, 1940 the system underwent further modification with the abolition of functional ranks for NCOs and the reintroduction of the Podpolkovnik (sub-colonel) rank.[2] For the most part the new system restored that used by the Imperial Russian Army at the conclusion of its participation in WWI.
In early 1942 all the functional ranks in technical and administrative corps became regularized ranks (e.g., "Engineer Major", "Engineer Colonel", "Captain Intendant Service", etc.). On October 9, 1942 the authorities abolished the system of military commissars, together with the commissar ranks. The functional ranks remained only in medical, veterinary and legislative corps.
In early 1943 a unification of the system saw the abolition of all the remaining functional ranks. The word "officer" became officially endorsed, together with the epaulettes that superseded the previous rank insignia. The ranks and insignia of 1943 did not change much until the last days of the USSR; the contemporary Russian Army uses largely the same system. The old functional ranks of Combat (Battalion or Battery Commander), Combrig (Brigade Commander) and Comdiv (Division Commander) continue in informal use.[3]
Rank Table
This table shows the rank structure in use shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union, circa 1982–1991.
| Category | Soviet All-forces ranks (Army, MVD Militsiya ) |
Soviet Air Force and other Soviet military branches ranks (Space Troops, Artillery, Tank Forces, Airborne Landing Troops, Engineer Forces and Signal Forces, Medical Service, Military Bands Service, Military Judicial Service, other Special and Technical Services) |
Soviet Navy Ranks and Rates (Soviet Deck Ranks and Rates) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 Generalissimus of the Soviet Union (Генерали́ссимус Сове́тского Сою́за) |
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|
or General Officers |
 Marshal of the Soviet Union (Ма́ршал Совéтского Сою́за) |
|
 Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union (Адмира́л Фло́та Совéтского Сою́за) |
|
|
(Гла́вный Ма́ршал Авиа́ции Совéтского Сою́за) Chief Marshal of branches (Гла́вный Ма́ршал ро́да во́йск) |
|
|
 General of the Army (Генера́л а́рмии) |
(Ма́ршал авиа́ции) (Ма́ршал или Генера́л ро́да во́йск) |
 Admiral of Fleet (адмира́л фло́та) |
|
 Colonel General or Polkovnik General (генера́л-полко́вник) |
Polkovnik General of aviation (генера́л-полко́вник авиа́ции) Colonel General or Polkovnik General of branches (генера́л-полко́вник ро́да во́йск) |
 Admiral (адмира́л) |
|
 Lieutenant General (генера́л-лейтена́нт) |
(генера́л-лейтена́нт авиа́ции) Lieutenant General of branches (генера́л-лейтена́нт ро́да во́йск) |
 Vice Admiral (ви́це-адмира́л) |
|
 Major General (генера́л-майо́р) |
(генера́л-майо́р авиа́ции) Major General of branches (генера́л-майо́р ро́да во́йск) |
 Counter Admiral (ко́нтр-адмира́л) |
|
|
or Field Grade Officers |
 Colonel or Polkovnik (полко́вник) |
(полко́вник авиа́ции) Colonel or Polkovnik of branches (полко́вник ро́да во́йск) |
 Captain, 1st rank (капита́н 1-го ра́нга) |
 Lieutenant Colonel or Podpolkovnik (подполко́вник) |
Podpolkovnik of aviation (подполко́вник авиа́ции) Lieutenant Colonel or Podpolkovnik of branches (подполко́вник ро́да во́йск) |
 Captain, 2nd rank (капита́н 2-го р́анга) |
|
 Major (майо́р) |
(майо́р авиа́ции) Major of branches (майо́р ро́да во́йск) |
 Captain, 3rd rank (капита́н 3-го р́анга) |
|
|
or Company Grade Officers |
 Captain (капита́н) |
(капита́н авиа́ции) Captain of branches (капита́н ро́да во́йск) |
 Captain Lieutenant (капита́н-лейтена́нт) |
 Senior Lieutenant (ста́рший лейтена́нт) |
(ста́рший лейтена́нт авиа́ции) Senior Lieutenant of branches (ста́рший лейтена́нт ро́да во́йск) |
 Senior Lieutenant (старший лейтенант) |
|
 Lieutenant (лейтена́нт) |
(лейтена́нт авиа́ции) Lieutenant of branches (лейтена́нт ро́да во́йск) |
 Lieutenant (лейтена́нт) |
|
 Junior Lieutenant (мла́дший лейтена́нт) |
(мла́дший лейтена́нт авиа́ции) Junior Lieutenant of branches (мла́дший лейтена́нт ро́да во́йск) |
 Junior Lieutenant мла́дший лейтена́нт) |
|
|
or Master non-commissioned officers |
 Senior Warrant Officer or Senior Praporshchik (ста́рший пра́порщик) |
Senior Praporshchik of aviation (ста́рший пра́порщик авиа́ции) Senior Warrant Officer or Senior Praporshchik of branches (ста́рший пра́порщик ро́да во́йск) |
 Senior Midshipman (ста́рший ми́чман) |
 Warrant Officer or Praporshchik (пра́порщик) |
(пра́порщик авиа́ции) Warrant Officer or Praporshchik of branches (пра́порщик ро́да во́йск) |
 Midshipman (ми́чман) |
|
|
and Petty Officers |
 Sergeant Major or Starshina (старшина́) |
(старшина́ авиа́ции) Sergeant Major or Starshina of branches (старшина́ ро́да во́йск) |
 Chief Ship Starshina (гла́вный корабе́льный старшина́) |
 Senior Sergeant (ста́рший сержа́нт) |
(ста́рший сержа́нт авиа́ции) Senior Sergeant of branches (ста́рший сержа́нт ро́да во́йск) |
 Chief Starshina (гла́вный старшина́) |
|
 Sergeant (сержа́нт) |
(сержа́нт авиа́ции) Sergeant of branches (сержа́нт ро́да во́йск) |
 Starshina, 1st class (старшина́ 1-й статьи́) |
|
 Junior Sergeant (мла́дший сержа́нт) |
(мла́дший сержа́нт авиа́ции) Junior Sergeant of branches (мла́дший сержа́нт ро́да во́йск) |
 Starshina, 2nd class (старшина́ 2-й статьи́) |
|
|
seamen, airmen |
 Efreitor (ефре́йтор) |
(ефре́йтор авиа́ции) Efreitor of branches (ефре́йтор ро́да во́йск) |
 Senior Matrose or Seaman, Sailor (ста́рший матро́с) или (ста́рший моря́к) |
 Private or Soldier (рядово́й) или (солдáт) |
(рядово́й авиа́ции) Private of branches (рядово́й ро́да во́йск) |
 Matrose or Seaman, Sailor (матро́с) или (моря́к) |
|
Colours of the rank insignia
From 1943 to 1955 all the rank insignia were khaki with edge colour indicating the corp:
- Crimson: infantry, mechanized troops
- Red: artillery, armoured troops
- Blue: Air Force, airborne troops, air technical services
- Dark blue: cavalry
- Black: technical corps (radio communications, engineers, chemicals, technical military schools, road construction, pipeline units, building and airbase construction, military topography service, administrative service, judge advocates, military band)
- Dark green: medical or veterinary services
- Black: Navy
In December 1955 the colours were changed to:
- Red: artillery, armoured troops, infantry, cavalry
- Blue: Air Force, airborne troops, air technical services
- Black: technical corps and Navy
From March 1956 the stars of the General Officers become golden.
Letter codes
The letters over the shoulder's badges, since 1972, stand for:[4]
- ВВ (Внутренние войска, Vnutrennie vojska) - Interior Ministry's troops
- К (Курсант, Kursant) - cadet
- ГБ (КГБ, KGB) - KGB
- ПВ (Пограничные войска, Pogranichnye vojska) - Border Troops
- СА (Советская Армия, Sovyetskaja Armija) - Soviet Army
- СШ (специальная школа, spetsial'naja shkola) - special school
- Ф (Флот, Flot) - Navy
- СФ (Северный флот, Severnyj flot) - Northern Fleet
- ЧФ (Черноморский флот, Chernomorskij flot) - Black Sea Fleet
- БФ (Балтийский флот, Baltijskij flot) - Baltic fleet
- ТФ (Тихоокеанский флот, Tikhookeanskij flot) - Pacific Fleet
Generalissimo of the Soviet Union
This rank was created for Joseph Stalin on June 27, 1945, and he was the only person ever to hold it. It is sometimes regarded as an equivalent to the rank of General of the Armies of the United States or the North Korean Dae Wonsu.
Marshal of an arm
The ranks of Marshal of an arm and Chief Marshal of an arm were used in five Soviet military branches (the Air Force, Artillery, Tank Forces, Engineer Forces, and Signal Forces). These ranks were established in 1943. Marshal of an arm was equivalent to General of the Army.
See also Marshal of the Soviet Union and Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union
See also
- Air Force ranks and insignia of the Russian Federation
- Army ranks and insignia of the Russian Federation
- Naval ranks and insignia of the Russian Federation
- History of Russian military ranks
- Military ranks of Ukraine
External links
- ^ John Erickson, The Soviet High Command 1918–41, p.72–73
- ^ John Erickson, The Soviet High Command 1918–41
- ^ David Glantz, Stumbling Colossus, University Press of Kansas, 1998
- ^ (Russian) Изменения в знаках различия званий военнослужащих Советской Армии 1955-92(94) гг.
- Military Ranks of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics
- Anatomy of Army, Russian
- SOVIET MILITARIA, sells Soviet ranking insignia, etc.
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