Ranks and rank insignia of the Red Army 1918–1935

First rank insignia of the Soviet armed forces from August 1918, here: enlisted men/ privates of the Red Guard and “Army of Taman”.

In the period 1918 to 1935 of the young Soviet Union any bourgeois military thoughts were put under general suspicion by the communists, the new political establishment. Among other the Old Russian tradition, to wear epaulets and shoulder straps as rank insignia, was rigorous abolished.

First rank insignia

In the early period of the October revolution new uniforms were used and new structured units on basis of the former Imperial Russian Army have been deployed. Among others it was characterised by leveling of military grades and neglecting of rank designation. However, the first common rank designation throughout the Red Army was “Red Army Man or Soldier!” (Russian: Красноармеец/ Krasnoarmeez). This was absolute insufficient, and to take immediate solutions on short term have been without any alternative.

In order to characterize personnel, in charge to command a military unit, the unofficial named Red commander (ru: Krasnyi komandir; short Kaskom) was used. For specification of commanders of major units (army/ corps sized) then rank designation KomandArm (en: Commander (of the) Army) was created. For more detailed graduation KomandArm I and KomandArm II were adopted. For commanding officers of major units below army and corps level the following ranks were granted:

For the lack of defined insignia of distinction, red bows, red cap bends, red chevrons, and the red soviet star were worn, first by the so-called Red Guard units, followed by all other Red Army units. In 1920 ranks and rank insignia of the Red Army was regulated by order.

Red star

The first official emblem, as symbol to be enlisted to the Red Army, was a chest tack (red textile bend and oak leaves twig, in the middle a star with plough and hammer), introduced in April 1918. From summer of the same year the cap cockade, in form of a fife-rayed star with hammer and plough, was disposed by order. Temporary two rays were directed above, before the unique manner of directing was adopted. Finally two rays were directed to sex o’clock direction, and one ray sowed to twelve o’clock.

By orders number 953[1] and 1691[2] of the military revolutionary soviet of the Red Army on structure and design of the cap cockade in shape of a red star, was disposed.

Designation Chest badge & cap cockade of the Red Army in 1922
Designation Chest badge, Soviet star
(with plug & hammer in the center)		 Star-cockade
cap		 Badge as to
Order № 953
(from April 13, 1922)		 Badge as to
Order № 1691
(from July 11, 1922)

Distinction insignia, ranks and uniform (ground forces)

By order from April 25, 1918 of the “People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs” a temporary committee was established, to develop proposals pertaining to the uniform of the Red Guards.[3] In November 29, 1918 the All-Russian Central Executive Committee approved these proposals and agreed to the rank designations as follows to be used, by both the Red Guards and the Red Army's ground forces as a whole:[4]

Sleeve insignia to commanding personnel of the Red Army by order of the RMC № 116 from January 16, 1919.

In December 18, 1918, the “Revolutionary Military Committee” agreed upon the new uniforms proposed. Among other three versions of caps and various rank insignia were adopted, in order to emphasize several appointments. It was followed by the official approval by order number 116 of the “Revolutionary Military Committee” from January 16, 1919 (see pictures 1 to 11). The ground forces of the Red Army and the nascent Soviet Air Force used these ranks until 1924.

Distinction insignia and ranks 1924 – 1935

The following ranks were used by the Soviet military from 1924 to 1935.

Rank
group leading personnel		 NATO
equi-
valent		 Natio-
nale
cate-
gory		 Designation of the assignmant Collar
bagde
Army and
Air Force		 Sleeve
insignia
Navy
in the Army
(as to order of the RMC USSR № 807 from June 20, 1924)		 in the Air Force in the Navy
No
(enlisted men)		 OR1[5] No
(0) 		Red army man
(Красноармеец, Krasnoarmeyets)		 Red air fleetman (Красновоздухоплаватель, Krasnoboedukhoplavately) Red fleet man
(Краснофлотец, Krasnoflotets)		 No insignia
Junior (level) OR4 1 Detachment leader (below platoon level) Junior engine-man
(Младший моторист, Mladshiy motorist)		 Squad leader
(Командир группы [Комгруппы], Komandir grupy [Komgrupy])
Assistant subunit leader
Subunit leader Subunit leader, petty officer
OR6 2 Assistant platoon leader Engine-man Deputy leader combat area, Main petty officer
OR7 Senior sergeant Senior machine-man Senior sergeant combat area, Senior petty officer
Medium (level) OF11[6] 3 Platoon leader
4 Assistant company leader, – battery, – squadron
Self-contained platoon leader 		Junior pilot Assistant watch officer
5 Chef or commissar - company, – battery, – squadron Air Detail commander Ship commander class 4, Senior assistant ship commander class 3 and equal in rank
OF2 6 Assistant battalion commander
Deputy battalion commissar
Commander self-contained company 		Air Flight commander Ship commander class 3, Senior assistant ship commander class 2 and equivalents
Higher career OF3 7 Battalion commander, or Battalion commissar Air squadron commander Ship commander 2nd rank
OF4 8 Assistant regimental commander
Commander self-contained battalion 		Commander self-contained flying (battalion sized) unit Assistant ship commander 1st class and equivalents/small>
OF5 9 Regimental commander Air Park Commander Ship commander 1st rank and equivalents
Top career OF6 10 Brigade commander
Assistant to the Division Commander 		Air Regiment Commander Naval/Ship Brigade Commander
OF7 11 Divisional Commander Air Brigade Commander Squadron Commander
OF8 12 Army Corps Commander
Assistant Army Commander and equivalents 		No equivalent Commander flotilla
13 Assistant commander in chief of the military district Assistant commander in chief of the Air Force of the Red Army Commander of the Navy, Commander in chief of the USSR naval forces
OF9 14 Commander in chief military district, – Army or – Front
Member Revolutionary Military Council district 		Commander in chief Air Force of the Red Army No equivalent No equivalent

The rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union, created on September of 1935, took first precedence over all ranks since then. With the new Marshal rank being introduced, the Council of People's Commissars began the process of phrasing out the 1924 rank system.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Order number 953 of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Red Army from April 13, 1922 on structure and design of the “Workers' and Peasants' Red Army” cap cockade.
  2. ↑ Order number 1691 of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Red Army from July 11, 1922 on structure and design of the “Workers' and Peasants' Red Army” cap cockade.
  3. ↑ Order from April 25, 1918 of the “People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs” on development of uniforms, to be worn by the Red Guards.
  4. ↑ Decision of the “All-Russian Central Executive Committee” from November 29, 1918 on uniforms and rank designations of the so-called Red Guards.
  5. ↑ The abbreviation "OR" stands for "Other Ranks / fr: sous-officiers et militaires du rang / ru:другие ранги, кроме офицероф"
  6. ↑ The abbreviation "OF" stands for de: "Offizier / en: officer / fr: officier / ru: офицер"