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Ranks in Red Army

Comparative Table of Ranks

Red Army from 1940 Deutsche Heer Waffen-SS US Army British Army Polish Army
Generalissimus1 -- Reichsfuhrer-SS -- -- --
Marshal Sovetskogo Souza Generalfeldmarchall SS-Oberstgruppenfuhrer General of the Army Field Marshal Marszalek
Glavniy Marshal2 -- -- -- -- --
Marshal:3
  • Artillerii
  • Tankovih Voisk
  • Aviatzii
  • Ingenernih Voisk
  • Voisk Svyazi
  • Generaloberst SS-Obergruppenfuhrer -- -- --
    General Armii General:
  • der Artillerie
  • der Gebirgtruppen
  • der Infanterie
  • der Kavallerie
  • der Luftwaff
  • der Panzertruppen
  • der Pionerie
  • SS-Gruppenfuhrer General General General Broni
    General-polkovnik Generalleutnant SS-Brigadefuhrer Lieutenant General Lieutenant-General --
    General-leitenant Generalmajor SS-Oberfuhrer Major General Major General General Dywizji
    General-major -- -- Brigadier General Brigadier General Brygady
     
    Polkovnik Oberst SS-Standartenfuhrer Colonel Colonel Pulkownik
    Podpolkovnik Oberstleutnant SS-Oberststurmbannfuhrer Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant Colonel Podpulkownik
    Major Major SS-Sturmbannfuhrer Major Major Major
    -- Rittmeister (cav) -- -- -- Rotmistrz
    Kapitan Hauptmann SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Captain Captain Kapitan
    Starshiy Leitenant Oberleutnant SS-Oberststurmfuhrer 1st Lieutenant Lieutenant Porucznik
    Leitenant Leutnant SS-Untersturmfuhrer 2nd Lieutenant 2nd Lieutenant Podporucznik
     
    Mladshiy leitenant Stabsfeldwebel SS-Sturmscharfuhrer Sergeant Major4 Warrant Officer 1 Aspirant
    -- Oberfahnrich SS-Standarten-Oberjunker -- -- --
    Starshina Oberfeldwebel SS-Hauptscharfuhrer Master Sergeant5 Warrant Officer 2 Chorazy
    Starshiy serzhant Feldwebel SS-Oberscharfuhrer Technical Sergeant -- Starszy Ogniomistrz (art)
    Starszy Wachmistrz (cav)
    -- Fahnrich SS-Standartenjunker -- -- --
    Serzhant Unterfeldwebel SS-Scharfuhrer Staff Sergeant Staff Sergeant Starszy Sierzant
    Mladshiy serzhant Unteroffizer SS-Unterscharfuhrer Sergeant -- Ogniomistrz (art)
    Wachmistrz (cav)
    Sierzant
    -- -- -- -- -- Plutonowy
     
    Efreitor Obergefreiter SS-Rottenfuhrer Corporal Corporal Kapral
    -- -- -- -- -- Starszy Grenadier
    Bombardier
    Starszy Saper
    Starszy Ulan
    Starszy Dragon
    Starszy Strzelec
    Starszy Szeregowiec
    -- Gefreiter SS-Sturmmann -- -- Grenadier
    -- -- -- -- -- Kanonier
    Saper
    Ulan
    Dragon
    -- Oberschutze SS-Oberschutze Private 1st Class -- Strzelec
    Krasnoarmeets/
    Ryadovoy
    Schutze SS-Schutze Private Private Szeregowiec

    1 Generallisimus rank has been used in whole Russian/Soviet history only twice. First it was used before Bolshevik's regime and archieved by Alexander Suvorov, Prince Braunshveigs and Alexaned Menshikov. Then it was accepted again from June 26, 1945, and achieved by Josef Stalin.

    2 Was accepted in October 1943

    3 Was accepted in January 1943

    4 Same as FIRST SGT only on Battalion (Btn Sgt Maj) or Division (Div Sgt Maj) level. The Division level is top.

    5 Usually an administrative position. i.e. legal, quarter-master etc.

    Brief history of the Soviet Ranks 1920-1945

    Before 1924

    There weren't any ranks in the Red Army. All officers were divided by their duties:

    1924-1935

    In 1924 all high commanders were divided on 14 categories and badges of ranks were applied for the first time: "cubes", "ties" and "rhombs".

    1935-1937

    Personal military ranks were accepted from September 22, 1935 under the order NKO #144.

    Junior and average commanders
    Combat officers Technical officers Comissary and economical
    officers
    Medical officers Juridical officers Political officers Badges of ranks
    Leitenant Technik vtorogo ranga Technik-intendant vtorogo ranga Voenniy feldsher Mladshiy voenniy jurist * Mladshiy politruk two "cubes"
    Starshiy leitenant Technik pervogo ranga Technik-intendant pervogo ranga Starshiy voenniy feldsher Voenniy jurist Politruk three "cubes"
    Kapitan Voenniy ingener tret'ego ranga Intendant tret'ego ranga Voenniy vrach tret'ego ranga Voenniy jurist tret'ego ranga Starshiy politruk one "tie"
    Major Voenniy ingener vtorogo ranga Intendant vtorogo ranga Voenniy vrach vtorogo ranga Voenniy jurist vtorogo ranga Batalionniy komissar two "ties"
    Polkovnik Voenniy ingener pervogo ranga Intendant pervogo ranga Voenniy vrach pervogo ranga Voenniy jurist pervogo ranga Polkovoy komissar three "ties"

    * Accepted from 5.8.1937


    High Command
    Combat officers Technical officers Comissary and economical
    officers
    Medical officers Juridical officers Political officers Badges of ranks
    Kombrig Brigadniy armingeneer Brigadniy armintendant Brigadniy armvoenvrach Brigadniy armvoenjurist Brigadniy komissar one "rhomb"
    Komdiv Divizionniy armingeneer Divizionniy armintendant Divizionniy armvoenvrach Divizionniy armvoenjurist Divizionniy komissar two "rhombs"
    Komkor Korpusnoy armingeneer Korpusnoy armintendant Korpusnoy armvoenvrach Korpusnoy armvoenjurist Korpusnoy komissar three "rhombs"
    Comandarm vtorogo ranga Armeisky armingeneer Armeisky armintendant Armeisky armvoenvrach Armeisky armvoenjurist Armeisky komissar four "rhombs"
    Comandarm pervogo ranga N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A four "rhombs" and one star
    *Marshal Sovetskogo Souza N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A one star

    * When accepted, there were five persons who were ranked: Blukher, Budenniy, Egorov, Tukhachevsky and Voroshilov

    1937-1939

    On August 5, 1937, some additional ranks were accepted (one "cube"):

    1939-1940

    On September 1, 1939, some additional ranks were accepted (three "ties"):

    From this year all former Polkovniks and Polkovoy Komissars received one additional "tie" (four "ties" total)

    1940-1943

    On May 7, 1940, there were accepted:

    High Command
    New ranks Old ranks New badges
    of ranks
    General-major Komdiv Two stars
    General-leitenant Komkor three stars
    General-polkovnik Komandarm vtorogo ranga four stars
    General armii Komandarm pervogo ranga Five stars

    The Kombrig rank was missed, so all persons who were ranked as Kombrig were either re-attested and received the General-major rank, or received the Polkovnik rank.

    In November 1940, some additional ranks were accepted for soldiers and non-comissioned officers:

    New ranks New badges of ranks
    Efreitor One triangle
    Mladshiy serzhant One triangle
    Serzhant Two triangles
    Starshiy serzhant Three triangles
    Starshina Four triangles

    Soviet Ranks from 1940
    1. General Armii
    2. General-Polkovnik
    3. General-Leitenant
    4. General-Major
    5. Komkor
    6. Komdiv
    7. Kombrig
    8. Polkovnik
    9. Podpolkovnik
    10. Major
    11. Kapitan
    12. Starshiy leitenant
    13. Leitenant
    14. Mladshiy Leitenant
    15. Starshina
    16. Starshiy serzhant
    17. Serzhant
    18. Mladshiy serzhant
    19. Krasnoarmeets

    From 1943

    In January 1943, the existing rank system was altered: policic officers received common military ranks; instead buttonholes the shoulder straps were accepted. Besides, some attitional HQ ranks were accepted:
    Marshal Aviatsii
    Marshal Artillerii
    Marshal Voisk Svyazi
    Marshal Ingineernikh Voisk


    In October 1943, more HQ ranks were accepted:
    Glavniy Marshal Aviatsii
    Glavniy Marshal Artillerii
    Glavniy Marshal bronetankovikh Voisk


    Soviet Ranks from 1943
    1. Marshal Sovetskogo Souza
    2. Glavniy Marshal Artillerii
    3. Marshal Bronetankovikh Voisk
    4. General Armii
    5. General-Polkovnik
    6. General-Leitenant
    7. General-Major
    8. Polkovnik (infantry)
    9. Podpolkovnik (artillery)
    10. Major (tank forces)
    11. Kapitan (cavalry)
    12. Starshiy leitenant
    13. Leitenant (sapper)
    14. Mladshiy Leitenant
    15. Starshina
    16. Starshiy serzhant
    17. Serzhant
    18. Mladshiy serzhant
    19. Efreitor
    20. Ryadovoy


    Author:
    Valeriy Potapov
    Special thanks to:
    Igor Kurtukov

    This page belongs to the Russian Battlefield

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