Or a brigadier general in the armed forces of other countries. The next military rank is division commander.
Story
A prerequisite for the creation of a personal military rank " brigade commander"is the implementation of the military reform of 1924, as a result of which, according to the order of the RVS No. 807 of June 20. the entire command staff was divided into 14 job categories and the 10th category (K-10) from the group of senior command personnel corresponded to the typical command position of “assistant division commander or commander of a separate brigade,” which had one in the buttonhole as a sign of official position rhombus. The brigade commander in the Red Army was an intermediate level between colonel and major general. This was due to the fact that in the active army, a tactical formation larger than a regiment and smaller than a division—a brigade—has become quite common. Thus, the title " brigade commander"(as well as "divisional commander", "corps commander", and "commander") existed, but was used purely in an official aspect.
Insignia
In 1940, in connection with the introduction of general ranks, representatives of senior command personnel, including brigade commanders, were recertified.
However, even with the beginning
As insignia for the ranks of the Red Army, buttonholes were sewn onto the collars of tunics, tunics and overcoats. The rank was recognized by the shape of the geometric figures attached to the buttonholes, and the specific rank by their number. There were also additional insignia in the form of galloon charcoal chevrons sewn onto the sleeves between the elbow and the cuff.
The insignia of senior command personnel were rhombuses (by the beginning of the war, replaced by 5-pointed stars), for senior officers - rectangles or, as they were also called, “sleepers”, and for junior officers - squares or cubes (in common parlance, lieutenants were called “cubes”) . For non-commissioned officers - triangles.
And so, now specifically about titles.
MILITARY RANKS OF HIGH COMMAND STAFF:
Marshal of the Soviet Union - 1 large star between laurel branches
Army General - 5 little stars
Colonel General - 4 stars
Lieutenant General - 3 stars
Major General - 2 stars
The major general's two stars are apparently somehow connected with the abolished position-rank of "brigade commander", who wore one diamond on his buttonhole.
SENIOR TEAM AND MANAGEMENT STAFF:
Colonel - 4 sleepers
Lieutenant Colonel - 3 sleepers
Major - 2 sleepers
Captain - 1 sleeper
AVERAGE TEAM AND MANAGEMENT STAFF:
Senior Lieutenant - 3 dice
Lieutenant - 2 dice
Junior Lieutenant - 1 die
JUNIOR TEAM AND MANAGEMENT STAFF:
For all ranks (except for the Red Army soldier), there was a narrow strip along the buttonhole and a golden triangle was attached to the upper corner of the buttonhole. In addition, the sergeant major's buttonhole was trimmed with gold edging.
Petty Officer - 1 stripe and 4 triangles
Senior Sergeant - 1 stripe and 3 triangles
Sergeant - 1 stripe and 2 triangles
Junior Sergeant - 1 stripe and 1 triangle
RED ARMY MEMBERS:
Corporal - 1 lane
The Red Army soldier is an empty buttonhole.
In addition to the lapel insignia, as mentioned earlier, there were also braided sleeve stripes indicating a specific rank, and in some cases, rank.
So the chevron on the sleeves of ranks from major general to colonel general inclusive was the same. the chevron for major and lieutenant colonel was also the same, since the rank of lieutenant colonel did not exist in the Red Army until 1940. These stripes were present only for combat ranks, and they were absent for quartermasters, military technicians, doctors and military lawyers. All political instructors, regardless of rank, had a red star sewn on their sleeves with a crossed hammer and sickle embroidered on it with gold thread.
In 1943, a change occurred in the insignia of the Red Army. Lapel insignia are replaced with shoulder straps.
ON THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW INSIGNIA FOR PERSONNEL OF THE RED ARMY
1. Satisfy the request of the People's Commissariat of Defense and introduce, instead of existing ones, new insignia - shoulder straps for Red Army personnel.
2. Approve samples and descriptions of new insignia for Red Army personnel.*
3. The People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR to establish the deadlines for the transition to new insignia and make the necessary changes to the uniform of the Red Army personnel.**
Moscow Kremlin. January 6, 1943
ORDER ON THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW INSIGNIA AND CHANGES IN CLOTHING UNIFORMS
RED ARMY
No. 25 of January 15, 1943
In accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of January 6, 1943 “On the introduction of new insignia for the personnel of the Red Army”
I order:
1. Establish the wearing of shoulder straps:
field - military personnel in the active army and personnel of units preparing to be sent to the front;
everyday - by military personnel of other units and institutions of the Red Army, as well as when wearing full dress uniform.
2. All Red Army personnel should switch to new insignia - shoulder straps in the period from February 1 to February 15, 1943.
3. Make changes to the uniform of the Red Army personnel, according to the descriptions in appendices No. 1, 2 and 3.
4. Put into effect the “Rules for wearing uniforms by Red Army personnel” (Appendix No. 4).
5. Allow the wearing of the existing uniform with new insignia until the next issue of uniforms, in accordance with the current deadlines and supply standards.
6. Unit commanders and garrison commanders must strictly monitor compliance with the uniform and correct wearing of the new insignia.
People's Commissar of Defense I. STALIN
The shoulder strap is made of specially woven braid: for field shoulder straps - from khaki silk, for everyday ones - from gold wire.
And so, the insignia is as follows:
Shoulder straps and insignia of the Soviet Union Marshals and Generals.
The size of the stars on the shoulder straps of generals is 22 mm, on the shoulder straps of generals of the medical and veterinary services - 20 mm.
Number of stars by military rank:
Marshal of the Soviet Union is one big star;
General of the Army - four stars;
Colonel General - three stars;
Lieutenant General - two stars;
Major General - one star;
On February 4, 1943, by order of the NKO of the USSR No. 51 in addition to the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of January 6, 1943 “On the introduction of new insignia for personnel of the Red Army,” changes were made to the shoulder straps of Marshals of the Soviet Union and shoulder straps were introduced for marshals of aviation and artillery and armored forces.
October 27, 1943 by order of the USSR NGO No. 305 on the basis of the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of October 9, 1943. Additionally, military ranks have been established for senior command personnel:
ORDER OF THE DEPUTY PEOPLE'S COMMISSIONER OF DEFENSE
WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE DECREE OF THE PRESIDIUM OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE USSR
“ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ADDITIONAL MILITARY RANKS FOR SENIOR COMMAND STAFF OF THE RED ARMY”
I announce for the leadership the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of October 9, 1943 “On the establishment of additional military ranks for the senior command staff of the Red Army.”
Deputy People's Commissar of Defense
Marshal of the Soviet Union VASILEVSKY
DECREE OF THE PRESIDIUM OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE USSR
ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ADDITIONAL MILITARY RANKS
FOR SENIOR COMMAND STAFF OF THE RED ARMY
In addition to the decrees of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 7, 1940 and January 16, 1943, to establish the following military ranks for the senior command staff of the Red Army:
Chief Marshal of Artillery,
Air Chief Marshal,
Chief Marshal of the Armored Forces,
Marshal of Signal Corps,
Chief Marshal of the Signal Corps,
Marshal of the Engineering Troops,
Chief Marshal of the Engineering Troops.
Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR M. KALININ
Secretary of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR A. GORKIN
Moscow Kremlin. October 9, 1943
The changes at the end of 1943 resulted in the following:
Marshal of Soviet Soz - 1 large star and the state emblem above
Chief Marshal (branch) - 1 large star in a wreath and the emblem of the military branch above it
Marshal (army branch) - 1 large star
There were no changes to the generals' insignia.
Shoulder straps and insignia of SENIOR AND MIDDLE COMMANDS.
On the shoulder straps of the middle command staff there is one gap and silver-plated stars;
On the shoulder straps of senior officers there are two gaps and large silver-plated stars.
The stars on the shoulder straps are metal. From junior lieutenant to captain inclusive, the size of the stars from corner to corner is 13 mm, from major to colonel - 20 mm.
The number of stars on the chase - by military rank:
Colonel - three stars,
lieutenant colonel - two stars,
major - one star,
captain - four stars,
senior lieutenant - three stars,
lieutenant - two stars,
junior lieutenant - one star.
Shoulder straps and insignia of junior command and rank and file. Field of shoulder straps:
field - from khaki cloth,
everyday - from colored cloth according to the branch of service.
Stripes on field shoulder straps for junior command and command personnel:
narrow - 1 cm wide,
wide - 3 cm wide,
longitudinal patch on the sergeant's shoulder straps - 1.5 cm wide.
The shoulder straps of junior command personnel have stripes corresponding to their military rank:
foreman - narrow longitudinal and wide transverse stripes,
senior sergeant - wide transverse stripe,
sergeant - three narrow transverse stripes,
junior sergeant - two narrow transverse stripes,
corporal - a narrow transverse stripe.
With the Bolsheviks coming to power, all military ranks and insignia were abolished. However, the experience of the civil war soon showed the need for some way of allocating command personnel. Until the winter of 1919, the process of introducing insignia was not regulated by anyone. There were insignia in the form of red armbands with the inscription of the position, a different number of red stripes around the sleeve, a different number of stars on the sleeve, headdress, on the chest, etc. These insignia were introduced by the commanders of brigades, divisions, and regiments. On January 16, 1919, by order of the RVSR No. 116, insignia of the military branches in the form of colored buttonholes on collars and insignia of commanders in the form of stripes on the left sleeve above the cuff were introduced. By this order, insignia were introduced only for combatant commanders and their deputies. Political commissars, staff soldiers, and servicemen of auxiliary services did not have any insignia according to this order. The insignia were stripes made of red fabric in the form of triangles, squares and diamonds placed above the cuffs of an overcoat, jacket, jacket, jacket, tunic or other outerwear. Above these signs was a red star cut from the same fabric with a diameter of 11 cm. for commanders from squad to regiment; diameter 14.5 cm. from the brigade commander and above.
Junior command staff wore triangles:
One is the squad leader
Two - deputy platoon commander
Three - sergeant major of a company (division)
Middle and senior command personnel wore squares:
One - platoon commander
Two - company commander
Three - battalion commander
Four - regiment commander
The senior command staff wore diamonds:
One is the brigade commander
Two - division commander
Three - army commander
Four - front commander
Very quickly other military personnel began to wear these insignia. Most often, the corresponding commander's deputies wore one badge less than the commander's. Based on the approximate correspondence of their positions to the legal status of the commanders, other military personnel began to sew on the badges.
By Order of the RVSR No. 1406 of August 22, 1919, distinctive insignia on the left sleeve above the elbow in the form of rhombuses measuring 11x8 cm were introduced for military servicemen of the military communications service. and a red armband for military commandants of railway stations and piers with the same sign depicted on it.
Until September 1935, insignia corresponded only to the position held. With the introduction of a single headdress - budenovka - in 1919, the color of the sewn star began to indicate the type of military service
infantry.........crimson
cavalry......blue
artillery.....orange
aviation.........blue
sappers.........black
border guards..green
At the ends of the collar of an overcoat or shirt, buttonholes were sewn in the color of the star. In the infantry, it was prescribed that the regimental number be painted on the buttonholes in black paint.
In April 1920, sleeve insignia of the military branches were introduced. These signs are made of cloth and embroidered with colored silk. The signs are placed on the left sleeve of the shirt or caftan in the middle between the shoulder and elbow.
Let's remember about the Cheka-GPU-OGPU
06/13/1918 the Internal Troops of the GPU-OGPU were created as a corps of troops of the Cheka
05/25/1919, together with other auxiliary troops, the Internal Troops became part of the Internal Security Troops of the Republic (VOKhR)
09/01/1920 VOKhR, reinforced by a number of contingents, formed the Internal Service Troops (VNUS)
01/19/1921 Independent troops of the Cheka were again separated from the VNUS
02/06/1922 The Cheka troops were reorganized into the Internal Troops of the GPU-OGPU.
The protection of places of detention and escort were carried out by the Convoy Guard of the Republic. Until 1923, it was part of the structure of the People's Commissariat of Justice, but was operationally subordinate to the GPU.
In June 1934, all OGPU institutions were included in the all-Union People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs (NKVD), where the Main Directorate of State Security was formed. The Internal Troops were renamed the Internal Guard of the NKVD. The first uniform for the GPU bodies and internal troops was introduced on June 27, 1922. The items of clothing and equipment adopted by the GPU bodies and troops initially differed from the Red Army only in color and some details.
Uniforms and insignia underwent significant changes in 1934.
System of official ranks of the OGPU in 1922
GPU employee
Agent 3 rank...................1 triangle
Agent 2 rank...................2 triangles
Agent 1st rank...................3 triangles
Special assignment officer. 1 square
Beginning operational point.....2 squares
Beginning inspection department.........3 squares
Beginning investigative part......4 square
Military instructor of the inspection...............1 diamond
Beginning GPU departments............2 diamonds
Deputy Beginning department of the GPU............3 diamonds
Head of the GPU department......4 diamonds
The highest military rank of Generalissimo of the Soviet Union was established on June 26, 1945 and awarded to I.V. Stalin. On the dress uniform, epaulettes with the Coat of Arms and a star were used instead of shoulder straps.
After receiving the rank of marshal in 1943, Stalin was given a special suit. It was a closed light gray tunic with a turn-down collar and four pockets of the same cut that Soviet generals wore before the introduction of shoulder straps. The tunic had shoulder straps of the Marshal of the Soviet Union and general's overcoat buttonholes - red with gold piping and buttons. The collar and cuffs were edged with red piping. The loose-fitting trousers with red stripes were made from the same fabric as the jacket. No one else wore such a suit. In it, J.V. Stalin was depicted in official portraits and posters. He became the only uniform of the Generalissimo of the Soviet Union.
Buttonholes were the insignia of NKVD workers. In general, like all paramilitary units in the pre-war period. However, in addition to the buttonholes, insignia were also located on the sleeves of tunics and service jackets. In addition, rank could also be determined by the appearance of the departmental patch on the sleeve. The rank insignia of NKVD workers differed from those accepted in the Armed Forces. This applied not only to operational personnel, but also to NKVD troops and border guards. For the first time in Soviet history, stars appear on insignia. In addition, all NKVD employees were assigned special ranks different from military ones.
Two red sleeve truncated triangles - state security sergeant;
- three red sleeve truncated triangles - junior lieutenant of state security;
- one sleeve star embroidered with silver - lieutenant of state security;
- two sleeve stars embroidered with silver - senior lieutenant of state security;
- three sleeve stars embroidered with silver - captain of state security;
- one sleeve star embroidered in gold - state security major;
- two sleeve stars embroidered in gold - senior major of state security;
- three sleeve stars embroidered in gold - State Security Commissioner of the 3rd rank;
- four sleeve stars embroidered in gold, one of them at the bottom is a commissar of state security of the 2nd rank;
- four sleeve stars embroidered in gold, one of them at the top is the Commissar of State Security of the 1st rank;
- one large star on the cuff of the sleeve - General Commissioner of State Security.
Actually, the same thing happened on the buttonholes. The commanding officers of the GUGB wore a longitudinal tourniquet on their buttonholes, namely:
silver cord - sergeant, junior lieutenant, lieutenant, senior lieutenant and captain;
golden tourniquet - major, senior major, state security commissioner of the 3rd, 2nd and 1st rank. Well, the General Commissioner of State Security, respectively.
In addition, a departmental emblem was sewn onto the left sleeve, also indicating the rank of the owner:
From GB sergeant to GB captain - the oval and sword are silver, the hilt of the sword and the sickle and hammer are gold,
From the GB major to the 1st rank GB commissar - the oval of the shield is golden, all other details are silver.
The period under consideration covers the time from September 1935 to May (November) 1940.
Despite the introduction of a disguised system of military ranks in 1924, the need to introduce a full-fledged system of personal ranks was obvious. The leader of the country, J.V. Stalin, understood that the introduction of ranks would increase not only the responsibility of the command staff, but also authority and self-respect; will increase the authority of the army among the population and raise the prestige of military service. In addition, the system of personal ranks facilitated the work of army personnel authorities, made it possible to develop a clear set of requirements and criteria for the assignment of each rank, systematized official correspondence, and would be a significant incentive for official zeal. However, part of the senior command staff (Budeny, Voroshilov, Timoshenko, Mehlis, Kulik) resisted the introduction of new ranks. They hated the very word “general.” This resistance was reflected in the ranks of the senior command staff.
By the resolution of the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR dated September 22, 1935, the division of military personnel into categories (K1, ..., K14) was abolished and personal military ranks were established for all military personnel. The process of transition to personal ranks took the entire fall until December 1935. In addition, rank insignia were introduced only in December 1935. This gave rise to the general opinion of historians that ranks in the Red Army were introduced in December 1935.
Private and junior command personnel also received personal ranks in 1935, which, however, sounded like job titles. This feature of the naming of ranks has given rise to a widespread mistake among many historians, who claim that in 1935 privates and junior command personnel did not receive ranks. However, the Charter of the internal service of the Red Army of 1937 in Art. 14 clause 10 lists the ranks of ordinary and junior command and command personnel.
It should, however, be noted that there is a negative point in the new rank system. The military personnel were divided into:
- 1) Command staff.
- 2) Commanding staff:
- a) military-political composition;
- b) military-technical personnel;
- c) military-economic and administrative composition;
- d) military medical personnel;
- e) military veterinary personnel;
- f) military-legal staff.
- 3) Junior command and management personnel.
- 4) Rank and file.
Each squad had its own ranks, which made the system more complex. It was possible to partially get rid of several rank scales only in 1943, and the remnants were eliminated in the mid-eighties.
P.S. All ranks and names, terminology and spelling (!) are verified according to the original - “Charter of the internal service of the Red Army (UVS-37)” Edition 1938 Military Publishing House.
Private, junior command and command personnel of the ground and air forces
Command staff of ground and air forces
*The rank of “Junior Lieutenant” was introduced on 08/05/1937.
Military-political composition of all military branches
The rank of “Junior Political Instructor” was introduced on August 5, 1937. It was equivalent to the rank of “lieutenant” (namely a lieutenant, but not a junior lieutenant!).
Military-technical composition of the ground and air forces
| Category | Rank |
| Average military-technical personnel | Junior military technician* |
| Military technician 2nd rank | |
| Military technician 1st rank | |
| Senior military technical personnel | Military engineer 3rd rank |
| Military engineer 2nd rank | |
| Military engineer 1st rank | |
| Higher military-technical personnel | Brigengineer |
| Development engineer | |
| Coring engineer | |
| Armengineer | |
*The rank of “Junior military technician” was introduced on 08/05/1937, corresponding to the rank of “junior lieutenant”. Persons with a higher technical education upon entering the army as technical personnel were immediately awarded the title “Military Engineer of the 3rd Rank.”
Military-economic and administrative, military-medical, military-veterinary and military-legal composition of all branches of the military
| Category | Military-economic and administrative composition | Military medical personnel | Military veterinary staff | Military-legal composition |
| Average | Quartermaster technician 2nd rank | Military paramedic | Military veterinarian | Junior military lawyer |
| Quartermaster technician 1st rank | Senior military paramedic | Senior military veterinarian | Military lawyer | |
| Senior | Quartermaster 3rd rank | Military doctor 3rd rank | Military veterinarian 3rd rank | Military lawyer 3rd rank |
| Quartermaster 2nd rank | Military doctor 2nd rank | Military veterinarian 2nd rank | Military lawyer 2nd rank | |
| Quartermaster 1st Rank | Military doctor 1st rank | Military veterinarian 1st rank | Military lawyer 1st rank | |
| Higher | Brigintendant | Brigdoctor | Brigvet doctor | Brigvoenurist |
| Divintendant | Divdoctor | Divvetdoctor | Divvoenurist | |
| Corintendent | Korvrach | Corvette doctor | Corvoenurist | |
| Armintendant | Arm doctor | Armed veterinarian | Armmilitary lawyer | |
Persons with a higher education upon enlistment or conscription into the army were immediately awarded the rank of “3rd Rank Quartermaster”; higher medical education upon admission or conscription into the army was immediately awarded the rank of “Military Doctor of the 3rd Rank” (equal to the rank of “captain”); higher veterinary education upon admission or conscription into the army was immediately awarded the title “Military Veterinarian of the 3rd Rank”; higher legal education upon admission or conscription into the army was immediately awarded the title “Military Lawyer of the 3rd Rank”
The emergence of general ranks of the Red Army in 1940
In 1940, general ranks appeared in the Red Army, which was a continuation of the process of returning to the system of personal military ranks, openly begun in 1935, and in a disguised form since May 1924 (the introduction of the so-called “service categories”).
After much debate and deliberation, the system of general ranks of the Red Army was introduced by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 7, 1940. However, they were introduced only for command personnel. The commanding staff (military-political, military-technical, military medical, military-veterinary, legal, administrative and quartermaster staff) remained with the same ranks, which will be changed only in 1943. However, the commissars will receive the rank of general in the fall of 1942, when the institution of military commissars will be abolished.
Only one who first of all defeated his own people could defeat a strong opponent.
V century BC
We started the story about the “black” divisions and corps with the 63rd Rifle Corps of the 21st Army. And then they mentioned Corps Commander Petrovsky and Brigade Commander Fokanov. Why aren't they generals? The answer here is simple. In the “black” corps and divisions, not only soldiers and officers, but also senior commanders were veterans of “barracks towns for lumberjacks.” Until 1940, the military ranks of “brigade commander”, “divisional commander”, “komkor”, “commander” were established for senior command personnel in the Red Army. Diamonds in the buttonholes were used as insignia: one diamond for the brigade commander, two for the division commander, etc. But in May 1940, Stalin made a gift to the senior command of his army - he introduced general ranks, stripes, stars instead of diamonds. The new ranks: major general, lieutenant general, colonel general, army general are in no way related to the old military ranks. The government commission carried out a complete recertification of the entire senior command staff, and many brigade commanders became colonels, that is, they were demoted to the level at which they had been a few years ago. Some brigade commanders became general 240 majors, and brigade commander I.N. Muzychenko - Lieutenant General. Many army commanders became colonel generals - O.I. Gorodovikov, G.M. Stern, D.G. Pavlov, N.N. Voronov. Army commander V.Ya. Kachalov was demoted lower - lieutenant general. But corps commander G.K. Zhukov receives the highest general rank - army general. By the way, a little known fact:
This is how he describes his liberation:
“My wife visited the NKVD, flew back from there as if on wings, said that she was received very well, they spoke politely, they were interested in how she lived, whether she needed help with money... ...On the night of March 5, 1941, at two o'clock, in a passenger car, the investigator took me to Komsomolskaya Square to my friends. Having handed me over, he politely said goodbye. “Here is my phone number. If anything happens, call me at any time. Count on my help.”
As a relic, I took with me a bag of patches, galoshes and pitch-black lumps of sugar and dried goods, which I kept in case of illness" (A.V. Gorbatov. Years and Wars. P. 168-169).
The comparison with burying in a coffin and digging up is not my idea. I borrowed this from Army General Gorbatov: “I consider the fifth of March the day of my second birth.” Brigade commander Gorbatov was released (like many others), having precisely calculated the time: a month of vacation in a sanatorium, reception of cases, and then the time - TASS message. And now the brave brigade commander with his “Annushki” is already secretly moving to the west.
And like a real prisoner, he stashed away the “souvenirs” of the Gulag for good reason. We didn’t need them, and that’s good. And some needed it. Here is brigade commander I.F. Dashichev put on his galoshes for the second time. Released in March 1941, it sat in October and sat until at least 1953.
Brigade commanders, division commanders, and corps commanders were used to replenish the First Strategic Echelon. Here is brigade commander S.P. Zybin received the 37th Rifle Corps, division commander E. Magon - the 45th Rifle Corps of the 13th Army, brigade commander M.S. Tkachev - 109th Rifle Division of the 9th Special Rifle Corps. Brigade commander N.P. Ivanov - Chief of Staff of the 6th Army. Divisional Commander A.D. Sokolov is the commander of the 16th Mechanized Corps of the 12th Army. Divisional Commander G.A. Burichenkov is the commander of the Southern Air Defense Zone. Divisional Commander P.G. Alekseev is the commander of the 13th Army Air Force. Brigade commander S.S. Krushin - Chief of Staff of the Air Force of the North-Western Front. Kombrig A.S. Titov - chief of artillery of the 18th Army. And many, many others. Brigade commanders and division commanders filled the voids after the Second Strategic Echelon secretly moved to the borders.
Here is brigade commander N.I. Khristofanov - military commissar of the Stavropol Territory. Brigade commander M.V. Khripunov is the head of a department at the headquarters of the Moscow Military District. The headquarters, as we know, after all the commanders left for the Romanian border, was occupied by security officers who do not really understand military affairs. So, to help themselves, poor Khripunov was discharged from the Gulag.
But still, the main purpose of division commanders, brigade commanders, and corps commanders is the Second Strategic Echelon. This echelon is staffed by “lumberjacks”, and the commanders here are the same. This is where we find Corps Commander Petrovsky. We remember that his last position was deputy commander of the Moscow Military District. After that, he sat down. Released in November 1940 and ordered to form the 63rd Rifle Corps. That's when the "black" cases appeared! Of the three divisions of the corps, two are commanded by brigade commander Ya.S. Fokanov and V.S. Rakovsky. The third division is commanded by Colonel N.A. Clothes. Not a brigade commander, but... he was sitting.
Colonels were also imprisoned and then released to staff the Second Strategic Echelon. And majors, and captains, and lieutenants too. The neighboring 67th corps of the same army is overcrowded with brigade commanders. Even at the head of the corps, brigade commander F.F. Zhmachenko (later Colonel General). Turn your discerning eye to any army moving secretly from the depths of the country, and everywhere you will see herds of brigade commanders released the day before. Here in the 22nd Army there are two corps and both have brigade commanders: Povetkin - 51st Corps, I.P. Karmanov - 62nd. Look at the chiefs of staff, chiefs of artillery, engineering troops, logistics and any other service or branch of the military - all of these have been released from prison. In this army, two divisions are very black, obviously from the “lumberjacks”, but also the commanders are from the same environment: 112th Rifle - Brigade Commander Ya.S. Adamson, 174th - brigade commander A.I. Zygin. Let us not clutter up the presentation with dozens of other names and numbers of divisions and corps. Anyone interested in the history of the Second World War can collect for themselves a collection of names released from prison by senior commanders to whom Stalin “gave the opportunity.”
The communists say that this is Stalin’s defensive reaction: sensing evil, he strengthens his army. No, this is not a defensive reaction! The process of liberating brigade commanders, division commanders and corps commanders was started by Stalin before the Barbarossa plan arose. The peak of this process occurs not at the moment when German troops stood on the Soviet borders, but at the moment when they left for France. Now imagine that Stalin is persistently cutting corridors to the borders of your state, destroying neutral states that stand in his way. At the same time, Stalin gives a “rebirth” to an unknown but huge number of commanders condemned to quick or slow death. These people were given weapons and power, but each of them is essentially a suicide bomber, burning with the desire to return to the heights from which Stalin overthrew him with deeds and blood (his own and others’). And so a mass of troops, under the leadership of commanders released from prison, secretly rushed to your borders, while Stalin officially assured that nothing serious was happening. What would you do in this situation?
Brigade commander- in Russian after 1917, the reduction of the position of brigade commander, as well as the personal military rank of members of the senior command staff of the Red Army in the period from 22.09. to 7.05. , corresponding to the rank of brigadier or brigadier general in the armed forces of other countries. The next military rank is division commander.
Story
The prerequisite for creating a personal military rank " brigade commander"is the implementation of the military reform of 1924, as a result of which, according to the order of the RVS No. 807 of June 20. the entire command staff was divided into 14 job categories and the 10th category (K-10) from the group of senior command personnel corresponded to the typical command position of “assistant division commander or commander of a separate brigade,” which had one in the buttonhole as a sign of official position rhombus. The brigade commander in the Red Army was an intermediate level between colonel and major general. This was due to the fact that in the active army, a tactical formation larger than a regiment and smaller than a division—a brigade—has become quite common. Thus, the title " brigade commander"(as well as "divisional commander", "corps commander", and "commander") existed, but was used purely in an official aspect.
Insignia
RA A F6aComBrig 1940.png
Brigade commander's rank insignia in the buttonholes of his greatcoat.
RA A F6ComBrig 1940 chevr.png
Insignia (chevron) of a brigade commander on the sleeve.
Equals brigade commander the ranks of the commanding staff were retained. They continued to be assigned until 1942. The latest is 8.2. the rank of brigvoenurist was reclassified. As a rule, former holders of such ranks received the rank of colonel of the corresponding service, a few - major general.
In art
- Rank brigade commander worn by Fedor Fedorovich Serpilin, one of the heroes of the novel by K. M. Simonov and the film of the same name “The Living and the Dead” (role brigade commander Serpilin was performed by A.D. Papanov).
see also
- Captain-commander/captain of brigadier rank
- Senior Colonel/Da Xiao
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Notes
Literature
- Ganichev P. P. Military ranks. - DOSAAF USSR. - M.: DOSAAF USSR, 1989. - 144 p. - 100,000 copies. - ISBN 5-7030-0073-4.
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Excerpt characterizing the Brigade Commander
“Take no prisoners,” continued Prince Andrei. “This alone would change the whole war and make it less cruel.” Otherwise we were playing at war - that’s what’s bad, we’re being generous and the like. This is generosity and sensitivity - like the generosity and sensitivity of a lady who becomes sick when she sees a calf being killed; she is so kind that she cannot see the blood, but she eats this calf with gravy with appetite. They talk to us about the rights of war, about chivalry, about parliamentarianism, to spare the unfortunate, and so on. It's all nonsense. I saw chivalry and parliamentarianism in 1805: we were deceived, we were deceived. They rob other people's houses, pass around counterfeit banknotes, and worst of all, they kill my children, my father, and talk about the rules of war and generosity towards enemies. Don't take prisoners, but kill and go to your death! Who got to this point the way I did, through the same suffering...Prince Andrei, who thought that he did not care whether they took Moscow or not, the way they took Smolensk, suddenly stopped in his speech from an unexpected spasm that grabbed him by the throat. He walked several times in silence, but his eyes shone feverishly, and his lip trembled when he began to speak again:
“If there were no generosity in war, then we would go only when it’s worth it to go to certain death, as now.” Then there would be no war because Pavel Ivanovich offended Mikhail Ivanovich. And if there is a war like now, then there is a war. And then the intensity of the troops would not be the same as it is now. Then all these Westphalians and Hessians, led by Napoleon, would not have followed him to Russia, and we would not have gone to fight in Austria and Prussia, without knowing why. War is not a courtesy, but the most disgusting thing in life, and we must understand this and not play at war. We must take this terrible necessity strictly and seriously. That's all there is to it: throw away the lies, and war is war, not a toy. Otherwise, war is the favorite pastime of idle and frivolous people... The military class is the most honorable. What is war, what is needed for success in military affairs, what are the morals of military society? The purpose of war is murder, the weapons of war are espionage, treason and its encouragement, the ruin of the inhabitants, their robbery or theft to feed the army; deception and lies, called stratagems; the morals of the military class - lack of freedom, that is, discipline, idleness, ignorance, cruelty, debauchery, drunkenness. And despite this, this is the highest class, respected by everyone. All kings, except the Chinese, wear a military uniform, and the one who killed the most people is given a large reward... They will come together, like tomorrow, to kill each other, kill, maim tens of thousands of people, and then they will serve thanksgiving services for having beaten there are many people (whose number is still being added), and they proclaim victory, believing that the more people are beaten, the greater the merit. How God looks and listens to them from there! – Prince Andrei shouted in a thin, squeaky voice. - Oh, my soul, lately it has become difficult for me to live. I see that I have begun to understand too much. But it is not good for a person to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil... Well, not for long! - he added. “However, you are sleeping, and I don’t care, go to Gorki,” Prince Andrei suddenly said.
- Oh no! - Pierre answered, looking at Prince Andrei with frightened, compassionate eyes.
“Go, go: you need to get some sleep before the battle,” repeated Prince Andrei. He quickly approached Pierre, hugged him and kissed him. “Goodbye, go,” he shouted. “See you, no...” and he quickly turned around and went into the barn.
It was already dark, and Pierre could not make out the expression that was on Prince Andrei’s face, whether it was angry or tender.
Pierre stood silently for some time, wondering whether to follow him or go home. “No, he doesn’t need it! “Pierre decided to himself, “and I know that this is our last date.” He sighed heavily and drove back to Gorki.
Prince Andrey, returning to the barn, lay down on the carpet, but could not sleep.
He closed his eyes. Some images were replaced by others. He stopped at one for a long time, joyfully. He vividly remembered one evening in St. Petersburg. Natasha, with a lively, excited face, told him how last summer, while out picking mushrooms, she got lost in a large forest. She incoherently described to him the wilderness of the forest, and her feelings, and conversations with the beekeeper whom she had met, and, interrupting every minute in her story, she said: “No, I can’t, I’m not telling it like that; no, you don’t understand,” despite the fact that Prince Andrei reassured her, saying that he understood, and really understood everything she wanted to say. Natasha was dissatisfied with her words - she felt that the passionately poetic feeling that she experienced that day and which she wanted to turn out did not come out. “This old man was such a charm, and it was so dark in the forest... and he was so kind... no, I don’t know how to tell,” she said, blushing and worried. Prince Andrey smiled now with the same joyful smile that he smiled then, looking into her eyes. “I understood her,” thought Prince Andrei. “Not only did I understand, but this spiritual strength, this sincerity, this spiritual openness, this soul of hers, which seemed to be connected by her body, I loved this soul in her... I loved her so much, so happily...” And suddenly he remembered about how his love ended. “He didn’t need any of this. He didn't see or understand any of this. He saw in her a pretty and fresh girl, with whom he did not deign to throw in his lot. And I? And he is still alive and cheerful.”
Prince Andrei, as if someone had burned him, jumped up and began to walk in front of the barn again.
On August 25, on the eve of the Battle of Borodino, the prefect of the palace of the French Emperor, M r de Beausset, and Colonel Fabvier arrived, the first from Paris, the second from Madrid, to Emperor Napoleon in his camp near Valuev.
Having changed into a court uniform, M r de Beausset ordered the parcel he had brought to the emperor to be carried in front of him and entered the first compartment of Napoleon's tent, where, talking with Napoleon's adjutants who surrounded him, he began to uncork the box.
Fabvier, without entering the tent, stopped, talking with familiar generals, at the entrance to it.
Emperor Napoleon had not yet left his bedroom and was finishing his toilet. He, snorting and grunting, turned first with his thick back, then with his overgrown fat chest under the brush with which the valet rubbed his body. Another valet, holding the bottle with his finger, sprinkled cologne on the emperor’s well-groomed body with an expression that said that he alone could know how much and where to spray the cologne. Napoleon's short hair was wet and tangled over his forehead. But his face, although swollen and yellow, expressed physical pleasure: “Allez ferme, allez toujours...” [Well, even stronger...] - he said, shrugging and grunting, to the valet who was rubbing him. The adjutant, who entered the bedroom in order to report to the emperor about how many prisoners were taken in yesterday's case, having handed over what was needed, stood at the door, waiting for permission to leave. Napoleon, wincing, glanced from under his brows at the adjutant.
