Military ranks of the Soviet Union (1935–1940)

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Individual rank insignia to the (Army) ground forces and (Navy) naval forces (1935–1940) were established by orders 2590 and 2591, effective from September 22, 1935.[1]

This was mainly directed to supreme commanders, commanding officers, and personnel in charge to exert command and control in the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, published by order number 176 of the USSR People's Commissariat of Defense, dated from December 3, 1935.[2]

## Situation in 1935

[edit]

According to these new orders, new insignia of command personnel should indicate:

* Branch of service (e.g. Army, Air Force, or Navy), or special troops
* Qualification, professional responsibility, specific knowledge
* Rank insignia, operational/ tactical responsibility, e.g. level of military command, formation, unit, or sub-unit.

The top military rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union was created by order of the USSR Central Executive Committee and the “Council of People's Commissars” from September 22, 1935, onward, before the new ranks were issued.

## Military ranks

[edit]

The military ranks created as a result of the joint decision of the “USSR Central Executive Committee” and the “Council of People's Commissars” from November 21, 1935, are contained in the table below. These replaced the ranks used from 1924.

Land forces
Air Force  | Naval forces  | equivalent in GUGB/NKVD

|
|

Enlisted men & junior leading staff
Red Army Man | Red Fleet Man
(from 1943: Matros) | No equivalent
Otdeljonnyi komandir
Junior commander | No equivalent
Starshina
Commanding staff
Lieutenant | Sergeant of the state security
Starshy leytenant | Mladshy leytenant of state security
Kapitan | Captain lieutenant | Lieutenant of state security
Major | Captain 3rd rank | Starshy leytenant of state security
Polkovnik | Kapitan 2nd rank | Kapitan of state security
Kombrig | Kapitan 1st rank | Mayor of state security
Komdiv | Flag officer 2nd rank | Starshy mayor of state security
Komkor | Flag Officer 1st rank | Commissioner of state security 3rd rank
Komandarm 2nd rank | Fleet Flag Officer 2nd rank | Commissioner of state security 2nd rank
Komandarm 1st rank | Fleet Flag Officer 1st rank | Commissioner of state security 1st rank
Marshal of the Soviet Union | No equivalent | State Security Commissioner general

### Additional regulations

[edit]

The same orders mentioned above provided for separate ranks for the Political commissars and military specialists, as in the table below.

Military-political staff
all service branches  | Military-technician staff  | Military-administration and support all service branches  | Military-medical service all service branches  | Military-veterinarian all service branches  | Military-legal service all service branches

|
|
|
|
|

Land forces &
Air Force  | Naval forces
No rank established | Military technician 2nd rank | Technical intendant 2nd rank | Army-surgeon | Veterinarian army-surgeon | Junior military jurist
Political leader  |  | Military technician 1st rank | Technical-intendant 1st rank | Senior army-surgeon | Senior veterinarian army-surgeon | Military jurist
Senior political leader  |  | Military engineer 3rd rank | Intendant 3rd rank | Military physician 3rd rank | Military veterinarian 3rd rank | Military jurist 3rd rank
Bataillon commissar  |  | Military engineer 2nd rank | Intendant 2nd rank | Mil-physician 2nd rank | Mil-vet-physician 2nd rank | Military jurist 2nd rank
Regimental commissar  |  | Mililitary engineer 1st rank | Intendant 1st rank | Military physician 1st rank | Mil-vet-physician 1st rank | Military jurist 1st rank
Brigade commissar  |  | Brigade engineer | Engineer Flag officer 3rd rank | Brig-intendant | Brig-physician | Brig-vet-physician | Brig-mil-jurist
Division commissar  |  | Division engineer | Engineer Flag officer 2nd rank | Div-intendant | Div-physician | Div-vet-physician | Div-mil-jurist
Corps commissar  |  | Corps engineer | Engineer Flag officer 1st rank | Corps intendant | Corps physician | Corps vet-physician | Corps military-jurist
Army commissar 2nd rank  |  | Army engineer | Fleet Engineer Flag officer | Army intendant | Army physician | Army veterinarian | Army military-jurist
Army commissar 1st rank  |  | No equivalent ranks created

## 1937

[edit]

More regulations were established in 1937, following general instructions of the Red Army. According to paragraph 10 of this instruction, the following subdivision of personnel was made:

* Leading staff: Military officers and heads of departments, military administration and commissariat, medical service, veterinarian service, military legal service
* Commanding staff: Personnel with the ranks commander in chief and commander
* Junior commanding staff
* Enlisted men/ratings

Paragraph 14 of this instruction contained the individual ranks and rank designations according to the order of September 22, 1935, and thus officially sanctioned the additional established OF-1c ranks (Junior lieutenant and Junior military technician), taking effect on August 5, 1937.

## 1939

[edit]

By decision of the extraordinary session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (end of August until early September 1939) the law on universal compulsory service took effect, and the new OF4-ranks of Podpolkovnik and Battalion commissar were introduced as a result of the amendments to the rank regulations of 1935. An equivalent OF4-rank for the Soviet navy was not established, however.

## Rank designations

[edit]

Soviet tankers with visible insignia of Starshy leytenant during the Nazi-Soviet joint military parade in Brest-Litovsk, Poland, on September 22, 1939.

In addition to individual ranks the establishment of defined rank insignia was made in December 1935 as well. From this time military staff, including political commissars, military administration, commissariat, medical service, veterinarian service, and military legal service of the Red Army wore rank insignia as follows:

* Rank insignia chevron: on both sleeves (short above the cuff)
* Rank insignia big: on both collar-edges of the uniform coat
* Rank insignia small: on both collar-edges of the battle jacket (Gymnastjorka)

However, naval military staff wore sleeve insignia (stripes and stars) on both sleeves of the uniform.

Commander in chief, higher commanding officers and top appointments OF10 to OF6

* Rank insignia, big (overcoat): on a rhombic padding, gold coloured border, one to four rhombic red enameled badges, gold coloured Soviet star small/ big
* Rank insignia, small (Gymnastjorka): on rectangle padding, gold coloured border, one to four rhombic red enameled badges
* Sleeve insignia (overcoat): one to four gold colored chevrons, Soviet star small/ big, one red coloured extra chevron OF10

Commanding officers and unit leaders OF5, OF3 and OF2

* Rank insignia big (over coat): on rhombic padding, gold coloured border, one to three red enameled rectangle badges
* Rank insignia small (Gymnastjorka): on rectangle padding, gold coloured border, one to four red enameled rectangle badges

Subunit leader OF1

* Rank insignia big (over coat): on rhombic padding, gold coloured border, one to four red enameled square badges
* Rank insignia small (Gymnastjorka): on rectangle padding, gold coloured border, one to four red enameled square badges

Sub-subunit leader and enlisted men OR8 to OR1

* Sub-subunit leader
* Rank insignia big (over coat): on rhombic padding, gold coloured border, one to three red enameled triangular badges
* Rank insignia small (Gymnastjorka): on rectangle padding, gold coloured border, one to four red enameled triangular badges
* Enlisted men: simple rank insignia big (over coat)/ simple rank insignia small (Gymnastjorka)

## Table of rank insignia land forces and Air Force 1935–1940

[edit]

### Higher commanders

[edit]

Designation | Higher commanders

|

Rank
insignia[3] | Coat-collar  |  |  |  |  |  |
Gymnastjorka |  |  |  |  |
Sleeve chevron |  |  |  |  |  |
Russian  | Маршал советского союза
Marshal sovetskogo soyuza | Командарм 1-го ранга
Komandarm 1-go ranga | Командарм 2-го ранга
Komandarm 2-go ranga | Комкор
Komkor | Комдив
Komdiv | Комбриг
Kombrig

* * *

English  | Marshal of the Soviet Union | Army commander 1st class | Army commander 2nd class | Corps commander | Divisional commander | Brigade commander

* * *

Rank designation after 1940  | No change  | General of the Army
(Chief marshal of the branch & Marshal of the branch) | Colonel general | Lieutenant general | Major General

### Middle and senior commanders

[edit]

Designation | Senior commanders | Middle-level commanders

|
|

Rank
insignia[3] | Coat-collar  |  |  |  |  |  |
Gymnastjorka  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sleeve chevron  |  |  |  |  |  |
Russian  | Полковник
Polkovnik | Майор
Mayor | Капитан
Kapitan | Старший лейтенант
Starshiy leytenant | Лейтенант
Leytenant | Младший лейтенант
Mladshiy leytenant

* * *

English  | Colonel | Major | Captain | Senior lieutenant | Lieutenant | Junior lieutenant
(adopted 1937)

### Junior commanders and enlisted men

[edit]

Designation | Junior commanders | Enlisted men

|
|

Rank
insignia | Coat-collar  |  |  |  |
Gymastjorka  |  |  |  |
Russian  | Старшина
Starshina | Младший комвзвод
Mladshiy komvzvod | Отделенный командир
Otdelennyy komandir | Красноармеец
Krasnoarmeyets

* * *

English  | Starshina | Junior platoon commander | Section commander  | Red Army man

* * *

Rank designation after 1940  | No change  | Senior sergeant | Sergeant | No change

## Table of rank insignia for the navy 1935–1940

[edit]

The following ranks and insignia were used by the Soviet Navy from 1935 to 1940.

### Flag officers

[edit]

Designation | Commander in chief, higher commanders and top appointments

|

Sleeve insignia  |  |  |  |
Russian  | Флагман флота 1-го ранга
Flagman flota 1-go ranga | Флагман флота 2-го ранга
Flagman flota 2-go ranga | Флагман 1-го ранга
Flagman 1-go ranga | Флагман 2-го ранга
Flagman 2-go ranga

* * *

English  | Flag officer of the fleet
1st grade  | Flag officer of the fleet
2nd grade  | Flag officer
1st grade  | Flag officer
2nd grade

* * *

Rank designation after 1940  | Admiral of the Fleet | Admiral | Vice admiral | Counter admiral

### Officers

[edit]

Designation | Commanding officers and unit leaders

|

Sleeve insignia  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Russian  | Капитан 1-го ранга
Kapitan 1-go ranga | Капитан 2-го ранга
Kapitan 2-go ranga | Капитан 3-го ранга
Kapitan 3-go ranga | Капитан-лейтенант
Kapitan-leytenant | Старший лейтенант
Starshiy leytenant | Лейтенант
Leytenant | Младший лейтенант
Mladshiy leytenant

* * *

English  | Captain 1st grade | Captain 2nd grade | Captain 3rd grade | Captain lieutenant | Senior lieutenant | Lieutenant | Junior lieutenant
(adopted 1937)

### Sub-unit leader and enlisted men

[edit]

Designation | Sub-unit leaders, specialists & enlisted men

|

Sleeve insignia  |  |  |  |
Russian  | Главный боцман
Glavnyy botsman | Старшина
Starshina | Отделенный командир
Otdelennyy komandir | Краснофлотец
Krasnoflotets

* * *

English  | Chief Boatswain
(adopted 1939) | Starshina | Squad commander  | Red Navy man

* * *

Rank designation after 1940  | Midshipman | Chief Petty Officer | Petty Officer 1st Class | No change

## See also

[edit]

* History of Russian military ranks
* Ranks and insignia of the Imperial Russian Armed Forces
* Military ranks of the Soviet Union (1918–1935)
* Military ranks of the Soviet Union (1940–1943)
* Military ranks of the Soviet Union (1943–1955)
* Military ranks of the Soviet Union (1955–1991)
* Ranks and rank insignia of the Russian Federation's armed forces 1994–2010

## References

[edit]

Citations

1. ^ Rank insignia and sequence of ranks of the “Workers' and Peasants' Red Army” as to order number 2590 of the “USSR Central Executive Committee” and “Council of People's Commissars” from September 22, 1935. Other solutions to ground forces and navy of the “Workers' and Peasants' Red Army” were disposed by order 2591.
2. ^ Order number 176 of the „People's Commissar of Defence of the USSR” from December 3, 1935 pertaining individual military ranks of the land forces and the Navy of the “Workers' and Peasants' Red Army”.
3. ^ a b Rosignoli 1972, Plate 52.

Bibliography

* Rosignoli, Guido (1972). Army badges and insignia of World War 2: Book 1. MacMillan Colour Series. New York: Blandford Press Ltd. LCCN 72-85765.

* v
* t
* e

Military ranks and insignia by country

* List of comparative military ranks

Africa|

* Algeria
* Angola
* Benin
* Botswana
* Burkina Faso
* Burundi
* Cameroon
* Cape Verde
* Central African Republic
* Chad
* Comoros
* DR Congo
* Republic of the Congo
* Djibouti
* Egypt
* Equatorial Guinea
* Eritrea
* Eswatini
* Ethiopia
* Gabon
* Gambia
* Ghana
* Guinea
* Guinea-Bissau
* Ivory Coast
* Kenya
* Lesotho
* Liberia
* Libya
* Madagascar
* Malawi
* Mali
* Mauritania
* Morocco
* Mozambique
* Namibia
* Niger
* Nigeria
* Rwanda
* São Tomé and Príncipe
* Senegal
* Seychelles
* Sierra Leone
* Somalia
* South Africa
* South Sudan
* Sudan
* Tanzania
* Togo
* Tunisia
* Uganda
* Zambia
* Zimbabwe

States with
limited recognition|

* Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
* Somaliland

Former|

* People's Republic of Angola
* Biafra
* Bophuthatswana
* Ciskei
* Kingdom of Egypt
* Ethiopian Empire
* Katanga
* People's Republic of Mozambique
* Rhodesia
* South West Africa
* Transkei
* Venda
* Zaire

Comparative|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Apartheid States in Southern Africa

Americas|

* Antigua and Barbuda
* Argentina
* Bahamas
* Barbados
* Belize
* Bolivia
* Brazil
* Canada
* Chile
* Colombia
* Cuba
* Dominican Republic
* Ecuador
* El Salvador
* Guatemala
* Guyana
* Haiti
* Honduras
* Jamaica
* Mexico
* Nicaragua
* Paraguay
* Peru
* Saint Kitts and Nevis
* Suriname
* Trinidad and Tobago
* United States
* Officers:
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Coast Guard
* Enlisted:
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Coast Guard
* Other:
* Marine Corps
* Space Force
* Warrant officer
* Opposing forces
* Uruguay
* Venezuela

Former|

* Canada (pre-Unification)
* Confederate States of America
* Union
* Army
* Navy
* Costa Rica
* Republic of Cuba
* Empire of Brazil
* Panama
* Republic of Texas
* Army
* Navy
* United States Army enlisted
* World War I
* World War II

Comparative|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Asia|

* Afghanistan
* Bahrain
* Bangladesh
* Bhutan
* Brunei
* Cambodia
* PR of China
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Rocket Force
* Armed Police
* India
* Army
* Air Force
* Navy
* Coast Guard
* Border Roads Organisation
* Paramilitary forces
* Indonesia
* Iran
* Iraq
* Israel
* Japan
* Jordan
* Kazakhstan
* Korea
* North
* South
* Kuwait
* Kyrgyzstan
* Laos
* Lebanon
* Malaysia
* Maldives
* Mongolia
* Myanmar
* Nepal
* Oman
* Pakistan
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Marines
* Civil Armed Forces
* Maritime Security Agency
* Philippines
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* Singapore
* Sri Lanka
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Coast Guard
* Syria
* Tajikistan
* Thailand
* Timor-Leste
* Turkmenistan
* United Arab Emirates
* Uzbekistan
* Vietnam
* Yemen

States with
limited recognition|

* Abkhazia
* Artsakh
* Palestine
* South Ossetia
* Taiwan (Republic of China)

Former|

* China
* Empire
* Republic (1912–1949)
* Dutch East Indies
* East Turkestan (Second Republic)
* People's Republic of Kampuchea
* Imperial Iran
* Imperial Japan
* Army
* Navy
* Korea
* Empire
* Liberation Army
* Kingdom of Laos
* Manchukuo
* Mengjiang
* Mongolian People's Republic
* Vietnam
* State
* South
* South Yemen
* Tibet
* Tuva

Comparative|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Europe|

* Albania
* Armenia
* Austria
* Azerbaijan
* Belarus
* Belgium
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Home Guard
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Army
* Navy
* Gendarmerie
* Air and Space Force
* Foresters
* Germany
* Georgia
* Greece
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Land Forces
* Coast Guard
* Ireland
* Italy
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Carabinieri
* Finance Guard
* Latvia
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* North Macedonia
* Malta
* Moldova
* Monaco
* Montenegro
* Netherlands
* Norway
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Cossacks
* Between 1994 and 2010
* San Marino
* Serbia
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Turkey
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom
* Officers:
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Other:
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Vatican

States with
limited recognition|

* Kosovo
* Northern Cyprus
* Transnistria

Former|

* Albania
* Kingdom
* People's Socialist Republic
* Austria–Hungary
* Army
* Navy
* Bulgaria
* Kingdom
* People's Republic
* Independent State of Croatia
* Czechoslovakia
* German Empire
* Weimar Republic
* Nazi Germany
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* East Germany
* Kingdom of Greece
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* France
* Napoleonic Grand Army
* Hungary
* Kingdom
* People's Republic
* Italy
* Kingdom
* Social Republic
* Ottoman Empire
* Polish People's Republic
* Republika Srpska
* Romania
* Kingdom
* Socialist Republic
* Russian Empire
* White Movement
* Slovakia (First Republic)
* Soviet Union
* 1918–35
* 1935–40
* 1940–43
* 1943–55
* 1955–91
* Spain
* 2nd Republic
* State
* Yugoslavia
* Kingdom
* Socialist Federal Republic
* Federal Republic

Comparative|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Oceania|

* Australia
* Fiji
* New Zealand
* Papua New Guinea
* Tonga
* Vanuatu

Comparative|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Language|

| Anglophone|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

|

Arabophone|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Francophone|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Gendarmerie
* Officers
* Enlisted

Hispanophone|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Lusophone|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Military police
* Officers
* Enlisted

Post-Soviet states|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Commonwealth of Nations|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

European Union|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

NATO|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air Force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Comparative ranks of

* Star ranking
* WWI
* Officers
* WWII
* Officers
* Women's services
* Marine forces
* Space forces
* Gendarmeries
* UK and US

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