Military ranks and insignia of the Soviet Union (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 from 1918 to 1935 of the young Soviet Union any "bourgeois" military ideas were put under general suspicion by the communists, the new political establishment. Among others, the old Russian tradition of wearing epaulets and shoulder straps as rank insignia was rigorously abolished and was replaced with a new tradition of rank designations and insignia for the new Red Army and the nascent Soviet Navy.

Initial insignia

1924–1935

In the early period of the October revolution new uniforms were used and new units structured on the basis of the former Imperial Russian Army and Navy. The levelling of military grades and neglecting of rank designation were symptomatic of the new order. The first common rank designation throughout the Red Army was "Red Army man" (Russian: kрасноармеец, romanized: krasnoarmyeets) or, in the Workers' and Peasants' Red Navy, "Red Fleet man" (Russian: kраснофлотец, romanized: krasnoflotets).

Personnel designated to command a military unit were unofficially named "red commander" (Russian: красный командир; krasnyi komandir, abbreviated краском; kraskom). Commanders of major units (army or corps sized) were designated "army commander" (Russian: командующий армией; komanduyushchy armyye; abbreviated командарм; komandarm). For more detailed graduation komandarm I and komandarm II were adopted.

Commanding officers of major units below army and corps level were known as:

• Commander of a division: Russian: комдив, romanized: komdiv
• Commander of a brigade: Russian: комбриг, romanized: kombrig

In the navy from December 1917 until 1918, naval officers of the Imperial Russian Navy who joined its ranks were addressed by their tsarist rank with the addition of front abbreviation "b.", which meant "former", while new officers had to wait until 1924 for their rank designations to be issued.

With no formal Red Army insignia designated, red bows, cap peaks, sleeve patches and the red star were worn, first by the so-called Red Guard units, later by all other Red Army units. In 1920 all the ranks and rank insignia of the Red Army and Navy were regulated by the orders of the Defence Commissar, Leon Trotsky.

Red star

The first official emblem of the Red Army was a chest badge (red textile bend and oak leaves twig, in the middle a star with sickle and hammer), introduced in April 1918. From summer of the same year the cap cockade, in form of a five-pointed star with hammer and sickle, was designated. At first two of the points were uppermost, before it was directed that a single point of the star should face the 12 o'clock position.

By orders number 953 and 1691 of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Red Army on structure and design of the cap cockade in shape of a red star, the official design was introduced for use by all personnel of the Red Army.

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

Army ranks (1919–1923)

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. On 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:

Designation	Red commanders
Rank
Native name	Командующий фронтом Komanduyuschiy frontom	Командующий армией Komanduyuschiy armiey	Командир корпуса Komandir korpusa	Начальник дивизии Nachal'nik divisi'i	Командир бригады Komandir brigady
Translation	Front commander	Army commander	Army corps commander	Division chief	Brigade commander

Designation	Red commanders
Rank
Native name	Командир полка Komandir polka	Командир батальона Komandir batal'jona	Помощник командира батальона Pomoschnik komadira batal'jona	Командир роты Komandir roty Командир эскадрона Komandir eskadrona	Помощник командира роты Pomoschnik komandira roty Помощник командира эскадрона Pomoschnik komandira eskadrona	Командир взвода Komandir vzvoda
Translation	Regiment commander	Battalion commander	Deputy battalion commander	Company commander Squadron commander	Deputy company commander Deputy squadron commander	Platoon leader

Designation	Red Commanders			Red Army Men
Rank
Native name	Старшина роты Starshina roty Старшина батареи Starshina batarei Старшина эскадрона Starshina eskadrona	Помощник командира взвода Pomoschnik komandira vzvoda	Командир отделения Komandir otdeleniya	Красноармеец Krasnoarmeetz
Translation	Company quartermaster Battery quartermaster Squadron quartermaster	Deputy platoon leader	Squad leader	Red Army man

On December 18, 1918, the Revolutionary Military Committee agreed upon the new uniforms proposed and the ranks. 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.

Naval ranks (1921–1924)

With the definite beginning of the rehabilitation of the Soviet Navy in 1923–24 came the introduction of rank appointments for ratings and officers of the Navy. These ranks, however, began to be used during the Civil War years and were sanctioned in 1921.

• Red Fleetman (original designation: Krasnoflotez)
• Boatswain/Starshina (Botsman/Starshina)
• Squad leader (Komandir otdeleniya – short: Komot/ Otdeljonnyj komandir)
• Group commander (Komandir gruppy – short: Komgrup)
• Combatant Commander (Komandir boyevoy chast – Kombocha)
• Assistant Ship Commander (Pomoshchnik komandira korablya – Pomkomkor)
• Senior assistant ship commander (Starshy pomoshchnik komandira korablya – Stapomkomkor)
• Ship Commander (Komandir korablya – Komkor)
• Naval Battalion Commander (Komandir diviziona korabley – Komdivzkor)
• Naval Brigade commander (Komandir brigady korabley – Kombrikor)
• Naval Division chief (Nachalnik divisiy korabley – short: Nachdivkor)
• Chief of Naval Forces of the USSR (Nachalnik morskoi sily SSSR – Nachmorsi SSSR)

Uniform insignia followed the traditions of the Imperial Navy but with sleeve insignia for officers and all ratings, but the uniform itself remained the same as its Imperial Russian predecessors.

Distinction insignia and ranks (1924–1935)

The following ranks were used by the Soviet military from 1924 to 1935. The new ranks came as a result of new People's Commisariat for Defense regulations concerning military ranks and appointments.

Army and air force ranks

High commanders

Designation	High commanders and chefs
Collar insignia
Service category	К-14	К-13	К-12	К-11	К-10
Russian	Командующий войсками фронта (округа) Komanduyushchiy voyskami fronta (okruga)	Командующий армией Komanduyushchiy armiyey	Командир корпуса Komandir korpusa	Командир дивизии Komandir divizii	Командир бригады Komandir brigady
English	Commander of the front (district) troops	Army commander	Corps commander	Divisional commander	Brigade commander

Senior and medium commanders

Designation	Senior commanders and chefs			Medium commanders and chefs
Collar insignia
Service category	К-9	К-8	К-7	К-6	К-5	К-4	К-3
Russian	Командир полка Komandir polka	Помощник командира полка Pomoshchnik komandira polka	Командир батальона Komandir batal'ona	Помощник командира батальона Pomoshchnik komandira batal'ona	Командир роты Komandir roty	Помощник командира роты Pomoshchnik komandira roty	Командир взвода Komandir vzvoda
English	Regimental commander	Assistant regimental commander	Battalion commander	Assistant battalion commander	Company commander	Assistant company commander	Platoon commander

Junior commanders and enlisted men

Designation	Junior commanders and chefs				Enlisted men
Collar insignia
Service category	К-2	К-2	К-1	К-1	-
Russian	Старшина роты (батареи) Starshina roty (batarei)	Помощник командира взвода Pomoshchnik komandira vzvoda	Командир отделения Komandir otdeleniya	Командир звена Komandir zvena / Помощник командира отделения Pomoshchnik komandira otdeleniya	Красноармеец Krasnoarmeyets
English	Compaty (Battery) Quartermaster	Assistant platoon commander	Section commander	Squad leader / Assistant section commander	Red Army man

Navy

High commanders

Designation	High command level
Sleeve insignia
Service category	К-13	К-12	К-11	К-10
Russian	Командующий флотом Komanduyushchiy flotom	Командующий флотилией Komanduyushchiy flotiliyey	Командующий эскадрой Komanduyushchiy eskadroy	Командир бригады кораблей Komandir brigady korabley
English	Fleet commander	Flotilla commander	Squadron commander	Ship brigade commander

Senior and medium commanders

Designation	Senior command level			Medium command level
Sleeve insignia
Service category	К-9	К-8	К-7	К-6	К-5	К-4	К-3
Russian	Командир корабля 1-го ранга Komandir korablya 1-go ranga	Старший помощник командира корабля 1-го ранга Starshiy pomoshchnik komandira korablya 1-go ranga	Командир корабля 2 ранга Komandir korablya 2 ranga	Командир корабля 3 ранга Komandir korablya 3 ranga / Старший помощник командира корабля 2 ранга Starshiy pomoshchnik komandira korablya 2 ranga	Командир корабля 4 ранга Komandir korablya 4 ranga / Старший помощник командира корабля 3 ранга Starshiy pomoshchnik komandira korablya 3 ranga	Старший помощник командира корабля 4 ранга Starshiy pomoshchnik komandira korablya 4 ranga	Командир боевой части Komandir boyevoy chasti
English	Ship commander 1st grade	Senior assistant ship commander 1st grade	Ship commander 2nd grade	Ship commander 3rd grade / Senior assistant ship commander 2st grade	Ship commander 4th grade / Senior assistant ship commander 3st grade	Senior assistant ship commander 4th grade	Combat section commander

Low commanders and enlisted men

Designation	Low command level				Enlisted men
Sleeve insignia
Service category	К-2	К-2	К-1	К-1	(0)
Russian	Старшина боевой части Starshina boyevoy chasti / Главный боцман Glavnyy botsman	Заместитель командира боевого поста Zamestitel komandira boevogo posta / Старший боцман Starshiy botsman	Командир отделения Komandir otdeleniya / Боцман Botsman	Командир группы Komandir gruppy / Помощник командира отделения Pomoshchnik komandira otdeleniya	Краснофлотец Krasnoflotets
English	Chief of the combat section / Chief boatswain	Assistant combat station commander / Senior boatswain	Section commander / Boatswain	Group leader / Assistant section commander	Red Navy man

The rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union, created in September 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

• History of Russian military ranks
• Ranks and insignia of the Imperial Russian Armed Forces
• Military ranks of the Soviet Union (1935–1940)
• 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
• Army ranks and insignia of the Russian Federation
• Naval ranks and insignia of the Russian Federation

References

• Kharitonov, O. V. (1993) [1960]. Soviet Military Uniform and Insignia: 1918–1958. Translated by Suslov, Sergei V. St. Petersburg: Alga-Fund. ISBN 5-87290-017-1.