The number of armed forces of the USSR. Armies of the former USSR. USSR Navy

The year 1917 was a turning point in the history of our country; in the course of two revolutions, the former monarchical system was eliminated political system, in all spheres of life, obsolete institutions and bodies of royal power were destroyed. The internal situation in the state was quite complex: it was necessary to protect the new socialist system and the achievements of the October Revolution. The external situation was also extremely dangerous for the Bolsheviks: military operations continued with Germany, which was actively attacking and approaching directly the borders of our homeland.

The birth of the workers' and peasants' Red Army

The young Soviet state needed protection. In the first months after October revolution The functions of the army were performed by the Red Guard, which by the beginning of 1918 included over 400 thousand soldiers. However, the poorly armed and untrained guard could not provide serious opposition to the Kaiser’s troops, so on January 15, 1918, the Council people's commissars A decree was adopted on the creation of the Red Army (Workers' and Peasants' Red Army).

Already in February new army entered into battles with German fighters in the area of ​​Pskov and Narva, on the territory of Belarus and Ukraine. It is worth noting that the initial service life was six months, but after some time (in October 1918) it was increased to one year. Shoulder straps and insignia were abolished in the army as a relic of the tsarist regime. The Red Army troops took the most Active participation in the fight against the White Guards, with interventionists from the Entente countries, played an important role in strengthening Soviet power in the center and locally.

USSR Army in the 1920-1930s

The goal of the Red Army, which the Soviet government set for it, was fulfilled: the internal situation in the state after the end of the Civil War became peaceful, the threat of expansion from the Western powers also gradually began to fade away. On December 30, 1922, a significant event occurred not only in the history of Russia, but also of the whole world - four countries (RSFSR, Ukrainian SSR, BSSR, ZSFSR) united into one state - the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

There was a progressive development of the USSR army:

1. Special military schools were created to train officers and command staff.
2. In 1922, another decree of the Council of People's Commissars was issued, which proclaimed universal military service, and also established new terms of service - from 1.5 to 4 years (depending on the type of troops).
3. All citizens of the Union republics, regardless of their national, religious, racial, social origin, at the age of 20 (from 1924 - from 21 years old) were required to serve in the army in the USSR.
4. A system of deferments was provided: they could be obtained due to training in educational institutions, as well as for family reasons.

The geopolitical situation in the world was heated to the limit due to an aggressive foreign policy Nazi Germany, another threat of war was created, and in connection with this, the modernization of the army took place: the military industry was actively developing, including aircraft and shipbuilding, and weapons production. The size of the army in the USSR in the 1930s. steadily increased: in 1935 it amounted to 930 thousand people, three years later this figure reached 1.5 million soldiers. By the beginning of 1941, there were more than 5 million soldiers in the Soviet army.

The Red Army of the USSR at the first stage of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1942)

On June 22, 1941, a treacherous attack by German troops on the Soviet Union took place. This was a real test of strength not only of the entire people, but also of the Red Army. It is worth noting that, in addition to progressive trends in military development, there were also negative ones:

1. In the 1930s a number of prominent military leaders (Tukhachevsky, Uborevich, Yakir, etc.) and commanders were accused of crimes against the Soviet state and executed, which contributed to the deterioration of the situation with military personnel. There was a shortage of talented and competent army commanders.
2. In fact, the not very successful conduct of combat operations of the Soviet army in the war with Finland (1939-1940) showed its unpreparedness for battles with a serious enemy.

A number of statistical indicators indicate the military superiority of the Third Reich at the beginning of the war:

• In terms of the total number of troops, Germany exceeded the army of the USSR - 8.5 million people. against 4.8 million people;
• in terms of the number of guns and mortars - 47.2 thousand for the Nazis versus 32.9 thousand for the Soviet Union.

During the summer-autumn of 1941, German troops rapidly captured territory after territory, approaching Moscow in the fall of that year. Only the heroic actions of the Red Army in the battle of Moscow did not allow the “blitzkrieg” plans to come true; the enemy was driven back from the capital. The myth of the invincible German war machine was destroyed.

However, the first half of 1942 was not so rosy: the Nazis went on the offensive, won success in the battles in the Crimea and in the Battle of Kharkov, and there was a threat of capturing Stalingrad. In the second half of 1942, our army experienced a quantitative growth and qualitative changes:

• the volume of supplies of military equipment and ammunition increased;
• the system of training officers and command personnel was improved;
• The role of tank troops and artillery increased.

The Battle of Stalingrad, which began in 1942, ended in February 1943 with a successful counter-offensive of the Red Army, which defeated the troops of Field Marshal von Paulus. From now on, the strategic initiative in the Great Patriotic War passed to the USSR.

The year 1943 was a turning point for the Soviet army: our soldiers successfully carried out combat operations, won victory in Battle of Kursk, liberated Kursk and Belgorod from the Nazis, and gradually began to liberate the country from the aggressor. The troops became much more combat-ready in comparison with the first stage of the war, the army leadership skillfully implemented complex tactical maneuvers, brilliant strategy and ingenuity. At the beginning of the year, the previously abolished shoulder straps were introduced, the system of ranks in the army in the USSR was restored, and Suvorov and Nakhimov schools were opened throughout the country.

Spring 1944 Soviet army reached the borders of the USSR and began the liberation of European countries oppressed by German Nazism. In April 1945, a successful offensive against Berlin, the capital of the Third Reich, began. On the night of May 8-9, the German military leadership signed an act of surrender. In August 1945, the Soviet Union began a war against militaristic Japan and defeated Kwantung Army and forced Emperor Hirohito to admit defeat.

In total, over these long four years of hostilities, over 34 million Soviet citizens took part in them, a third of whom did not return from the fields of the Second World War. During the war, the Red Army demonstrated its readiness to mercilessly fight any enemy encroaching on our homeland, liberated the countries of Europe from fascist enslavement, and gave them a peaceful sky above their heads.

Cold War

After the end of World War II and the death of J.V. Stalin, the foreign policy doctrine of the USSR changed: peaceful competition and coexistence of the countries of the socialist and capitalist camps was proclaimed. However, this doctrine was a kind of formality, since in fact already in the 1940s. the so-called cold war- a state of political and cultural confrontation between the Soviet Union and the countries participating in the Warsaw Warsaw War on the one hand, against the United States and the West (NATO) on the other.

Conflicts flared up regularly, threatening the world with another military clash: Korean War(1950-1953), Berlin (1961) and Caribbean (1962) crises. But despite this, N.S. Khrushchev, as the leader of the Soviet state, believed that it was necessary to reduce the army; the arms race leads to uneven economic development. During the 1950-1960s. the size of the army was reduced from 5.7 million people. (1955) to 3.3 million people. (1963-1964). During this period, the vertical of power in the domestic army was finally formed: its leadership belonged to the Minister of Defense, and the Central Committee of the CPSU, the Council of Ministers and the Supreme Soviet of the USSR also had the ability to manage it. The composition of the Soviet armed forces is being formed. These included:

• ground troops;
• air Force;
• Navy;
• Strategic Missile Forces (Strategic Missile Forces).

Armed forces of the USSR in the era of detente

In the early 1970s. An important event took place - the signing of agreements in Helsinki (1972), which for some time managed to stop the arms race and confrontation between the countries of the socialist and capitalist camps. However, this period was not calm for the Soviet army: the leadership of the CPSU Central Committee actively used it to support regimes friendly to the Soviet Union in African countries.

The largest armed conflicts of the 70s of the twentieth century, in which the USSR and the Soviet army were directly involved, were the Arab-Israeli war (1967-1974), the war in Angola (1975-1992) and Ethiopia (1977-1990). .). In total, more than 40 thousand military personnel were involved in the wars in Africa, the death toll on the Soviet side was more than 150 people.

In addition, regimes friendly to the USSR received a large amount of ammunition, armored vehicles, aircraft, a huge amount of money was sent to the countries free of charge, as well as party workers and technical specialists. Soviet troops were stationed in the territories of the countries of the socialist camp: in Czechoslovakia, Cuba, Mongolia, their largest representation was located on the territory of the German Democratic Republic, the 20th Tank and 6th Guards Motorized Rifle Divisions were located in the Polish People's Republic.

The size of the Soviet army gradually decreased, reaching in the early 1970s. 2 million people mark. The culminating and, of course, tragic event that marked the end of the era of detente in international relations and claimed thousands of soldiers' lives was the war in Afghanistan (1979-1989).

This terrible word "Afghan"

The year 1979 became the starting point for a new local armed conflict, in which the USSR army took an active part. A conflict has broken out in Afghanistan between the country's leadership and the opposition. The Soviet Union supported the ruling People's Democratic Party, and the United States and Pakistanis supported the local mujahideen.

On December 12, the CPSU Central Committee decided to send a limited contingent of troops to the Asian country. The 40th Army was created especially for these purposes, led by Lieutenant General Yu. Tukharinov. Initially, more than 81 thousand Soviet military personnel, most of them conscripts, went to Afghanistan. Despite the successful actions of the 40th Army, the Afghan Mujahideen, who received financial and military support from the United States and Pakistan, did not stop fighting. Every year the number Soviet troops, staying in this country increased, reaching a maximum of 108.8 thousand people by 1985.

In 1985-1986 The 40th Army conducted a number of successful military operations in the Kunar Gorge, in Khost. In 1987, Kandahar became the main military arena, and the fighting for it was particularly fierce.

After the arrival of M.S. Gorbachev's rise to power gradually saw a transition from the doctrine of rivalry to the doctrine of peaceful coexistence between the Warsaw and NATO countries. In 1988, the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee decided to withdraw Soviet troops from Afghanistan. On February 15, 1989, this decision was finally implemented: the 40th Army returned to the USSR.

In ten years Afghan war The Soviet Union suffered large-scale losses: in total, over 600 thousand people took part in the monstrous “meat grinder”. Soviet soldiers, of which about 15 thousand people did not return home. During the fighting, several hundred planes, helicopters, and tanks were destroyed. Afghanistan inflicted huge emotional wounds on thousands of former soldiers; generations of young people became victims of the ideological interests of the state.

The years 1989 - 1991 became a turning point in our history: the once mighty Soviet state was collapsing before our eyes, the Baltic republics adopted declarations of sovereignty and began to secede from the Union, local conflicts began to break out between the peoples of the republics over disputed territories. One of the largest was the clash between Armenians and Azerbaijanis over Nagorno-Karabakh, in the suppression of which parts of the Soviet army took part.
Changes were taking place in the geopolitical world system: the unification of Germany took place, the velvet revolutions swept away the socialist regimes in the Balkans. Military units previously stationed abroad began to be forced to leave the countries' territories.

The army was in decline: military units were disbanded en masse, the number of generals was reduced, thousands of tanks, aircraft, and armored vehicles were written off.

Liquidation of the Armed Forces of the USSR and the creation of national armies

The agony of the Soviet Union continued: the events of August 1991 demonstrated the impossibility of the existence of a union state. The parade of sovereignties has begun.

By the summer of 1991, the total strength of the Armed Forces was almost 4 million people, but in the fall events occurred that put an end to the existence of a single allied army: in the fall, in a number of republics (Belarus, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, etc.), presidential decrees announced the creation of national military formations .

On December 25, 1991, President M.S. Gorbachev de jure declared the liquidation of the Soviet Union as a state, thus the question of the existence of the Soviet Armed Forces was a foregone conclusion. A new page was beginning in the history of the Russian armed forces; the general army of the former USSR broke up into many independent units.

ARMED FORCES OF THE USSR, a state military organization that formed the basis military power THE USSR.

To the beginning of the Great Patriotic War consisted of the Ground Forces, the Air Force, Navy, Air defense troops of the country's territory, Logistics of the Armed Forces. The Armed Forces also included border troops and internal troops. At the beginning of the war, on the territory of the country there were 16 military districts, 1 front (Far Eastern), and there were also 4 fleets (Northern, Baltic, Black Sea, Pacific) and 3 separate military flotillas (Pinsk, Caspian and Amur).

The highest leadership of the country's defense and armed forces was carried out by the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR. He coordinated all activities aimed at strengthening the military potential and increasing the defense capability of the USSR by a special body of the Council of People's Commissars - the USSR Defense Committee.

Direct control of the Armed Forces was carried out by the People's Commissariat of Defense (from May 1940, People's Commissar Marshal of the Soviet Union S.K. Timoshenko) and the People's Commissariat of the Navy (from April 1939, People's Commissar of the Fleet Flagship 2nd Rank, from June 1940, Adm. N.G. Kuznetsov). Under the chairmanship of the People's Commissar of Defense and the People's Commissar of the Navy, the main military councils of the Kyrgyz Republic functioned as collegial bodies. army and navy. General Staff of Kr. The army was headed by Gen. army G.K. Zhukov.

The situation grew rapidly in the late 1930s. the threat of war placed high demands on the organization and training of the USSR Armed Forces, increasing their combat readiness and combat effectiveness. The most important tasks in the construction of the Armed Forces at that time were to increase the number of troops (forces), increase their technical equipment, and establish an optimal ratio of the number of types of Armed Forces.

Based on the conclusions of Sov. military science that the main role in future war allocated to the Ground Forces, the ratio of types of armed forces by number of personnel as of June 1941 was (in%): Ground Forces - 79.3; Air Force - 11.5; Navy - 5.8; Air defense troops of the country's territory - 3.4. In the Ground Forces, the main emphasis was on development rifle troops, armored forces, artillery. The cavalry underwent significant restructuring, airborne troops, railway, road, engineering, chemical forces, Signal Corps. The Air Force focused on the development of fighter and bomber aircraft, and created attack aircraft. The Navy was replenished with new surface ships and submarines.

Particularly noticeable was the increase in the technical equipment of the USSR Armed Forces in 1939 - 1st half. 1941. Compared to 1939, the volume of military production in 1941 increased by 30%. During this period, new types of heavy and medium tanks were put into mass production, new artillery guns and powerful rocket weapons for salvo firing at area targets were developed, new types of fighters, a dive bomber, an attack aircraft, and several types of warships for light naval forces were created.

Scientists and designers ensured high quality and reliability of the owls. military equipment in many respects is the best in the world: La-5 fighters (designer S.A. Lavochkin) and Yak-9 (A.S. Yakovleva), Il-2 attack aircraft (S.V. Ilyushin), Pe-2 bomber ( V.M. Petlyakov), medium tank T-34 (M.I. Koshkin) and heavy KV (Zh.Ya. Kotin), rocket artillery combat vehicle BM-13 “Katyusha” (I.T. Kleymenov and G.E. Langemak) and others. Geologists discovered new deposits of strategic materials (bauxite, manganese, molybdenum). Methods were developed for demagnetizing warships (I.V. Kurchatov, A.P. Aleksandrov), automatic welding of armor (E.O. Platon), and automatic machines for producing cartridges were designed. Great strides have been made in the field of military medicine, which made it possible to subsequently return St. 70% of wounded soldiers.

The organizational structure of the troops has improved significantly. Part rifle division included tanks, more powerful divisional artillery, anti-tank and anti-aircraft artillery, which significantly increased their firepower and striking power. The RVGK artillery was further developed. Instead of separate tank and mechanized brigades, the formation of tank and motorized divisions began.

Simultaneously with the technical re-equipment of the army and navy, their numbers increased. The Law on General Military Duty, adopted by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on September 1, 1939, legally completed the transfer of the Red Army and Navy to a personnel system and allowed them to increase their numbers, which by mid-1941 amounted to 4.6 million people. In total, the Ground Forces by this time had 303 divisions (of which about 1/4 were at the stage of formation). However, not all planned organizational and other measures for the armed forces were completed by the beginning of the war. Motorization of the infantry remained insufficient; the rearmament of formations and units with new types of weapons and military equipment was not completed. Most of the formations transferred to new states turned out to be not fully equipped with weapons, military equipment and vehicles. Sov. military science V pre-war years did not fully take into account the possibility of a sudden invasion by large enemy forces and did not sufficiently develop methods of conducting defense on an operational and strategic scale.

Despite the large scale of training military personnel, the system of military educational institutions could not keep up with the pace of deployment of the armed forces. The consequences of political repression in 1937–39 and in subsequent years, to which many Sovs were unjustifiably subjected, had an impact. military leaders, commanders and political workers. Most of the reserve command personnel were unable to undergo retraining before the start of the war. The share of command personnel with higher military education in 1940 decreased by more than 2 times compared to 1936. Due to a large reshuffle of personnel in the top and middle levels of management, which was carried out in the midst of rearmament and the transition to new forms of organization, commanders promoted to responsible positions and bosses did not have enough time to acquire the experience necessary to work in new, higher positions.

Major miscalculations were made in determining the timing, direction and strength of the blows. troops. Serious errors occurred in the selection of aviation basing areas and the placement of material and technical supplies, most of which were located near the state. borders. The deployment of armed forces groups did not have a clear plan. The Red Army did not have sufficient experience in conducting modern warfare, organizing the interaction of troops, or effectively using new weapons and military equipment.

After the attack of Germany on June 22, 1941, the USSR began a radical restructuring of the entire military organization of the state. On June 30, 1941, an emergency body was formed - the State Defense Committee (GKO) under the chairmanship of I.V. Stalin, who also became People's Commissar of Defense (July 19, 1941) and Supreme Commander-in-Chief (August 8, 1941). For the strategic leadership of the Armed Forces, the Headquarters of the Main Command was formed on July 10, 1941 (see. Headquarters of the Supreme High Command), the main body of which became General base of the Red Army, intermediate leadership bodies were created - the main commands of the troops of the directions (abolished in May - June 1942). On the basis of the border military districts, 5 fronts were formed (during the war there were 10–15 of them at different periods), which became operational-strategic formations of the Armed Forces. On July 1, 1941, 5.3 million people were drafted into the Armed Forces for mobilization. Active Army from June 1941 to November. 1942 increased from 2.9 million to 6.6 million people. Mobilization made it possible to expand preparations reserves and strengthen the main troop groups.

However, in initial period During the war, the advanced strategic echelon of the Red Army was defeated, the enemy captured significant territory of the USSR and approached Moscow and Leningrad. By the end of 1941, through extraordinary measures, the self-sacrifice of the people, and the heroism of the army and navy, it was possible to stop the enemy and thwart his “blitzkrieg” plan. The Battle of Moscow 1941–42 dispelled the myth of his invincibility. army. In the summer of 1942, the center of military operations moved to the southern wing.

Soviet-German front

By the end of the first period of the war, the striking power of the Ground Forces increased, which was determined by the quantitative and qualitative growth of armored and mechanized forces, artillery and military air defense. In Aug. 1941 The Air Force was reorganized - the number of regiments and divisions and aircraft in the regiments decreased. Regiments for night operations, reserve aviation groups, and, from March 1942, strike aviation groups at the disposal of VGK rates. From May 1942, operational aviation associations—air armies—began to be formed at the front air force bases. From Nov. 1941 began a radical reorganization of air defense. In the Navy, units and formations of fleets were transferred to wartime levels in a short time, and new units were formed. By the end of 1941, 46 new ships of the main classes entered service.

With the beginning of the war, the system of training and education of command personnel and specialists underwent restructuring. Academies and military school cadets graduated early. In 1942, 53 new military schools were opened. The capabilities of the pre-war network of military educational institutions were also increased by increasing their capacity and reducing the duration of training. A large number of front-line and army courses were created for accelerated training of junior officers. In July 1941, the institution of military commissars was introduced (abolished on October 9, 1942). The power of the USSR Armed Forces continued to grow: by the summer of 1942, they included approx. 11 million people, including in the active army - St. 5.5 million people From mid-1942, the defense industry began to increase the output of military products and more fully meet the needs of the front. As a result of the measures taken by the USSR Armed Forces, despite the losses incurred, by mid-November. 1942 were significantly strengthened organizationally, their technical equipment improved, the troops acquired combat experience, and the combat skills of the personnel increased. In fierce battles and battles, the Red Army and Navy inflicted heavy defeats on the enemy near Leningrad, in Moscow and Battle of Stalingrad, in the North Caucasus and seized the strategic initiative in the war.

In the second period of the war (November 1942 - December 1943), organizational measures in the army and navy were aimed at ensuring the massive use and effective use of military equipment, a significant increase in the fire and strike power of all types of armed forces and branches of the military. By mid-1943, in the USSR Armed Forces, compared to the end of 1942, the number of weapons increased by 1.3 times, armored vehicles - by 1.4, aircraft - by 2.3 times. The Red Army surpassed him. troops in tanks and artillery almost 2 times, in aircraft 3 times. Total in the active army in December. In 1943 there were 11 fronts, 66 directorates of combined arms armies and 3 tank armies. The massive production of weapons in 1943 made it possible to strengthen divisional artillery and create corps, army and powerful artillery of the RVGK. A significant number of tank and mechanized corps were formed, most of which were later consolidated into tank armies of homogeneous composition. Armored and mechanized troops became the main striking force of the Ground Forces (by the end of 1943 they included 24 tank and 13 mechanized divisions, about 50% were part of 5 tank armies).

The increasing role of aviation during the war, the quantitative and qualitative growth of the aircraft fleet determined the need for new, significant organizational changes in the Air Force. The composition of air divisions, corps and air armies. The country's Air Defense Forces have strengthened organizationally and grown in numbers. The Navy continued to create naval defense areas and increased the number of Marine Corps, new naval formations were formed. The problem of creating strategic reserves was successfully resolved. Thus, during the winter campaign of 1942/43, the Headquarters transferred to the fronts from its reserve 4 tank armies, 29 tank and mechanized corps, 108 rifle, 23 artillery, 26 anti-aircraft artillery, 19 aviation divisions, 16 engineering brigades and other formations and units, and in the summer and autumn of 1943 there were 2 times more combined arms formations, and 3 times more tank and aviation formations than in winter.

In 1943, a qualitatively new stage in the construction of the USSR Armed Forces was completed: significant changes took place in their military-technical equipment and organizational structure, in the development of military art, the personnel have accumulated a wealth of experience in combat operations. This was reflected in the newly published statutory documents: the Combat Manual of the Infantry (1942), the draft Field Manual of the Red Army and a number of regulations of the military branches. At the beginning of 1943, new insignia were introduced - shoulder straps. In order to increase the authority of command personnel and their responsibility, in July 1943 the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR established a new procedure for assigning military ranks. All command and management personnel in the rank of ml. Lieutenant up to and including colonel began to be called officers. The growth of combat power and the strengthening of the morale of the troops allowed the USSR Armed Forces to win victories in, Battle of Kursk Battle of the Dnieper 1943

, successfully carry out a number of other operations. From Nov. 1942 to Dec. 1943 The Red Army fought from 500 to 1300 km and liberated it. invaders a significant part of the occupied Soviet Union. territories. And by the end of 1944, the territory of the USSR was completely cleared of the enemy.

In the third period of the war (Jan. 1944 - May 1945), the Red Army continued to be equipped with weapons and military equipment. Compared to the first period of the war, the number of fronts on the fronts increased: tanks and self-propelled guns - by 4-6 times, guns and mortars - by 4-5, aircraft - by 4-8 times. By the beginning of 1945, there were 9.4 million people and 144.2 thousand troops in the active army, in the Reserve Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, on the southern and Far Eastern borders. and mortars, 15.7 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, 22.6 thousand combat aircraft. Compared to June 1944, the number of armed forces increased by more than 300 thousand people, the number of tanks and self-propelled guns - by 3.9 thousand, guns and mortars - by 11 thousand, combat aircraft - by 820. Most of the USSR Armed Forces were concentrated in Soviet-German front, where they outnumbered the enemy in guns and mortars by almost 4 times, in tanks and self-propelled guns by 3 times, and in combat aircraft by 8 times. The dominant position was still occupied by the Ground Forces. In terms of personnel, by the end of the war they accounted for 80%, the Air Force - St. 8%. The share of air defense troops increased from 3.3% in December. 1941 to 5% in May 1945, and the Navy fell from 5.8% in 1941 to 3.6% in June 1943, and then increased to 5.3% in May 1945. In 1945, the USSR Armed Forces together with the allied armies of the countries anti-Hitler coalition

liberated Europe from occupation and finally defeated Germany and its allies. The final act of World War II for the Sov. Union became Soviet-Japanese war 1945 on Far East

During the Great Patriotic War, the USSR Armed Forces covered themselves with unfading glory. For the military feats of St. 7 million owls soldiers were awarded orders and medals, approx. 11.6 thousand were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Union. Mass heroism was characteristic not only of individual soldiers, but also of entire units, formations and associations. For distinction in battles for the Fatherland with him. The invaders awarded regiments and divisions 10.9 thousand military orders. Many of them were awarded orders several times. Moscow saluted the valiant owls 354 times. troops and navy. Hundreds of military formations and units were awarded honorary titles. The defeat of the most powerful and dangerous armed forces for the world community fascist Germany

and militaristic Japan was a severe test for the Armed Forces and peoples of the USSR, and they passed this test with honor. The Soviet Armed Forces expelled the enemy from the USSR and defended the independence and territorial integrity of the country. The fascist bloc suffered a complete and crushing defeat, Germany unconditionally capitulated. The USSR Armed Forces played a decisive role in ridding the peoples of Europe and Asia from the threat of the Nazis. enslavement brought them freedom and peace. The entry of the USSR into the war in the Far East accelerated the defeat of militaristic Japan. Research Institute (

military history

) VAGSH RF Armed Forces

The USSR Army is one of the most powerful military enclaves of the 20th century, on the creation of which considerable resources, primarily human resources, were spent. It is worth noting that it was formed relatively quickly and firmly took its place as a leader in world history, primarily thanks to the heroism and endurance on the verge of human capabilities that Soviet soldiers showed in the fight against the fascist invaders. After the unconditional surrender, perhaps few of the world powers could dispute the obvious fact: the USSR army was the strongest in the world at that time. However, she retained this unspoken title almost until the end of the last century. Stages of formation Throughout its history from the moment of the appearance of a more or less organized form Russian army. At the same time, Red Guards were formed throughout the country from those wishing to serve new ideas and the newborn state. However, the First World War was still going on, despite internal events, Russia did not officially withdraw from it, which means there was a need for regular connections. This marked the beginning of the formation of the Red Army, the name of which added the phrase “workers’ and peasants’” a year later. Official birthday - February 23, 1918. At the time the civil strife began, there were 800 thousand volunteers in its ranks, a little later - 1.5 million.

The creation of the army of a new, not yet fully formed state was based on such principles as classism, internationalism (citizens from other countries were accepted into the army ranks), election of leadership, dual command, which provided for the mandatory presence of military commissars, so-called political workers, in all units .

The basic components were land and sea. The USSR army became a full-fledged military association only in 1922, that is, when the Soviet Union legally began to exist. Until the disappearance of this state from the world map, the army did not change its external forms. After the formation of the USSR, it was replenished by NKVD troops.

Organizational and management structure

Both in the RSFSR and later in the USSR to perform managerial functions, as well as control over various structures, including the army, the Council of People's Commissars functioned. The People's Commissar for Defense was created in 1934. During the Great Patriotic War, the Headquarters was formed supreme command, headed directly by Joseph Stalin. Later the Ministry of Defense was formed. This same structure has been preserved to this day.

Initially, there was no order in the army. Volunteers formed detachments, each of which was a separate and independent military unit. In an effort to cope with this situation, the army attracted appropriate specialists who began structuring it. Initially, rifle and cavalry corps. A powerful technological breakthrough, expressed in the production of aircraft, tanks, and armored vehicles put on stream, contributed to the expansion of the USSR army, mechanized and motorized units appeared in it, and technical units were strengthened. During the war, regular units turn into an active army. According to military rules, the entire length of military operations is divided into fronts, which, in turn, include armies.

From the moment of its inception, the size of the USSR army numbered almost two hundred thousand soldiers; by the time of the attack of Nazi Germany, there were already more than five million people in its ranks.

Types of troops

The armies of the USSR included rifle, artillery, cavalry, signal troops, armored, engineering, chemical, automobile, railway, and road troops. In addition, horse cavalry, which was formed simultaneously with the Red Army, occupied a significant place. However, the leadership encountered serious difficulties in the formation of this unit: those regions in which formations could be formed were under the control of the White Guards or were occupied by foreign corps. A serious problem arose with a lack of weapons and professional personnel. As a result, it was possible to form full-fledged cavalry units only by the end of 1919. During civil war Such units already reached almost half the number of infantrymen in some military actions. In the first months of the war with the most powerful at that time German army The cavalry, it must be said, showed itself selflessly and courageously, especially in the battle for Moscow. However, it was all too obvious that their combat power was no match for modern methods waging wars. Therefore, most of these troops were abolished.

The firepower of iron

The twentieth century, especially its first half, was marked by rapid military progress. And the Red Army of the USSR, like the military forces of any other country, was actively acquiring new technological capabilities for maximum destruction of the enemy. This task was greatly simplified by the assembly line production of tanks in the 1920s. When they appeared, military specialists developed a system for productive interaction between new equipment and infantry. It was this aspect that occupied a central place in the combat regulations of the infantry. In particular, surprise was pointed out as the main advantage, and among the capabilities of the new technology were the strengthening of positions captured by infantry and the execution of maneuvers to deepen attacks on the enemy.

In addition, the USSR tank armies included paramilitary units equipped with armored vehicles. The formation of armies began in 1935, when tank brigades appeared, which later became the base for future mechanized corps. However, at the very beginning of the war, these formations had to be disbanded due to serious losses of equipment. Separate battalions and brigades were again formed. However, by the beginning of the second year of the war, the supply of equipment resumed and was established on a permanent basis, the mechanized troops were restored, and entire tank armies of the USSR were included in their composition. This is the largest formation in such a group. As a rule, they were entrusted with solving independent combat missions.

Military aviation

Aviation is another very serious enhancer of the armed forces. Since the first aircraft began to appear at the beginning of the 20th century, combat aviation formations began to be formed in 1918. However, in the 1930s it became obvious that in this type of troops the Soviet army was significantly inferior due to the rapid development aviation industry in the West. Attempts to modernize technology have shown all their futility. The Luftwaffe vehicles that launched their attacks on Soviet cities on a June morning took the military command by surprise. It is known that in the first days about two thousand were destroyed, most of them on the ground. After six months of war, losses Soviet aviation already numbered more than 21 thousand aircraft.

The rapid expansion in the aviation industry made it possible, after a short time, to achieve parity in the skies with the Luftwaffe fighters. The famous Yak fighters in various modifications made the German aces lose faith in a quick victory. Subsequently, the air fleet was replenished with modernized attack aircraft, bombers, and fighters.

Other armed forces

Among other types of weapons, engineering troops occupied a rather significant place during the Second World War. It was they who were entrusted with the responsibility for the construction of fortifications, structures, barriers, mining of territories, technical support maneuvers, in addition, they helped in creating corridors in mined fields, in overcoming enemy fortifications, barriers and other things. Chemical forces also significantly expanded the scope of their application during that period; each had corresponding departments. In particular, they were the ones who used flamethrowers and set up smoke screens.

Ranks in the USSR Army

As you know, the first thing supporters of the revolution fought for was the destruction of everything that even remotely reminded of class oppression. That is why the first step was to abolish the officers, and with it the ranks and shoulder straps. Instead of the imperial table of ranks, military positions were established. Later, service categories appeared, designated by the letter "K". To differentiate by position they used geometric figures- triangle, rhombus, rectangle, according to military affiliation - colored buttonholes on the uniform.

However, some officer ranks they were nevertheless restored to the USSR army, although closer to the Second World War. A year before the German attack, the ranks of “general”, “admiral” and “lieutenant colonel” were revived. Then they returned to service ranks in the technical and logistics services. An officer as a military concept, shoulder straps and other ranks were finally established only in 1943. However, not all that existed in pre-revolutionary Russia ranks were restored in the army of the former USSR. This fact also influenced the composition of the ranks of the Russian army, since it was the system developed in 1943 that is still used today. Among those not included: non-commissioned officers sergeant major and sergeant major, chief officer second lieutenant, lieutenant, staff captain, as well as cavalry cornet, staff captain, captain. The ensign was restored only in 1972. At the same time, the major, who was removed in 1881, on the contrary, returned.

The completely new ranks include the USSR Army General introduced in 1940; in status, he follows the highest rank in the Soviet Union, which is the rank of Marshal. The first to receive the new rank were well-known major army leaders Kirill Meretskov and Ivan Tyulenev. Before the start of the war, two more were elevated to this rank - military leaders Joseph Apanasenko and Dmitry Pavlov. During the war, the title "General of the USSR Army" was not awarded until 1943. Then shoulder straps were developed on which four stars were placed. The first to receive the rank was As a rule, those elevated to this rank led the army fronts.

By the end of the war, the Soviet army of the USSR already numbered eighteen military leaders awarded this title. Ten of them were assigned to the rank of marshal. In the 1970s, the title was no longer awarded for special merits and exploits before the Fatherland, but based on the fact of the position held, which presupposes the assignment of the rank.

Terrible war - great victory

By the time the Great Patriotic War began, the USSR army was quite strong, perhaps overly bureaucratic and somewhat decapitated thanks to Stalin’s repressions in the army ranks in 1937-1938, when the commanding staff was very seriously purged. This was partly the reason that in the first weeks the troops were demoralized, there were many losses of people, both military and civilian, equipment, weapons and other things. Although the armies of the USSR and Germany were clearly not in equal positions at the start of the war, at the cost of countless sacrifices, Soviet soldiers defended their Motherland, and the first such feat was, of course, the defense of Moscow and keeping the city from the invading forces. The war significantly accelerated the learning of new aggressive methods, and the Red Soviet Army rapidly transformed into a professional military force, which at first desperately defended its frontiers and conceded them, only forcing the enemy to lose a fair amount in its ranks, and after a turning point Battle of Stalingrad furiously advanced and drove away the enemy.

The USSR army of 1941 consisted of more than five million soldiers. As of June 22, there were about one hundred and twenty thousand guns and mortars among small arms equipment. For a year and a half, the enemy felt quite at ease on Soviet lands and advanced deep into the country quite quickly. Until the moment I came across Stalingrad. The defense and battle for the city opened a new stage in the historical confrontation, which resulted in the inglorious flight of the enemy with Russian territory. The peak size of the USSR army was reached at the beginning of 1945 - 11.36 million soldiers.

Military duty

At the beginning of its glorious history, the ranks of the Red Army were replenished on a voluntary basis. But after some time, the leadership discovered that under such conditions, at critical moments, the country could be in danger due to the lack of a regular military corps. That is why, since 1918, decrees calling for compulsory military service. Then the terms of service were quite loyal, infantrymen and artillerymen served for a year, cavalrymen for two years, they were drafted into military aviation for three years, into the navy for four years. Military service in the USSR was regulated both by individual legislative acts and by the Constitution. This responsibility was considered the most active form fulfilling their civic duty to protect the socialist Fatherland.

As soon as the war ended, the leadership understood that it was impossible to carry out conscription into the army in the near future. And that’s why no one was drafted until 1948. Persons liable for military service instead army service were heading to construction works, the restoration of the entire western part of the country required a lot of hands. Then the leadership issued a new version of the law on military service, according to which adult youths were required to serve for three years, in the navy for four years. The call was made once a year. Military service in the USSR was reduced to one year only in 1968, and the number of conscriptions was increased to two.

Professional holiday

The modern Russian army counts its years from the formation of the first armed formations in the new post-revolutionary Russia. According to historical data, Vladimir Lenin signed a decree on the formation of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army on January 28, 1918. German troops were actively advancing, and the Russian army needed new forces. Therefore, on February 22, the authorities appealed to the people with a request to save the Fatherland. Large-scale rallies with slogans and appeals had their effect - crowds of volunteers poured in. Thus it appeared historical date celebration of professional Army Day. On the same day it is customary to celebrate the Navy Day. Although, strictly speaking, the official date of formation of the fleet is considered to be February 11, when Lenin signed the document on its formation.

Note that even after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the military holiday remained and was still celebrated. However, only in 2008, the head of the country Vladimir Putin, by his decree, renamed folk holiday on Defender of the Fatherland Day. The holiday became an official day off in 2013.

The demoralization and destruction of the Soviet army began, of course, with the grandiose collapse of the country itself. In the hard times of the 1990s, the army was not priority direction for the country's leadership, all subordinate institutions, units and other property fell into complete disrepair, were stolen and sold. The military found itself on the margins of life, of no use to anyone.

In 1979, the Kremlin initiated the last military campaign, which marked the beginning of the inglorious end of the great state - the invasion of Afghanistan. The Cold War, which was already in its third decade at that time, had significantly depleted the reserves of the Soviet treasury. Over the ten years of the Afghan conflict, human losses on the part of the Union almost reached fifteen thousand soldiers. The Afghan campaign, the Cold War and competition with the United States in terms of arms build-up created such gaps in the country's budget that it was no longer possible to overcome them. The withdrawal of troops that began in 1988 ended in a new state that did not care about the army or its fighters.