WW2 Soviet "marshal" ranks
Jeff
ranks in the USSR military during WW2?
1.Marshal Sovetskogo Souza
2.Glavniy Marshal
3.Marshal
Source: http://library.virtualave.net/organiz3.html
Why are there three different ranks of marshal and what types of units
did the holders of these ranks command?
Thanks . . . Jeff
dadr...@carroll.com
<JH...@psuvm.psu.edu> wrote:
> Could someone please explain the difference between the following three
> ranks in the USSR military during WW2?
No problem.
> 1.Marshal Sovetskogo Souza
Marshal of the Soviet Union. The highest rank in the Soviet armed forces,
was the same as a western 'Field Marshal'. Such guys as Konev, Zhukov,
Govorov, etc. held this rank. It came after the rank 'General of the Army'
( four stars). The insignia for this rank (after the 1943 reintroduction
of shoulderboards; the rank was first used in 1935) was one large star (
embroidered) with the large Soviet state seal above it on the board. This
rank would be for the Chief of the General Staff, and commanders of the
fronts ( 1st Byellorussian, 1st Ukranian, etc.).
> 2.Glavniy Marshal
Supreme, or 'Chief'Marshal. This is a branch Marshals rank, i.e. Chief
Marshal of Aviation, Chief Marshal of Engineering, Chief Marshal of
Artillery, Chief Marshal of Tanks, Chief Marshal of Signals. These would
be for the heads of branches. Chief Marshal of Avitaion Novikov was had of
the Red Air Forces, while his branch heads were regular branch marshals (
see below). Chief Marhal of Signals and Chief Marshal of Engineering were
not awarded until after the war. The other ranks were awarded with the
reintroduction of boards of rank in 1943. The insignia was the one large
star embroidred on the board, with the branch inginia above it. The star
would have a wreath of leaves around it.
> 3.Marshal
This is a branch rank, and is the lowest of the Marshals ranks. It would
be for Marshal of Aviation, Marshal of Artillery, etc. ( see list above).
These would be for the high command of a branch, but not the actuall heads
of the branch who would hold the Chief Marshal of branch rank. So, the #2
guy in the Red Air force, Voroshekinin, would be a regular Air Marshal,
while his boss, Novikov, would be a Chief Air Marshal. In the case of both
Signals an Engineering, this rank of regular Marshal was for the head of
the branch (i.e. Marshal of Engineering Vorobiev was head of Red Army
Engineering, while the rank of Chief Engineer Marshal was not given until
he was replaced in 1946). Same with Signals. The insignia was one large
embroidered star on the board with the branch insignia above.
I hope this is enough. It is just a brief synopsis of the available
info. I have examples of each of these boards if you need to see what they
looked like.
--Doug
Valera Potapov
>Could someone please explain the difference between the following three
>ranks in the USSR military during WW2?
>
>2.Glavniy Marshal
>3.Marshal
>
>Source: http://library.virtualave.net/organiz3.html
>
>Why are there three different ranks of marshal and what types of units
>did the holders of these ranks command?
So why you don't ask about difference between generals ranks??? I.e.
General-Major, General-Lieutenant, General-Colonel and even General of the
Army and sometimes Brigade Generals!!!
There is the same ideal, there are a different ranks. That's all.
With best regards,
Valera.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Russian Military Zone http://military.virtualave.net
International Library http://library.virtualave.net
E-mail: mili...@lgg.ru
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Brooks
Cy-yooz Sov-yet-ski Sotz-sia-leest-teech-eh-skik Res-poob-lik (CCCP) stands
for Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Glav-nyi is derived from gla-va which means head (person) while
ga-la-va means your physiological head and so glav-nyi is like a chief
engineer.
Jeff
>Marshal of the Soviet Union. The highest rank in the Soviet armed
Thanks for the info, Doug, it cleared up something for me for the most
part. I was under the impression that the Marshal of the Soviet Union
rank was like a 7-star general in the sense that it was the highest of
the three marshal ranks and a four star general had to get through the
other ranks of marshal to get that rank. The way you describe it tells
me they're not sequential ranks.
Yet, after I thought about it, I still have more questions. Could
marshals of branches have been promoted to the marshal of the Soviet
Union rank? Did branch marshals go through the other ("lower") ranks of
general first or were the two branch marshal ranks equal to the 3- and
4-star general ranks.
Essentially, I suppose I really asking, if the rank structure as I
initially understood (viwed) it is not series of increasingly higher
rank, are the two "branch" marshal ranks separate but equivalent to
other general ranks or do they represent a break in the hierarchial
sequence of ranks between 4-star general and Marshal of the Soviet Union
used only for adm. positions? Did branch marshals ever command in the
field and, if so, how did their ranks fit into the Soviet military's
pecking order.
swi...@my-dejanews.com
> ranks in the USSR military during WW2?
>
> 1.Marshal Sovetskogo Souza
> 2.Glavniy Marshal
> 3.Marshal
As I understand it, Marshal Sovetskogo Souza is for commanders in the Infantry
branch.
Glavniy Marshal (of Artillery, Tank forces, etc) is the equivalent rank to MSU
for Artillery, Tank, Air Defense, Engineers, etc.
Marshal (of Artillery, tank forces, etc) is equivalent to full General (4
stars) in the Infantry branch.
Of the branches using Glavniy Marshal and Marshal ranks, only the Artillery
and Air Defense ranks have been in use for the past couple decades.
Stuart Wilkes
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dadr...@carroll.com
> Thanks for the info, Doug, it cleared up something for me for the most
> part. I was under the impression that the Marshal of the Soviet Union
> rank was like a 7-star general in the sense that it was the highest of
> the three marshal ranks and a four star general had to get through the
> other ranks of marshal to get that rank. The way you describe it tells
> me they're not sequential ranks.
You seem to be on track now.
> Yet, after I thought about it, I still have more questions.
Shoot.
> Could marshals of branches have been promoted to the marshal of the Soviet
> Union rank?
In general, no. The branch marshal rank was the end of the road for those
with specialties like engineering, air, etc. Marshal of the USSR was for
rifles generals who had reached the 4 star rank.
> Did branch marshals go through the other ("lower") ranks of
> general first or were the two branch marshal ranks equal to the 3- and
> 4-star general ranks.
Yes, but only to the 3 star rank. There were no 4 star engineering, or air
generals etc. After 3 stars the next step was branch marshal.
> Essentially, I suppose I really asking, if the rank structure as I
> initially understood (viwed) it is not series of increasingly higher
> rank, are the two "branch" marshal ranks separate but equivalent to
> other general ranks or do they represent a break in the hierarchial
> sequence of ranks between 4-star general and Marshal of the Soviet Union
> used only for adm. positions?
The lines of rank ha different stopping points for rifles, engineering,
air, etc.
>Did branch marshals ever command in the
> field and, if so, how did their ranks fit into the Soviet military's
> pecking order.
Yes. One of the most important field commanders at Stalingrad was Marshal
of Artillery Voronov. One of the key leaders of Operation Bagration was
Marshal of Tanks Pavel Rotmistrov.So, yes they did have field commanders.
--Doug
Drazen Kramaric
>Yes, but only to the 3 star rank. There were no 4 star engineering, or air
>generals etc. After 3 stars the next step was branch marshal.
Soviet army had following general ranks:
General-major
General-lieutnant
General-colonel
General of the army
Marshal
So, you say that General-colonels in air force could not be promoted
to Generals of the Air Force, but directly to the rank of Marshall?
Drax
for reply, delete NOSPAM from my e-mail address
dadr...@carroll.com
(Drazen Kramaric) wrote:
> Soviet army had following general ranks:
>
> General-major
> General-lieutnant
> General-colonel
> General of the army
> Marshal
>
> So, you say that General-colonels in air force could not be promoted
> to Generals of the Air Force, but directly to the rank of Marshall?
Correct. Only the regular Red Army (i.e. rifles) had the four star rank.
There was no "General of the Air Force" rank. After Colonel-General you
went to Marshal of the Air Force, which was the same in stature to a
General of the Army in Rifles. The head of the Red air forces ( Novikov)
held the rank of Chief Marshal of the Air Force ( and later so did the
head of bombers, I think it was Golavanov).