Fun fact - after October Revolution (or Bolshevik Coup d'état pick the name of your choice) and forming of the Red Army, all army ranks were abolished, along with shoulder straps - after all it was The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. And this is despite that ~55% of officers of Imperial Russian Army joined the Red Army. Instead of ranks there were commanding positions and category K (from 1 to 14), for example: commander of platoon (K-2), battalion (K-7), regiment (K-9), division (K-11), corps (K-12), front/army (K-14). During reform of 1935 ranks were reinstated in the Red Army, although names 'officer' and 'general' were still taboo. Lieutenants (names of the ranks were reinstated too) were 'junior command staff', for example. And instead of generals there was 'high command staff' with new invented ranks. Commander of brigade - 'combrig', commander of division - 'comdiv', 'comcor', 'comandarm' rank 2 and rank 1. Highest rank was marshal.
In 1940 old high command ranks were abolished and ranks of generals were reinstated (from major general to general of army).
And finally in 1943 Stalin decided to bring back old Russian officer tradition with shoulder straps and naming 'officer' towards command staff. And this incurred some uproar among soldiers, because memories of fighting in Civil War against the White Army (who kept ranks of Imperial Russian Army and golden shoulder straps for its officers) still not healed.
Edit: Forgot to add, commissars were also abolished yet in 1942, and those political officers (they had separate ranks in the army) who had enough skills to become regular army officers after attestation received commanding positions and officer ranks (often they were losing rank or two, for example future General Secretary Brezhnev was 'brigade commissar' in 1942, equivalent rank would be major general, but after attestation he became colonel). The rest were sent to get additional (military) education. Political departments were kept only at armies and front levels and abolished at all lower levels.
just_wait_a_sec on December 6th, 2017 at 11:31 UTC »
The Great Purge makes a lot more sense now.
DaaangerZooone on December 6th, 2017 at 12:06 UTC »
Those ushanka hats are on point!
Mazius on December 6th, 2017 at 14:21 UTC »
Fun fact - after October Revolution (or Bolshevik Coup d'état pick the name of your choice) and forming of the Red Army, all army ranks were abolished, along with shoulder straps - after all it was The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. And this is despite that ~55% of officers of Imperial Russian Army joined the Red Army. Instead of ranks there were commanding positions and category K (from 1 to 14), for example: commander of platoon (K-2), battalion (K-7), regiment (K-9), division (K-11), corps (K-12), front/army (K-14). During reform of 1935 ranks were reinstated in the Red Army, although names 'officer' and 'general' were still taboo. Lieutenants (names of the ranks were reinstated too) were 'junior command staff', for example. And instead of generals there was 'high command staff' with new invented ranks. Commander of brigade - 'combrig', commander of division - 'comdiv', 'comcor', 'comandarm' rank 2 and rank 1. Highest rank was marshal.
In 1940 old high command ranks were abolished and ranks of generals were reinstated (from major general to general of army).
And finally in 1943 Stalin decided to bring back old Russian officer tradition with shoulder straps and naming 'officer' towards command staff. And this incurred some uproar among soldiers, because memories of fighting in Civil War against the White Army (who kept ranks of Imperial Russian Army and golden shoulder straps for its officers) still not healed.
Edit: Forgot to add, commissars were also abolished yet in 1942, and those political officers (they had separate ranks in the army) who had enough skills to become regular army officers after attestation received commanding positions and officer ranks (often they were losing rank or two, for example future General Secretary Brezhnev was 'brigade commissar' in 1942, equivalent rank would be major general, but after attestation he became colonel). The rest were sent to get additional (military) education. Political departments were kept only at armies and front levels and abolished at all lower levels.