Military ranks of the Soviet Union (1918–1935)

The day after the October revolution, the Committee on Military and Naval Affairs (later renamed to the Soviet of People's Commissars on Military and Naval Affairs) was formed with the goal of creating the new "People's Army" where the revolutionary ideals of equality and liberty were to be implemented.[1] The levelling of military grades and neglecting of rank designation were symptomatic of this new, yet temporary, 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 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. The first Soviet cadets graduated with the title of "platoon commander" (Russian: командир взвода; komandir vzvoda, abbreviated komvzvoda) but this was later changed to "red commander" for the sake of equal chances for progression amongst soldiers. Officially there were no officers in the Red Army and the distinction indicated a different post rather than a different rank, this superficial distinction was replaced once again with a system of ranks in 1935.[2]

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.

The red star

The first usage of the famous red star in the Red Army (potentially without official permission) was as a badge of rank on the left cuff to indicate a red commander of any grade starting from 15 January 1918[3]. Next came the first official emblem of the Red Army, the Revolutionary Military Symbol of the Red Army (a large enamel red star containing a brass hammer and plough device with an oak branch on the left side and a laurel on the right making a wreath surrounding the star), which was meant to be worn either as a cap badge or on the left breast. Introduced in July 1918, it was initially meant to be worn only by commanders and military cadets but was soon adopted by all Red Army servicemen. Soon after, a dedicated cap badge was introduced with it bearing a semblance to the first but with wreath removed. 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 at the end of 1918.[4] Besides the official badge designs, many unofficial variants of this cap badge were worn (more or less fitting the same description)[5] with still others having to resort to the use of the gold stars from discarded officer's shoulder boards for their cap badges during the first years of the Russian Civil War.[6]

By orders No. 953[7] and No. 1691[8] of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Red Army on structure and design of the cap badge in the shape of a red star, the official design was introduced for use by all personnel of the Red Army.

Designation	Chest badge & cap badges of the Red Army (1918-1922)
Designation	Red Star chest badge (in the centre of a silver wreath)	Red star cap badge	Badge as of Order No. 953 (from April 13, 1922)	Badge as of Order No. 1691 (from July 11, 1922)

Army ranks (1919–1923)

On 25 April 1918 by order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic, a Commission on the Elaboration of Uniform was formed. A competition was to be prepared to find new designs for Red Army uniforms, rank insignia, and branch colours. The competition commenced on 7 May with many prominent designers and artists participating until at last on 18 December the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic had made its decision.[9] On 29 November 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:[10]

Designation	Red commanders
Sleeve insignia
Russian	Командующий фронтом Komanduyuschiy frontom	Командующий армией Komanduyuschiy armiey	Командир корпуса Komandir korpusa	Начальник дивизии Nachal'nik divisi'i	Командир бригады Komandir brigady
English	Front commander	Army commander	Army corps commander	Division chief	Brigade commander

Designation	Red commanders
Sleeve insignia
Russian	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
English	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
Sleeve Insignia
Russian	Старшина роты Starshina roty Старшина батареи Starshina batarei Старшина эскадрона Starshina eskadrona	Помощник командира взвода Pomoschnik komandira vzvoda	Командир отделения Komandir otdeleniya	Красноармеец Krasnoarmeetz
English	Company senior Battery senior Squadron senior (all equivalent to sergeant major)	Deputy platoon leader	Squad leader	Red Army man

On 16 January 1919 the official adoption of the new uniforms and rank insignia was announced by the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic via Order No. 116[9] however, unofficial and outdated arrangements of these insignia would continue to be worn throughout the civil war years. The ground forces of the Red Army and the nascent Soviet Air Force used these ranks until 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.

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.

High commanders

Designation	High commanders and chefs
Collar insignia[11]
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[11]
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[11]
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	Company (Battery) Senior (Equivalent to Sergeant Major)	Assistant platoon commander	Section commander	Squad leader / Assistant section commander	Red Army man

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.

• History of Russian military ranks
• Ranks and insignia of the Imperial Russian Armed Forces
• Ranks and insignia of the White Movement
• 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

• 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.