Army of the USSR: strength and composition. Soviet army On the composition of the armed forces of the ussr

“...from the taiga to the British seas: the Red Army is the strongest of all,” was how they sang in a Soviet song. During World War II, the Red Army became Soviet and, together with the Navy, Civil Defense Troops, border and internal troops, formed the Armed Forces of the USSR.
In this issue you will see photos from the Soviet photo album of the 80s ready and find out what the Great Soviet Encyclopedia told about the Armed Forces of the USSR.

Text: Great Soviet Encyclopedia

1.
The Armed Forces of the USSR is a military organization of the Soviet state, designed to protect the socialist gains of the Soviet people, the freedom and independence of the Soviet Union. Together with the armed forces of other socialist countries, they ensure the security of the entire socialist community from encroachments by aggressors.

2. Stroibatovtsy at BAM.

3.

4. Sappers in action.

5.
The Armed Forces of the USSR are divided into types: Strategic Missile Forces, Ground Forces, Air Defense Forces of the country, Air Force, Navy, and also include Rear Armed Forces, headquarters and troops of the Civil Defense. The branches of the Armed Forces, in turn, are divided into types of troops, branches of forces (Navy) and special troops, which organizationally consist of subunits, units, and formations. The Armed Forces also include border and internal troops. The Armed Forces of the USSR have a unified system of organization and recruitment, centralized command and control, uniform principles for the training and education of personnel and the training of command personnel, and a common procedure for the service of privates, sergeants and officers.

7. Fire during exercises.
The direct command of the Armed Forces is exercised by the USSR Ministry of Defense. All types of the Armed Forces, the Logistics of the Armed Forces, the headquarters and troops of the Civil Defense are subordinate to him. Each branch of the Armed Forces is led by the corresponding commander-in-chief, who is the deputy. defense minister. The border and internal troops are led, respectively, by the State Security Committee under the Council of Ministers of the USSR and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR. The Ministry of Defense includes the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR, the directorates of the commanders-in-chief of the branches of the Armed Forces, the Logistics Directorate of the Armed Forces, the main and central directorates (the Main Directorate of Personnel, the Central Financial Directorate, the Directorate of Affairs, etc.), as well as military administrative bodies and institutions of the Civil defense. Among other tasks, the Ministry of Defense is entrusted with: developing plans for the construction and development of the Armed Forces in peacetime and wartime, improving the organization of troops, military equipment, providing the Armed Forces with weapons and all types of material supplies, managing operational and combat training of troops and a number of other functions, determined by the requirements of state protection. Party political work in the Armed Forces is managed by the Central Committee of the CPSU through the Main Political Directorate of the Soviet Army and Navy, which operates as a department of the Central Committee of the CPSU. It directs political bodies, army and navy party and Komsomol organizations, ensures party influence on all aspects of the life of the personnel of the troops, directs the activities of political agencies, party organizations to increase the combat readiness of the troops, strengthen military discipline and the political and moral state of the personnel.

8. Crossing on a pontoon.

9. Artillery calculation during the exercises.
The material and technical support of the Armed Forces is carried out by the departments and services of the Logistics, subordinate to the Deputy Minister of Defense - Head of the Logistics of the Armed Forces.

10.
The territory of the USSR is divided into military districts. A military district may cover the territories of several territories, republics or regions. In order to fulfill allied obligations to jointly ensure the security of the socialist states, groups of Soviet troops. In the branches of the Armed Forces, military districts, groups of troops, air defense districts, fleets, military councils have been established that have the right to consider and resolve all important issues of the life and activities of the troops of the corresponding branch of the Armed Forces, district. They are fully responsible to the Central Committee of the CPSU, the government and the Minister of Defense of the USSR for the implementation of the resolutions of the party and government in the Armed Forces, as well as orders of the Minister of Defense.

12. Against the backdrop of the Motherland monument in the hero city of Volgograd.

13.
The recruitment of the Armed Forces with privates, sergeants and senior officers is carried out by calling up Soviet citizens for active military service, which, in accordance with the Constitution of the USSR and the Law on General military service 1967, an honorary duty of citizens of the USSR (see Military duty in the USSR). The call is made by order of the Minister of Defense everywhere 2 times a year: in May - June and in November - December. Male citizens who have reached the age of 18 by the day of conscription are called up for active military service for a period of service from 1.5 to 3 years, depending on their education and the type of Armed Forces. An additional source of staffing is the admission of military personnel and persons in the reserve, on a voluntary basis, to the positions of warrant officers and midshipmen, as well as to long-term service. Officers are recruited on a voluntary basis. Officers are trained in the higher and secondary military schools of the corresponding services of the Armed Forces and branches of service; political officers - in higher military-political schools. To prepare young men for admission to higher military educational institutions, there are Suvorov and nakhimov schools. The advanced training of officers is carried out at higher courses for the improvement of officers, as well as in the system of combat and political training. Leading command, political, engineering and other officer cadres are trained in the military, air force, naval and special academies.

14. Communication with the commander.

15. Solemn ceremony of taking the oath.

16.
The Soviet Army and Navy began along with the formation of the world's first socialist state. After the victory of the October Revolution of 1917, the Soviet people had to not only build a new society, but also defend it with arms in hand from internal counter-revolution and repeated attacks by international imperialism. The Armed Forces of the USSR were created directly by the Communist Party under the hands of. V. I. Lenin, based on the provisions of the Marxist-Leninist doctrine of war and the army. By a resolution of the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets of October 26 (November 8), 1917, during the formation of the Soviet government, a Committee for Military and Naval Affairs was created, consisting of V. A. Antonov-Ovseenko, N. V. Krylenko, and P. E. Dybenko; from October 27 (November 9), 1917, it was called the Council of People's Commissars for Military and Naval Affairs, from December 1917 - the Collegium of Military Commissars, from February 1918 - 2 people's commissariats: for military and naval affairs. The main armed force in overthrowing the rule of the bourgeoisie and the landowners and winning the power of the working people were the Red Guard and the revolutionary sailors of the Baltic Fleet, the soldiers of the Petrograd and other garrisons. Relying on the working class and the poor peasantry, they played an important role in the victory of the October Revolution of 1917, in protecting the young Soviet Republic in the center and in the localities, in the defeat at the end of 1917 - the beginning of 1918 of the counter-revolutionary rebellions of Kerensky - Krasnov near Petrograd, Kaledin on the Don, Dutov in the South Urals, in ensuring the triumphal procession of Soviet power throughout Russia.

17. Army amateur performance.

18.
"... The Red Guards did the noblest and greatest historical work of liberating the working people and the exploited from the oppression of the exploiters" (V. I. Lenin, Poln. sobr. soch., 5th ed., vol. 36, p. 177).

19.
At the beginning of 1918, it became obvious that the forces of the Red Guard, as well as detachments of revolutionary soldiers and sailors, were clearly not enough to reliably protect the Soviet state. In an effort to stifle the revolution, the imperialist states, above all Germany, undertook an intervention against the young Soviet Republic, which merged with the action of internal counter-revolution: White Guard revolts and conspiracies of the Socialist-Revolutionaries, Mensheviks, and the remnants of various bourgeois parties. We needed regular armed forces capable of protecting the Soviet state from numerous enemies.

22.
On January 15 (28), 1918, the Council of People's Commissars adopted a decree on the creation of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA), and on January 29 (February 11) - a decree on the creation of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Fleet (RKKF) on a voluntary basis. The direct leadership of the formation of the Red Army was carried out by the All-Russian Collegium, established by the Council of People's Commissars on January 15 (28), 1918 under the People's Commissariat for Military Affairs. In connection with the violation of the truce by Germany and the transition of its troops to the offensive, the Soviet government on February 22 turned to the people with a decree written by Lenin, the appeal "The socialist fatherland is in danger!". This decree marked the beginning of the mass registration of volunteers in the Red Army and the formation of many of its units. In commemoration of the general mobilization of revolutionary forces to defend the socialist Fatherland, as well as the courageous resistance of the Red Army units to the invaders, February 23 is annually celebrated in the USSR as a national holiday - the Day of the Soviet Army and Navy.

23. In the army bath.

24. Physical training.

25.
During the years of the Civil War of 1918-20, the construction of the Red Army and the RKKF was carried out under exceptionally difficult conditions. The country's economy was undermined, rail transport was disorganized, the army was supplied with food irregularly, and there were not enough weapons and uniforms. The army did not have the necessary number of command personnel; means. part of the officers of the old army was on the side of the counter-revolution. The peasantry, from which the rank and file and junior command personnel were mainly recruited, devastated by the First World War of 1914-18, were not inclined to voluntarily join the army. All these difficulties were aggravated by the sabotage of the old bureaucratic apparatus, the bourgeois intelligentsia and the kulaks.

26. Veteran and conscript.

27.
From January to May 1918, the Red Army and the RKKF were recruited by volunteers, the command staff (up to the regiment commander) was selected; the number of volunteer units was extremely insufficient. By April 20, 1918, the Red Army numbered only 196 thousand people. The staffing of the army with volunteers and the election of command personnel could not ensure the creation of a mass regular army, which was necessary in the international situation and in the context of the expansion of the Civil War. On March 4, 1918, the Supreme Military Council was formed to direct military operations and organize the army. On April 8, the Council of People's Commissars adopted a decree on the establishment of volost, district, provincial and district commissariats for military affairs, on May 8, instead of the All-Russian Collegium for the formation of the Red Army, the All-Russian General Staff (Vseroglavshtab) was created - the highest executive body in charge of mobilization, formation, organization and training of troops . By a decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee on April 22, universal military training of workers (Vsevobuch) was introduced, the military department began to appoint command staff. Due to the lack of qualified command personnel, former officers and generals were recruited into the army and navy; The institute of military commissars was formed.

28. Military ID.

29.
On July 10, 1918, the 5th All-Russian Congress of Soviets adopted a resolution "On the organization of the Red Army" on the basis of universal conscription of workers aged 18 to 40 years. The transition to compulsory military service made it possible to sharply increase the size of the Red Army. By the beginning of September 1918, there were already 550 thousand people in its ranks. On September 6, 1918, simultaneously with the declaration of martial law in the country, the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic (RVSR) was created instead of the Supreme Military Council, whose functions included the operational and organizational control of the troops. In September 1918, the functions and personnel of the People's Commissariat for Military Affairs were transferred to the RVSR, and in December 1918, the People's Commissariat for Maritime Affairs (it became part of the RVSR as the Naval Department). The RVSR led the active army through its member - the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces of the Republic (commander-in-chief: from September 1918 - I. I. Vatsetis, from July 1919 - S. S. Kamenev). On September 6, 1918, the Field Headquarters of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic was established (on February 10, 1921, it was merged with the All-Glavshtab into the Headquarters of the Red Army), subordinate to the commander-in-chief and engaged in training troops and directing military operations.

31. Political information.

32.
Party political work in the army and navy was carried out by the Central Committee of the RCP (b) through the All-Russian Bureau of Military Commissars (established on April 8, 1918), which on April 18, 1919, by decision of the 8th Party Congress, was replaced by the department of the RVSR, renamed on May 26, 1919 into the Political Directorate (PUR) under the RVSR, which at the same time was a department of the Central Committee of the RCP (o). In the troops, party political work was carried out by political departments and party organizations (cells).

35.
In 1919, on the basis of the decisions of the 8th Party Congress, the transition to a regular mass army was completed, with a strong proletarian, politically conscious, cadre core of personnel, a single recruitment system, a stable organization of troops, centralized control and an effective party political apparatus. The construction of the Armed Forces of the USSR took place in a sharp struggle with the "military opposition", which opposed the creation of a regular army, defended the remnants of partisanship in command and control of troops and the conduct of war, and underestimated the role of old military specialists.

38.
By the end of 1919, the strength of the Red Army reached 3 million people, by the autumn of 1920 - 5.5 million people. The proportion of workers was 15%, peasants - 77%, others - 8%. In total, in 1918-20, 88 rifle and 29 cavalry divisions, 67 air squadrons (300-400 aircraft), as well as a number of artillery and armored units and subunits, were formed. There were 2 reserve (reserve) armies (of the Republic and the South-Eastern Front) and units of Vsevobuch, in which about 800 thousand people were trained. During the years of the Civil War, 6 military academies and over 150 courses and schools (October 1920) trained 40,000 commanders from workers and peasants. As of August 1, 1920, there were about 300,000 Communists in the Red Army and Navy (about one-half of the entire composition of the Party), who were the cementing core of the army and navy. About 50 thousand of them died the death of the brave during the Civil War.

40.
In the summer and autumn of 1918, active troops began to form armies and fronts, headed by revolutionary military councils (RVS) of 2-4 members. By the autumn of 1919 there were 7 fronts, each of 2-5 armies. In total, the fronts had 16-18 combined arms armies, one Cavalry Army (1st) and several separate cavalry corps. In 1920 the 2nd Cavalry Army was formed.

42.
In the course of the struggle against the interventionists and the White Guards, the weapons of the old army were mainly used. At the same time, the emergency measures taken by the Party to set up a military industry and the unparalleled heroism of the working class made it possible to move on to an organized supply of Soviet-made weapons, ammunition and uniforms to the Red Army. The average monthly output of rifles in 1920 amounted to more than 56 thousand pieces, cartridges - 58 million pieces. In 1919 aviation enterprises built 258 and repaired 50 aircraft.

44.
Together with the creation of the Red Army, Soviet military science was born and developed, based on the Marxist-Leninist doctrine of war and the army, the practice of the revolutionary struggle of the masses, the achievements of military theory past, creatively reworked in relation to new conditions. The first charters of the Red Army were issued: in 1918 - the Charter internal service, Charter of the garrison service, Field Charter, in 1919 - Disciplinary Charter. A great contribution to Soviet military science was made by Lenin's propositions on the essence and nature of war, the role of the masses, the social system, and the economy in achieving victory. Already at that time clearly manifested character traits Soviet military art: revolutionary creative activity; intransigence to the template; the ability to determine the direction of the main blow; a reasonable combination of offensive and defensive actions; pursuit of the enemy up to its complete destruction, etc.

47.

49.
After the victorious end of the Civil War and the infliction of a decisive defeat on the combined forces of the interventionists and the White Guards, the Red Army was transferred to a peaceful position and by the end of 1924 its strength was reduced by 10 times. Simultaneously with the demobilization, the strengthening of the Armed Forces was carried out. In 1923, the united People's Commissariat for Military and Naval Affairs was recreated. As a result of the military reform of 1924-25, the central apparatus was reduced and updated, new staffs of units and formations were introduced, the social composition of command personnel was improved, and new charters, instructions and guidelines were developed and introduced. The most important issue of the military reform was the transition to a mixed system of recruiting troops, which made it possible to have in peacetime a small regular army with a minimum expenditure of funds for its maintenance, in combination with the territorial-militia formations of the internal districts (see Territorial-militia structure). Most of the formations and units of the border districts, technical and special troops, and the Navy remained personnel. Instead of L. D. Trotsky (from 1918 - People's Commissar of the Navy and Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic), who sought to tear the Red Army and Navy from the party leadership, on January 26, 1925, M. V. Frunze was appointed Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR and People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs, after his death whom K. E. Voroshilov became People's Commissar.

51.
The first all-Union law "On Compulsory Military Service", adopted on September 18, 1925, by the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, consolidated the measures taken in the course of the military reform. This law determined the organizational structure of the Armed Forces, which included the Ground Forces (infantry, cavalry, artillery, armored forces, engineering troops, signal troops), the Air and Naval Forces, the troops of the United State Political Administration (OGPU) and the escort guards of the USSR. Their number in 1927 was 586 thousand people.

53.
In the 30s. on the basis of the successes achieved in building socialism, the further improvement of the Armed Forces took place; their territorial and personnel structure ceased to satisfy the needs of the defense of the state. In 1935-38, a transition was made from the territorial-personnel system to a single personnel structure of the Armed Forces. In 1937, there were 1.5 million people in the ranks of the army and navy, in June 1941 - about 5 million people. On June 20, 1934, the Central Executive Committee of the USSR abolished the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR and renamed the People's Commissariat for Military and Naval Affairs into the People's Commissariat of Defense of the USSR. In November 1934, the Military Council of the People's Commissariat of Defense was created, in 1937 military councils in the districts, in 1935 the Headquarters of the Red Army was transformed into the General Staff. In 1937 the all-Union People's Commissariat of the Navy was created; The political directorate of the Red Army was renamed the Main Directorate of Political Propaganda, and the political directorates of the districts and the political departments of the formations were renamed the directorates and departments of political propaganda. On May 10, 1937, by a decree of the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, the institution of military commissars was introduced, responsible, together with commanders, for the political and moral state of the troops, operational and mobilization readiness, the state of weapons and military equipment; in 1938 the main military councils of the Red Army were established; Army and Navy.

55.
On September 1, 1939, the law "On universal military duty" was adopted, which abolished the previously existing restrictions on conscription into the army and navy for certain categories of the population and proclaimed military service an honorable duty of all citizens of the USSR, regardless of their class affiliation.

58.
The social composition of the army improved: from 40 to 50% of the soldiers and junior commanders were representatives of the working class. In 1939 there were 14 military academies, 63 military schools of the Ground Forces and 14 of the Navy, and 32 flight and flight technical schools. On September 22, 1935, personal military ranks were introduced (see Military ranks), and on May 7, 1940, general and admiral ranks. In terms of technical equipment, the Armed Forces during the years of the pre-war five-year plans (1929-40) rose to the level of the armies of the advanced capitalist states. In the Ground Forces in 1939, compared with 1930, the number of artillery increased; 7, including anti-tank and tank - 70 times. The number of tanks from 1934 to 1939 increased by 2.5 times. Along with the quantitative growth of weapons and military equipment, their quality has improved. A notable step has been taken in increasing the rate of fire of small arms. The mechanization and motorization of all branches of the armed forces increased. Air defense, engineering, communications, chemical defense troops were armed with new technical means. On the basis of the successes of aircraft and engine building, the Air Force was further developed. In 1939, compared with 1930, the total number of aircraft increased 6.5 times. The Navy began building surface ships of various classes, submarines, torpedo boats, and naval aircraft. Compared with 1939, the volume of military production in 1940 increased by more than one-third. Through the efforts of the teams of the design bureaus of A. I. Mikoyan, M. I. Gurevich, A. S. Yakovlev, S. A. Lavochkin, S. V. Ilyushin, V. M. Petlyakov and others, and workers in the aviation industry, Various types fighter aircraft: Yak-1, MiG-Z, LaGG-Z, Pe-2 dive bomber, Il-2 attack aircraft. The design teams of Zh. Ya. Kotin, M. I. Koshkin, A. A. Morozov, I. A. Kucherenko put the world's best heavy and medium tanks KV-1 and T-34 into serial production. The design bureaus of V. G. Grabin, I. I. Ivanov, F. I. Petrov and others created new original types of artillery pieces and mortars, many of which went into mass production. From May 1940 to the beginning of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45, the gun fleet increased by more than 1.2 times. Designers Yu. A. Pobedonostsev, I. I. Gvai, V. A. Artemiev, F. I. Poida and others created a rocket weapon for salvo firing at areas. A large group of designers and scientists - A. N. Krylov, P. N. Papkovich, V. L. Pozdyunin, V. I. Kostenko, A. N. Maslov, B. M. Malinin, V. F. Popov and others. , developed several new models of warships, which were put into mass production. Great successes were achieved in 1940-41 by factories for the production of small arms, ammunition, fuels and lubricants, etc.

59.
The increased technical equipment made it possible on the eve of the war to significantly improve the organizational structure of the troops. The rifle divisions included tanks, powerful divisional artillery, anti-tank and anti-aircraft artillery, which significantly increased their firepower. The organization of the artillery reserve of the High Command (RGK) was further developed. Instead of separate tank and armored brigades, which since 1939 were the main formations of the armored forces, the formation of larger formations began - tank and mechanized divisions. In the airborne troops, they began to form airborne corps, and in the Air Force, from 1940, they began to switch to a divisional organization. Formations and formations were organized in the Navy, intended for joint operations with the ground forces and for independent operations.

61.
Military strategy, operational art and tactics were further developed. In the mid 30s. a theory of deep combat and deep operations is being developed, reflecting qualitative changes in the technical equipment of troops - a fundamentally new theory of conducting operations by massive, highly mobile, well-equipped armies. Theoretical provisions were tested on maneuvers and exercises, as well as during the fighting of the Red Army in the area of ​​​​Lake Khasan, r. Khalkhin-Gol, in the Soviet-Finnish war 1939-40. Many statutes and instructions were developed anew. In 1940, the troops received the Infantry Combat Regulations (part 1), drafts of the Field Regulations and the Infantry Combat Regulations (part 2), the Combat Regulations for Tank Forces, the Combat Regulations, the Regulations for Guard Service, etc. On May 7, 1940, S. K. Timoshenko.

63.
Despite the measures taken, the preparation of the Armed Forces to repel the aggression that was being prepared by German fascism was not completed. The reorganization of the Armed Forces on a new technical basis was not completed by the beginning of the war. Most of the formations transferred to the new states were not fully equipped with weapons and military equipment, as well as vehicles. Many middle and senior commanders lacked experience in modern warfare.

65. Military from different socialist countries.
Great Fatherland. The war of 1941-45 was the most difficult test for the Soviet people and the Armed Forces of the USSR. The fascist German troops, due to the suddenness of the attack, the lengthy preparation for war, the 2-year experience of military operations in Europe, the superiority in the number of weapons, the number of troops and other temporary advantages, were able to advance hundreds of kilometers in the first months of the war, regardless of losses. deep into Soviet territory. The CPSU and the Soviet government did everything necessary to eliminate the deadly threat hanging over the country. From the beginning of the war, the deployment of the Armed Forces was carried out in an organized manner and in a short time. By July 1, 1941, 5.3 million people were called up from the reserve. The whole life of the country was rebuilt on a military footing. The main sectors of the economy switched to the production of military products. In July-November 1941, 1,360 large enterprises, mainly of defense importance, were evacuated from the front-line areas. On June 30, 1941, an emergency body was formed - the State Defense Committee (GKO) under the chairmanship of I. V. Stalin. On July 19, 1941, JV Stalin was appointed People's Commissar of Defense, and on August 8 he also became Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. The State Defense Committee led the entire life of the country, uniting the efforts of the rear and the front, the activities of all state bodies, party and public organizations for the complete defeat of the enemy. The fundamental issues of the leadership of the state, the conduct of the war were decided by the Central Committee of the party - the Politburo, the Orgburo and the Secretariat. The adopted decisions were put into practice through the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, the State Defense Committee and the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, created on August 8, 1941. The Headquarters carried out the strategic leadership of the Armed Forces with the help of its working body - the General Staff. The most important questions of the conduct of the war were discussed at joint meetings of the Politburo of the Central Committee, the State Defense Committee and the Headquarters.

66.
Since the beginning of the war, the training of officers has been expanded by increasing the contingent of students of academies, cadets of schools and reducing the duration of training, creating a large number of courses for accelerated training of junior officers, especially from among soldiers and sergeants. From September 1941, distinguished formations began to be given the name Guards (see Soviet Guard).
Thanks to the extraordinary measures taken by the CPSU and the Soviet government, mass heroism and unprecedented self-sacrifice of the Soviet people, soldiers of the army and navy, by the end of 1941, the enemy was stopped on the outskirts of Moscow, Leningrad and other vital centers of the country. During the Battle of Moscow 1941-42, the first major defeat was inflicted on the enemy in the entire 2nd World War. This battle dispelled the myth of the invincibility of the fascist German army, thwarted the "blitzkrieg" plan, and was the beginning of a decisive turn in the war in favor of the USSR.

68.
In the summer of 1942 the center of hostilities moved to the southern wing of the Soviet-German front. The enemy rushed to the Volga, the oil of the Caucasus, the grain regions of the Don and Kuban. The Party and the Soviet government made every effort to stop the enemy, continued to build up the power of the Armed Forces. By the spring of 1942, there were 5.5 million people in the Armed Forces alone in the active army. From the middle of 1942, industry began to increase the output of military products and more fully meet the needs of the front. If in 1941 15,735 aircraft were produced, then in 1942 there were already 25,436, tanks, respectively, 6,590 and 24,446, the output of ammunition almost doubled. In 1942, 575,000 officers were sent to the army. In the Battle of Stalingrad 1942-1943, Soviet troops defeated the enemy and seized the strategic initiative. This victory was the beginning of a radical turning point not only in the Great Patriotic War, but throughout World War II.

70.
In 1943, military production developed rapidly: the production of aircraft compared to 1942 increased by 137.1%, warships by 123%, submachine guns by 134.3%, shells by 116.9%, and bombs by 173.3%. In general, the production of military products increased by 17%, and in Nazi Germany by 12%. The Soviet defense industry was able to surpass the enemy not only in the quantity of weapons, but also in their quality. The mass production of artillery pieces made it possible to strengthen divisional artillery, create corps, army artillery and powerful artillery of the reserve of the Supreme High Command (RVGK), new units and subunits of rocket, anti-tank and anti-aircraft artillery. A significant number of tank and mechanized corps were formed, most of which were later reduced to a tank. army. Armored and mechanized troops became the main strike force of the Ground Forces (by the end of 1943 they included 5 tank armies, 24 tank and 13 mechanized corps). The composition of aviation divisions, corps and air armies has increased.
The significant strengthening of the power of the Soviet Armed Forces and the increased skill of the commander of its military leaders made it possible in the Battle of Kursk 1943 to inflict a major defeat on the fascist troops, which put fascist Germany in front of a military catastrophe.

71. Warriors-internationalists and pioneers.

72.
Decisive victories were won by the Armed Forces of the USSR in 1944-45. By this time, they had vast combat experience, possessed colossal power, and by the beginning of 1945 numbered 11,365 thousand people. The advantages of the socialist economic system and the viability of the economic policy of the CPSU and the Soviet government were clearly revealed. In 1943-45, an average of 220 thousand artillery pieces and mortars, 450 thousand machine guns, 40 thousand aircraft, 30 thousand tanks, self-propelled guns and armored vehicles were produced annually. New types of aircraft were produced in mass quantities - La-7, Yak-9, Il-10, Tu-2, heavy tanks IS-2, self-propelled artillery mounts ISU-122, ISU-152 and SU-100, rocket launchers BM- 31-12, 160-mm mortars and other military equipment. As a result of strategic offensive operations, including near Leningrad and Novgorod, in the Crimea, on the Right-Bank Ukraine, in Belarus, Moldova, the Baltic states and in the Arctic, the Armed Forces cleared Soviet land of invaders. Developing a swift offensive, the Soviet troops carried out the East Prussian, Vistula-Oder and other operations in 1945. In the Berlin operation, they achieved the final defeat of Nazi Germany. The Armed Forces fulfilled a great liberation mission - they helped to get rid of the fascist occupation of the peoples of the countries of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe.
Fulfilling its allied obligations, the Soviet Union in August 1945 entered the war with Japan. The Armed Forces of the USSR, together with the armed forces of the MPR, defeated the Japanese Kwantung Army and thus played a decisive role in ending World War II (see the Manchurian operation of 1945).

73.
The leading force of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War was the Communist Party. During the war it sent over 1.6 million communists to the front, and during the war about 6 million people joined the ranks of the Communist Party.

75. In the Afghan gorge.
The Party and the Soviet government appreciated the exploits of the soldiers on the fronts of the war. Over 7 million soldiers were awarded orders and medals; over 11,600 of them - representatives of 100 nations and nationalities - were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. About half of all awarded soldiers are communists and Komsomol members.

77. Wall newspaper.

78.
During the war, the Armed Forces of the USSR gained vast combat experience. Soviet military science was further developed, especially the art of war and all its constituent parts—strategy, operational art, and tactics. The issues of front-line and strategic offensive operations of a group of fronts were comprehensively developed, the problems of breaking through enemy defenses, the continuity of the development of the offensive were successfully solved by introducing mobile - tank and mechanized formations and formations into the breakthrough, achieving a clear interaction of forces and means, sudden strikes, comprehensive support for operations, issues of strategic defense and counteroffensive

79. In the army canteen.

80.
Having defeated the armies of fascist Germany and imperialist Japan, the Armed Forces of the USSR emerged from the war organizationally strengthened, equipped with last word technology, with the consciousness of a fulfilled duty to the Soviet people and all mankind. A massive layoff of personnel began. On September 4, 1945, the GKO was abolished, and the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command ceased its activities. On February 25, 1946, instead of the People's Commissariats of Defense and the Navy, a single People's Commissariat of the Armed Forces of the SS was created.

81. Young family.

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From the first days of peaceful life in 1945, the rear services of the Red Army were entrusted with enormous tasks to demobilize the personnel of the Armed Forces, ensure the reduction and withdrawal of troops to places of permanent deployment, their daily provision and arrangement, participation in the restoration of the national economy, as well as a number of other , no less important areas for ensuring the life of the army. The fulfillment of these tasks took place in the conditions of the transfer of their activities to peaceful military-economic economic relations with state and local authorities against the background of reductions in their structural units and institutions.

In February 1946, the People's Commissariats of Defense and the Navy were reorganized. The leadership of the army, aviation and navy was headed by:

★People's Commissariat of the Armed Forces. →
★Ministry of Armed Forces C March 1946. →
★Ministry of Defense of the USSR Since March 1953.

After the reorganization in 1946 of the top management of the military body of the USSR by Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR No. 629 dated March 21, 1946 and by order of the Deputy Minister of the Armed Forces of the USSR, General of the Army N. Bulganin No. 1 dated March 22, 1946 General of the Army A.V. Khrulev. A little later, by Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR No. 1012-417 dated May 13, 1946 three deputy chiefs of the Logistics, three chiefs of the Main Directorate and one chief of the Central Directorate were appointed. One of the deputy chiefs of Logistics, Colonel General V.I. Vinogradov, was appointed chief of staff of the Logistics of the Ministry of the Armed Forces of the USSR.

In the early post-war years, the Armed Forces of the USSR had a three-service structure - the Ground Forces, the Air Force, and the Navy. The air defense forces of the country and the airborne troops had organizational independence. The Armed Forces included the border troops of the KGB of the USSR and the internal troops of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs. They were managed by the respective commanders-in-chief and main headquarters. In order to quickly and organizationally reduce the army and transfer it to a peaceful position, the number of military districts was significantly increased. To October 01, 1945 there were 32 of them, then, as the Armed Forces were reduced, the districts were also abolished (1946 - 21, from the beginning of the 50s - 16);

Changes in the system of training military personnel. A transition has begun from accelerated training of personnel to systematic, well-organized studies based on stable programs. Two- and then three-year terms of study are being introduced in military schools. Along with the improvement of existing academies and schools, new ones are being created (4 academies and 32 military schools were opened in 1946-1953), mainly of an engineering and technical profile. The number of students and cadets increased, the profile of their training changed, and officers with combat experience were sent to teaching.

The Airborne Forces were withdrawn from the Air Force in 1946. On the basis of separate airborne brigades and some rifle divisions, parachute and airborne formations and units were formed. The airborne corps was a combined-arms operational-tactical formation, intended for operations behind enemy lines in the interests of troops advancing from the front.

One of the main directions in the military construction of the USSR was the creation and improvement of new means of armed struggle, and above all, atomic weapons.

The first of them - special-purpose brigades equipped with R-1 and R-2 missiles in conventional equipment - began to be created in 1946.

December 25, 1946 A nuclear reactor was put into operation in the USSR.

The USSR Armed Forces in 1946 had three types: Ground Forces, Air Force and Navy. The Air Defense Forces of the country and the Airborne Forces had organizational independence. The Armed Forces included the Border Troops and the Internal Troops.

The country's air defense forces in 1948 became an independent type of aircraft. In the same period, the country's air defense system was reorganized. The entire territory of the USSR was divided into a border strip and an internal territory. Air defense of the border strip was assigned to the commanders of the districts, and naval bases - to the commanders of the fleets. Under their command were military air defense systems located in the same strip. The interior territory was defended by the Air Defense Forces of the country, which became a powerful and reliable means of covering important centers of the country and groupings of troops.

In connection with the end of the war, associations, formations and units of the USSR Armed Forces moved to areas of permanent deployment and were transferred to new states. In order to quickly and organizedly reduce the army and transfer it to a peaceful position, the number of military districts was significantly increased. The administrations of the fronts and some armies were turned to their formation.

The main and most numerous type of armed forces remained the Ground Forces, which included rifle, armored and mechanized troops, artillery, cavalry and special troops (engineering, chemical, communications, automobile, road, etc.).

The main operational unit of the Ground Forces was the combined arms army. In addition to combined arms formations

it included parts of the army anti-tank and anti-aircraft artillery, mortar, engineer-sapper and other army units. With the motorization of divisions and the inclusion of a heavy self-propelled tank regiment in the combat strength of the army, it essentially acquired the properties of a mechanized association.

The main types of combined arms formations were rifle, mechanized and tank divisions. The rifle corps was considered the highest combined-arms tactical unit. The combined arms army included several rifle corps.

There was a military-technical and organizational-staff strengthening of rifle regiments and rifle divisions. In units and formations, the number of automatic weapons and artillery was increased (regular tanks and self-propelled guns appeared in them). So, a self-propelled gun battery was introduced into the rifle regiment, and a self-propelled tank regiment, a separate anti-aircraft artillery battalion, a second artillery regiment and other units into the rifle division. The widespread introduction of motor transport equipment into the troops led to the motorization of the rifle division.

Rifle units were armed with hand-held and mounted anti-tank grenade launchers, which ensured effective combat against tanks at ranges up to 300 m (RPG-1, RPG-2 and SG-82). In 1949, a set of new small arms was adopted, which included a Simonov self-loading carbine, a Kalashnikov assault rifle, a Degtyarev light machine gun, an RP-46 company machine gun, and a modernized Goryunov heavy machine gun.

Instead of tank armies, mechanized armies were created, which included 2 tank, 2 mechanized divisions and army units. The mechanized army completely retained the mobility of the former tank army with a significant increase in the number of tanks, self-propelled guns, field and anti-aircraft artillery in it. Tank and mechanized corps were transformed into tank and mechanized divisions, respectively. At the same time, the combat and maneuvering capabilities of armored vehicles have increased significantly. A light amphibious tank PT-76 was created, a medium tank T-54, heavy tanks IS-4 and T-10, which had stronger weapons and armor protection, were adopted.

In August 1949, an experimental explosion of the atomic bomb was carried out.

Rearmament of troops and naval forces. The main task was to create weapons that are quantitatively and qualitatively not inferior to the weapons of a potential enemy and provide a solution to the problem of protecting the Motherland. Machine guns, pistols, machine guns, light and heavy machine guns, designed for a unified 7.62 mm cartridge, were widely used. The number of weapons samples has been halved. In the postwar years, the combat and maneuvering capabilities of artillery increased significantly. New guns and howitzers, radar stations for detecting and serifing ground targets were put into service. Trouble-free anti-tank guns with an increased automation system appeared. Further development was received by jet weapons. Improved armored vehicles.

Signal troops received improved HF and VHF radio stations, new types of special radio receivers, mobile communication centers, and radio relay lines. In the post-war period, Soviet military aviation switched from piston aircraft to jet and turboprop aircraft.

By the beginning of the 50s, the design bureaus of A.I. Mikoyan, M.I. Gurevich, S.A. Lavochkina, A.S. Yakovleva, A.N. Tupolev, V.S. Ilyushin. created:

Since 1952, the Air Defense Forces of the country began to be equipped with anti-aircraft missile technology, the first units were created to serve them. Strengthened air defense aviation. In the early 1950s, the Air Defense Forces of the country received a new night all-weather fighter-interceptor Yak-25. All this significantly increased the ability to combat enemy air targets.

The military-technical equipment of the Navy is being strengthened. By 1953, 30% of the warships in the fleet were built after the war. These are new series of cruisers and destroyers, diesel and then nuclear submarines;

In 1953, the hydrogen bomb was tested.

By the beginning of 1954, the Armed Forces had nuclear weapons of various capacities, their means of delivery, experimental data on their damaging power, methods and means of protection.

Under the conditions of the technical revolution, cavalry formations did not develop and were abolished in 1954.

In the period after the Great Patriotic War, the USSR Ministry of Defense was systematically entrusted with the task of providing civilian ministries with a workforce by forming military construction units for them, the personnel of which were used as construction workers. The number of these formations increased from year to year.

Since 1955, the leadership of the USSR has been calling for an end to the arms race and to convene a world conference on this issue. In confirmation of the new foreign policy course, the Soviet Union reduced the size of its Armed Forces from 5.8 million people at the beginning of 1955 to 3.6 million by December 1959, in 1955 - by 640 thousand people, by June 1956 - by 1,200 thousand Human.

Warsaw Pact (Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance) from May 14, 1955- a document that formalized the creation of a military alliance of European socialist states with the leading role of the USSR - the Warsaw Pact Organization (WTO) and fixed the bipolarity of the world for 36 years. The conclusion of the treaty was a response to the accession of Germany to NATO.

The agreement was signed by the NSRA, BNR, Hungary, GDR, Poland, SRR, USSR and Czechoslovakia May 14, 1955 at the Warsaw Conference of European States on Ensuring Peace and Security in Europe.

Article 31

In order to protect the socialist gains, the peaceful labor of the Soviet people, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state, the Armed Forces of the USSR were created and universal military duty was established.

Article 32 Chapter 5

The duties of state bodies, public organizations, officials and citizens to ensure the security of the country and strengthen its defense capability are determined by the legislation of the USSR.

Management

The highest state leadership in the field of defense of the country, on the basis of laws, was carried out by the highest bodies of state power and administration of the USSR, guided by the policy of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), directing the work of the entire state apparatus in such a way that, when solving any issues of governing the country, the interests of strengthening its defense capability must be taken into account : - Council of Defense of the USSR (Council of Workers' and Peasants' Defense of the RSFSR), Supreme Soviet of the USSR (Article (Art.) 73 and 108, Constitution of the USSR), Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (Article 121, Constitution of the USSR), Council of Ministers of the USSR (Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR) (Article 131, Constitution of the USSR).

The USSR Defense Council coordinated the activities of the bodies of the Soviet state in the field of strengthening defense, approving the main directions for the development of the USSR Armed Forces. The USSR Defense Council was headed by the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Supreme Commanders.

• - - Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, Generalissimo of the Soviet Union,
• - - Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev, Colonel.

Military command and control bodies (OVU)

The direct management of the construction of the USSR Armed Forces, their life and combat activities was carried out by the OVU.

The OVU system included:

The governing bodies of the SA and the Navy, united by the Ministry of Defense of the USSR (MO) of the USSR (People's Commissariat of Defense, Ministry of the Armed Forces, Ministry of War), headed by the Minister of Defense of the USSR (Heads of the Military Department of the USSR) (Article of the Constitution of the USSR); - control bodies of the border troops, subordinate to the State Security Committee (KGB) of the USSR, headed by the Chairman of the KGB of the USSR, (Article of the Constitution of the USSR); - control bodies of internal troops subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) of the USSR, headed by the Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR, (Article of the Constitution of the USSR).

According to the nature of the tasks performed and the scope of competence in the system of educational institutions, the following differed:

1. Central OVU.
2. Bodies of military control of military districts (VO) (groups of troops), fleets.
3. Bodies of military command and control of military formations and units.
4. local military authorities.
5. Chiefs of garrisons (senior naval commanders) and military commandants.

Story

• Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA) (from January 15 (28) - to February)
• Workers 'and Peasants' Red Fleet (RKKF) (from January 29 (11) February - to February)
• Workers 'and Peasants' Red Air Fleet (RKKVF)
• Border Troops (Border Guard, Border Service, BOHR)
• Internal Troops (Troops of the Internal Guard of the Republic (VOKhR Troops) and the State Escort Guard)
• Soviet Army, (from February 25 to the beginning of the year), the official name of the main part of the USSR Armed Forces. It included the Strategic Missile Forces, SV, Air Defense Forces, Air Force and other formations, except for the Navy, Border Troops of the KGB of the USSR, Internal Troops of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs.

population

Structure

The armed forces consisted of types, and also included the rear of the USSR Armed Forces, the headquarters and troops of the Civil Defense (GO) of the USSR, the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) of the USSR, the border troops of the State Security Committee (KGB) of the USSR. Page 158.

Kinds

Strategic Rocket Forces (RVSN) of the USSR Armed Forces, (1960)

Rocket (RT-23 UTTH "Molodets") as part of the railway missile system

Type of the USSR Armed Forces - the main strike force of the Armed Forces, which was in constant combat readiness.

• Missile armies, missile corps, missile divisions (Headquarters in the cities (city) Vinnitsa, Smolensk, Vladimir, Kirov (Kirov Oblast), Omsk, Chita, Blagoveshchensk, Khabarovsk, Orenburg, Tatishchevo, Novomoskovsk, Nikolaev, Lvov, Uzhgorod, Dzhambul)
• State Central Interspecific Range
• 10th Test Site (in the Kazakh SSR)
• 4th Central Research Institute (Yubileiny, Moscow Region, RSFSR)
• educational institutions (Military Academy in Moscow, military schools in Serpukhov, Rostov-on-Don, Stavropol)
• arsenals and central repair plants, storage bases for weapons and military equipment

In addition, there were units and institutions of special troops and rear in the Strategic Missile Forces. Headquarters city of Vlasikha.

• - - M. I. Nedelin, Chief Marshal of Artillery
• - - K. S. Moskalenko, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• - - S. S. Biryuzov, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• - - N. I. Krylov, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• - - V. F. Tolubko, General of the Army, since 1983 Chief Marshal of Artillery
• - - Yu. P. Maksimov, General of the Army

Ground Forces (SV) of the USSR Armed Forces, (1946)

In the design of ceremonial events, on posters, in drawings on postal envelopes and postcards, an image of a conditional decorative "flag of the Ground Forces" was used in the form of a red rectangular panel with a large red five-pointed star in the center, with a gold (yellow) border. This "flag" was never approved and was not made of fabric.

Commanders-in-Chief who were Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR (years)

• - - G.K. Zhukov, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• - - I. S. Konev, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• - - I. S. Konev, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• - - R. Ya. Malinovsky, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• - - A. A. Grechko, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• - - V. I. Chuikov, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• - - I. G. Pavlovsky, army general
• - - V. I. Petrov, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• - - E. F. Ivanovsky, army general
• - - V. I. Varennikov, General of the Army
• - - V. M. Semenov, army general

The NE of the USSR was divided according to the territorial principle into military districts (groups of troops), military garrisons:

• Moscow Military District (OLMVO)
• Leningrad Military District (LenVO)
• Baltic Military District (PribVO)
• Carpathian Military District (PrikVO)
• Odessa Military District (KOdVO)
• North Caucasian Military District (KSKVO)
• Transcaucasian Military District (ZakVO)
• Volga Military District (PriVO)
• Central Asian Military District (SAVO)
• Turkestan Military District (TurkVO)
• Ural Military District (UrVO)
• Siberian Military District (SibVO)
• Trans-Baikal Military District (ZabVO)
• Far Eastern Military District (KDVO)
• (GSVG), later - Western Group of Forces (ZGV)

Air Defense Forces (Air Defense) of the USSR Armed Forces, (g.).

They included:

• Troops of rocket and space defense;
• Radiotechnical Air Defense Troops, city;
• Fighter aviation (air defense aviation);
• Air Defense Electronic Warfare Troops.
• Special Troops.

In addition, there were rear units and institutions in the Air Defense Forces.

Air Defense Forces were divided according to the territorial principle into air defense districts (groups of troops):

• Air defense district (group of forces) - associations of air defense forces designed to protect the most important administrative, industrial centers and regions of the country, groupings of the Armed Forces, important military and other objects within established borders from air strikes. In the Armed Forces, the air defense districts were created after the Great Patriotic War on the basis of the air defense of the fronts and the military. In the city, the air defense districts were reorganized into air defense areas, and in the city they were recreated.

• Moscow Air Defense District - was intended to cover the most important administrative and economic objects of the Northern, Central, Central Black Earth and Volga-Vyatka economic regions of the USSR from enemy air attacks. In November, the Moscow Air Defense Zone was formed, which was transformed in the city into the Moscow Special Air Defense Army, deployed in the Air Defense of the Moscow Military District. After the war, the Moscow Air Defense District was created on its basis, then the Air Defense District. In August, the Moscow Air Defense District was transformed into the Moscow Air Defense District. In the city, after the liquidation of the Baku Air Defense District, it became the only association of this type in the USSR.

• Baku Air Defense District.

The USSR air defense was headed by the commander-in-chief, who was the deputy minister of defense of the USSR. He was subordinated to the General Staff and Air Defense Directorates of the USSR.

Commanders-in-Chief who were Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR

• -1952 - L. A. Govorov, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• -1954 - K. A. Vershinin, Colonel General
• -1955 - L. A. Govorov, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• -1962 - S. S. Biryuzov, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• -1966 - V. A. Sudets, Air Marshal
• -1978 - P. F. Batitsky, army general, since 1968 Marshal of the Soviet Union
• -1987 - A. I. Koldunov, Colonel General, since 1984 Chief Air Marshal
• - - I. M. Tretyak, army general

Air Force (VVS) USSR Armed Forces, (1946)

The Air Force organizationally consisted of aviation branches: bomber, fighter-bomber, fighter, reconnaissance, communications and sanitary. At the same time, the Air Force was divided into types of aviation: front-line, long-range, military transport, and auxiliary. They had in their composition special troops (special purpose (special forces)), units and institutions of the rear.

The USSR Air Force was headed by the commander-in-chief (Head, Head of the Main Directorate, Commander) who was the Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR. He was subordinated to the Main Headquarters and Directorates of the USSR Air Force

Headquarters city of Moscow.

Commanders-in-Chief who were Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR

• - - A. V. Sergeev, Commissioner
• - - A. A. Znamensky,
• - - Ya. I. Alksnis, Commander of the 2nd rank ();
• - - A. D. Loktionov, Colonel General;
• - - Ya. V. Smushkevich, Commander of the 2nd rank, from the city of lieutenant general of aviation;
• - - P. V. Rychagov, lieutenant general of aviation;
• - - P. F. Zhigarev, lieutenant general of aviation;
• - - A. A. Novikov
• - - K. A. Vershinin, Air Marshal;
• - - P. F. Zhigarev, Marshal of Aviation, from the city - Chief Marshal of Aviation;
• - - K. A. Vershinin, Chief Marshal of Aviation;
• - - P. S. Kutakhov, Marshal of Aviation, from the city - Chief Marshal of Aviation;
• - - A. N. Efimov, Air Marshal;
• - - E. I. Shaposhnikov, Air Marshal;

Navy of the USSR Armed Forces.

The flag of the Soviet Navy, a rectangular white panel with an aspect ratio of 2:3, with a narrow blue stripe along the bottom edge; a red star was depicted above the blue stripe on the left side of the flag, and a red hammer and sickle on the right side. The flag was adopted on May 27, 1935 by the resolution of the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR No. 1982/341 "On the naval flags of the USSR."

The Navy of the USSR organizationally consisted of branches of forces: underwater, surface, naval aviation, coastal missile and artillery troops and marines. It also included ships and vessels of the auxiliary fleet, special forces (special forces) and various services. The main branches of forces were submarine forces and naval aviation. In addition, there were rear units and institutions in the Navy.

Organizationally, the USSR Navy included:

• Red Banner Northern Fleet (1937) (KSF), Northern Fleet;
• Red Banner Pacific Fleet (1935) (KToF), Pacific Fleet;
• Red Banner Black Sea Fleet (KChF), Black Sea Fleet;
• Twice Red Banner Baltic Fleet (Dv.KBF), Baltic Fleet;
• Red Banner Caspian Flotilla (KKFl), Caspian Flotilla;
• Red Banner Leningrad Naval Base (VMB) (Len VMB);

The USSR Navy was headed by the commander-in-chief (commander, head of the Naval Forces of the Republic, people's commissar, minister), who was the deputy minister of defense of the USSR. He was subordinated to the General Staff and Directorates of the USSR Navy.

The main headquarters of the Navy - Moscow.

The commanders-in-chief, who were the Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR.

• - - V. M. Altvater, Rear Admiral of the Russian Imperial Fleet,
• - - V. M. Orlov, from the city of Flagship of the fleet of the 1st rank;
• - - M. V. Viktorov, Flagship of the fleet of the 1st rank;
• - - P. A. Smirnov, Army Commissar of the 1st rank;
• - - MP Frinovsky, Commander of the 1st rank;
• - - N. G. Kuznetsov, Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union;
• - - I. S. Yumashev, Admiral;
• - - N. G. Kuznetsov
• - - S. G. Gorshkov, Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union;
• - - V. N. Chernavin, Admiral of the Fleet;

Rear of the USSR Armed Forces

Forces and means intended for logistic support and technical support services for the troops (forces) of the Armed Forces. They were an integral part of the defense potential of the state and a link between the country's economy and the Armed Forces directly. It included the headquarters of the rear, the main and central departments, services, as well as government bodies, troops and organizations of central subordination, rear structures of the branches and branches of the Armed Forces, military districts (groups of troops) and fleets, associations, formations and military units.

• Main military medical department. (GVMU MO USSR) ((1946) (Main Military Sanitary Directorate)
• General Department of Trade. (GUT MO USSR) (1956 glavvoentorg of the Ministry of Trade of the USSR)
• Central Administration of Military Communications. (TsUP VOSO MO USSR) (incl. 1962 to 1992, GU VOSO (1950))
• Central Food Administration. (CPU MO USSR)
• Central ware management. (TsVU MO USSR) (1979) (Department of clothing and household supply, Department of clothing and convoy supply)
• Central Administration of Rocket Fuel and Fuel. (TsURTG USSR Ministry of Defense) (Fuel Supply Service (1979), Fuel and Lubricants Service, Fuel Service Directorate)
• Central Road Administration (CDU of the USSR Ministry of Defense). (Automobile and road department of Logistics of the Kyrgyz Republic (1941), Department of motor transport and road service of the General Staff (1938), Department of motor transport and road service of VOSO)
• Department of Agriculture.
• Office of the Chief of Ecological Security of the USSR Armed Forces.
• Fire, rescue and local defense service of the USSR Armed Forces.
• Railway troops of the USSR Armed Forces.

The logistics of the Armed Forces in the interests of the Armed Forces solved a whole range of tasks, the main of which were: receiving from the economic complex of the state a supply of material resources and rear equipment, storing and providing troops (forces) with them; planning and organizing, together with the transport ministries and departments, the preparation, operation, technical cover, restoration of communications and vehicles; transportation of all types of material means; implementation of operational, supply and other types of military transportation, provision of basing of the Air Force and Navy; technical support of troops (forces) for rear services; organization and implementation of medical and evacuation, sanitary and anti-epidemic (preventive) measures, medical protection of personnel from weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and adverse environmental factors, carrying out veterinary and sanitary measures and measures of rear services for chemical protection troops (forces); monitoring the organization and condition of fire protection and local defense of troops (forces), assessing the environmental situation in the places of deployment of troops (forces), forecasting its development and monitoring the implementation of measures to protect personnel from environmentally harmful effects of natural and man-made nature; commercial and household, apartment-operational and financial support; protection and defense of communications and rear facilities in the rear zones, organization of camps (reception points) for prisoners of war (hostages), their registration and support; providing work on exhumation, identification, burial and reburial of servicemen.

To solve these problems, the Logistics of the Armed Forces included special troops (special forces) (automobile, railway, road, pipeline), formations and parts of material support, medical formations, units and institutions, stationary bases and warehouses with appropriate stocks of materiel, transport commandant's offices, veterinary and sanitary, repair, agricultural, commercial, educational (academy, colleges, faculties and military departments at civilian universities) and other institutions.

Headquarters city of Moscow.

Chiefs

• - - A. V. Khrulev, army general;
• - - V. I. Vinogradov, Colonel General ();
• - - I. Kh. Bagramyan, Marshal of the Soviet Union;
• - - S. S. Maryakhin, army general;
• - - S. K. Kurkotkin, Marshal of the Soviet Union;
• - - V. M. Arkhipov, army general;
• - - I. V. Fuzhenko, Colonel General;

Independent branches of the military

Civil Defense Troops (GO) of the USSR

In the city, the direct management of the civil defense is entrusted to the USSR Ministry of Defense, daily - to the head of the civil defense - the deputy minister of defense of the USSR.

There were civil defense regiments (in large cities of the USSR), the Moscow Military Civil Defense School (MVUGO), (Balashikha City), reorganized in the city into the Moscow Higher Command School of Road and engineering troops(MVKUDIV), trained specialists for road troops and civil defense troops.

Chiefs

• -1972 - V. I. Chuikov, Marshal of the Soviet Union;
• -1986 - A. T. Altunin, Colonel General, (c) - Army General;
• -1991 - V. L. Govorov, army general;

Border troops of the KGB of the USSR

Border troops - were intended to protect the land, sea and river (lake) borders of the Soviet state. In the USSR, the Border Troops were integral part USSR Armed Forces. The direct leadership of the border troops was carried out by the KGB of the USSR and the Main Directorate of the Border Troops subordinate to it. They consisted of border districts, separate formations (border detachment), units (outpost), special units (subdivisions) and educational institutions. In addition, there were units and units of aviation, sea (river) forces and rear in the Border Troops. The range of tasks solved by the border troops was determined by the law "On the State Border of the USSR", the regulation on the protection of the state border of the USSR, approved by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on August 5, 1960 ("Vedomosti of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR" 1960, No. 34). The legal status of the personnel of the border troops was regulated by the USSR Law on universal military duty, regulations on military service, charters and instructions.

• Western border region.
• Trans-Baikal border district.
• Baltic border region.
• Kamchatka border district.
• Arctic border district.

Chiefs

• -1919 - S. G. Shamshev, (Main Directorate of Border Troops (GUP.v.));
• -1920 - V. A. Stepanov, (Department of border supervision);
• - - V. R. Menzhinsky, (special department of the Cheka (border protection));
• -1923 - A. Kh. Artuzov, (department of border troops, department of border guards (OPO));
• -1925 - Ya. K. Olsky, (OPO);
• -1929 - Z. B. Katsnelson, (Main Directorate of the Border Guard (GUPO));
• - S. G. Velezhev, (GUPO);
• 1929-1931 - I. A. Vorontsov, (GUPO);
• -1933 - N. M. Bystrykh, (GUPO);
• -1937 - M. P. Frinovsky, (GUPO) (since 1934 border and internal (GUPiVO)) NKVD of the USSR;
• -1938 - N. K. Kruchinkin, (GUPiVO);
• -1939 - A. A. Kovalev, Main Directorate of Border and Internal Troops (GUP. V.v.);
• - - G. G. Sokolov
• -1952 - N. P. Stakhanov, lieutenant general (GUP.v.);
• -1953 - P. I. Zyryanov, lieutenant general (GUP.v.);
• -1954 - T. F. Filippov, lieutenant general (GUP.v.);
• -1956 - A. S. Sirotkin, lieutenant general (GUP.v.);
• -1957 - T. A. Strokach, lieutenant general (GUP. V.v.);
• -1972 - P. I. Zyryanov, lieutenant general, (since 1961) colonel general (GUP.v.);
• -1989 - V. A. Matrosov, Colonel General, (since 1978) Army General (GUP.v.);
• -1992 - I. Ya. Kalinichenko, Colonel General (GUP.v.) (since 1991 commander in chief)

Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR

Internal troops Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR, an integral part of the USSR Armed Forces. Designed to protect state facilities and perform other service and combat tasks defined in special government decrees assigned to the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs. They protected especially important objects of the national economy, as well as socialist property, the personality and rights of citizens, the entire Soviet legal order from the encroachments of criminal elements and performed some other special tasks (guarding places of detention, escorting convicts). The forerunners of the Internal Troops were the Gendarmerie, the Internal Guard Troops of the Republic (VOKhR Troops), the Internal Service Troops, and the Troops of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission (VChK). The term Internal Troops appeared in the city to designate units of the Cheka serving in the interior of the country, in contrast to the border troops. During the Great Patriotic War, they guarded the rear of the fronts and armies, carried out garrison service in the liberated areas, and participated in the neutralization of enemy agents. Internal troops of the NKVD of the USSR (1941-1946), the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR (1946-1947, 1953-1960, 1968-1991), the Ministry of State Security of the USSR (1947-1953), the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the RSFSR (1960-1962), the MOOP of the RSFSR (1962-1966), MOOP of the USSR (1966-1968), Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (since 1991):

Chiefs

• -1938 - N. K. Kruchinkin, (Main Directorate of Border and Internal Security (GUPiVO));
• -1939 - A. A. Kovalev, (Main Directorate of Border and Internal Troops (GUP. V.v.));
• -1944 - I. S. Sheredega, major general;
• -1946 - A. N. Apollonov, Colonel General;
• -1953 - P. V. Burmak, lieutenant general;
• -1954 - T. F. Filippov, lieutenant general;
• -1956 - A. S. Sirotkin, lieutenant general;
• -1957 - T. A. Strokach, lieutenant general;
• -1960 - S. I. Donskov, lieutenant general;
• -1961 - G. I. Aleinikov, lieutenant general;
• -1968 - N. I. Pilshchuk, lieutenant general;
• -1986 - I. K. Yakovlev, Colonel General, from the year - Army General;
• -1991 - Yu. V. Shatalin, Colonel General;

Military duty

Universal conscription, established by Soviet law, followed from a constitutional provision that determined that the defense of the socialist Fatherland is the sacred duty of every citizen of the USSR, and military service in the ranks of the USSR Armed Forces is an honorable duty of Soviet citizens (Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution of the USSR). The legislation on universal conscription has gone through several stages in its development. Reflecting the socio-political changes in the life of society and the need to strengthen the defense of the country, it developed from volunteerism to compulsory military service for workers and from it to universal military duty.

General military duty was characterized by the following main features:

1. it extended only to Soviet citizens;
2. was universal: all male citizens of the USSR were subject to conscription; only persons serving a criminal sentence and persons in respect of whom an investigation was conducted or a criminal case was considered by a court were not called;
3. it was personal and equal for everyone: it was not allowed to replace a conscript with another person: for evading conscription or from performing duties of military service, the perpetrators were criminally liable;
4. had time limits: the terms of active military service, the number and duration of training camps and the age limit for the state in the reserve were precisely established by law;

Conscription under Soviet law was carried out in the following main forms:

• service in the ranks of the USSR Armed Forces within the terms established by law;
• work and service as military builders;
• passing training, verification fees and retraining during the period of state in the reserve of the USSR Armed Forces;

The fulfillment of universal military duty was also preliminary training (military-patriotic education, initial military training (NVP), training of specialists for the Armed Forces, improving general literacy, conducting medical and recreational activities and physical training of young people) for military service:

• passing by students in secondary schools, and by other citizens - in the production of NVP, including training in civil defense, with students in general education schools (starting from the 9th grade), in secondary specialized educational institutions (SSUZ), and in educational institutions of the professional system -technical education (SPTO) by full-time military leaders. Young men who did not study in daytime (full-time) educational institutions of the CWP passed at training centers created (if there are 15 or more young men who are required to pass the CWP) at enterprises, organizations and collective farms; The NVP program included familiarizing young people with the appointment of the Soviet Armed Forces and their nature, with the duties of military service, the basic requirements of the military oath and military regulations. The heads of enterprises, institutions, collective farms and educational institutions were responsible for ensuring that the NVP covered all young men of pre-conscription and military age.
• the acquisition of military specialties in the educational organizations of the SPTO - vocational schools and in the organizations of the Voluntary Society for Assistance to the Army, Aviation and Navy (DOSAAF), was intended to ensure constant and high combat readiness of the Armed Forces, was advance and provided for the training of specialists (car drivers, electricians, signalmen, paratroopers and others ) from among young men who have reached the age of 17. In the cities it was produced on the job. At the same time, for the period of passing the exams, young students were provided with paid leave for 7-15 working days. In rural areas, it was produced with a break from production at the gathering in the autumn-winter period. In these cases, recruits were kept their jobs, their position and were paid 50% of the average earnings. The expenses for renting a dwelling and travel to and from the place of study were also paid.;
• the study of military affairs and the acquisition of an officer's specialty by students of higher educational institutions (HEI) and secondary vocational schools, who were engaged in training programs for reserve officers;
• compliance with the rules of military registration and other military duties by conscripts and all citizens who are in the reserve of the USSR Armed Forces.

In order to systematically prepare and organize the call for active military service, the territory of the USSR was divided into district (city) recruiting stations. Citizens who turned 17 years old in the year of registration were assigned to them annually during February - March. Registration to recruiting stations served as a means of identifying and studying the quantitative and qualitative composition of the draft contingents. It was produced by district (city) military commissariats (military registration and enlistment offices) at the place of permanent or temporary residence. Determining the state of health of those assigned was carried out by doctors allocated by decision of the executive committees (executive committees) of the district (city) Soviets of People's Deputies from local medical institutions. The persons assigned to the recruiting stations were called conscripts. They were given a special certificate. Citizens subject to registration were required to appear at the military registration and enlistment office within the time period established on the basis of the Law. A change in the recruiting station was allowed only from January 01 to April 01 and from July 01 to October 01 of the year of conscription. At other times of the year, a change in the recruiting station in some cases could be allowed only for good reasons (for example, moving to a new place of residence as part of a family). Conscription of citizens for active military service was held annually everywhere twice a year (in May - June and in November - December) by order of the Minister of Defense of the USSR. In troops located in remote and some other areas, the draft began a month earlier - in April and October (See: Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of February 25, 1977 ("Vedomosti of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR", 1977, No. 9)) . The number of citizens subject to conscription was established by the Council of Ministers of the USSR. The exact dates for the appearance of citizens at the recruiting stations were determined, in accordance with the Law and on the basis of the order of the Minister of Defense of the USSR, by order of the military commissar. None of the conscripts was exempted from appearing at the recruiting stations (with the exception of the cases established by Article 25 of the Law). Issues related to conscription were resolved by collegiate bodies - draft boards created in the regions, cities under the chairmanship of the relevant military commissars. The commission as their full members included representatives of local Soviet, party, Komsomol organizations and doctors. The personal composition of the draft commission was approved by the executive committees of the district (city) Soviets of People's Deputies. The district (city) draft commissions were entrusted with: a) organization of medical examination of recruits; b) making a decision on conscription for active military service and the assignment of those called up according to the type of armed forces and types of troops; c) granting deferrals in accordance with the Law; d) exemption from military duty of conscripts in connection with their illnesses or physical disabilities; When making a decision, the draft commissions were obliged to comprehensively discuss the family and financial situation of the conscript, his state of health, take into account the wishes of the conscript himself, his specialty, the recommendations of the Komsomol and other public organizations. Decisions were made by majority vote. For the management of district (city) draft commissions and control over their activities in the union and autonomous republics, territories, regions and autonomous districts, appropriate commissions were created under the chairmanship of the military commissar of the union or autonomous republic, territories, region or autonomous district. The activities of the draft commissions were controlled by the Soviets of People's Deputies and prosecutorial supervision. For dishonest or biased attitude to the case when resolving the issue of conscription, providing illegal deferrals, members of the conscription commissions and doctors involved in the examination of conscripts, as well as other persons who committed abuse, were held liable in accordance with applicable law. The basis for the distribution of conscripts by type of armed forces and combat arms was the principle of industrial qualification and specialty, taking into account the state of health. The same principle was used when conscripting citizens into military construction units (VSO) designed to perform construction and installation work, manufacture structures and parts at industrial and logging enterprises of the USSR Ministry of Defense. The VSO was recruited mainly from conscripts who graduated from construction schools or had construction or related specialties or experience in construction (plumbers, bulldozer operators, cable workers, etc.). ). The rights, duties and responsibilities of military builders (VStr) were determined by military legislation, and their labor activity regulated by labor legislation (with some peculiarities in the application of one or the other). The wages of VStrov were made in accordance with the current norms. The mandatory period of work in the VZO was counted in the period of active military service.

The law determined: - a single military age for all Soviet citizens - 18 years;

The term of active military service (conscript military service of soldiers and sailors, sergeants and foremen) is 2 - 3 years;

Suspension from conscription, could be granted on three grounds: a) for health reasons - provided to conscripts recognized as temporarily unfit for military service due to illness (Article 36 of the Law); b) by marital status (Article 34 of the Law); c) to continue education (Article 35 of the Law);

Passage of military service.

Military service- a special kind public service, which consists in the fulfillment by Soviet citizens of constitutional military duty as part of the USSR Armed Forces (Article 63, the Constitution of the USSR). Military service was the most active form of exercise by citizens of their constitutional duty to defend the socialist Fatherland (Articles 31 and 62 of the Constitution of the USSR), was an honorable duty and was assigned only to citizens of the USSR. Foreigners and stateless persons who lived on the territory of the USSR did not carry out military duty and were not enrolled in military service, while they could be accepted for work (service) in civilian Soviet organizations in compliance with the rules established by laws.

Soviet citizens were drawn into military service on a mandatory basis through conscription (regular, for training camps and for mobilization) in accordance with a constitutional obligation (Article 63 of the Constitution of the USSR), and in accordance with Art. 7 of the Law on General Military Duty (1967), all servicemen and those liable for military service took a military oath of allegiance to their people, their Soviet Motherland and the Soviet government. Military service is characterized by the presence of an institution assigned in accordance with the established article 9 of the Law on universal military duty (1967) in the manner personal military ranks , in accordance with which military personnel and those liable for military service were divided into superiors and subordinates, senior and junior, with all the ensuing legal consequences.

In the USSR Armed Forces, about 40% of the conscription contingent registered with the military (assigned to military registration and enlistment offices) was called up.

Forms of military service were established in accordance with the principle of building the Armed Forces on a permanent personnel basis, accepted in modern conditions (a combination of personnel Armed Forces with the presence of a reserve of military-trained citizens liable for military service). Therefore, according to the Law on General Conscription (Article 5), military service was divided into active military service and service in the reserve, each of which proceeded in special forms.

Active military service- service of Soviet citizens in the personnel of the Armed Forces, as part of the corresponding military units, crews of warships, as well as institutions, establishments and other military organizations. Persons enrolled in active military service were called military personnel, they entered into military service relations with the state, were appointed to such positions provided by the states, for which certain military or special training was required.

In accordance with the organizational structure of the Armed Forces, the difference in the nature and scope of the service competence of personnel, the state adopted and used the following forms of active military service:

• urgent military service of soldiers and sailors, sergeants and foremen
• extended military service of sergeants and foremen
• service of ensigns and midshipmen
• officer service, including officers who were called up from the reserve for a period of 2-3 years

As an additional form of active military service, the service of women accepted in peacetime in the USSR Armed Forces on a voluntary basis as soldiers and sailors, sergeants and foremen was used;

The service (work) of military builders was adjacent to the forms of military service.

Service in reserve- periodic performance of military service by citizens enlisted in the reserve of the Armed Forces. Persons in the reserve were called military reserve.

Forms of military service during the state in the reserve were short-term fees and retraining:

• training camps aimed at improving the military and special training of those liable for military service, maintaining it at the level of modern requirements;
• verification fees, which are intended to determine the combat and mobilization readiness of military command and control bodies (OVU);

The legal status of the personnel of the USSR Armed Forces was regulated by:

• Constitution (Basic Law) of the USSR, (1977)
• Law of the USSR on universal military obligation, (1967)
• General military charters of the USSR Armed Forces and the Ship charter
• Regulations on the passage of military service (officers, ensigns and re-enlisted personnel, etc.)
• Combat regulations
• Instructions
• Instructions
• Guides
• Orders
• orders

Reform of the Armed Forces

USSR Armed Forces abroad

• Group of Soviet troops in Germany. (GSVG)
• GSVM. Soviet troops in Mongolia belonged to ZabVO
• Limited contingent of Soviet troops in Afghanistan (OKSVA)
• Base points (PB) of the Soviet Navy: - Tartus in Syria, Cam Ranh in Vietnam, Umm Qasr in Iraq.

Place of the first start R-1

Notes

Literature

• Constitution (Basic Law) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Adopted at the extraordinary seventh session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the ninth convocation on October 07, 1977, Moscow (M.), Publishing house of political literature, 1977, 64 pages (p.);
• Collection of legalizations (SU) of the RSFSR, M, 1918, No. 17, 28, 41;
• SU RSFSR, M, 1923, No. 92;
• War and military affairs. Manual on military affairs for party, Soviet and trade union activists, Military Publishing House, 1933, 564 p.
• The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (BSE), Third Edition, published by the Soviet Encyclopedia publishing house in 1978 in 30 volumes;
• Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of February 25, 1977 (Vedomosti of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, 1977, No. 9));
• Soviet military encyclopedia (SVE), M ., Order of the Red Banner of Labor, military publishing house of the USSR Ministry of Defense in 1977-1979 in 8 volumes;
• Military Encyclopedic Dictionary (VES), M., Military Publishing House (VI), 1984, 863 pages with illustrations (ill.), 30 sheets (ill.);
• Fundamentals of Soviet military legislation. Textbook. Under the general editorship of S. S. Maksimov, M., VI, 1978, 312 pages;
• Rear of the Armed Forces. 300 years., Military history album., Ed. V. I. Isakova, V. I. Isakov, D. V. Bulgakov, A. A. Smirnov, L. F. Shumikhina, M., Defenders of the Fatherland, 2000, 336 pages.
• In the Name of Russia: Russian state, army and military education / textbook on public-state training (OGP) for officers and ensigns of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation / Edited by: V. A. Zolotarev, V. V. Marushchenko, S. S. Avtyushin. - M .: publishing house "Rus-RKB", . - 336 p. + incl.

1. Edited by: V.A. Zolotareva, V.V. Marushchenko, S.S. Avtyushin. In the name of Russia: the Russian state, the army and military education. - M .: "Rus-RKB", 1999. - S. 336 + incl .. - ISBN 5-86273-020-6

The year 1917 was a turning point in the history of our country, in the course of two revolutions the former monarchical state system was liquidated, obsolete institutions and organs of tsarist power were destroyed in all spheres of life. The internal situation in the state was quite complicated: 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: hostilities continued with Germany, which led an active offensive and approached directly to 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 the 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 guards could not seriously oppose the Kaiser's troops, so on January 15, 1918, the Council of People's Commissars adopted a decree 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 region 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 increased to one year. Shoulder straps and insignia were abolished in the army as a relic of the tsarist regime. The troops of the Red Army took an active part in the fight against the White Guards, against the interventionists from the Entente countries, played an important role in strengthening Soviet power in the center and in the field.

Army of the USSR in 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 began to gradually fade away. On December 30, 1922, a significant event took place not only in the history of Russia, but 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 army of the USSR:

1. Special military schools were created to train officers and commanders.
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) were required to serve in the army in the USSR.
4. A system of deferrals was envisaged: they could be obtained in view of studying at educational institutions, as well as for family reasons.

The geopolitical situation in the world was heated to the limit due to the aggressive foreign policy of Nazi Germany, another threat of war was created, in connection with this, the army was modernized: 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 fighters 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, the treacherous attack of German troops on the Soviet Union took place. It 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 shot, 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 military 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 testify to the military superiority of the Third Reich at the beginning of the war:

• in terms of the total number of troops, Germany surpassed 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 against 32.9 thousand for the Soviet Union.

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

However, the first half of 1942 was not so rosy: the Nazis went on the offensive, gained 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, the quantitative growth of our army and qualitative changes take place:

• the volume of deliveries of military equipment and ammunition has increased;
• the system of officer-command personnel training 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 counteroffensive by 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.

1943 was a turning point for the Soviet army: our soldiers successfully carried out military operations, won the Battle of Kursk, liberated Kursk and Belgorod from the Nazis, and gradually began to liberate the country's territory 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, previously canceled shoulder straps were introduced, the system of ranks in the army in the USSR was restored, Suvorov and Nakhimov schools were opened throughout the country.

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

In total, during 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 fight mercilessly against any enemy encroaching on our homeland, liberated the countries of Europe from fascist enslavement, gave them a peaceful sky above their heads.

cold war

After the end of World War II and the death of I. V. Stalin, the foreign policy doctrine of the USSR changed: peaceful rivalry and coexistence of the countries of the socialist and capitalist camps were proclaimed. However, this doctrine was a kind of formality, since in fact already in the 1940s. the so-called cold war began - a state of political, cultural confrontation between the Soviet Union, the countries participating in the Warsaw Treaty Organization 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: the Korean War (1950-1953), the Berlin (1961) and Caribbean (1962) crises. But despite this, N.S. Khrushchev, as the head of the Soviet state, believed that it was necessary to reduce the army, the arms race leads to an uneven development of the economy. 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 taking shape: 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 control. The composition of the Soviet armed forces is being formed. They included:

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

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 Central Committee of the CPSU 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 took a direct part, were the Arab-Israeli war (1967-1974), the war in Angola (1975-1992) and Ethiopia (1977-1990). .). In total, more than 40 thousand military men were involved in the wars in Africa, the death toll from the Soviet side amounted to more than 150 people.

In addition, Soviet-friendly regimes received a large number of ammunition, armored vehicles, aviation, a huge amount of money was sent to the countries free of charge, as well as party workers, technical specialists. Soviet troops were stationed on the territories of the countries of the socialist camp: in Czechoslovakia, Cuba, Mongolia, their largest representation was 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. mark of 2 million people. The war in Afghanistan (1979-1989) became 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.

This terrible word "Afghan"

1979 became the starting point for a new local armed clash, in which the USSR army took an active part. In Afghanistan, a conflict broke out between the country's leadership and the opposition. The Soviet Union supported the ruling People's Democratic Party, while the US and Pakistanis supported the local Mujahideen.

On December 12, the Central Committee of the CPSU decided to send a limited contingent of troops into the Asian country. Especially for these purposes, the 40th Army was created, headed by Lieutenant General Yu. Tukharinov. Initially, more than 81,000 Soviet troops went to Afghanistan, most of them conscripts. 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 of Soviet troops in this country increased, reaching by 1985 the maximum mark - 108.8 thousand people.

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, the battles for which were particularly fierce.

After the arrival of M.S. Gorbachev to power, there was a gradual transition from the doctrine of rivalry to the doctrine of peaceful coexistence between the countries of the Warsaw Treaty Organization and NATO. 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.

During the ten years of the Afghan war, the Soviet Union suffered massive losses: in total, more than 600 thousand Soviet soldiers took part in the monstrous "meat grinder", of which about 15 thousand people did not return home. During the fighting, several hundred aircraft, helicopters, and tanks were destroyed. The Afghan inflicted huge spiritual wounds on thousands of former soldiers, generations of young guys became victims of the ideological interests of the state.

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 flare up 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 units of the Soviet army took part.
There were changes in the geopolitical world system: the unification of Germany took place, velvet revolutions swept away the socialist regimes in the Balkans. Military units, previously stationed abroad, were forced to leave the territories of the countries.

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 decommissioned.

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

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

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

December 25, 1991 President M.S. Gorbachev de jure announced 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 began 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 Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR Armed Forces)- the military organization of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, was intended to protect the Soviet people, freedom and independence of the Soviet Union.

Part Armed Forces of the USSR included: the central bodies of military control, the Strategic Missile Forces, the Ground Forces, the Air Force, the Air Defense Forces, the Navy, the Logistics of the Armed Forces, as well as the Civil Defense Forces, the Internal Troops and the Border Troops.

By the mid-1980s, the armed forces of the USSR were the largest in the world in terms of numbers.

Story

After the end of the Civil War, the Red Army was demobilized, and by the end of 1923, only about half a million people remained in it.

At the end of 1924, the Revolutionary Military Council adopted a 5-year plan for military development, approved by the III Congress of Soviets of the USSR six months later. It was decided to preserve the core of the army and train as many people as possible in military affairs at the lowest cost. As a result, in ten years, 3/4 of all divisions became territorial - recruits were in them at training camps for two to three months a year for five years (see the article territorial-militia unit).

But in 1934 - 1935, the military policy changed and 3/4 of all divisions became personnel. In the Ground Forces in 1939, compared with 1930, the number of artillery increased 7 times, including anti-tank and tank artillery - 70 times. Tank troops and the Air Force developed. The number of tanks from 1934 to 1939 increased by 2.5 times, in 1939 compared to 1930 the total number of aircraft increased by 6.5 times. The construction of surface ships of various classes, submarines, and naval aviation aircraft began. In 1931, airborne troops appeared, which until 1946 were part of the Air Force.

On September 22, 1935, personal military ranks were introduced, and on May 7, 1940, general and admiral ranks. The command staff suffered heavy losses in 1937-1938 as a result of the Great Terror.

On September 1, 1939, the USSR Law “On Universal Military Duty” was adopted, according to which all men fit for health reasons had to serve in the army for three years, in the navy for five years (according to the previous law of 1925, “disenfranchised” - deprived of voting rights “ unearned elements "- they did not serve in the army, but were enrolled in the rear militia) By this time Armed Forces of the USSR were completely staffed, and their number increased to 2 million people.

Instead of separate tank and armor brigades, which since 1939 were the main formations of the armored forces, the formation of tank and mechanized divisions began. In the airborne troops, they began to form airborne corps, and in the Air Force, from 1940, they began to switch to a divisional organization.

During the three years of the Great Patriotic War, the proportion of communists in Armed Forces doubled and by the end of 1944 amounted to 23 percent in the army and 31.5 percent in the navy. At the end of 1944 in Armed Forces there were 3,030,758 communists, which accounted for 52.6 percent of the total membership of the party. During the year, the network of primary party organizations expanded significantly: if on January 1, 1944 there were 67,089 of them in the army and navy, then on January 1, 1945 - already 78,640

By the end of the Great Patriotic War in 1945 Armed Forces of the USSR numbered more than 11 million people, after demobilization - about three million. Then their numbers increased again. But during the Khrushchev thaw, the USSR went to reduce the number of its Armed Forces: in 1955 - by 640 thousand people, by June 1956 - by 1,200 thousand people.

During the period cold war since 1955 Armed Forces of the USSR played a leading role in the military organization of the Warsaw Pact (WTS). Starting from the 1950s, missile weapons were introduced into the armed forces at an accelerated pace; in 1959, the Strategic Missile Forces were created. At the same time, the number of tanks increased. In terms of the number of tanks, the USSR came out on top in the world, by the 1980s in Soviet armed forces there were more tanks than all other countries combined. A large ocean-going navy was created. The most important direction in the development of the country's economy was the build-up of military potential, the arms race. It took a significant part of the national income.

In the period after the Great Patriotic War, the Ministry of Defense of the USSR was systematically entrusted with the task of providing civilian ministries with labor force by forming for them military formations, units, military construction detachments, which were used as construction workers. The number of these formations increased from year to year.

In 1987-1991, during Perestroika, a policy of "defensive sufficiency" was proclaimed, and in December 1988, unilateral measures were announced to reduce Soviet armed forces. Their total number was reduced by 500 thousand people (12%). Soviet military contingents in Central Europe were unilaterally reduced by 50 thousand people, six tank divisions (about two thousand tanks) were withdrawn from the GDR, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and disbanded. In the European part of the USSR, the number of tanks was reduced by 10 thousand, artillery systems - by 8.5 thousand, combat aircraft - by 820. 75% of Soviet troops were withdrawn from Mongolia, and the number of troops in the Far East (opposing the PRC) was reduced for 120 thousand people.

Legal basis

Article 31 The defense of the socialist fatherland is one of the most important functions of the state and is the business of the entire people. In order to protect the socialist gains, the peaceful labor of the Soviet people, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state, the Armed Forces of the USSR were created and universal military duty was established. Duty Armed Forces of the USSR before the people - to reliably defend the socialist Fatherland, to be in constant combat readiness, guaranteeing an immediate rebuff to any aggressor. Article 32 Military establishment the USSR everything necessary. The duties of state bodies, public organizations, officials and citizens to ensure the security of the country and strengthen its defense capability are determined by the legislation of the USSR. USSR Constitution of 1977

Management

The highest state leadership in the field of defense of the country, on the basis of laws, was carried out by the highest bodies of state power and administration of the USSR, guided by the policy of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), directing the work of the entire state apparatus in such a way that, when solving any issues of governing the country, the interests of strengthening its defense capability must be taken into account : - Council of Defense of the USSR (Council of Workers' and Peasants' Defense of the RSFSR), Supreme Soviet of the USSR (Articles 73 and 108 of the Constitution of the USSR), Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (Article 121 of the Constitution of the USSR), Council of Ministers of the USSR (Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR) ( article 131, Constitution of the USSR).

The USSR Defense Council coordinated the activities of the bodies of the Soviet state in the field of strengthening defense, approving the main directions for the development of the USSR Armed Forces. The USSR Defense Council was headed by the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Supreme Commanders

• 1923-1924 - Sergei Sergeevich Kamenev,
• 1941-1953 - Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, Generalissimo of the Soviet Union,
• 1990-1991 - Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev;
• 1991-1993 - Evgeny Ivanovich Shaposhnikov, Air Marshal.

Military authorities

Direct construction management USSR Armed Forces, their lives and combat activities were carried out by the Military Control Bodies (OVU).

The system of military control bodies of the USSR Armed Forces included:

The governing bodies of the SA and the Navy, united by the USSR Ministry of Defense (People's Commissariat of Defense, Ministry of the Armed Forces, Ministry of War), headed by the Minister of Defense of the USSR;

Border troops command and control bodies subordinate to the USSR State Security Committee, headed by the Chairman of the KGB of the USSR;

Control bodies of the internal troops, subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR, headed by the Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR.

According to the nature of the tasks performed and the scope of competence in the system of educational institutions, the following differed:

• Central OVU.
• Bodies of military command of military districts (groups of troops), fleets.
• Bodies of military command and control of military formations and units.
• local military authorities.
• Heads of garrisons (senior naval commanders) and military commandants.

Compound

• Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA) (from January 15 (28), 1918 - to February 1946)
• Workers 'and Peasants' Red Fleet (RKKF) (from January 29 (11) February 1918 - to February 1946)
• Workers 'and Peasants' Red Air Fleet (RKKVF)
• Border Troops (Border Guard, Border Guard, Coast Guard)
• Internal Troops (Troops of the Internal Guard of the Republic and the State Escort Guard)

• Soviet Army (SA) (from February 25, 1946 to the beginning of 1992), the official name of the main part of the USSR Armed Forces. Included Strategic Missile Forces, SV, Air Defense Forces, Air Force and other formations
• Navy of the USSR (February 25, 1946 to early 1992)

population

Structure

• On September 1, 1939, the USSR Armed Forces consisted of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army, the Workers' and Peasants' Navy, border and internal troops.
• Sun consisted of types, and also included the rear of the USSR Armed Forces, the headquarters and troops of the Civil Defense (GO) of the USSR, the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) of the USSR, the border troops of the State Security Committee (KGB) of the USSR. Page 158.

Kinds

Strategic Rocket Forces (RVSN)

Main striking force USSR Armed Forces, which was in constant combat readiness. The headquarters was in the city of Vlasikha. The Strategic Missile Forces included:

• Military space forces, as part of the means of launching, controlling and orbital grouping of spacecraft for military purposes .;
• Missile armies, missile corps, missile divisions (headquarters in the cities of Vinnitsa, Smolensk, Vladimir, Kirov (Kirov region), Omsk, Chita, Blagoveshchensk, Khabarovsk, Orenburg, Tatishchevo, Nikolaev, Lvov, Uzhgorod, Dzhambul)
• State Central Interspecific Range
• 10th test site (in the Kazakh SSR)
• 4th Central Research Institute (Yubileiny, Moscow Region, RSFSR)
• military educational institutions (Military Academy in Moscow; military schools in the cities of Kharkov, Serpukhov, Rostov-on-Don, Stavropol)
• arsenals and central repair plants, storage bases for weapons and military equipment

In addition, there were units and institutions of special troops and rear in the Strategic Missile Forces.

The Strategic Missile Forces was headed by the Commander-in-Chief, who held the post of Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR. The Main Headquarters and Directorates of the Strategic Missile Forces of the USSR Armed Forces were subordinate to him.

Commanders-in-Chief:

• 1959-1960 - M. I. Nedelin, Chief Marshal of Artillery
• 1960-1962 - K. S. Moskalenko, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• 1962-1963 - S. S. Biryuzov, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• 1963-1972 - N. I. Krylov, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• 1972-1985 - V. F. Tolubko, General of the Army, since 1983 Chief Marshal of Artillery
• 1985-1992 - Yu. P. Maksimov, General of the Army

Ground Forces (SV)

Ground Forces (1946) - a type of the USSR Armed Forces, designed to conduct combat operations mainly on land, the most numerous and diverse in terms of weapons and methods of combat operations. In terms of its combat capabilities, it is capable of independently or in cooperation with other branches of the Armed Forces to conduct an offensive in order to defeat enemy groupings of troops and seize its territory, deliver fire strikes to a great depth, repel the enemy’s invasion, its large air and sea assault forces, firmly hold the occupied territories, areas and frontiers. In its composition, the SV had various types of troops, special troops, special forces units and formations (Sp. N) and services. In organizational terms, the SV consisted of subdivisions, units, formations and associations.

SV were divided into types of troops (motorized rifle troops (MSV), tank troops (TV), airborne troops (VDV), rocket troops and artillery, military air defense troops (arms of service), army aviation, as well as units and subunits of special forces ( engineering, communications, radio engineering, chemical, technical support, rear security).

The commander-in-chief, who held the post of Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR, headed the USSR SV. The Main Headquarters and Directorates of the SV Armed Forces of the USSR were subordinate to him. The number of ground forces of the USSR in 1989 was 1,596,000 people.

• Central Road Construction Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (CDSU MO USSR)

In the design of ceremonial events, on posters, in drawings on postal envelopes and postcards, an image of a conditional decorative "flag of the Ground Forces" was used in the form of a red rectangular panel with a large red five-pointed star in the center, with a gold (yellow) border. This "flag" was never approved and was not made of fabric.

The SV Armed Forces of the USSR were divided according to the territorial principle into military districts (groups of troops), military garrisons:

Commanders-in-Chief:

• 1946-1946 - G.K. Zhukov, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• 1946-1950 - I. S. Konev, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• 1955-1956 - I. S. Konev, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• 1956-1957 - R. Ya. Malinovsky, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• 1957-1960 - A. A. Grechko, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• 1960-1964 - V. I. Chuikov, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• 1967-1980 - I. G. Pavlovsky, army general
• 1980-1985 - V. I. Petrov, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• 1985-1989 - E. F. Ivanovsky, army general
• 1989-1991 - V.I. Varennikov, General of the Army
• 1991-1996 - V. M. Semyonov, army general

Air Defense Forces

The Air Defense Forces (1948) included:

• Troops of rocket and space defense;
• Air Defense Radio Engineering Troops, 1952;
• Anti-aircraft missile troops;
• Fighter aviation (air defense aviation);
• Air Defense Electronic Warfare Troops.
• Special Troops.

In addition, there were rear units and institutions in the Air Defense Forces.

Air Defense Forces were divided according to the territorial principle into air defense districts (groups of troops):

• Air defense district (group of forces) - associations of air defense forces designed to protect the most important administrative, industrial centers and regions of the country, groupings of the Armed Forces, important military and other objects within established borders from air strikes. In the Armed Forces, the air defense districts were created after the Great Patriotic War on the basis of the air defense of the fronts and the military. In 1948, the air defense districts were reorganized into air defense districts, and in 1954 they were recreated.
• Moscow Air Defense District - was intended to cover the most important administrative and economic objects of the Northern, Central, Central Black Earth and Volga-Vyatka economic regions of the USSR from enemy air attacks. In November 1941, the Moscow Air Defense Zone was formed, which in 1943 was transformed into the Moscow Special Air Defense Army, deployed in the air defense of the Moscow Military District. After the war, the Moscow Air Defense District was created on its basis, then the Air Defense District. In August 1954, the Moscow Air Defense District was transformed into the Moscow Air Defense District. In 1980, after the liquidation of the Baku Air Defense District, it became the only association of this type in the USSR.
• Baku Air Defense District.

The USSR air defense was headed by the commander-in-chief, who held the post of Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR. He was subordinated to the General Staff and Air Defense Directorates of the USSR.

Headquarters city of Balashikha.

Commanders-in-Chief:

• 1948-1952 - L. A. Govorov, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• 1952-1953 - N. N. Nagorny, Colonel General
• 1953-1954 - K. A. Vershinin, Air Marshal
• 1954-1955 - L. A. Govorov, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• 1955-1962 - S. S. Biryuzov, Marshal of the Soviet Union
• 1962-1966 - V. A. Sudets, Air Marshal
• 1966-1978 - P.F. Batitsky, General of the Army, since 1968 Marshal of the Soviet Union
• 1978-1987 - A. I. Koldunov, Colonel General, since 1984 Chief Air Marshal
• 1987-1991 - I. M. Tretyak, army general

Air Force

The Air Force organizationally consisted of aviation branches: bomber, fighter-bomber, fighter, reconnaissance, transport, communications and sanitary. At the same time, the Air Force was divided into types of aviation: front-line, long-range, military transport, and auxiliary. They had in their composition special troops, units and institutions of the rear.

The Air Force of the USSR Armed Forces was headed by the Commander-in-Chief (Head, Head of the Main Directorate, Commander) who held the post of Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR. He was subordinated to the Main Headquarters and Directorates of the USSR Air Force

Headquarters city of Moscow.

Commanders-in-Chief:

• 1921-1922 - Andrey Vasilyevich Sergeev, Commissar
• 1922-1923 - A. A. Znamensky,
• 1923-1924 - Arkady Pavlovich Rozengolts,
• 1924-1931 - Pyotr Ionovich Baranov,
• 1931-1937 - Yakov Ivanovich Alksnis, Commander of the 2nd rank (1935);
• 1937-1939 - Alexander Dmitrievich Loktionov, Colonel General;
• 1939-1940 - Yakov Vladimirovich Smushkevich, Commander of the 2nd rank, since 1940 Lieutenant General of Aviation;
• 1940-1941 - Pavel Vasilyevich Rychagov, lieutenant general of aviation;
• 1941-1942 - Pavel Fedorovich Zhigarev, lieutenant general of aviation;
• 1942-1946 - Alexander Alexandrovich Novikov, Marshal of Aviation, since 1944 - Chief Marshal of Aviation;
• 1946-1949 - Konstantin Andreevich Vershinin, Air Marshal;
• 1949-1957 - Pavel Fedorovich Zhigarev, Air Marshal, since 1956 - Chief Air Marshal;
• 1957-1969 - Konstantin Andreevich Vershinin, Chief Air Marshal;
• 1969-1984 - Pavel Stepanovich Kutakhov, Air Marshal, since 1972 - Chief Air Marshal;
• 1984-1990 - Alexander Nikolaevich Efimov, Air Marshal;
• 1990-1991 - Evgeny Ivanovich Shaposhnikov, Air Marshal;

Navy

Navy The USSR organizationally consisted of branches of forces: underwater, surface, naval aviation, coastal rocket and artillery troops and marines. It also included ships and vessels of the auxiliary fleet, special forces units (SpN) and various services. The main branches of forces were submarine forces and naval aviation. In addition, there were units and institutions of the rear.

Organizationally, the USSR Navy included:

• Red Banner Northern Fleet (1937)
• Red Banner Pacific Fleet (1935)
• Red Banner Black Sea Fleet
• Twice Red Banner Baltic Fleet
• Red Banner Caspian Flotilla
• Red Banner Leningrad Naval Base

The USSR Navy was headed by the Commander-in-Chief (Commander, Head of the Naval Forces of the Republic, People's Commissar, Minister), who held the post of Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR. He was subordinated to the General Staff and Directorates of the USSR Navy.

The main headquarters of the Navy is the city of Moscow.

Commanders-in-chief who held the post of Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR:

Rear of the USSR Armed Forces

Forces and means intended for logistic support and technical support services for the troops (forces) of the Armed Forces. They were an integral part of the defense potential of the state and a link between the country's economy and the Armed Forces directly. It included the headquarters of the rear, the main and central departments, services, as well as government bodies, troops and organizations of central subordination, rear structures of the branches and branches of the Armed Forces, military districts (groups of troops) and fleets, associations, formations and military units.

• Main Military Medical Directorate (GVMU MO USSR) (1946) (Main Military Medical Directorate)
• Main Department of Trade (GUT MO USSR) (1956 chief military department of the Ministry of Trade of the USSR)
• Central Directorate of Military Communications (TsUP VOSO MO USSR), incl. 1962 to 1992, GU VOSO (1950)
• Central Food Administration (CPU MO USSR)
• Central clothing department (TsVU MO USSR) (1979) (Department of clothing and household supply, Department of clothing and convoy supply)
• Central Directorate of Rocket Fuel and Fuel (TsURTG USSR Ministry of Defense) (Fuel Supply Service (1979), Fuel and Lubricant Service, Fuel Service Directorate)
• Central Road Administration (CDU of the USSR Ministry of Defense). (Automobile and road department of Logistics of the Kyrgyz Republic (1941), Department of motor transport and road service of the General Staff (1938), Department of motor transport and road service of VOSO)
• Department of Agriculture.
• Office of the Chief of Ecological Security of the USSR Armed Forces.
• Fire, rescue and local defense service of the USSR Armed Forces.
• Railway troops of the USSR Armed Forces.

The logistics of the Armed Forces in the interests of the Armed Forces solved a whole range of tasks, the main of which were: receiving from the economic complex of the state a supply of material resources and rear equipment, storing and providing troops (forces) with them; planning and organizing, together with the transport ministries and departments, the preparation, operation, technical cover, restoration of communications and vehicles; transportation of all types of material means; implementation of operational, supply and other types of military transportation, provision of basing of the Air Force and Navy; technical support of troops (forces) for rear services; organizing and carrying out medical and evacuation, sanitary and anti-epidemic (preventive) measures, medical protection of personnel from weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and adverse environmental factors, carrying out veterinary and sanitary measures and measures of rear services for the chemical protection of troops (forces); monitoring the organization and condition of fire protection and local defense of troops (forces), assessing the environmental situation in the places of deployment of troops (forces), forecasting its development and monitoring the implementation of measures to protect personnel from environmentally harmful effects of natural and man-made nature; commercial and household, apartment-operational and financial support; protection and defense of communications and rear facilities in the rear zones, organization of camps (reception points) for prisoners of war (hostages), their registration and support; providing work on exhumation, identification, burial and reburial of servicemen.

To solve these problems, the Logistics of the Armed Forces included special troops (automobile, railway, road, pipeline), formations and parts of material support, medical formations, units and institutions, stationary bases and warehouses with appropriate supplies of materiel, transport commandant's offices, veterinary -sanitary, repair, agricultural, commercial, educational (academy, colleges, faculties and military departments at civilian universities) and other institutions.

Headquarters city of Moscow.

Chiefs:

• 1941-1951 - A. V. Khrulev, army general;
• 1951-1958 - V. I. Vinogradov, Colonel General (1944);
• 1958-1968 - I. Kh. Bagramyan, Marshal of the Soviet Union;
• 1968-1972 - S. S. Maryakhin, army general;
• 1972-1988 - S.K. Kurkotkin, Marshal of the Soviet Union;
• 1988-1991 - V. M. Arkhipov, army general;
• 1991-1991 - I. V. Fuzhenko, Colonel General;

Independent branches of the military

Civil Defense Troops (GO) of the USSR

In 1971, the direct leadership of the civil defense was entrusted to the USSR Ministry of Defense, and the day-to-day management of the civil defense was entrusted to the head of the civil defense - the deputy minister of defense of the USSR.

There were civil defense regiments (in major cities of the USSR), the Moscow Military School of Civil Defense (MVUGO, Balashikha), reorganized in 1974 into the Moscow Higher Command School of Road and Engineering Troops (MVKUDIV), trained specialists for road troops and civil defense troops.

Chiefs:

• 1961-1972 - V. I. Chuikov, Marshal of the Soviet Union;
• 1972-1986 - A. T. Altunin, Colonel General, (since 1977) - Army General;
• 1986-1991 - V. L. Govorov, army general;

Border troops of the KGB of the USSR

The Border Troops (until 1978 - the KGB under the Council of Ministers of the USSR) - were intended to protect the land, sea and river (lake) borders of the Soviet state. In the USSR, the Border Troops were an integral part of the USSR Armed Forces. The direct leadership of the border troops was carried out by the KGB of the USSR and the Main Directorate of the Border Troops subordinate to it. They consisted of border districts, separate formations (border detachment) and their constituent units that guard the border (border outposts, border commandant's offices, checkpoints), special units (divisions) and educational institutions. In addition, there were aviation units and units in the Border Troops (individual aviation regiments, squadrons), sea (river) units (brigades of border ships, divisions of boats) and rear units. The range of tasks solved by the border troops was determined by the USSR Law of November 24, 1982 "On the State Border of the USSR", the regulation on the protection of the USSR state border, approved on August 5, 1960 by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. The legal status of the personnel of the border troops was regulated by the USSR Law on universal military duty, regulations on military service, charters and instructions.

Border districts and units of central subordination, excluding units and formations transferred from the USSR Ministry of Defense, as of 1991 included:

• Red Banner North-Western Border District.
• Red Banner Baltic Border District.
• Red Banner Western Border District.
• Red Banner Transcaucasian Border District
• Red Banner Central Asian Border District
• Red Banner Eastern Border District
• Red Banner Trans-Baikal Border District.
• Red Banner Far Eastern Border District
• Red Banner Pacific Border District
• North-Eastern border district.
• Separate Arctic border detachment.
• Separate border control detachment "Moscow"
• 105th Separate Special Purpose Border Detachment in Germany (operational subordination - Western Group of Forces).
• Higher Border Command Order of the October Revolution Red Banner School of the KGB of the USSR named after F. E. Dzerzhinsky (Alma-Ata);
• Higher Border Command Order of the October Revolution Red Banner School of the KGB of the USSR named after the Moscow City Council (Moscow);
• Higher Border Military-Political Order of the October Revolution Red Banner School of the KGB of the USSR named after K. E. Voroshilov (Golitsyno town);
• Higher border command courses;
• Joint Training Center;
• 2 separate squadrons;
• 2 separate engineering and construction battalions;
• Central Hospital of the Border Troops;
• Central Information and Analytical Center;
• Central Archive of the Border Troops;
• Central Museum of the Border Troops;
• Faculties and departments at military educational institutions of other departments.

Chiefs:

• 1918-1919 - S. G. Shamshev, (Main Directorate of Border Troops (GUP.v.));
• 1919-1920 - V. A. Stepanov, (Department of border supervision);
• 1920-1921 - V. R. Menzhinsky, (special department of the Cheka (border protection));
• 1922-1923 - A. Kh. Artuzov, (Department of Border Troops, Department of Border Guards (OPO));
• 1923-1925 - Ya. K. Olsky, (OPO);
• 1925-1929 - Z. B. Katsnelson, (Main Directorate of the Border Guard (GUPO));
• 1929 - S. G. Velezhev, (GUPO);
• 1929-1931 - I. A. Vorontsov, (GUPO);
• 1931-1933 - N. M. Bystrykh, (GUPO);
• 1933-1937 - M. P. Frinovsky, (GUPO) (since 1934 the border and internal (GUPiVO)) NKVD of the USSR;
• 1937-1938 - N. K. Kruchinkin, (GUPiVO);
• 1938-1939 - A. A. Kovalev, Main Directorate of Border and Internal Troops (GUP. V.v.);
• 1939-1941 - G. G. Sokolov, lieutenant general (GUP.v.);
• 1942-1952 - N. P. Stakhanov, lieutenant general (GUP.v.);
• 1952-1953 - P. I. Zyryanov, lieutenant general (GUP.v.);
• 1953-1954 - T. F. Filippov, lieutenant general (GUP.v.);
• 1954-1956 - A. S. Sirotkin, lieutenant general (GUP.v.);
• 1956-1957 - T. A. Strokach, lieutenant general (GUP. V.v.);
• 1957-1972 - P. I. Zyryanov, lieutenant general, (since 1961) colonel general (GUP.v.);
• 1972-1989 - V. A. Matrosov, Colonel General, (since 1978) Army General (GUP.v.);
• 1989-1992 - I. Ya. Kalinichenko, Colonel General (GUP.v.) (since 1991 commander in chief)

Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR

Internal troops Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR, part USSR Armed Forces. Designed to protect state facilities and perform other service and combat tasks defined in special government decrees assigned to the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs. They protected especially important objects of the national economy, as well as socialist property, the personality and rights of citizens, the entire Soviet legal order from the encroachments of criminal elements and performed some other special tasks (guarding places of detention, escorting convicts). The predecessors of the Internal Troops were the Gendarmerie, the Internal Guard Troops of the Republic (VOKhR Troops), the Internal Service Troops, and the Troops of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission (VChK). The term Internal Troops appeared in 1921 to refer to units of the Cheka serving in the interior of the country, in contrast to the border troops. During the Great Patriotic War, the NKVD troops guarded the rear of the fronts and armies, carried out garrison service in the liberated areas, and participated in the neutralization of enemy agents. Internal troops of the NKVD of the USSR (1941-1946), the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR (1946-1947, 1953-1960, 1968-1991), the Ministry of State Security of the USSR (1947-1953), the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the RSFSR (1960-1962), the MOOP of the RSFSR (1962-1966), MOOP of the USSR (1966-1968), Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (since 1991):

Chiefs:

• 1937-1938 - N. K. Kruchinkin, (Main Directorate of the Border and Internal Guard (GUPiVO));
• 1938-1939 - A. A. Kovalev, (Main Directorate of Border and Internal Troops (GUP. V.v.));
• 1941-1942 - A. I. Gulyev, major general;
• 1942-1944 - I. S. Sheredega, major general;
• 1944-1946 - A. N. Apollonov, Colonel General;
• 1946-1953 - P. V. Burmak, lieutenant general;
• 1953-1954 - T. F. Filippov, lieutenant general;
• 1954-1956 - A. S. Sirotkin, lieutenant general;
• 1956-1957 - T. A. Strokach, lieutenant general;
• 1957-1960 - S. I. Donskov, lieutenant general;
• 1960-1961 - G. I. Aleinikov, lieutenant general;
• 1961-1968 - N.I. Pilshchuk, lieutenant general;
• 1968-1986 - I. K. Yakovlev, Colonel General, since 1980 - Army General;
• 1986-1991 - Yu. V. Shatalin, Colonel General;

Military duty

Universal conscription, established by Soviet law, followed from the constitutional provision, which determines that the defense of the socialist Fatherland is the sacred duty of every citizen of the USSR, and military service in the ranks USSR Armed Forces- an honorable duty of Soviet citizens (Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution of the USSR). The legislation on universal conscription has gone through several stages in its development. Reflecting the socio-political changes in the life of society and the need to strengthen the defense of the country, it developed from volunteerism to compulsory military service for workers and from it to universal military duty.

General military duty was characterized by the following main features:

• it extended only to Soviet citizens;
• was universal: all male citizens of the USSR were subject to conscription; only persons serving a criminal sentence and persons in respect of whom an investigation was conducted or a criminal case was considered by a court were not called;
• it was personal and equal for everyone: it was not allowed to replace a conscript with another person: for evading conscription or from performing duties of military service, the perpetrators were criminally liable;
• had time limits: the terms of active military service, the number and duration of training camps and the age limit for the state in the reserve were precisely established by law;

Conscription under Soviet law was carried out in the following main forms:

• service in the ranks of the USSR Armed Forces within the terms established by law;
• work and service as military builders;
• passing training, verification fees and retraining during the period of state in the reserve of the USSR Armed Forces;

The fulfillment of universal military duty was also preliminary training (military-patriotic education, initial military training (NVP), training of specialists for the Armed Forces, improving general literacy, conducting medical and recreational activities and physical training of young people) for military service:

• passing by students in secondary schools, and by other citizens - in the production of NVP, including training in civil defense, with students in general education schools (starting from the 9th grade), in secondary specialized educational institutions (SSUZ), and in educational institutions of the professional system -technical education (SPTO) by full-time military leaders. Young men who did not study in daytime (full-time) educational institutions of the CWP passed at training centers created (if there are 15 or more young men who are required to pass the CWP) at enterprises, organizations and collective farms; The NVP program included familiarizing young people with the appointment of the Soviet Armed Forces and their nature, with the duties of military service, the basic requirements of the military oath and military regulations. The heads of enterprises, institutions, collective farms and educational institutions were responsible for ensuring that the NVP covered all young men of pre-conscription and military age;
• the acquisition of military specialties in the educational organizations of the SPTO - vocational schools and in the organizations of the Voluntary Society for Assistance to the Army, Aviation and Navy (DOSAAF), was intended to ensure constant and high combat readiness of the Armed Forces, was advance and provided for the training of specialists (car drivers, electricians, signalmen, paratroopers and others ) from among young men who have reached the age of 17. In the cities it was produced on the job. At the same time, for the period of passing the exams, young students were provided with paid leave for 7-15 working days. In rural areas, it was produced with a break from production at the gathering in the autumn-winter period. In these cases, recruits were kept their jobs, their position and were paid 50% of the average earnings. The costs of renting a dwelling and travel to and from the place of study were also paid;
• the study of military affairs and the acquisition of an officer's specialty by students of higher educational institutions (HEI) and secondary vocational schools, who were engaged in training programs for reserve officers;
• compliance with the rules of military registration and other military duties by conscripts and all citizens who are in the reserve of the USSR Armed Forces.

In order to systematically prepare and organize the call for active military service, the territory of the USSR was divided into district (city) recruiting stations. Citizens who turned 17 years old in the year of registration were assigned to them annually during February - March. Registration to the recruiting stations served as a means of identifying and studying the quantitative and qualitative composition of the recruiting contingents. It was produced by district (city) military commissariats (military registration and enlistment offices) at the place of permanent or temporary residence. Determining the state of health of those assigned was carried out by doctors allocated by decision of the executive committees (executive committees) of the district (city) Soviets of People's Deputies from local medical institutions. Persons assigned to recruiting stations were called conscripts. They were given a special certificate. Citizens subject to registration were required to appear at the military registration and enlistment office within the time period established on the basis of the Law. A change in the recruiting station was allowed only from January 1 to April 1 and from July 1 to October 1 of the year of conscription. At other times of the year, a change in the recruiting station in some cases could be allowed only for good reasons (for example, moving to a new place of residence as part of a family). The conscription of citizens for active military service was carried out annually everywhere twice a year (in May - June and in November - December) by order of the Minister of Defense of the USSR. In troops located in remote and some other areas, the call began a month earlier - in April and October. The number of citizens subject to conscription was established by the Council of Ministers of the USSR. The exact dates for the appearance of citizens at the recruiting stations were determined, in accordance with the Law and on the basis of the order of the Minister of Defense of the USSR, by order of the military commissar. None of the conscripts was exempted from appearing at the recruiting stations (with the exception of the cases established by Article 25 of the Law). Issues related to conscription were resolved by collegiate bodies - draft commissions created in districts and cities under the chairmanship of the relevant military commissars. The commission as their full members included representatives of local Soviet, party, Komsomol organizations and doctors. The personal composition of the draft commission was approved by the executive committees of the district (city) Soviets of People's Deputies. The district (city) draft commissions were entrusted with:

• a) organization of medical examination of conscripts;
• b) making a decision on conscription for active military service and the assignment of those called up according to the type of armed forces and types of troops;
• c) granting deferrals in accordance with the Law;
• d) exemption from military duty of conscripts in connection with their illnesses or physical disabilities;

When making a decision, the draft commissions were obliged to comprehensively discuss the family and financial situation of the conscript, his state of health, take into account the wishes of the conscript himself, his specialty, the recommendations of the Komsomol and other public organizations. Decisions were made by majority vote. For the management of district (city) draft commissions and control over their activities in the union and autonomous republics, territories, regions and autonomous districts, appropriate commissions were created under the chairmanship of the military commissar of the union or autonomous republic, territories, region or autonomous district. The activities of the draft commissions were controlled by the Soviets of People's Deputies and prosecutorial supervision. For dishonest or biased attitude to the case when resolving the issue of conscription, providing illegal deferrals, members of the conscription commissions and doctors involved in the examination of conscripts, as well as other persons who committed abuse, were held liable in accordance with applicable law. The basis for the distribution of conscripts by type of armed forces and combat arms was the principle of industrial qualification and specialty, taking into account the state of health. The same principle was used when conscripting citizens into military construction units (VSO) designed to perform construction and installation work, manufacture structures and parts at industrial and logging enterprises of the USSR Ministry of Defense. The recruitment of the military personnel was carried out mainly from conscripts who graduated from construction schools or had construction or related specialties or experience in construction (plumbers, bulldozer operators, cable workers, etc.). The rights, duties and responsibilities of military builders were determined by military legislation, and their labor activity was regulated by labor legislation (with some peculiarities in the application of one or the other). The remuneration of the labor of military builders was carried out according to the current norms. The obligatory term of service in the military service was counted towards the term of active military service.

The law determined: - a single draft age for all Soviet citizens - 18 years;

The term of active military service (conscript military service of soldiers and sailors, sergeants and foremen) is 2-3 years;

A deferment from conscription could be granted on three grounds: a) for health reasons - it was granted to conscripts who were temporarily unfit for military service due to illness (Article 36 of the Law); b) by marital status (Article 34 of the Law); c) to continue education (Article 35 of the Law);

During the period of post-war mass demobilization of 1946-1948, there was no conscription into the Armed Forces. Instead, conscripts were sent to recovery work. A new law on universal conscription was adopted in 1949, in accordance with it, a conscription was established once a year, for a period of 3 years, for a fleet of 4 years. In 1968, the term of service was reduced by one year, instead of conscription once a year, two conscription campaigns were introduced - spring and autumn.

Passage of military service.

Military service is a special type of public service, which consists in the fulfillment by Soviet citizens of constitutional military duty as part of the USSR Armed Forces (Article 63, Constitution of the USSR). Military service was the most active form of exercise by citizens of their constitutional duty to defend the socialist Fatherland (Articles 31 and 62 of the Constitution of the USSR), was an honorable duty and was assigned only to citizens of the USSR. Foreigners and stateless persons who lived on the territory of the USSR did not carry out military duty and were not enrolled in military service, while they could be accepted for work (service) in civilian Soviet organizations in compliance with the rules established by laws.

Soviet citizens were drawn into military service on a mandatory basis through conscription (regular, for training camps and for mobilization) in accordance with a constitutional obligation (Article 63 of the Constitution of the USSR), and in accordance with Art. 7 of the Law on General Military Duty (1967), all servicemen and those liable for military service took a military oath of allegiance to their people, their Soviet Motherland and the Soviet government. Military service is characterized by the presence of an institution assigned in accordance with the established article 9 of the Law on universal military duty (1967) in the manner personal military ranks, in accordance with which military personnel and those liable for military service were divided into superiors and subordinates, senior and junior, with all the ensuing legal consequences.

AT USSR Armed Forces about 40% of the conscripted contingent who was registered with the military (assigned to the military registration and enlistment offices) were called up.

Forms of military service were established in accordance with the principle of building the Armed Forces on a permanent personnel basis, accepted in modern conditions (a combination of personnel Armed Forces with the presence of a reserve of military-trained citizens liable for military service). Therefore, according to the Law on General Conscription (Article 5), military service was divided into active military service and service in the reserve, each of which proceeded in special forms.

Active military service - the service of Soviet citizens in the personnel of the Armed Forces, as part of the corresponding military units, crews of warships, as well as institutions, institutions and other military organizations. Persons enrolled in active military service were called military personnel, they entered into military service relations with the state, were appointed to such positions provided by the states, for which certain military or special training was required.

In accordance with the organizational structure of the Armed Forces, the difference in the nature and scope of the service competence of personnel, the state adopted and used the following forms of active military service:

• urgent military service of soldiers and sailors, sergeants and foremen
• extended military service of sergeants and foremen
• service of ensigns and midshipmen
• officer service, including officers who were called up from the reserve for a period of 2-3 years

As an additional form of active military service, the service of women taken in peacetime in USSR Armed Forces on a voluntary basis for the positions of soldiers and sailors, sergeants and foremen;

The service (work) of military builders was adjacent to the forms of military service.

Service in reserve- periodic performance of military service by citizens enlisted in the reserve of the Armed Forces. Persons who were in the reserve were called reserve soldiers.

Forms of military service during the state in the reserve were short-term fees and retraining:

• training camps aimed at improving the military and special training of those liable for military service, maintaining it at the level of modern requirements;
• verification fees, which are intended to determine the combat and mobilization readiness of military command and control bodies (OVU);

The legal status of the personnel of the USSR Armed Forces was regulated by:

• Constitution (Basic Law) of the USSR, (1977)
• Law of the USSR on universal military obligation, (1967)
• General military charters of the USSR Armed Forces and the Ship charter
• Regulations on the passage of military service (officers, ensigns and re-enlisted personnel, etc.)
• Combat regulations
• Instructions
• Instructions
• Guides
• Orders
• orders

USSR Armed Forces abroad

• Group of Soviet troops in Germany. (GSVG)
• Northern Group of Forces (SGV)
• Central Group of Forces (CGV)
• Southern Group of Forces (YUGV)
• Group of Soviet military specialists in Cuba (GSVSK)
• GSVM. Soviet troops in Mongolia belonged to the Trans-Baikal Military District.
• Limited contingent of Soviet troops in Afghanistan (OKSVA). Soviet army units in Afghanistan belonged to the Turkestan military district, and units of the border troops as part of OKSVA belonged to the Central Asian border district and the Eastern border district.
• Basing points (PB) of the Soviet Navy: - Tartus in Syria, Cam Ranh in Vietnam, Umm Qasr in Iraq, Nokra in Ethiopia.
• Naval base Porkkala-Udd, Republic of Finland;

War activities

States (countries) in which armed forces of the USSR or military advisers and specialists armed forces of the USSR participated in the hostilities (were during the hostilities) after the Second World War:

• China 1946-1949, 1950
• North Korea 1950-1953
• Hungary 1956
• North Vietnam 1965-1973
• Czechoslovakia 1968
• Egypt 1969-1970
• Angola 1975-1991
• Mozambique 1976-1991
• Ethiopia 1975-1991
• Libya 1977
• Afghanistan 1979-1989

• Syria 1982
• Interesting Facts

• From June 22, 1941 to July 1, 1941 (9 days) Armed Forces of the USSR 5,300,000 people joined.
• In July 1946, the first missile unit was formed on the basis of the guards mortar regiment.
• In 1947, into service Soviet troops the first R-1 missiles began to arrive.
• In 1947 - 1950, mass production and mass entry into the armed forces of jet aircraft began.
• Since 1952, the Air Defense Forces of the country have been equipped with anti-aircraft missiles.
• In September 1954, the first major military exercise with a real explosion of an atomic bomb was held in the Semipalatinsk region.
• In 1955, the first ballistic missile was launched from a submarine.
• In 1957, the first tactical exercise was held with tanks crossing the river along the bottom.
• In 1966, a detachment of nuclear submarines circumnavigated the world without surfacing on the sea surface.
• Armed Forces of the USSR the first in the world, en masse adopted such a class of armored vehicles as an infantry fighting vehicle. BMP-1 appeared in the army in 1966. In NATO countries, an approximate analogue of Marder will appear only in 1970.
• In the late 1970s of the XX century, in service Armed Forces of the USSR consisted of about 68 thousand tanks, and tank troops included 8 tank armies.
• During the period from 1967 to 1979, 122 nuclear submarines were built in the USSR. In thirteen years, five aircraft carriers were built.
• In the late 1980s, construction formations in terms of the number of personnel (350,000 - 450,000) exceeded such branches of the USSR Armed Forces as the Border Troops (220,000), Airborne Troops (60,000), Marine Corps (15,000) - combined .
• There is a precedent in the History of the USSR Armed Forces when a motorized rifle regiment, actually being under a state of siege, defended the territory of its own military camp for 3 years and 9 months.
• The number of personnel of the Marine Corps of the USSR Armed Forces was 16 times smaller than the US Marine Corps - the main probable enemy.
• Despite the fact that Afghanistan is a mountainous country with non-navigable rivers, the naval (river) units of the Border Troops of the KGB of the USSR took an active part in the Afghan war.
• Every year in service in USSR Armed Forces 400 - 600 aircraft were received. From the answers of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force, Colonel-General A. Zelin at a press conference at MAKS-2009 (August 20, 2009). The accident rate in the Air Force in the 1960s - 1980s was at the level of 100 - 150 accidents and disasters annually.
• The military personnel who found themselves under the jurisdiction of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan, when they were created on March 16 - May 7, 1992, did not take the oath, they did not violate this oath, but were bound by the following oath:

I, a citizen of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, joining the Armed Forces of the USSR, take an oath and solemnly swear to be an honest, brave, disciplined, vigilant warrior, strictly keep military and state secrets, abide by the Constitution of the USSR and Soviet laws, implicitly comply with all military regulations and orders of commanders and chiefs. I swear to conscientiously study military affairs, to protect military and people's property in every possible way, and to my last breath to be devoted to my people, my Soviet Motherland and the Soviet government. I am always ready, on the orders of the Soviet government, to defend my Motherland - the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and, as a soldier of the Armed Forces of the USSR, I swear to defend it courageously, skillfully, with dignity and honor, not sparing my blood and life itself in order to achieve complete victory over enemies. If, however, I violate this solemn oath of mine, then let me suffer the severe punishment of Soviet law, the general hatred and contempt of the Soviet people. A series of postage stamps, 1948: 30 years of the Soviet Army A series of postage stamps, 1958: 40 years of the Armed Forces of the USSR A particularly numerous and colorful series of postage stamps was issued for the 50th anniversary of the Soviet Armed Forces: A series of postage stamps, 1968: 50 years of the Soviet Armed Forces