General of the Army (USSR)

:Please see "General of the Army" for other nations which use this rank

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General of the Army (Russian: ??????? ?????, general armii) was a rank of the Soviet Union which was first established in June 1940 as the highest rank for Red Army generals, inferior only to the Marshal of the Soviet Union. In the following 51 years the USSR created 133 Generals of the Army, 32 of whom were later promoted to the rank of Marshal.

Related Topics:
Soviet Union - 1940 - Red Army - Marshal of the Soviet Union - USSR

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The rank was usually given to senior officers of the Ministry of Defence and General Staff, and also to meritorious military district commanders. From the 1970s, it was also frequently given to the heads of the KGB and the Ministry of the Interior.

Related Topics:
1970s - KGB

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Soviet Generals of the Army include Ivan Chernyakhovsky (the youngest Soviet World War II front commander, killed in East Prussia), Aleksei Antonov (head of the General Staff in the closing stages of WWII, awarded the Order of Victory), Issa Pliyev (an Ossetian-born WWII commander who played a major role in the Cuban missile crisis) and Yuri Andropov (who held the rank as head of the KGB).

Related Topics:
Ivan Chernyakhovsky - World War II - East Prussia - Aleksei Antonov - Order of Victory - Issa Pliyev - Ossetia - Cuban missile crisis - Yuri Andropov

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In the Air Force, Artillery, Armoured Troops, Engineer Troops and Signal Troops, the rank of General of the Army was not used, as the corresponding grades of Marshal and Chief Marshal of the Air Forces, Artillery, etc. had existed since 1943.

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The contemporary Russian Army retains the rank of General of the Army and it is still frequently used. After the dissolution of the USSR the ranks of Marshal of the Air Forces etc. were abolished, and the most senior officers of these branches may also now hold the rank of General of the Army

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The corresponding naval rank is Admiral of the Fleet, which has been used in both the Soviet and Russian Navies, although conferred much more rarely.

Related Topics:
Admiral of the Fleet - Soviet - Russian Navies

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Although Chief Marshals and Marshals of the Air Force, Artillery, Armoured, Engineer and Signal Troops as well as Admirals of the Fleet were in service equivelent, to the General of the Army, in rank they superseded them untli 1974 when the General of the Army were formely equated with the Marshals. It was at this time that their shoulder straps were changed from a four star to a single, larger star and the army logo (making them visualy the same as the Marshal shoulder strap). Likewise after 1974 they were permitted to wear the Marshal star necklace.

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Before 1943, Generals of the Army wore five stars on their collar patches (petlitsy). Since 1943, they have worn four stars on their shoulder straps. From 1974 to 1997 they wore a single large star with a Ground Forces emblem, but in 1997 the four stars were restored.

Related Topics:
1943 - 1974 - 1997

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