The number of armed forces of the ussr in 1980. The army of the ussr: strength and composition. The liquidation of the armed forces of the ussr and the creation of national armies

Not a trace remains of the military potential of the former Soviet republics.

At the end of February, the commander of the Airborne Forces, General Vladimir Shamanov, stated that the Russian Airborne Troops can be sent to perform combat missions as rapid reaction forces outside of Russia, for example, to countries that are parties to the Collective Security Treaty. "Our Version" sorted out what military forces remained in the former Soviet republics: whom Russia would have to protect, and who to look at through the scope.

More than 20 years ago, in December 1991, Armed forces The USSR numbering 4210 thousand people were fragmented and turned into 15 independent armies. Some managed to succeed more in development, others never became full-fledged armies. Meanwhile, all these armed formations are somewhat similar and have common features with Russian army.

The most powerful ally is Belarus, the weakest is Kyrgyzstan

As the head of the scientific and analytical center for the problems of national security Anatoly Tsyganok, the Arms of Russia news agency, the main allies of Russia are the armies of the countries participating in the Collective Security Treaty - these are Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia, in addition, the CSTO includes Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Belarus is the most combat-ready ally of Russia. And it is no coincidence: at the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union, the concentration of military formations and units on its territory was the highest in Europe. In addition, a huge number of warehouses with military equipment and various military equipment were concentrated here. On the territory of the country there were nuclear weapons, which it was decided to abandon.

For two decades, the size of the Belarusian army has decreased from 280 to 62 thousand people. The number of armored vehicles has decreased by 1.5–2 times and amounts to more than 4 thousand tanks and armored personnel carriers, but the number of aircraft, helicopters and modern systems Air defense among zealous Belarusians is growing. More than 300 aircraft are in service.

The army of Kazakhstan was created on the basis of military facilities and formations of the Central Asian and partly Turkestan military districts. From armament, the republic got military equipment of the 70s, withdrawn from Eastern Europe. Also, the Strategic Missile Forces and strategic aviation were deployed on the territory of the republic, in exchange for their transfer to Russia, Kazakhstan received conventional weapons. Today, the Air Force has more than a hundred combat aircraft. The land component is 1 thousand tanks, 2.5 thousand infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, more than 800 various artillery systems and guns. The Kazakh fleet has 9 patrol boats.

The army of Kazakhstan is constantly decreasing, today the number of personnel is about 65 thousand people. There are no problems with the recruitment of troops in Kazakhstan, here they managed to do what they talk about a lot in Russia: a career in state institutions is closed to those who have not served.

The basis for the national army of Armenia was the units and military equipment of the 7th army of the former Transcaucasian military district. This is the only army in the post-Soviet space, the number of which has grown, and almost tripled. Most experts rate it as the most combat-ready in the Transcaucasus. Personnel - 60 thousand people, a hundred tanks, 200 armored personnel carriers, more than 200 artillery systems, about 50 combat aircraft and attack helicopters. Since 2004, Russia has been supplying weapons to Armenia at a relatively low prices as a member of the CSTO. In 2005, Armenia managed to get 7 million dollars for the rearmament of the army from the United States as well.

Tajikistan inherited a minimum of weapons from the Soviet army, so there is a catastrophic lack of equipment in the troops. Although officially the army of Tajikistan consists of four brigades, an anti-aircraft missile and a helicopter regiment, but, in fact, several battalions are combat-ready. A big problem with the officers, half of the posts are vacant, most of the current officers do not have higher education.

Kyrgyzstan is also a rather weak ally. According to experts, the army in this country, by and large, does not exist, its weapons were sold and plundered. During the Tulip Revolution, the military did not influence the situation. The personnel of the military is about 8 thousand people, but about 500-600 people really know how to fight, the so-called consolidated units, which are formed exclusively from officers. And this is despite the active work of American instructors in the country.

The army of Moldova is under the control of the Romanian special services

After the collapse of the USSR, Ukraine inherited a powerful modern army - three very strong military districts, three air armies and even nuclear forces. Initially, the total strength of the Ukrainian army was about 800 thousand people, while the troops were fully equipped with the most modern military equipment. At one time, Ukraine ranked fourth in the world in terms of military potential, it was said that if a war broke out between Russia and Ukraine, it was still unknown who would win. However, in 20 years this powerful force was squandered. Military equipment was stolen, rotted or sold. The total sale of the army brought Ukraine into the group of the world's leading arms exporters. About 6 thousand tanks and 1 thousand combat aircraft remained in service.

The basis of the armed forces of Uzbekistan was the Turkestan military district. The country's army employs 65 thousand people, and it is estimated as the most combat-ready in Central Asia. The armament is Soviet, from the early 80s, its stocks are large, only there are more than 2 thousand tanks in storage, however, far from all the equipment is in good order. But there are agreements on the supply of modern artillery systems, transport and combat helicopters, air defense systems and ammunition from Russia. There are no problems with staffing, it is prestigious to serve in the army, there are benefits, service is a social lift.

Parts of the former Turkestan military district became the basis of the Turkmen army. Today 34 thousand people serve. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, a large number of military equipment, which belonged to the units withdrawn from Afghanistan. More than fifty tanks, 300 different types of aircraft are in service. But, even despite this potential, experts are skeptical about the combat capability of the Turkmen troops. The issue of military personnel is acute in the republic, Russian military specialists left the country back in the 90s, locals do not master military affairs well. There is a shortage of officers in the troops, even at parades the planes are piloted by invited pilots from Ukraine.

The army of Azerbaijan was formed from parts of the former Transcaucasian military district and part of the Caspian flotilla. At present, its number is estimated at about 70 thousand people. With the help of foreign specialists, NATO standards are being introduced. At the same time, the military department of the state is buying up military equipment and weapons from Ukraine. Attempts are being made to establish their own military-industrial complex, and small arms, mortars and even armored vehicles are already being produced. the main problem Azerbaijani army - total corruption.

The 6,000-strong army of Moldova is in a deplorable state. Equipment and weapons are almost completely out of order. The exodus of officers due to low salaries further exacerbates the disaster. NATO has repeatedly initiated various options for "military reforms", but attempts have only further reduced the defense capability. At the same time, the army is practically under the control of the Romanian special services.

The Latvian Air Force consists of "maize"

The armies of all the former Baltic republics are members of NATO, in fact, they are potential adversaries for Russia, but there is no need to fear them - the number of these armies is quite small and, like everyone else, there are problems with funding.

Lithuania is the most militarized Baltic republic, with 10,000 military personnel guarding the interests of the republic, of which almost 11% are women. The Lithuanian army is armed with weapons and equipment of American and Western European production, but there are still samples of Soviet production. There is even a fleet - two small anti-submarine ships and four patrol boats. The issue of purchasing combat helicopters is being decided.

The Estonian Defense Army is more than 5 thousand people, who are consolidated into eight battalions and an artillery division. The fleet is a faulty corvette, two boats and four boat minesweepers. There are a hundred guns in service, but the trouble is with armored vehicles, during the exercises they periodically rent a tank from their Latvian neighbors.

In Latvia, the army, equal in number to the Estonian, consists of an infantry battalion, an artillery division and three training centers. There are three T-55 training tanks in service, the main striking force of the Air Force is the An-2 "maize", the Navy consists of patrol boats, minesweepers, boats - mine hunters and self-propelled barges, in the near future, local shipbuilders promise to build their own warships

The army of Georgia is the only one with whom Russia had to fight today, its strength was clearly shown by the results of the eight-day war in 2008. The armed forces of the republic were created on the basis of the Soviet units of the Transcaucasian Military District. Now the number of armed forces of Georgia is 37 thousand people. Until 2003, the Georgian army was armed with obsolete Soviet technology, but after the "Rose Revolution" its modernization began. NATO countries supplied weapons to this republic free of charge, thus the country's military budget in 2007 increased 50 times and reached a maximum of $780 million. Georgians are trying to be trained by foreign instructors. After the war with Russia, almost a third of this formidable army was destroyed and put out of action. Now Georgia is actively restoring its military potential.

“...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, Troops air defense countries, the Air Force, the Navy, and also include the Logistics of the Armed Forces, the headquarters and the Civil Defense troops. 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 Committee state security under the Council of Ministers of the USSR and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR. The Department of Defense includes General base of the Armed Forces of the USSR, the directorates of the commanders-in-chief of the branches of the Armed Forces, the Directorate of Logistics of the Armed Forces, the main and central directorates (Main Directorate of Personnel, Central Financial Directorate, Directorate of Affairs, etc.), as well as military governing bodies and institutions of 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, directing 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. Groups of Soviet troops are temporarily deployed on the territories of the GDR, Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia to fulfill allied obligations to jointly ensure the security of the socialist states. In the branches of the Armed Forces, military districts, groups of troops, air defense districts, and fleets, military councils have been created that have the right to consider and decide on all important questions life and activities of the troops of the corresponding type 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 the 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 a crucial role in the victory of the October Revolution of 1917, in defending the young Soviet Republic in the center and locally, in defeating the counter-revolutionary rebellions of Kerensky-Krasnov near Petrograd, Kaledin on the Don, and Dutov in late 1917 and early 1918. in the Southern 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 defend the Soviet state. In an effort to stifle the revolution, the imperialist states, primarily 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.
In the years civil war 1918-20 the construction of the Red Army and the RKKF was carried out in extremely 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, general military training of workers (Vsevobuch) was introduced, and military department bodies 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 operational and organizational management 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 extraordinary measures taken by the party to establish 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 the military theory of the 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, the characteristic features of Soviet military art were clearly manifested: 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 troop recruitment, which made it possible to have a small regular army in peacetime 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 for Military Sea 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 conscription" 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. Various types of 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 Combat Charter of the Infantry (Part 1), drafts of the Field Charter and the Combat Charter of the Infantry (Part 2), the Combat Charter of the Tank Forces, the Combat Charter, the Charter of the 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. German fascist troops, due to the suddenness of the attack, lengthy preparations for war, 2 years of experience in military operations in Europe, superiority in the number of weapons, numbers of troops and other temporary advantages, they managed in the first months of the war, regardless of losses, to move hundreds of kilometers 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 GKO 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 to completely destroy 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 GKO and the Stavka 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 emergency 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 it was possible to stop the enemy 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 output of aircraft increased by 137.1% compared to 1942, 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 military leadership 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 Berlin operation they achieved the final defeat of fascist 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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ARMED FORCES OF THE USSR, a state military organization that formed the basis of the military power of the USSR.

By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, they consisted of the Ground Forces, the Air Force, Navy, Air Defense Forces of the country, Logistics of the Armed Forces. The Armed Forces also included border troops and internal troops. By the beginning of the war, there were 16 military districts, 1 front (Far Eastern) on the territory of the country, and there were also 4 fleets (Northern, Baltic, Black Sea, Pacific) and 3 separate military flotillas (Pinsk, Caspian and Amur).

The supreme leadership of the defense of the country and the Armed Forces was carried out by the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR. He coordinated all activities aimed at strengthening the military potential and increasing the defense capability of the USSR, a special body of the Council of People's Commissars - the USSR Defense Committee.

The direct control of the Armed Forces was carried out by the People's Commissariat of Defense (from May 1940 People's Commissar Marshal of the Soviet Union S.K. Timoshenko) and the People's Commissariat of the Navy (from April 1939 People's Commissar, flagship of the fleet of the 2nd rank, from June 1940 adm. N.G. Kuznetsov). Under the chairmanship of the People's Commissar of Defense and the People's Commissar of the Navy, the main military councils of the Kyrgyz Republic functioned as collegiate bodies. army and navy. General Staff Kr. The army was led by Gen. army G.K. Zhukov.

The situation was rapidly growing in the late 1930s. The threat of war made high demands on the organization and training of the USSR Armed Forces, increasing their combat readiness and combat capability. The most important tasks in the construction of the Armed Forces at that time were to increase the number of troops (forces), increase their technical equipment, and establish the optimal ratio of the number of types of Armed Forces.

Based on the conclusions of the owls. military science that the main role in a future war is assigned to the Ground Forces, the ratio of types of the Armed Forces in terms of the number of personnel in June 1941 was (in%): Ground Forces - 79.3; Air Force - 11.5; Navy - 5.8; Air defense troops of the country's territory - 3.4. In the Ground Forces, the main emphasis was on the development rifle troops, armored troops, artillery. The cavalry, airborne troops, railway, automobile, engineering, chemical troops, Signal Corps. In the Air Force, the main attention was paid to the development of fighter and bomber aviation, and attack aviation was created. The Navy was replenished with new surface ships and submarines.

Particularly noticeable was the growth in the technical equipment of the USSR Armed Forces in 1939 - the 1st half. 1941. Compared with 1939, the volume of military production in 1941 increased by 30%. During this period, new types of heavy and medium tanks were put into mass production, new artillery guns and powerful jet weapons for salvo firing at area targets were developed, new types of fighters, a dive bomber, an attack aircraft, and several models of warships for the light forces of the fleet were created.

Scientists and designers provided high quality and reliability of owls. military equipment in many respects the best in the world: La-5 fighters (designer S.A. Lavochkin) and Yak-9 (A.S. Yakovleva), Il-2 attack aircraft (S.V. Ilyushin), Pe-2 bomber ( V.M. Petlyakov), medium tank T-34 (M.I. Koshkin) and heavy KV (J.Ya. Kotin), rocket artillery fighting vehicle BM-13 "Katyusha" (I.T. Kleimenov and G.E. Langemak) and others. Geologists discovered new deposits of strategic materials (bauxite, manganese, molybdenum). Methods for degaussing warships (I.V. Kurchatov, A.P. Aleksandrov), automatic welding of armor (E.O. Platon) were developed, and automatic machine tools for the production of cartridges were designed. Great successes have been achieved in the field of military medicine, which subsequently made it possible to return St. 70% of wounded soldiers.

The organizational structure of the troops has been significantly improved. The composition of the rifle division included tanks, more powerful divisional artillery, anti-tank and anti-aircraft artillery, which significantly increased their firepower and strike force. RVGK artillery received further development. Instead of separate tank and mechanized brigades, the formation of tank and motorized divisions began. In 1941 it was planned to form approx. 20 mechanized corps. In the airborne troops, which consisted of brigades, airborne corps were formed. There has been a transition to a divisional organization in the Air Force.

Simultaneously with the technical re-equipment of the army and navy, their numbers increased. Adopted by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on September 1, 1939, the Law on Universal Military Duty legally completed the transfer of the Red Army and Navy to a personnel system, and made it possible to increase their numbers, which by mid-1941 amounted to 4.6 million people. In total, the Ground Forces by this time had 303 divisions (of which about 1/4 was in the process of formation). However, not all planned organizational and other measures for the Armed Forces were completed by the beginning of the war. The motorization of the infantry remained insufficient, the re-equipment of formations and units with new models of weapons and military equipment was not completed. Most of the formations transferred to the new states turned out to be not fully equipped with weapons, military equipment and vehicles. Owls. military science in prewar years did not fully take into account the possibility of a sudden invasion of large enemy forces and insufficiently developed methods of conducting defense on an operational and strategic scale.

Despite the large scope for the training of military personnel, the system military educational institutions did not keep up with the pace of deployment of the Armed Forces. The consequences political repression in 1937-39 and in subsequent years, to which many owls were unreasonably subjected. military leaders, commanders and political workers. Most of the reserve commanders were unable to undergo retraining for the start of the war. The share of commanders with a higher military education in 1940 decreased by more than 2 times compared to 1936. and bosses did not have enough time to acquire the experience needed to work in new, higher positions.

Major miscalculations were made in determining the time of application, directions and force of blows to it. troops. Serious mistakes took place in the choice of areas for basing aviation and placing stocks of material and technical means, most of which were located near the state. borders. The deployment of the armed forces groupings did not have a clear plan. The Red Army did not have sufficient experience in conducting a modern war, organizing the interaction of troops, effective use new weapons and military equipment.

After the German attack on June 22, 1941, a radical restructuring of the entire military organization of the state began in the USSR. On June 30, 1941, an emergency body was formed - the State Defense Committee (GKO), chaired by I.V. Stalin, who also became People's Commissar of Defense (19.07.1941) and Supreme Commander-in-Chief (08.08.1941). On July 10, 1941, the Headquarters of the High Command was formed for the strategic leadership of the Armed Forces (see. Headquarters of the Supreme High Command), the main body of which was the General Staff of the Red Army, intermediate leadership bodies were created - the main commands of the troops of the directions (abolished in May - June 1942). On the basis of the border military districts, 5 fronts were formed (during the course of the war at different periods there were 10-15 of them), which became the operational-strategic formations of the Armed Forces. As of July 1, 1941, 5.3 million people were called up for mobilization in the Armed Forces. active army from June 1941 to Nov. 1942 increased from 2.9 million to 6.6 million people. Mobilization made it possible to deploy training reserves and reinforce the main groupings of troops.

However, in the initial period of the war, the advanced strategic echelon of the Red Army was defeated, the enemy captured a significant territory of the USSR and approached Moscow and Leningrad. By the end of 1941, extraordinary measures, the self-sacrifice of the people, the heroism of the soldiers of the army and navy managed to stop the enemy and frustrate his plan of "blitzkrieg". The Moscow battle of 1941–42 dispelled the myth of German invincibility. army. In the summer of 1942 the center of operations moved to the south wing Soviet-German front.

On an ever-increasing scale, the army received weapons and military equipment, and above all their main types - artillery, tanks, and aircraft. From Dec. 1941 to Nov. 1942, the number of the most important combat weapons increased: for guns and mortars - from 22 thousand to 77.8 (without anti-aircraft guns), for tanks - from 1954 to 7350, for combat aircraft - from 2238 to 4544 units. The improvement of the organizational structure of all military branches and special troops continued. In June 1941, the formation of rocket artillery units began. In September, in the battles near Yelnya, the Soviet Guard was born. In 1941–42, mechanized corps, artillery divisions of the RVGK, sapper armies, regiments, battalions and radio communications divisions, companies of high-explosive flamethrowers, and detachment. flamethrower tank battalions and otd. flamethrower-tank brigades of the RVGK, automobile battalions, railway brigades.

By the end of the first period of the war, the strike force of the Ground Forces increased, which was due to the quantitative and qualitative growth of armored and mechanized troops, artillery and military air defense. In Aug. 1941 the Air Force was reorganized - the number of regiments and divisions and aircraft in the regiments decreased. Regiments were formed for night operations, reserve aviation groups, and from March 1942 - strike aviation groups, which were at the disposal of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command. Since May 1942, operational aviation formations - air armies - began to form on the basis of the air forces of the fronts. From Nov. 1941 began a radical reorganization of the air defense. In the Navy, in a short time, units and formations of fleets were transferred to wartime states, and new units were formed. By the end of 1941, 46 new ships of the main classes entered service.

With the beginning of the war, the system of training and education of commanding officers and specialists was restructured. Early graduations of students of academies and cadets of military schools were made. In 1942, 53 new military schools were opened. The possibilities of the pre-war network of military educational institutions were also increased by increasing their capacity and reducing the duration of training. A large number of front-line and army courses were created for the accelerated training of junior officers. In July 1941, the institution of military commissars was introduced (abolished on October 9, 1942). The power of the USSR Armed Forces continued to build up: by the summer of 1942, they included approx. 11 million people, including in the active army - St. 5.5 million people From the middle of 1942, the defense industry began to increase the output of military products and more fully meet the needs of the front. As a result of the measures taken by the USSR Armed Forces, despite the losses incurred, by mid-November. In 1942, their organizational strength was significantly strengthened, their technical equipment improved, the troops gained combat experience, and the combat skills of the personnel increased. In fierce battles and battles, the Red Army and Navy inflicted a heavy defeat on the enemy near Leningrad, in Moscow and Stalingrad battles, in the North Caucasus and seized the strategic initiative in the war.

In the second period of the war (Nov. 1942 - Dec. 1943), organizational measures in the army and navy were aimed at ensuring the massive use and effective use of military equipment, a significant increase in the fire and strike power of all types of the Armed Forces and military branches. By the middle of 1943, in comparison with the end of 1942, the number of weapons in the USSR Armed Forces had increased by 1.3 times, armored vehicles - by 1.4, aircraft - by 2.3 times. The Red Army has surpassed him. troops in tanks and artillery almost 2 times, in aircraft 3 times. Total in the active army in Dec. In 1943 there were 11 fronts, 66 departments of combined arms armies and 3 tank armies. The mass production of weapons in 1943 made it possible to strengthen divisional artillery and create corps, army, and powerful artillery of the RVGK. A significant number of tank and mechanized corps were formed, most of which were later reduced to tank armies. homogeneous composition. Armored and mechanized troops became the main striking force of the Ground Forces (by the end of 1943 they included 24 tank and 13 mechanized divisions, about 50% were part of 5 tank armies).

The increasing role of aviation during the war, the quantitative and qualitative growth of the aircraft fleet necessitated new, significant organizational changes in the Air Force. The composition of aviation divisions, corps and air armies has increased. The Air Defense Forces of the country's territory have become stronger organizationally and numerically. The creation of naval defense areas continued in the Navy, the number of marines increased, and new naval formations were formed. The problem of creating strategic reserves was successfully solved. Thus, during the winter campaign of 1942/43, the Headquarters transferred to the fronts from its reserve 4 tank armies, 29 tank and mechanized corps, 108 rifle, 23 artillery, 26 anti-aircraft artillery, 19 aviation divisions, 16 engineering brigades and other formations and units, and in the summer and autumn of 1943, combined arms formations - 2, tank and aviation formations - 3 times more than in winter.

In 1943, a qualitatively new stage in the construction of the USSR Armed Forces was completed: there were significant changes in their military-technical equipment and organizational structure, in the development of military art, and the personnel accumulated rich experience in combat operations. This was reflected in the newly issued statutory documents: the Combat Regulations of the Infantry (1942), the draft Field Regulations of the Red Army and a number of regulations of the military branches. At the beginning of 1943, new insignia were introduced - shoulder straps. In order to increase the authority of the commanding cadres and their responsibility, in July 1943 the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR established a new procedure for conferring military ranks. All command and commanding staff in the rank of ml. lieutenant to colonel inclusive became known as officers. The growth of combat power and the strengthening of the morale of the troops allowed the USSR Armed Forces to win victories in Battle of Kursk, battle for the Dnieper 1943, successfully carry out a number of other operations. From Nov. 1942 to Dec. 1943 The Red Army fought from 500 to 1300 km and liberated from it. invaders a significant part of the occupied owls. territory. And by the end of 1944 the territory of the USSR was completely cleared of the enemy.

In the third period of the war (January 1944 - May 1945), the Red Army continued to be equipped with weapons and military equipment. Compared with the first period of the war, the number of fronts increased: tanks and self-propelled guns - 4-6 times, guns and mortars - 4-5 times, aircraft - 4-8 times. By the beginning of 1945, there were 9.4 million people, 144.2 thousand op. and mortars, 15.7 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, 22.6 thousand combat aircraft. Compared with June 1944, the number of armed forces increased by more than 300 thousand people, the number of tanks and self-propelled guns - by 3.9 thousand, guns and mortars - by 11 thousand, combat aircraft - by 820. Most of the USSR Armed Forces were concentrated in Sov.-German. front, where they outnumbered the enemy in guns and mortars almost 4 times, in tanks and self-propelled guns in 3, in combat aircraft 8 times. The dominant position was still occupied by the Ground Forces. In terms of the number of personnel by the end of the war, they accounted for 80%, the Air Force - St. 8%. The share of air defense troops increased from 3.3% in Dec. 1941 to 5% in May 1945, and the Navy decreased from 5.8% in 1941 to 3.6% in June 1943 and then increased to 5.3% in May 1945.

In 1945, the USSR Armed Forces, together with the allied armies of the countries anti-Hitler coalition liberated Europe from occupation and finally defeated Germany and its allies.

The final act of World War II for the Soviets. Union has become Soviet-Japanese War 1945 in the Far East, in which the USSR Armed Forces defeated the Japanese Kwantung Army as soon as possible.

During the Great Patriotic War, the USSR Armed Forces covered themselves with unfading glory. Behind feats of arms St. 7 million owls. soldiers were awarded orders and medals, approx. 11.6 thousand were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviets. Union. Mass heroism was characteristic not only for individual soldiers, but also for entire units, formations and associations. For distinction in the battles for the Fatherland with him. 10.9 thousand military orders were awarded to regiments and divisions by invaders. Many of them have been awarded orders several times. 354 times Moscow saluted the valiant owls. troops and navy. Hundreds of military formations and units were awarded honorary titles.

The defeat of the most powerful and dangerous for the world community Armed Forces of fascist Germany and militaristic Japan was a severe test for the Armed Forces and the peoples of the USSR, and they withstood this test with honor. The Soviet Armed Forces expelled the enemy from the USSR, defended the independence and territorial integrity of the country. The fascist bloc suffered a complete and crushing defeat, Germany unconditionally capitulated. The USSR Armed Forces played a decisive role in delivering the peoples of Europe and Asia from the threat of fascism. enslavement, brought them freedom and peace. The entry of the USSR into the war in the Far East hastened the defeat of militaristic Japan.

Research Institute (Military History) VAGSh RF Armed Forces

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 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 USSR Ministry of Defense 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

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. Headed the USSR Defense Council General Secretary 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 launch, control and orbital grouping spacecraft military purpose.;
• 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.

SVs 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, the 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) - formations of air defense forces designed to protect against air strikes the most important administrative, industrial centers and regions of the country, groupings of the armed forces, important military and other objects in established boundaries. 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 served as 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 command and control bodies, troops and organizations of central subordination, rear structures of the types 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 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 organization, together with transport ministries and departments, of preparation, operation, technical cover, restoration of communications and Vehicle; 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); control over the organization and condition of fire protection and local defense of troops (forces), assessment 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 was assigned to the head of the civil defense - the deputy minister of defense of the USSR.

There were regiments of civil defense (in major cities USSR), Moscow military school Civil Defense (MVUGO, city of Balashikha), reorganized in 1974 into the Moscow Higher Command School of Road and engineering troops(MVKUDIV), trained specialists for the 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 (separate 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 state border USSR, 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, provisions on the passage military service, statutes 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).
• Highest Border Command Order 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, component 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 designate 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 determined 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 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 of the working people 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 law precisely established the terms of active military service, the number and duration of training camps and age limit stock status;

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:

• passage by students in secondary schools, and by other citizens - in the production of NVP, including training in civil defense, with student youth in general education schools(starting from the 9th grade), in secondary specialized educational institutions (SSUZ), and in educational institutions of the vocational education system (VET) 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;
• acquisition of military specialties in educational organizations SPTO - vocational schools and 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 the young men who had reached 17 years of age. 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 countryside was produced with a break from production at the training camp 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. Determination of the state of health of those assigned was carried out by doctors allocated by decision of the executive committees (executive committees) of 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. to 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 draft 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). Military builders were paid according to current regulations. 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, the Constitution of the USSR). Military service was the most active form of citizens exercising 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 subject to statutory rules.

Soviet citizens were recruited for military service on a mandatory basis through conscriptions (regular, for training camps and for mobilization) in accordance with the constitutional duty (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) 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 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 installed in accordance with the accepted modern conditions the principle of building the Armed Forces on a permanent personnel basis (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 additional form active military service was used by 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;

Hostilities

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 made circumnavigation without surfacing to 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 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, in the Afghan war they took Active participation sea ​​(river) units of the Border Troops of the KGB of the USSR.
• 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: