Military ranks of Russia: history and modernity

The term "military ranks"which is occupied by servicemen in the army and the navy in relation to other servicemen. Any title implies that the bearer has certain rights and duties, which are regulated by laws and military regulations.

Military ranks appeared, disappeared,mutated with the development of a state and society. Studying their history, one can learn a lot about the development of the Armed Forces of this or that state.

The first ranks appeared in Rus in the XII-XIII centuries., although they could be called military ones with a big stretch. Most often they denoted any administrative position. Under the influence of the Tatar-Mongol in Russia there are such military ranks as the Tenth, the Sotsky, the Tysyatsky, but they did not exist in all principalities and designated only the boss over this or that number of people. By the way, later they were used quite successfully by the same Cossacks.

The first truly military ranks of Russiacan be attributed to the year 1647, when Alexei Mikhailovich adopted the first in our country Military Charter. This legislative act was necessary, since by this time, along with the traditional militia, the archers and the so-called "regiments of the new system" began to play an increasing role in the country's defense capability. All military ranks under this Statute were divided into two categories - rank and file officers, which in essence resemble today's officers. Here, the titles already used by that time were fixed: the colonel, the half-colonel, the lieutenant. At the very end of the 17th century, the Russian army began to actively use the ranks of the brigadier and the general, along with the half-colonel, the more familiar title of Lieutenant-Colonel began to be applied.

An important role in the process of streamlining militarytitles in the Russian army was played by the introduction in 1722 by Peter the Great of the Table of Ranks. This document introduced a clear list of titles, tied to specific positions. It is worth noting that in the Table entered only military ranks, beginning with the chief officers, the lower ranks were regulated by the relevant charters.

An important feature of the Russian army was thatThe awards received in the Life Guards rank were considered two steps higher than those received in conventional military units. This situation persisted until 1884, when all military ranks of Russia were equalized in their position.

Also in a somewhat privileged positionthere were artillerymen, whose titles until 1884 were considered one step higher than in conventional formations. This was due to the increased demands that were made on the level of knowledge of people who served in these troops.

Military ranks of the USSR in the first years afterThe October Revolution was a combination of command posts and the so-called "service categories": the brigade commander, the army commander, the comassian, and the corps. Only in 1935 military ranks, with some exceptions, were restored in the form in which they were in tsarist Russia. However, some of them began to sound different: for example, instead of the Field Marshal, the Marshal of the Soviet Union became the highest military rank of the country.

Just before the outbreak of the war with Germany, in 1940year, all command posts were finally replaced by general and admiral ranks, which should symbolize the transition of the Soviet armed forces to a new level of development.

Military ranks of the USSR in the years of the Great Patriotic WarWar has undergone minimal changes: in the Guards units, the prefix "Guards" began to be used, marshals and the main marshals of various armies (armored, artillery, aviation) appeared. In addition, in 1945 there was a new higher military rank - the Generalissimo of the Soviet Union, which was appropriated to JV Stalin.

Military ranks of the USSR became the basis for ranks inmodern Russian army. At the same time, as a result of the latest military reform, the rank of ensign and midshipman were liquidated. The title of the same junior lieutenant, although it exists, is practically not appropriated.

</ p>>