Komandarm 2nd rank (Russian: командарм 2-го ранга) is the abbreviation to commanding officer of the army 2nd class (Russian: командующий армией 2-го ранга, romanized: komanduyushchiy armiyey 2-go ranga; lit.'Commander of the Army / Army commander 2nd rank'), and was a military rank in the Soviet Armed Forces of the USSR in the period from 1935 to 1940. It was also the designation to military personnel appointed to command a field army sized formation (XXXX).
Until 1940 it was the third highest military rank of the Red Army. It was equivalent to Komissar army 2nd rank (ru: армейский комиссар 2-ого ранга) of the political staff in all military branches, Fleet Flag Officer 2nd rank (ru: флагман флота 2-ого ранга) in the Soviet navy, or to Komissar of state security 2nd rank (ru: комиссар государственной безопасности 2-ого ранга). With the reintroduction of regular general ranks, the designation Komandarm 1st rank was abolished, and replaced by General of the Army or Colonel general.
History
Following the foundation of the Soviet Union the rank designation and rank insignia of the Imperial Russian Army was suppressed. However, an alternative rank structure was introduced by disposal of the Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union and the Council of People's Commissars, from September 22, 1935.[1]
These ranks were abolished by the introduction of general ranks by disposal of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union in May 1940.[2] For example, military staff with the individual rank Komandarm 2nd rank were converted to the equivalent general's rank.
In 1935, a total number of ten military people graduated to Komandarm 2nd rank. However, by the end of the year all ten had been executed. At the end of the 1930s the number of staff, promoted Komandarm 2nd rank, had grown to 21 people. With the introduction of the general ranks in 1940, 12 Komandarm 2nd rank were converted to Lieutenant general (here OF-7), seven to Colonel general (OF-8), and two to General of the Army (OF-9).
Komkor. However, reprisals were made on 59 Komkor in the period 1937–1938. In line to the reintroduction of the regular military rank system in 1940, one Komkor was promoted to General of the Army (Georgy Zhukov), 51 to Lieutenant general (OF-7), and six to Major general (OF-6). Finally, Komkor Leonid Grigorevich Petrovsky was promoted to Lieutenant general in 1941.
On occasion of the introduction of the particular rank 10 military leader were promoted to Komandarm 2nd rank. In a period of three years all 10 were executed. However, with the increase of the Red Army's personnel strength the number of Komandarm 2nd rank grew as well. With the reintroduction of general's rank in 1940, twelve of them were converted to Lieutenant general (OF-7), seven to Colonel general (OF-8), and two to General of the Army (OF-9).
Mikhail Khozin (1896—1979), converted to lieutenant general, later promoted to colonel general
Ivan Tyulenev (1892—1978), converted to general of the army
Vladimir Kachalov (1890—1941), converted to Lieutenant General, was killed at the front, posthumously convicted of treason, family repressed, rehabilitated in 1953
Stepan Kalinin (1890—1975), converted to Lieutenant General, arrested in 1944, released and rehabilitated in 1953
1940
Vladimir Grendal(ru) (1884—1940), converted to Colonel general; died of natural causes 1940
Nikolai Voronov (1899—1968), converted to Colonel general, Marshal of artillery, Chief Marshal of artillery;
Dmitry Pavlov (1897—1941), converted to Lieutenant general, General of the Army, executed 1941;
Yakov Smushkevich (1900—1941), converted to Lieutenant general of aviation, executed 1941.
^Decree of the Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union and the Council of People's Commissars, from September 22, 1935, on introduction of individual military rank designation to commanding personnel of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army.
^Disposal of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union from May 7, 1940, on introduction of military ranks to higher commanding staff of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, from May 7, 1940.
Soviet Union
