General of the Army (Russian: генерал армии, general armii) was a rank of the Soviet Union which was first established in June 1940 as a high rank for Red Army generals, inferior only to the Marshal of the Soviet Union. In the following 51 years the USSR created 133 General of the Army, 32 of whom were later promoted to the rank of Marshal. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other organizations known as the Red Army, see Red Army (disambiguation). ... The rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union (Russian: Marshal Sovietskovo Soyuza [Маршал Советского Союза]) was in practice the highest military rank of the Soviet Union. ... The rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union (Russian: Marshal Sovietskovo Soyuza [Маршал Советского Союза]) was in practice the highest military rank of the Soviet Union. ...

The rank was usually given to senior officers of the Ministry of Defence and General Staff, and also to meritorious military district commanders. From the 1970s, it was also frequently given to the heads of the KGB and the Ministry of the Interior. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... This article is about the KGB of the Soviet Union. ...

Soviet Generals of the Army include Ivan Chernyakhovsky (the youngest Soviet World War II front commander, killed in East Prussia), Aleksei Antonov (head of the General Staff in the closing stages of WWII, awarded the Order of Victory), Issa Pliyev (an Ossetian-born WWII commander who played a major role in the Cuban missile crisis) and Yuri Andropov (who held the rank as head of the KGB). Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky, (Cherniakhovsky), 1906 - 1945, Russian General of the Army (the youngest ever to have this rank), twice Hero of the Soviet Union, brilliant commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front, died from wounds received outside Königsberg at age 39. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... East Prussia (German: Ostpreu en; Polish: Prusy Wschodnie; Russian: Восточная Пруссия — Vostochnaya Prussiya) was a province of Kingdom of Prussia, situated on the territory of former Ducal Prussia. ... Categories: Wikipedia cleanup | Russia-related stubs | People stubs | Military of the Soviet Union ... The Order of Victory The Order of Victory (Russian: Орден Победы) was the highest military decoration in the Soviet Union, and one of the rarest orders in the world. ... Issa Alexandrovich Pliyev (Russian: Исса Александрович Плиев) (November 12, 1903 - 2 February 1979) was a Soviet military commander, Army General (1962), Double Hero of the Soviet Union (4. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... President Kennedy in a crowded Cabinet Room during the Cuban Missile Crisis. ... Andropov, then the LKSM KFSSR First Secretary, speaks at the May 9, 1945, victory celebrations Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov (Russian: , Jurij Vladimirovič Andropov) (June 15 [O.S. June 2] 1914 – February 9, 1984) was a Soviet politician and General Secretary of the CPSU from November 12, 1982 until his death just...

The Soviet rank system had a Colonel General rank equating to Western Lieutenant Generals, General of the Army (also translated as Army General) equating to Western full four-star generals, and Marshal of the Soviet Union which was considered the equivalent to UK Field Marshals and the U.S. General of the Army rank. Colonel General is a senior military rank which is used in some of the world’s militaries. ... The rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union (Russian: Marshal Sovietskovo Soyuza [Маршал Советского Союза]) was in practice the highest military rank of the Soviet Union. ... Note: This article is about the military usage of the word marshal. For other usages, see the end of this article. ... General of the Army is a military rank used in some countries of the world to denote a senior military leader, usually a General in command of a nations Army. ...

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

The corresponding naval rank is Admiral of the Fleet, which has been used in both the Soviet and Russian Navies, although conferred much more rarely. The rank of Admiral of the Fleet (Russian: Admiral Flota, Адмирал флота ) was the second-highest naval rank of the Soviet Union, one grade lower than Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union. ... The Soviet Navy (Russian: Военно-морской флот СССР, Voyenno-morskoy flot SSSR, literally Naval military forces of the USSR) was the naval arm of the Soviet armed forces. ... The Russian Navy or VMF (Russian: Военно-Морской Флот (ВМФ) - Voyenno- Morskoy Flot (VMF) or Military Maritime Fleet) is the naval arm of the Russian armed forces. ...

In the Air Force, Artillery, Armoured Troops, Engineer Troops and Signal Troops, the rank of General of the Army was not used, as the corresponding honorary grades of Marshal/Chief Marshal of the Air Forces, Artillery, etc. had existed since 1943. The ranks of Chief Marshal of an arm (Russian: ) and Marshal of an arm (Russian: ) were senior military ranks of the Soviet Army. ...

Although Chief Marshals and Marshals of the Air Force, Artillery, Armoured, Engineer and Signal Troops as well as Admirals of the Fleet were in service equivalent to the General of the Army, in rank they superseded them until 1974 when the rank General of the Army was formally equated with the Marshals. It was at this time that their shoulder straps were changed from a four star to a single, larger star and the army logo (making them visually similar to the Marshal shoulder strap). Likewise after 1974 they were permitted to wear the Marshal's Star necklace. The Star of the Marshal (Russian: ) was a military symbol in the Soviet Union and today in the Russian Federation. ...

Before 1943, Army Generals wore five stars on their collar patches (petlitsy). Since 1943, they have worn four stars on their shoulder straps. From 1974 they wore a single large star with a Ground Forces emblem. In 1997 their Russian successors returned to the four-star insignia. Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Russian military ranks
• General of the Army (Russia)