() is an abbreviation of Commanding officer of the brigade (), and was a
military rank
Military ranks is a system of hierarchy, hierarchical relationships within armed forces, police, Intelligence agency, intelligence agencies, paramilitary groups, and other institutions organized along military organisation , military lines, such ...
in the
Soviet Armed Forces
The Armed Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, also known as the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union, the Red Army (1918–1946) and the Soviet Army (1946–1991), were the armed forces of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republi ...
of the
USSR
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
from 1935 to 1940. It was also the designation to military personnel appointed to command a
brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...
sized formation (X).
Until 1940 it was the fourth highest military rank of the Red Army. It was equivalent to ''Brigade commissar'' () of the political staff in all military branches, ''Kapitan 1st rank'' () in the ''Soviet navy'', or to ''Major of state security'' (). With the reintroduction of regular general ranks, the designation ''Kombrig'' was abolished in the armed forces, however rank equivalents were still retained in some institutions like the Political staff, Engineering Corps, Judicial, Corps etc. Those rank equivalents were formally phased out with the introduction of the 1943 rank system. Contrary to popular belief, Kombrig didn't have any rank equivalent in the new soviet rank system. The new system only had 5 ranks instead of 6 due to the redirection of Brigade Command to Colonels. All members of the Supreme Command staff (Kombrig-Kamandarm 1st rank) had to go through a re certification, where individuals were given a rank based on their appointments, Only Komrbigs that held Command positions of a Division or higher were promoted to major generals while the rest were demoted to Colonels. Officially until 1943, People who held the rank equivalent of Kombrig in an auxiliary branch were placed between a Colonel and a Major General, acting as an eqvivalent to a british Brigadier.
History
This particular rank was introduced by disposal of the Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union and the Council of People's Commissars, from September 22, 1935.
[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.]
The new rank structure was as follows:
* Command level
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...
X: (Brigadier)
* Command level
Division XX: (Division commander)
* Command level
Corps
Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was formally introduced March 1, 1800, when Napoleon ordered Gener ...
XXX: (Korps commander)
* Command level
Field army
A field army (also known as numbered army or simply army) is a military formation in many armed forces, composed of two or more corps. It may be subordinate to an army group. Air army, Air armies are the equivalent formations in air forces, and ...
XXXX:
''Komandarm'' 2nd rank (Army commander 2nd rank – Commander Army)
* Command level
Army group
An army group is a military organization consisting of several field army, field armies, which is self-sufficient for indefinite periods. It is usually responsible for a particular geographic area. An army group is the largest field organizatio ...
,
Front XXXXX:
''Komandarm'' 1st rank (Army commander 1st rank – Frond commander)
*
Marshal of the Soviet Union
Marshal of the Soviet Union (, ) was the second-highest military rank of the Soviet Union. Joseph Stalin wore the uniform and insignia of Marshal after World War II.
The rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union was created in 1935 and abolished in ...
Rank insignia
Red Army 1935 collar big kombrig.svg,
Red Army 1935 collar small kombrig.svg,
Red Air Force Kom Brig 1940 col.png,
RKKA 1935 chevron OF6 kombrig.svg,
See also
*
Ranks and rank insignia of the Red Army 1935–1940, and
... 1940–1943
References
Military ranks of the Soviet Union
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