Marshal of the branch



Marshal of the branch (or "marshal of the branch of service"; Ма́ршал ро́да во́йск) was from 1943 to 1974 the designation to a separate rank class in the general officer´s rank group of the of the former Soviet Union´s armed forces.

However, at that time, marshal of the branch was also the lowest marshal-rank of the Red Army, and later of the Soviet Army. In modern context, it might be comparable to the NATO OF9-rank

Marshal of the branch was nominal the equivalent rank level to army general (OF-9). However, general officers on that particular rank were not authorised, competent and mandated to be appointed to, or to act on the position of commander in chief of a big formation or command.

Introduction and sequence of ranks
The term "marshal of the branch" was calqued from the German General der Waffengattung (general of the branch). The first general officers of the air force, artillery, and armored troops were promoted on 16 January 1943 under the rank designation:


 * Marshal of the aviation (маршал авиаций)
 * Marshal of the artillery (маршал артиллерии)
 * Marshal of the armored troops (маршал танковых войск)

In October 1943, it was followed by the communications and engineer branches with the ranks:
 * Marshal of the signal troops (маршал войскa связи)
 * Marshal of the engineer troops (маршал иншенерых войск)

The top ranks of that rank group were chief marshal of the branch with the designation:


 * Chief marshal of the aviation (гавный маршал авиаций)
 * Chief marshal of the artillery (гавный маршал артиллерии)
 * Chief marshal of the armored troops (гавный маршал танковых войск)
 * Chief marshal of the signal troops (гавный маршал войскa связи)
 * Chief marshal of the engineer troops (гавный маршал иншенерых войск)

The five ranks marshal of the branch, as well as chief marshal of the branch were created at OF9-level.

Rank insignia
The rank insignia of marshal of the branch was a large (c.50mm wide) five-pointed shoulder board star (at the time the same star was used on the shoulder boards of marshals of the Soviet Union). A marshal of the branch wore the second level five-pointed marshal's star on his uniform necktie.

When the rank of chief marshal of the branch was established, the size of the shoulder board stars for marshals was made about 10mm smaller, indicating the superiority of the marshal of the Soviet Union. The first level marshal's star was worn on the uniform tie of chief marshals of the branch and marshals of the Soviet Union.

In the branches, the rank of colonel general was succeeded by the rank of marshal of the branch, while the rank of marshal of a branch was apparently equal to the rank of general of the army (who was only entitled to the four small shoulder board stars). Marshals of branch, chief marshals of the branch and general of the army were at the OF9-level, generals of the army had neither marshals' stars on shoulder boards or uniform ties. However, in 1974 generals of the army were given the 40mm star shoulder board and the marshal's star of the second level on the tie.

Marshals of the branches were normally eligible for promotion to chief marshal of branch, however, neither was eligible for promotion to marshal of the Soviet Union. After 1984, the rank of marshal was preserved only in the air force and artillery. Later, the rank of marshal stopped being conferred even in these branches. The regulations of Russian Army, confirmed in 1993, unified the system of general ranks in all the branches. The ranks of marshal of the artillery and marshal of the aviation were replaced by the one of general of the army (or army aviation), and the rank of chief marshal was cancelled.

Marshals of the artillery

 * 1) Voronov, Nikolai Nikolaevich; appointed 18 January 1943 (chief marshal 1944)
 * 2) Yakovlev, Nikolai Dmitrievich; appointed 21 February 1944, rank removed 1952-1953
 * 3) Chistiakov, Mikhail Nikolaevich; appointed 25 September 1944
 * 4) Nedelin, Mitrofan Ivanovich; appointed 4 August 1953 (chief marshal 1955)
 * 5) Varentsov, Sergei Sergeevich; appointed 11 March 1955 (chief marshal 1961), degraded to major general 1963
 * 6) Kazakov, Vasili Ivanovich; appointed 11 March 1955

Marshals of aviation

 * 1) Alexander Alexandrovich Novikov; appointed 17 March 1943 (chief marshal 1944)
 * 2) Alexander Evgenievich Golovanov; appointed 3 August 1943 (chief marshal 1944)
 * 3) Fedor Alexeevich Astakhov; appointed 19 August 1944
 * 4) Fedor Yakovlevich Falaleev; appointed 19 August 1944
 * 5) Sergei Alexandrovich Khudyakov; appointed 19 August 1944
 * 6) Nikolai Semenovich Skripko; appointed 19 August 1944
 * 7) Grigory Alexeevich Vorozheikin; appointed 19 August 1944
 * 8) Semen Fedorovich Zhavoronkov; appointed 25 September 1944
 * 9) Konstantin Andreevich Vershinin; appointed 3 June 1946 (chief marshal … 1959)
 * 10) Pavel Fedorovich Zhigarev; appointed 3 August 1953 (chief marshal … 1955)
 * 11) Sergei Ignatevich Rudenko; appointed 11 March 1955
 * 12) Vladimir Alexandrovich Sudets; appointed 11 March 1955
 * 13) Stepan Akimovich Krasovsky; appointed 8 May 1959
 * 14) Pavel Stepanovich Kutakhov; appointed 1969 (chief marshal 1972)
 * 15) Boris Pavlovich Bugaev; appointed 5 November 1973 (chief marshal 1977)
 * 16) Alexander Ivanovich Koldunov; appointed 18 October 1973 (chief marshal 1984)
 * 17) Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub; appointed 6 May 1985
 * 18) Yevgeny Ivanovich Shaposhnikov; appointed 26 August 1991

Marshals of the armored troops

 * 1) Rotmistrov, Pavel Alexeevich; appointed 21 February 1944 (chief marshal 1962)
 * 2) Fedorenko, Yakov Nikolaevich; appointed 21 February 1944
 * 3) Bogdanov, Semen Iliich; appointed 1 January 1944
 * 4) Rybalko, Pavel Semenovich; appointed 1 June 1944
 * 5) Katukov, Mikhail Efimovich; appointed 26 October 1959
 * 6) Polubojakov, Pavel Pavlovich; appointed 28 April 1962
 * 7) Babadzhanian, Hamazasp Khachaturovich; appointed 28 October 1967 (chief marshal 1975)
 * 8) Losik, Oleg Aleksandrovich; appointed 29 April 1975

Marshals of the signal troops

 * 1) Peresypkin, Ivan Terentevich; appointed 21 February 1944
 * 2) leonov, Aleksey Ivanovich; appointed 6 May 1961
 * 3) Belov, Andrey Ivanovich; appointed 5 November 1973
 * 4) Alekseev, Nikolay Nikolayevich; appointed 25 October 1979

Marshals of engineer troops

 * 1) Vorobiev, Mikhail Petrovich; appointed 21 February 1944
 * 2) Proshlyakov, Aleksey Ivanovich; appointed 6 May 1961
 * 3) Charshenko, Viktor Kondradevich; appointed 16 December 1972
 * 4) Gelovani, Archil Viktorovich; appointed 28 October 1977
 * 5) Aganov, Sergey Christoforovich; appointed 5 May 1980
 * 6) Sherstopalov, Nikolay Fyodorovich; appointed 6 May 1981