Before Peter I created a regular army, rifle regiments and regiments of the “foreign system” were called by the name of the commander. In 1700, when creating new regiments, Peter I mainly adhered to this tradition. Thus, the regiment, which later became the 19th Kostroma Infantry, was called the “Nicholas von Werden Regiment.” Only the “amusing” regiments, which became the first guards regiments of the Russian army, were named after the names of the villages near Moscow where they were formed (Preobrazhensky, Semyonovsky). But in 1708, wanting to forever connect his young regiments with the Russian land, Peter the Great gave them the names of cities and provinces of Russia.
It must be said that most of the regiments were never in the cities whose name they bore: the 19th Kostroma Infantry Regiment was never in Kostroma; The 20th Galitsky, formed in Sevastopol, was never quartered in Galich.
At first, the regiments were united into “generalships”, then they began to be organized into divisions, and the division included regiments with names related to one province or nearby provinces. Thus, the 5th Infantry Division included: 17th Arkhangelsk, 18th Vologda (1st brigade), 19th Kostroma and 20th Galitsky (2nd brigade) regiments. The regiments of this division are honored regiments of the Russian army, participating in many campaigns and wars. In fierce battles they earned the St. George banners and other collective insignia.
During the First World War, new regiments were formed, which received the names of cities in the Kostroma province. According to the mobilization plan, the 81st Infantry Division was formed on the basis of the regiments of the 46th Infantry Division, which, after a short training, left for the front. It included the 322nd Soligalich Infantry Regiment, deployed from the 245 Soligalich Reserve Battalion and given a new number. To a large extent, it was replenished by reserve soldiers - Kostroma residents.
At that time, the tradition of uniting regiments based on the names of cities in one province or neighboring provinces into one division was broken, so the regiments of the 3rd and 4th lines, which received the names of cities in the same province, ended up in different divisions. This is partly understandable - these regiments were formed at different times, in a hurry, and received names without any system. Thus, in the Russian army in 1915, the 491st Varnavinsky Infantry Regiment of the 123rd Infantry Division appeared; in 1916–1917, the 178th Infantry Division of the 4th stage was formed, in which three regiments bore the names of the cities of the Kostroma province: the 709th Kineshma Infantry, the 710th Makaryevsky Infantry and the 711th Nerekhta Infantry Regiments, and the 712th The infantry regiment bore the name Uzensky. The 238th Vetluzhsky Infantry Regiment was also formed. The regiments of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th lines did not glorify themselves in any way in the battles of the First World War.
In addition to the regiments that bore the names of the cities of the Kostroma province, in the Russian army there were regiments connected with Kostroma by other ties: at different times they were stationed in Kostroma and were connected with the life of the city.
At the end of the 18th century, the 9th Ingria Infantry Regiment was stationed in Kostroma, the same one into which A.V. was released as lieutenant. Suvorov. Pyotr Grigorievich Bardakov, a participant in Suvorov’s campaigns, served as colonel in this regiment in 1812–1814. commander of the Kostroma militia, awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree, for bravery during the assault on Ochakov, and earned the 3rd degree in 1794 in Poland.
But perhaps the most “Kostroma” was the 183rd Pultu Infantry Regiment, stationed in Kostroma in 1903–1914. From here he went to war, the families of officers and conscripts remained here, and the regiment, having allocated personnel for the formation of the 322nd Soligalich Regiment, was replenished with reserves from the Kostroma province. The Kostroma residents kept in touch with “their” regiment, delegations of townspeople visited the Pultus residents at the front, bringing them gifts from the Kostroma residents. Not so long ago, the memory of the Pultus regiment lived among the old Kostroma residents. That is why the story about the “Kostroma” regiments needs to start with him.
Until 1903, the Pultu Regiment was stationed in Warsaw. However, at the beginning of the 20th century, Russian military doctrine changed, as a result of which a number of units were withdrawn from the Warsaw Military District to the internal provinces of Russia. This is how the Pultu Regiment and the Krasnensky Battalion ended up in Kostroma. In 1902–1903 in the Pultus regiment the company was commanded by captain A.I. Denikin, future general, commander of the famous Iron Division, and then commander of the armed forces of Southern Russia. In those years, he did not stand out in anything special from among the company commanders, except for the fact that under the rather transparent pseudonym “I. Nochin" published his stories and essays in military periodicals, in particular in the magazine "Razvedchik".
Artillery officer Denikin first saw the difficult life of an infantry soldier during his service in the Pultus Regiment, where he commanded a company after graduating from the General Staff Academy to serve his qualifications.
In Kostroma, the Pultu Regiment was located on Eleninskaya Street (now Lenin Street) in the so-called “Michurinsky Barracks”; The 4th battalion was located at the very end of Rusinaya Street, where the regiment’s officers’ meeting was located.
When forming the regiment, “seniority” was established, that is, the founding date was March 27, 1811. In the Russian army, it was established that on the day of its centenary, a military unit receives an award - a wide order ribbon, which was attached to the flagpole: the guard - blue, the Order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called, the army - red, the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. The banner of the Pultu Regiment was decorated with the Alexander Ribbon on March 27, 1911.
The regimental badge of the Pultu Regiment was approved on June 12, 1911. It is a wreath topped with a double-headed eagle under the imperial crown; the monograms of Emperors Alexander I and Nicholas II, as well as the Roman numeral “C” are superimposed on the wreath. The wreath is tied with ribbons on which the anniversary dates “1811–1911” are placed. The regiment was part of the 46th division, which consisted of the 181st Ostrolensky Infantry Regiment, the 182nd Grokhovsky Infantry Regiment (1st Brigade), the 183rd Pultus Infantry Regiment and the 184th Warsaw Infantry Regiment (2nd Brigade). The regiments of the 46th division bore the names of cities of the Kingdom of Poland; one must assume that they were chosen because these cities are associated with the glory of Russian weapons.
The head of the Kostroma garrison was Major General D.P. Parsky, in 1908–1910 commanded a regiment, and from 1910 - a brigade and lived in Kostroma in 1908–1914. on Maryinskaya Street (now Shagova).
In 1913, the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov was widely celebrated in Russia. In May 1913, Nicholas II arrived in Kostroma with his family. He was accompanied by members of the imperial family, Minister of War General Sukhomlinov, commander of the Moscow Military District, General of the Cavalry Plehve, commander of the 25th Corps, Lieutenant General Zuev, head of the 46th Infantry Division, Lieutenant General Dolgov, brigade commander, head of the Kostroma garrison, Major General Parsky . On the very first day, May 19, 1913, Nicholas II received a guard of honor from the 13th Life Grenadier Erivan Regiment and the 183rd Pultus Infantry Regiment, and he paid more attention to the Pultusians, since they were permanently stationed in Kostroma. On the right flank of the guard of honor stood the Minister of War and other generals, who walked with the guard in front of the Tsar in a ceremonial march. It’s hard to imagine the current Minister of War “printing a step” in the ranks of the guard of honor!
Nicholas II among the officers of the Pultu Regiment
On the next day of the tsar’s stay, in honor of the laying of the monument “300 years of the House of Romanov,” a parade of the Kostroma garrison, commanded by General Parsky, was organized. The troops showed excellent combat bearing, and the king was pleased. He then visited the officers' meeting and the barracks of the 4th battalion on Rusinaya Street. At the end of the parade, an order was given to the troops of the Kostroma garrison: “His Imperial Majesty deigned to remain extremely pleased with the brilliant condition of the listed units, for which he declares royal favor to the commanding officials who were in the ranks; declares his royal thanks and rewards both combatants and non-combatants who have the insignia of a military order with 5 rubles, those with chevrons with 3 rubles, and others with 1 ruble each.”
The peaceful course of life was disrupted by the war that began on August 1, 1914, which we less often called the First World War, and more often the imperialist war, which claimed more than 1 million lives of Russian soldiers and about which we know so little, although Russian soldiers and officers showed in it dedication and mass heroism. Suffice it to say that more than 1.5 million St. George Crosses of the IV degree alone were awarded for their heroic deeds, and the most honorable award for officers, the Order of St. George, was received by more than 3,500 people - more than in the previous 100 years of the order’s existence!
The general mobilization announced on July 29 was very organized: mobilization activities were planned in advance and their schedule was carefully observed. The fourth battalion deployed into a regiment of the 2nd line. Thus, from the 4th battalion of the Pultu Regiment, the 322nd Soligalich Regiment was formed. The regiments of the first stage were given 8 days for mobilization activities, the second - 18, after which they had to set out on a campaign.
According to the plan of the Russian headquarters, the main task was set to the Northern (General Kuropatkin) and Western (General Evert) fronts. General Brusilov's Southwestern Front was given the task of an auxiliary strike. In fact, only Brusilov’s troops were able to break through the enemy’s front and inflict a major defeat on him. The commanders of the Northern and Western fronts, under all sorts of pretexts, delayed the offensive, and the weak-willed Supreme Commander-in-Chief and his chief of staff, General Alekseev, agreed with their arguments. Finally, the Western Front went on the offensive against Baranovichi. On the morning of June 19, artillery preparation was brought to the level of hurricane fire, and at dawn on June 20, the troops of the 4th Army courageously advanced to the assault.
But the heroic impulse and brilliant success of the Ostrolenians of Colonel Adzhiev and the Pultusians of Colonel Govorov were drowned in blood. Despite this, after artillery preparation that lasted a whole day, they again attacked the enemy, but encountered fierce resistance. And again the 181st Ostrolensky and 183rd Pultusky regiments distinguished themselves. They captured 1 general, 60 officers and 2,700 lower ranks, as well as 11 guns. The Pultu Regiment suffered a great loss: the attack on the firing four-gun battery was led by the regiment commander, Colonel Evgeniy Govorov, and the battery was captured. The 31st Austro-Hungarian Division was attacked in the flank and rear, but the heroic officer was killed. For this feat, he was posthumously promoted to general and awarded the Order of St. George, III degree.
Generality:
General's shoulder strap and:
-Field Marshal General* - crossed wands.
-general of infantry, cavalry, etc.(the so-called “full general”) - without asterisks,
- Lieutenant General- 3 stars
- Major General- 2 stars,
Staff officers:
Two gaps and: 
-colonel- without stars.
- lieutenant colonel(since 1884 the Cossacks had a military foreman) - 3 stars
-major**(until 1884 the Cossacks had a military foreman) - 2 stars
Chief officers:
One gap and: 
- captain(captain, esaul) - without asterisks.
-staff captain(headquarters captain, podesaul) - 4 stars
- lieutenant(centurion) - 3 stars
- second lieutenant(cornet, cornet) - 2 stars
- ensign*** - 1 star
Lower ranks
- mediocre - ensign- 1 galloon stripe along the shoulder strap with 1 star on the stripe
- second ensign- 1 braided stripe the length of the shoulder strap
- sergeant major(sergeant) - 1 wide transverse stripe
-st. non-commissioned officer(Art. fireworker, Art. sergeant) - 3 narrow transverse stripes
-ml. non-commissioned officer(junior fireworker, junior constable) - 2 narrow transverse stripes
-corporal(bombardier, clerk) - 1 narrow transverse stripe
-private(gunner, Cossack) - without stripes
*In 1912, the last Field Marshal General, Dmitry Alekseevich Milyutin, who served as Minister of War from 1861 to 1881, dies. This rank was not assigned to anyone else, but nominally this rank was retained.
** The rank of major was abolished in 1884 and was never restored.
*** Since 1884, the rank of warrant officer was reserved only for wartime (assigned only during the war, and with its end, all warrant officers are subject to either retirement or the rank of second lieutenant).
P.S. Encryptions and monograms are not placed on shoulder straps.
Very often one hears the question “why does the junior rank in the category of staff officers and generals begin with two stars, and not with one like for chief officers?” When in 1827 stars on epaulettes appeared in the Russian army as insignia, the major general received two stars on his epaulette at once.
There is a version that one star was awarded to the brigadier - this rank had not been awarded since the time of Paul I, but by 1827 there were still
retired foremen who had the right to wear a uniform. True, retired military men were not entitled to epaulets. And it’s unlikely that many of them survived until 1827 (passed
It’s been about 30 years since the abolition of the brigadier rank). Most likely, the two general's stars were simply copied from the epaulette of the French brigadier general. There is nothing strange in this, because the epaulettes themselves came to Russia from France. Most likely, there never was one general’s star in the Russian Imperial Army. This version seems more plausible.
As for the major, he received two stars by analogy with the two stars of the Russian major general of that time.
The only exception was the insignia in hussar regiments in ceremonial and ordinary (everyday) uniforms, in which shoulder cords were worn instead of shoulder straps.
Shoulder cords.
Instead of epaulettes of the cavalry type, the hussars have on their dolmans and mentiks
Hussar shoulder cords. For all officers, the same gold or silver double soutache cord of the same color as the cords on the dolman for the lower ranks are shoulder cords made of double soutache cord in color -
orange for regiments with a metal color - gold or white for regiments with a metal color - silver.
These shoulder cords form a ring at the sleeve, and a loop at the collar, fastened with a uniform button sewn to the floor an inch from the seam of the collar.
To distinguish ranks, gombochki are put on the cords (a ring made of the same cold cord encircling the shoulder cord):
-y corporal- one, the same color as the cord;
-y non-commissioned officers three-color gombochki (white with St. George's thread), in number, like stripes on shoulder straps;
-y sergeant- gold or silver (like officers) on an orange or white cord (like lower ranks);
-y sub-ensign- a smooth officer's shoulder cord with a sergeant's gong;
Officers have gombochkas with stars on their officer cords (metal, like on shoulder straps) - in accordance with their rank.
Volunteers wear twisted cords of Romanov colors (white, black and yellow) around their cords.
The shoulder cords of chief officers and staff officers are in no way different.
Staff officers and generals have the following differences in their uniforms: on the collar, generals have a wide or gold braid up to 1 1/8 inches wide, while staff officers have a gold or silver braid of 5/8 inches, running the entire length.
hussar zigzags", and for chief officers the collar is trimmed with only cord or filigree.
In the 2nd and 5th regiments, the chief officers also have galloon along the upper edge of the collar, but 5/16 inches wide.
In addition, on the cuffs of the generals there is a galloon identical to that on the collar. The braid stripe extends from the sleeve slit at two ends and converges at the front above the toe.
Staff officers also have the same braid as the one on the collar. The length of the entire patch is up to 5 inches.
But chief officers are not entitled to braid.
Below are pictures of the shoulder cords
1. Officers and generals
2. Lower ranks
The shoulder cords of chief officers, staff officers and generals did not differ in any way from each other. For example, it was possible to distinguish a cornet from a major general only by the type and width of the braid on the cuffs and, in some regiments, on the collar.
Twisted cords were only reserved for adjutants and outhouse adjutants!
Shoulder cords of the aide-de-camp (left) and adjutant (right)
Officer's shoulder straps: lieutenant colonel of the aviation detachment of the 19th army corps and staff captain of the 3rd field aviation detachment. In the center are the shoulder straps of the cadets of the Nikolaev Engineering School. On the right is the shoulder strap of a captain (most likely a dragoon or uhlan regiment)
The Russian army in its modern understanding began to be created by Emperor Peter I at the end of the 18th century. The system of military ranks of the Russian army was formed partly under the influence of European systems, partly under the influence of the historically established purely Russian system of ranks. However, at that time there were no military ranks in the sense in which we are accustomed to understand. There were specific military units, there were also very specific positions and, accordingly, their names. There was no, for example, the rank of “captain”, there was the position of “captain”, i.e. company commander. By the way, in the civilian fleet even now, the person in charge of the crew of the ship is called “captain”, the person in charge of the seaport is called “port captain”. In the 18th century, many words existed in a slightly different meaning than they have now.
So "General" meant "chief", and not just "highest military leader";
"Major"- “senior” (senior among regimental officers);
"Lieutenant"- "assistant"
"Outbuilding"- "Jr".
“The table of ranks of all military, civil and court ranks, in which class the ranks are acquired” was put into effect by Decree of Emperor Peter I on January 24, 1722 and existed until December 16, 1917. The word "officer" came into Russian from German. But in German, as in English, the word has a much broader meaning. When applied to the army, this term refers to all military leaders in general. In a narrower translation, it means “employee”, “clerk”, “employee”. Therefore, it is quite natural that “non-commissioned officers” are junior commanders, “chief officers” are senior commanders, “staff officers” are staff employees, “generals” are the main ones. Non-commissioned officer ranks also in those days were not ranks, but positions. Ordinary soldiers were then named according to their military specialties - musketeer, pikeman, dragoon, etc. There was no name “private”, and “soldier”, as Peter I wrote, means all military personnel “... from the highest general to the last musketeer, horseman or foot...” Therefore, soldier and non-commissioned officer ranks were not included in the Table. The well-known names “second lieutenant” and “lieutenant” existed in the list of ranks of the Russian army long before the formation of the regular army by Peter I to designate military personnel who were assistant captains, that is, company commanders; and continued to be used within the framework of the Table, as Russian-language synonyms for the positions of “non-commissioned lieutenant” and “lieutenant”, that is, “assistant” and “assistant”. Well, or if you want, “assistant officer for assignments” and “officer for assignments.” The name "ensign" as more understandable (carrying a banner, ensign), quickly replaced the obscure "fendrik", which meant "candidate for an officer position. Over time, there was a process of separation of the concepts of "position" and "rank". After the beginning of the 19th century, these concepts were already divided quite clearly. With the development of means of warfare, the advent of technology, when the army became large enough and when it was necessary to compare the official status of a fairly large set of job titles. It was here that the concept of “rank” often began to be obscured, to be relegated to the background “ job title".
However, even in the modern army, position, so to speak, is more important than rank. According to the charter, seniority is determined by position and only in case of equal positions is the one with the higher rank considered senior.
According to the “Table of Ranks” the following ranks were introduced: civilian, military infantry and cavalry, military artillery and engineering troops, military guards, military navy.
In the period from 1722-1731, in relation to the army, the system of military ranks looked like this (the corresponding position is in brackets)
Lower ranks (private)
Specialty (grenadier. Fuseler...)
Non-commissioned officers
Corporal(part-commander)
Fourier(deputy platoon commander)
Captainarmus
Sub-ensign(sergeant major of company, battalion)
Sergeant
Sergeant Major
Ensign(Fendrik), bayonet-cadet (art) (platoon commander)
Second Lieutenant
Lieutenant(deputy company commander)
Captain-lieutenant(company commander)
Captain
Major(deputy battalion commander)
Lieutenant colonel(battalion commander)
Colonel(regiment commander)
Brigadier(brigade commander)
Generals
Major General(division commander)
Lieutenant General(corps commander)
General-in-chief (General-feldtsehmeister)– (army commander)
Field Marshal General(Commander-in-Chief, honorary title)
In the Life Guards the ranks were two classes higher than in the army. In the army artillery and engineering troops, the ranks are one class higher than in the infantry and cavalry. During the period 1731-1765 the concepts of “rank” and “position” begin to separate. Thus, in the staff of a field infantry regiment of 1732, when indicating staff ranks, it is no longer just the rank of “quartermaster” that is written, but a position indicating the rank: “quartermaster (lieutenant rank).” In relation to company-level officers, the separation of the concepts of “position” and “rank” is not yet observed. In the army "fendrick" is replaced by " ensign", in the cavalry - "cornet". Ranks are being introduced "sec-major" And "prime major" During the reign of Empress Catherine II (1765-1798) ranks are introduced in the army infantry and cavalry junior and senior sergeant, sergeant major disappears. Since 1796 in Cossack units, the names of ranks are established the same as the ranks of army cavalry and are equated to them, although Cossack units continue to be listed as irregular cavalry (not part of the army). There is no rank of second lieutenant in the cavalry, but captain corresponds to the captain. During the reign of Emperor Paul I (1796-1801) The concepts of “rank” and “position” during this period were already separated quite clearly. The ranks in the infantry and artillery are compared. Paul I did a lot of useful things to strengthen the army and discipline in it. He forbade the enrollment of young noble children into the regiments. All those enrolled in the regiments were required to actually serve. He introduced disciplinary and criminal liability of officers for soldiers (preservation of life and health, training, clothing, living conditions) and prohibited the use of soldiers as labor on the estates of officers and generals; introduced the awarding of soldiers with insignia of the Order of St. Anne and the Order of Malta; introduced an advantage in the promotion of officers who graduated from military educational institutions; ordered promotion in ranks only based on business qualities and ability to command; introduced leaves for soldiers; limited the duration of officers' vacations to one month per year; dismissed from the army a large number of generals who did not meet the requirements of military service (old age, illiteracy, disability, absence from service for a long time, etc.). Ranks were introduced in the lower ranks junior and senior privates. In the cavalry - sergeant(company sergeant) For Emperor Alexander I (1801-1825) since 1802, all non-commissioned officers of the noble class are called "cadet". Since 1811, the rank of “major” was abolished in the artillery and engineering troops and the rank of “ensign” was returned. During the reign of Emperor Nicholas I (1825-1855) , who did a lot to streamline the army, Alexander II (1855-1881) and the beginning of the reign of Emperor Alexander III (1881-1894) Since 1828, army Cossacks have been given ranks different from the army cavalry (In the Life Guards Cossack and Life Guards Ataman regiments, ranks are the same as those of the entire Guards cavalry). The Cossack units themselves are transferred from the category of irregular cavalry to the army. The concepts of “rank” and “position” during this period are already completely separated. Under Nicholas I, the discrepancy in the names of non-commissioned officer ranks disappeared. Since 1884, the rank of warrant officer was reserved only for wartime (assigned only during the war, and with its end, all warrant officers are subject to either retirement or the rank of second lieutenant). The rank of cornet in the cavalry is retained as the first officer rank. He is a grade lower than an infantry second lieutenant, but in the cavalry there is no rank of second lieutenant. This equalizes the ranks of infantry and cavalry. In Cossack units, officer classes are equal to cavalry classes, but have their own names. In this regard, the rank of military sergeant major, previously equal to a major, now becomes equal to a lieutenant colonel
“In 1912, the last Field Marshal General, Dmitry Alekseevich Milyutin, who served as Minister of War from 1861 to 1881, dies. This rank was not awarded to anyone else, but nominally this rank was retained.”
In 1910, the rank of Russian field marshal was awarded to King Nicholas I of Montenegro, and in 1912 to King Carol I of Romania.
P.S. After the October Revolution of 1917, by the Decree of the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars (the Bolshevik government) of December 16, 1917, all military ranks were abolished...
Officer's shoulder straps of the tsarist army were designed completely differently than modern ones. First of all, the gaps were not part of the braid, as it has been done here since 1943. In the engineering troops, two belt braids or one belt braid and two headquarters braids were simply sewn onto the shoulder straps. For each branch of the military, the type of braid was determined specifically. For example, in the hussar regiments, the “hussar zig-zag” braid was used on officer’s shoulder straps. On the shoulder straps of military officials, "civilian" braid was used. Thus, the gaps of the officer's shoulder straps were always the same color as the field of the soldiers' shoulder straps. If the shoulder straps in this part did not have a colored edging (piping), as, say, it was in the engineering troops, then the piping had the same color as the gaps. But if in part the shoulder straps had colored piping, then it was visible around the officer’s shoulder straps. The shoulder strap was silver-colored without edges with an embossed double-headed eagle sitting on crossed axes. The stars were embroidered with gold thread on the shoulder straps, and the encryption was metal gilded applied numbers and letters or silver monograms (as appropriate). At the same time, it was widespread to wear gilded forged metal stars, which were supposed to be worn only on epaulettes.
The placement of asterisks was not strictly established and was determined by the size of the encryption. Two stars were supposed to be placed around the encryption, and if it filled the entire width of the shoulder strap, then above it. The third asterisk had to be placed so as to form an equilateral triangle with the two lower ones, and the fourth asterisk was slightly higher. If there is one sprocket on the shoulder strap (for an ensign), then it was placed where the third sprocket is usually attached. Special signs also had gilded metal overlays, although they could often be found embroidered with gold thread. The exception was special aviation insignia, which were oxidized and had a silver color with a patina.
1. Epaulet staff captain 20th engineer battalion
2. Epaulet for lower ranks Ulan 2nd Life Ulan Kurland Regiment 1910
3. Epaulet full general from the retinue cavalry His Imperial Majesty Nicholas II. The silver device of the epaulette indicates the high military rank of the owner (only the marshal was higher)
About stars on uniform
For the first time, forged five-pointed stars appeared on the epaulettes of Russian officers and generals in January 1827 (back in the time of Pushkin). One golden star began to be worn by warrant officers and cornets, two by second lieutenants and major generals, and three by lieutenants and lieutenant generals. four are staff captains and staff captains.
And with April 1854 Russian officers began to wear sewn stars on newly established shoulder straps. For the same purpose, the German army used diamonds, the British used knots, and the Austrian used six-pointed stars.
Although the designation of military rank on shoulder straps is a characteristic feature of the Russian and German armies.
Among the Austrians and the British, shoulder straps had a purely functional role: they were sewn from the same material as the jacket so that the shoulder straps did not slip. And the rank was indicated on the sleeve. The five-pointed star, pentagram is a universal symbol of protection and security, one of the most ancient. In Ancient Greece it could be found on coins, on house doors, stables and even on cradles. Among the Druids of Gaul, Britain, and Ireland, the five-pointed star (Druid cross) was a symbol of protection from external evil forces. And it can still be seen on the window panes of medieval Gothic buildings. The Great French Revolution revived five-pointed stars as a symbol of the ancient god of war, Mars. They denoted the rank of commanders of the French army - on hats, epaulettes, scarves, and on uniform coattails.
The military reforms of Nicholas I copied the appearance of the French army - this is how the stars “rolled” from the French horizon to the Russian one.
As for the British army, even during the Boer War, stars began to migrate to shoulder straps. This is about officers. For lower ranks and warrant officers, the insignia remained on the sleeves.
In the Russian, German, Danish, Greek, Romanian, Bulgarian, American, Swedish and Turkish armies, shoulder straps served as insignia. In the Russian army, there were shoulder insignia for both lower ranks and officers. Also in the Bulgarian and Romanian armies, as well as in the Swedish. In the French, Spanish and Italian armies, rank insignia was placed on the sleeves. In the Greek army, it was on officers' shoulder straps and on the sleeves of lower ranks. In the Austro-Hungarian army, the insignia of officers and lower ranks were on the collar, those on the lapels. In the German army, only officers had shoulder straps, while the lower ranks were distinguished by the braid on the cuffs and collar, as well as the uniform button on the collar. The exception was the Kolonial truppe, where as additional (and in a number of colonies the main) insignia of the lower ranks there were chevrons made of silver galloon sewn on the left sleeve of a-la gefreiter 30-45 years.
It is interesting to note that in peacetime service and field uniforms, that is, with a tunic of the 1907 model, officers of the hussar regiments wore shoulder straps that were also somewhat different from the shoulder straps of the rest of the Russian army. For hussar shoulder straps, galloon with the so-called “hussar zigzag” was used
The only part where shoulder straps with the same zigzag were worn, besides the hussar regiments, was the 4th battalion (since 1910 regiment) of the Imperial Family riflemen. Here is a sample: shoulder straps of the captain of the 9th Kyiv Hussar Regiment.
Unlike the German hussars, who wore uniforms of the same design, differing only in the color of the fabric. With the introduction of khaki-colored shoulder straps, the zigzags also disappeared; membership in the hussars was indicated by encryption on the shoulder straps. For example, "6 G", that is, the 6th Hussar.
In general, the field uniform of the hussars was of the dragoon type, they were combined arms. The only difference indicating belonging to the hussars was the boots with a rosette in front. However, the hussar regiments were allowed to wear chakchirs with their field uniform, but not all regiments, but only the 5th and 11th. The wearing of chakchirs by the rest of the regiments was a kind of “hazing”. But during the war, this happened, as well as the wearing by some officers of a saber, instead of the standard dragon saber, which was required for field equipment.
The photograph shows the captain of the 11th Izyum Hussar Regiment K.K. von Rosenschild-Paulin (sitting) and cadet of the Nikolaev Cavalry School K.N. von Rosenchild-Paulin (also later an officer in the Izyum Regiment). Captain in summer dress or dress uniform, i.e. in a tunic of the 1907 model, with galloon shoulder straps and the number 11 (note, on the officer's shoulder straps of peacetime valery regiments there are only numbers, without the letters "G", "D" or "U"), and blue chakchirs worn by the officers of this regiment for all forms of clothing.
Regarding “hazing,” during the World War it was apparently also common for hussar officers to wear galloon shoulder straps in peacetime.
on galloon officer's shoulder straps of cavalry regiments, only numbers were affixed, and there were no letters. which is confirmed by photographs.
Ordinary ensign- from 1907 to 1917 in the Russian army the highest military rank for non-commissioned officers. The insignia for ordinary ensigns was the shoulder straps of a lieutenant officer with a large (larger than an officer's) asterisk in the upper third of the shoulder strap on the line of symmetry. The rank was awarded to the most experienced long-term non-commissioned officers; with the beginning of the First World War, it began to be assigned to ensigns as an incentive, often immediately before the assignment of the first chief officer rank (ensign or cornet).
From Brockhaus and Efron:
Ordinary ensign, military During mobilization, if there were a shortage of persons meeting the conditions for promotion to the officer rank, there was no one. non-commissioned officers are awarded the rank of warrant officer; correcting the duties of junior officers, Z. great. restricted in the rights to move in the service.
Interesting history of the rank sub-ensign. During the period 1880-1903. this rank was awarded to graduates of cadet schools (not to be confused with military schools). In the cavalry he corresponded to the rank of estandart cadet, in the Cossack troops - sergeant. Those. it turned out that this was some kind of intermediate rank between the lower ranks and officers. Sub-ensigns who graduated from the Junkers College in the 1st category were promoted to officers no earlier than September of their graduation year, but outside of vacancies. Those who graduated in the 2nd category were promoted to officers no earlier than the beginning of the next year, but only for vacancies, and it turned out that some waited several years for promotion. According to order No. 197 of 1901, with the production of the last ensigns, estandard cadets and sub-warrants in 1903, these ranks were abolished. This was due to the beginning of the transformation of cadet schools into military ones.
Since 1906, the rank of ensign in the infantry and cavalry and sub-ensign in the Cossack troops began to be awarded to long-term non-commissioned officers who graduated from a special school. Thus, this rank became the maximum for lower ranks.
Sub-ensign, estandard cadet and sub-ensign, 1886:
Shoulder straps of the staff captain of the Cavalry Regiment and shoulder straps of the staff captain of the Life Guards of the Moscow Regiment.
The first shoulder strap is declared as the shoulder strap of an officer (captain) of the 17th Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment. But Nizhny Novgorod residents should have dark green piping along the edge of their shoulder straps, and the monogram should be a custom color. And the second shoulder strap is presented as the shoulder strap of a second lieutenant of the Guards artillery (with such a monogram in the Guards artillery there were shoulder straps for officers of only two batteries: the 1st battery of the Life Guards of the 2nd Artillery Brigade and the 2nd battery of the Guards Horse Artillery), but the shoulder strap button should not Is it possible to have an eagle with guns in this case?
Major(Spanish mayor - bigger, stronger, more significant) - the first rank of senior officers.
The title originated in the 16th century. The major was responsible for the guard and food of the regiment. When regiments were divided into battalions, the battalion commander usually became a major.
In the Russian army, the rank of major was introduced by Peter I in 1698 and abolished in 1884.
Prime major is a staff officer rank in the Russian imperial army of the 18th century. Belonged to class VIII of the Table of Ranks.
According to the charter of 1716, majors were divided into prime majors and second majors.
The prime major was in charge of the regiment's combat and inspection units. He commanded the 1st battalion, and in the absence of the regiment commander, the regiment.
The division into prime and second majors was abolished in 1797."
"Appeared in Russia as a rank and position (deputy regiment commander) in the Streltsy army at the end of the 15th - early 16th centuries. In Streltsy regiments, as a rule, lieutenant colonels (often of “vile” origin) performed all administrative functions for the Streltsy head, appointed from among the nobles or boyars In the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th century, the rank (rank) and position were referred to as half-colonel due to the fact that the lieutenant colonel usually, in addition to his other duties, commanded the second “half” of the regiment - the back ranks in the formation and the reserve (before the introduction of battalion formation of regular soldier regiments) From the moment the Table of Ranks was introduced until its abolition in 1917, the rank (rank) of lieutenant colonel belonged to the VII class of the Table and gave the right to hereditary nobility until 1856. In 1884, after the abolition of the rank of major in the Russian army, all majors (with the exception of dismissed or those who have stained themselves with unseemly misconduct) are promoted to lieutenant colonel."
INSIGNIA OF CIVIL OFFICERS OF THE WAR MINISTRY (here are military topographers)
Officers of the Imperial Military Medical Academy
Chevrons of combatant lower ranks of long-term service according to “Regulations on the lower ranks of non-commissioned officers who remain voluntarily on long-term active service” from 1890.
From left to right: Up to 2 years, Over 2 to 4 years, Over 4 to 6 years, Over 6 years
To be precise, the article from which these drawings were borrowed says the following: “...the awarding of chevrons to long-term servicemen of the lower ranks holding the positions of sergeant majors (sergeant majors) and platoon non-commissioned officers (fireworks officers) of combat companies, squadrons, and batteries was carried out:
– Upon admission to long-term service - a narrow silver chevron
– At the end of the second year of extended service - a silver wide chevron
– At the end of the fourth year of extended service - a narrow gold chevron
- At the end of the sixth year of extended service - a wide gold chevron"
In army infantry regiments to designate the ranks of corporal, ml. and senior non-commissioned officers used army white braid.
1. The rank of WARRANT OFFICER has existed in the army since 1991 only in wartime.
With the beginning of the Great War, ensigns are graduated from military schools and ensign schools.
2. The rank of WARRANT OFFICER in the reserve, in peacetime, on the warrant officer's shoulder straps, wears a braided stripe against the device at the lower rib.
3. The rank of WARRANT OFFICER, to this rank in wartime, when military units are mobilized and there is a shortage of junior officers, lower ranks are renamed from non-commissioned officers with an educational qualification, or from sergeant majors without
educational qualification. From 1891 to 1907, ordinary warrant officers on ensign's shoulder straps also wore stripes of the ranks from which they were renamed.
4. The title of ENTERPRISE-WRITTEN OFFICER (since 1907). Shoulder straps of a lieutenant officer with an officer's star and a transverse badge for the position. On the sleeve there is a 5/8 inch chevron, angled upward. Officer's shoulder straps were retained only by those who were renamed Z-Pr. during the Russo-Japanese War and remained in the army, for example, as a sergeant major.
5.The title of WARRANT OFFICER-ZAURYAD of the State Militia. This rank was renamed to non-commissioned officers of the reserve, or, if they had an educational qualification, who served for at least 2 months as a non-commissioned officer of the State Militia and appointed to the position of junior officer of the squad. Ordinary warrant officers wore shoulder straps of an active-duty warrant officer with an instrument-colored galloon patch sewn into the lower part of the shoulder strap.
Cossack ranks and titles
At the lowest rung of the service ladder stood an ordinary Cossack, corresponding to an infantry private. Next came the clerk, who had one stripe and corresponded to a corporal in the infantry. The next step in the career ladder is junior sergeant and senior sergeant, corresponding to junior non-commissioned officer, non-commissioned officer and senior non-commissioned officer and with the number of badges characteristic of modern non-commissioned officers. This was followed by the rank of sergeant, who was not only in the Cossacks, but also in the non-commissioned officers of the cavalry and horse artillery.
In the Russian army and gendarmerie, the sergeant was the closest assistant to the commander of a hundred, squadron, battery for drill training, internal order and economic affairs. The rank of sergeant corresponded to the rank of sergeant major in the infantry. According to the regulations of 1884, introduced by Alexander III, the next rank in the Cossack troops, but only for wartime, was sub-short, an intermediate rank between ensign and warrant officer in the infantry, also introduced in wartime. In peacetime, except for the Cossack troops, these ranks existed only for reserve officers. The next grade in the chief officer ranks is cornet, corresponding to second lieutenant in the infantry and cornet in the regular cavalry.
According to his official position, he corresponded to a junior lieutenant in the modern army, but wore shoulder straps with a blue clearance on a silver field (the applied color of the Don Army) with two stars. In the old army, compared to the Soviet army, the number of stars was one more. Next came the centurion - a chief officer rank in the Cossack troops, corresponding to a lieutenant in the regular army. The centurion wore shoulder straps of the same design, but with three stars, corresponding in his position to a modern lieutenant. A higher step is podesaul.
This rank was introduced in 1884. In the regular troops it corresponded to the rank of staff captain and staff captain.
Podesaul was the assistant or deputy of the captain and in his absence commanded the Cossack hundred.
Shoulder straps of the same design, but with four stars.
In terms of service position he corresponds to a modern senior lieutenant. And the highest rank of chief officer is esaul. It is worth talking about this rank in particular, since from a purely historical perspective, the people who wore it held positions in both the civil and military departments. In various Cossack troops, this position included various service prerogatives.
The word comes from the Turkic “yasaul” - chief.
It was first mentioned in the Cossack troops in 1576 and was used in the Ukrainian Cossack army.
Yesauls were general, military, regimental, hundred, village, marching and artillery. General Yesaul (two per Army) - the highest rank after the hetman. In peacetime, general esauls performed inspector functions; in war they commanded several regiments, and in the absence of the hetman, the entire Army. But this is typical only for Ukrainian Cossacks. Military esauls were elected on the Military Circle (in Donskoy and most others - two per Army, in Volzhsky and Orenburg - one each). We were engaged in administrative matters. Since 1835, they were appointed as adjutants to the military ataman. Regimental esauls (initially two per regiment) performed the duties of staff officers and were the closest assistants to the regiment commander.
Hundred esauls (one per hundred) commanded hundreds. This link did not take root in the Don Army after the first centuries of the existence of the Cossacks.
The village esauls were characteristic only of the Don Army. They were elected at village gatherings and were assistants to the village atamans. Marching esauls (usually two per Army) were selected when setting out on a campaign. They served as assistants to the marching ataman; in the 16th-17th centuries, in his absence, they commanded the army; later they were executors of the marching ataman’s orders. The artillery esaul (one per Army) was subordinate to the chief of artillery and carried out his orders. General, regimental, village and other esauls were gradually abolished
Only the military esaul was preserved under the military ataman of the Don Cossack army. In 1798 - 1800. The rank of esaul was equal to the rank of captain in the cavalry. Esaul, as a rule, commanded a Cossack hundred. His official position corresponded to that of a modern captain. He wore shoulder straps with a blue gap on a silver field without stars. Next come the headquarters officer ranks. In fact, after the reform of Alexander III in 1884, the rank of esaul entered this rank, due to which the rank of major was removed from the staff officer ranks, as a result of which a serviceman from captains immediately became a lieutenant colonel. Next on the Cossack career ladder is a military foreman. The name of this rank comes from the ancient name of the executive body of power among the Cossacks. In the second half of the 18th century, this name, in a modified form, extended to individuals who commanded individual branches of the Cossack army. Since 1754, a military foreman was equivalent to a major, and with the abolition of this rank in 1884, to a lieutenant colonel. He wore shoulder straps with two blue gaps on a silver field and three large stars.
Well, then comes the colonel, the shoulder straps are the same as those of a military sergeant major, but without stars. Starting from this rank, the service ladder is unified with the general army one, since the purely Cossack names of ranks disappear. The official position of a Cossack general fully corresponds to the general ranks of the Russian Army.
Of all the subjects of the Russian Empire who had reached conscription age (20 years), about 1/3 - 450,000 out of 1,300,000 people - were called up for active military service by lot. The rest were enlisted in the militia, where they were trained at short training camps. Call once a year - from September 15 or October 1 to November 1 or 15 - depending on the timing of the harvest.
General information about the Russian army and navy
1. Military service
Of all the subjects of the Russian Empire who had reached conscription age (20 years), about 1/3 - 450,000 out of 1,300,000 people - were called up for active military service by lot. The rest were enlisted in the militia, where they were trained at short training camps.
Call once a year - from September 15 or October 1 to November 1 or 15 - depending on the timing of the harvest.
Duration of service in the ground forces: 3 years in infantry and artillery (except cavalry); 4 years in other branches of the military.
After this, they were enlisted in the reserves, which were called up only in case of war. The reserve period is 13-15 years.
In the navy, conscript service is 5 years and 5 years in reserve.
The following were not subject to conscription for military service:
1. Residents of remote places: Kamchatka, Sakhalin, some areas of the Yakut region, Yenisei province, Tomsk, Tobolsk provinces, as well as Finland.
2. Foreigners of Siberia (except for Koreans and Bukhtarminians), Astrakhan, Arkhangelsk provinces, Steppe Territory, Transcaspian region and the population of Turkestan.
3. Pay a cash tax instead of military service:
Some foreigners of the Caucasus region and Stavropol province (Kurds, Abkhazians, Kalmyks, Nogais, etc.);
Finland deducts 12 million marks from the treasury annually.
Persons of Jewish nationality are not allowed into the fleet.
Benefits based on marital status:
Not subject to conscription:
1. The only son in the family.
2. The only son capable of working with an incapacitated father or widowed mother.
3. The only brother for orphans under 16 years of age.
4. The only grandchild with an incapacitated grandmother and grandfather without adult sons.
5. Illegitimate son with his mother (in his care).
6. Lonely widower with children.
Subject to conscription in the event of a shortage of suitable conscripts:
1. The only son capable of working, with an elderly father (50 years old).
2. Following a brother who died or went missing in service.
3. Following his brother, still serving in the army.
Deferments and benefits for education:
Receive a deferment from conscription:
Until the age of 30, government scholarship holders are preparing to take up scientific and educational positions, after which they are completely released;
Up to 28 years of age, students of higher educational institutions with a 5-year course;
Up to 27 years in higher education institutions with a 4-year course;
Up to 24 years of age, students of secondary educational institutions;
Students of all schools, upon request and agreement of ministers;
For 5 years - candidates for preaching of Evangelical Lutherans.
(In wartime, persons who have the above benefits are taken into service until the end of the course according to the Highest permission).
Reduction of active service periods:
Persons with higher, secondary (1st rank) and lower (2nd rank) education serve in the military for 3 years;
Persons who have passed the reserve warrant officer exam serve for 2 years;
Doctors and pharmacists serve in the ranks for 4 months, and then serve in their specialty for 1 year 8 months;
In the navy, persons with an 11th grade education (lower educational institutions) serve for 2 years and are in the reserve for 7 years.
Benefits based on professional affiliation
The following are exempt from military service:
Christian and Muslim clergy (muezzins are at least 22 years old).
Scientists (academicians, adjuncts, professors, lecturers with assistants, lecturers of oriental languages, associate professors and private assistant professors).
Artists of the Academy of Arts sent abroad for improvement.
Some academic and educational officials.
1. Teachers and academic officials serve for 2 years, and for a temporary 5-year position from December 1, 1912 - 1 year.
2. Paramedics who have graduated from special naval and military schools serve for 1.5 years.
3. Graduates of the schools for soldiers’ children of the Guard troops serve for 5 years, starting from the age of 18-20.
4. Technicians and pyrotechnicians of the artillery department serve after graduation for 4 years.
5. Civilian seamen are given a deferment until the end of the contract (no more than a year).
Persons with higher and secondary education are accepted into service voluntarily from the age of 17. Service life - 2 years.
Those who pass the exam for the rank of reserve officer serve for 1.5 years.
Volunteers in the navy - only with higher education - service life is 2 years.
Persons who do not have the above education can voluntarily enter the service without drawing lots, the so-called. hunters. They serve on a general basis.
Militia
The entire male population, capable of bearing arms and not enlisted in the troops (in active service and in reserve) up to 43 years of age, officers up to 50-55 years of age, constitute a compulsory state militia “to assist standing troops in case of war.”
They are called: militia warriors and militia officers. Warriors are divided into 2 categories:
1st category for service in the field army
2nd category for service in the rear.
Cossack conscription
(The Don Army is taken as a model; other Cossack troops serve in accordance with their traditions).
All men are required to serve without ransom or replacement on their own horses with their own equipment.
The entire army provides servicemen and militias. Servicemen are divided into 3 categories: 1 preparatory (20-21 years old) undergoes military training. II combatant (21-33 years old) is directly serving. III reserve (33-38 years old) deploys troops for war and replenishes losses. During the war, everyone serves without regard to rank.
Militia - all those capable of service, but not included in the service, form special units.
Cossacks have benefits: according to marital status (1 employee in the family, 2 or more family members are already serving); by property (fire victims who became impoverished for no reason of their own); by education (depending on education, they serve from 1 to 3 years in service).
2. Composition of the ground army
All ground forces are divided into regular, Cossack, police and militia. - the police are formed from volunteers (mostly foreigners) as needed in peacetime and wartime.
By branch, the troops consist of:
infantry
cavalry
artillery
Technical troops (engineering, railway, aeronautical);
in addition - auxiliary units (border guards, convoy units, disciplinary units, etc.).
Regular troops are divided into
field
serfs
spare
Field troops consist of:
a) field infantry: consists of infantry divisions, rifle divisions, and separate rifle brigades.
The infantry is divided into guards, grenadier and army. The division consists of 2 brigades, in the brigade there are 2 regiments. The infantry regiment consists of 4 battalions (some of 2). The battalion consists of 4 companies.
In addition, the regiments have machine gun teams, communications teams, mounted orderlies and scouts.
The total strength of the regiment in peacetime is about 1900 people.
b) cavalry is divided into guards and army.
Guards regular regiments - 10
4 - cuirassiers
1 - dragoon
1 - horse grenadier
2 - Uhlan
2 - hussars
In addition, 3 Guards Cossack regiments.
The Army Cavalry Division consists of; from 1 dragoon, 1 uhlan, 1 hussar, 1 Cossack regiment.
Guards cuirassier regiments consist of 4 squadrons, the remaining army and guards regiments consist of 6 squadrons, each of which has 4 platoons. Composition of the cavalry regiment: 1000 lower ranks with 900 horses, not counting officers. In addition to the Cossack regiments included in the regular divisions, special Cossack divisions and brigades are also formed.
c) field artillery is divided into:
Light: artillery brigades and separate divisions (6-3 batteries), a battery has 8 rapid-fire 3-inch guns;
Cavalry: 1 division of 2 batteries per cavalry division, in a battery of 6. rapid-fire 3-inch guns;
Mountain: divisions of 2 batteries, each with 8 rapid-fire mountain 3-inch guns;
Equestrian mountain: a combination of the 2 previous types;
Mortar: a division of 2 batteries, each with 6 howitzers of 48 mm caliber;
Heavy: divisions with siege-type weapons.
d) technical troops:
Engineering (sapper, telegraph, pontoon)
railway
aeronautical
1. Fortress troops: constitute permanent garrisons of fortresses and consist of engineering troops, artillery and aeronautical units.
2.Reserve troops
3. Replacement units are maintained as a base at which troops called up during war are deployed and trained.
A separate border guard corps is under the authority of the Ministry of Finance, but in time of war it may be placed at the disposal of the Minister of War. It is divided into 8 districts, consists of 35 brigades and 2 special departments.
The brigades are located:
4 - along the Baltic Sea
10 - on the Prussian border
6 - on Austrian
2 - on Romanian
3 - across the Black Sea
5 - on the Turkish-Persian border
1 - in Central Asia
4 - in Manchuria
1 department on the White Sea
1st department on the Azov Sea.
Brigades are divided into 3-4 departments. Divisions of 4-5 squads. Detachments for cordons of 15-20 people. The number of personnel is 40-45 thousand people.
Central Directorate of the Ground Army:
At the head of the entire military administration of the land army is the Minister of War.
Military Council: the highest institution for military legislation, military economics and other aspects of army life.
The Alexander Committee for the Wounded: provides assistance to the wounded and their families, the families of the killed and the dead, both from the land and maritime departments.
Main Military Court: acts as the supreme court of cassation and considers legislative projects on the military judiciary.
Supreme Military Criminal Court: hears cases of crimes committed by senior military ranks.
Higher Evaluation Commission: discusses and selects candidates for senior military positions.
Main departments of the Military Ministry:
Office of the Military Ministry (affairs and orders for the military department at their highest level, record keeping of the military council).
Main headquarters (affairs about army personnel, assignment of pensions, civil administration of Cossack troops and remote areas under the jurisdiction of the Military Ministry.
Main Directorate of the General Staff (development of plans for preparation for war, recruitment, training and organization and service of troops, military transportation).
Main Quartermaster Department (troop management, procurement of various types of allowances).
Main Artillery Directorate (procurement, storage, release of all weapons and ammunition).
Main Engineering Directorate (service of ranks of the engineering corps, fortresses, military buildings, technical and hydraulic structures).
Main Military Sanitary Department (military sanitary unit of the army, procurement and distribution of medicines).
The main department of military educational institutions (in charge of cadet corps and military schools).
Main Military Judicial Directorate (personnel of the military judicial department, military judicial affairs).
Main Directorate for Housing Allowance for Troops (construction of all residential and non-residential premises of a non-defense nature, their maintenance).
The Ministry of War includes:
Veterinary departments of the army (caring for the preservation of the army's equine personnel);
Directorate of the Chief of Army Repair (restoration of horse personnel);
Directorate of Inspectors General: cavalry, artillery, engineering units, military educational institutions and inspectors of rifle units in the troops (for observation, checking the combat training of the relevant troops).
General Staff Committee (includes all heads of main departments chaired by the Chief of the General Staff).
3. Fleet composition
All ships are divided into 15 classes:
1. Battleships.
2. Armored cruisers.
3. Cruisers.
4. Destroyers.
5. Destroyers.
6. Minor boats.
7. Barriers.
8. Submarines.
9. Gunboats.
10. River gunboats.
11. Transports.
12. Messenger ships.
14. Training ships.
15. Port ships.
The fleet is divided into active - in full combat readiness, and reserve (1 and 2 reserves).
1 reserve - vessels that have expired (readiness period 48 hours).
2nd reserve - ships that do not meet the requirements of the active fleet and 1st reserve.
The vessels of the active fleet are united into squadrons and detachments.
The squadron consists of a division of battleships (8 ships), a brigade of armored cruisers (4 cruisers), a division of cruisers (8 cruisers), a division of destroyers (36 destroyers and 1 cruiser) and auxiliary ships.
Divisions of battleships and cruisers are divided into brigades of 4 ships.
Destroyer division - 2 brigades, 2 divisions per brigade, 9 ships per
At the beginning of the twentieth century, on the eve of the First World War, in the armies of continental European states (excluding the navy, and therefore excluding England), approximately 70% of the soldiers were infantry, 15% were artillery, 8% were cavalry, the remaining 7% were aviation, communications, engineering and automobile troops. The same ratio was in the Russian army.
The main combat unit was the regiment, and in the Russian army it was like one big family. Russian infantry and cavalry regiments, in addition to numbers, had names based on cities. The name indicated the birthplace of the regiment or was symbolic. The cities “patronized” “their” regiments, maintained contacts, and sent gifts. Cossack regiments were named after the place of formation, and the number indicated the order of conscription.
The regiments had very strong military traditions. Of the 350 Russian infantry regiments that participated in the Great War, 140 existed from 60 to 230 years, that is, they were personnel, of which 16 were guards regiments. Every officer and soldier knew the history of his unit in such detail, as if they were talking about their own ancestors. Collective distinctions earned by the regiments for the exploits of past wars were very prestigious - these could be award banners, an addition to the name, silver pipes, special badges or deviations in the uniform (for example, the Absheron Regiment received red lapels on its boots in memory of the fact that The regiment survived the Battle of Kunersdorf during the Seven Years' War "knee-deep in blood").
Memorial sign in honor of the 200th anniversary of the Absheron Regiment
listing the battles in which he took part
The concept of officer honor was placed very highly. But the concept of soldier’s honor was also given great importance. The charter stated: “Soldier is a common, famous name; every military servant from the general to the last private bears the name of a soldier.”
Non-commissioned officers played the most important role. These were professionals of the highest level, the backbone of any regiment, the “fathers” of the soldiers - their direct teachers and mentors.
The army was brought up in strict spirituality; the priest in the regiment was far from the last person. At the same time, wide religious tolerance was allowed - Muslims, Catholics, Lutherans, even pagans from the peoples of the Volga region and Siberia were allowed to perform their rituals, everyone took the oath according to the customs of their faith.
Often regimental priests directly took part in the hostilities of their regiments, of course, without taking up arms, but fulfilling their pastoral duty to the end. There are a great many such examples; I will cite only one, described in "Bulletin of the Military and Naval Clergy" No. 1 for 1915
:
“It is reported about the regimental priest of the 5th Finnish Infantry Regiment, Fr. Mikhail Semenov, that on August 27, in the battle of the village of Nerovo, Fr. Mikhail, wearing an epitrachelion and having a monstrance with the Holy Gifts on his chest, was constantly at the forefront under brutal shrapnel and rifle fire. Here he personally bandaged the wounded, then sending them to the dressing station, calmly gave farewell and gave communion to the seriously wounded.At the end of the battle, Father Mikhail at night buried those killed in the battle here at the front lines.
On September 17, in a battle near the village of Orskaya. Mikhail was shell-shocked, but despite this, he personally carried the seriously wounded man out from under the fire and took him to the dressing station, where he gave communion to all the wounded, bid farewell to the dying and buried the dead.
On September 18, at 12 noon, the enemy began to strongly press the left flank of the entire combat position; At one o'clock in the afternoon, a battalion of one of the regiments, located on the extreme left, could not withstand the enemy's brutal shrapnel fire and began to hastily leave its position, threatening to carry away the units adjacent to it. Seeing the seriousness of the situation, Fr. Mikhail, not paying attention to the continuous fire, put on the stole, rushed forward and stopped part of the retreating people."
In infantry training, bayonet fighting was still important; it was taught thoroughly; there was a real art of fencing with bayonets. And the cavalry, accordingly, was taught to master checkers. At the beginning of the war, each cavalry and infantry regiment was assigned a machine gun team (8 machine guns and 80 men).
As the Great War progressed, the color of the cadre army was the first to emerge. Thus, in the guards regiments alone, by the end of 1914, 70% of the lower ranks (privates and non-commissioned officers) and 27% of the officers had left. And already in the second year of the war, the personnel of the Russian army was almost completely replaced by mobilized ones.
The professional officer corps of the Russian army suffered heavy losses during the First World War. In 1914, 2,400 cadets and pages became officers. At the graduation of the cadets in Tsarskoe Selo, Emperor Nicholas II said: “Remember also what I will tell you. I do not doubt your valor and courage at all, but I still need your life, since the needless loss of officer corps can lead to serious consequences. I am sure that, when necessary, each of you will sacrifice with your life. But decide on this if absolutely necessary. Otherwise, I ask you to take care of yourself."
Nicholas II conducts a review of cadets in Tsarskoye Selo:
But how could Russian officers protect themselves when it was written in the Russian Army Regulations that an officer, by his example, should lead soldiers into an attack. In the regulations of other armies, expediency was given preference over valor. Perhaps that is why during the first two years of the war, out of a 46,000-strong officer corps among junior officers, few remained in service.
Already in 1916, the officer corps consisted of 90% reserve officers or those who received officer rank at the front and were hastily trained in cadet schools.
After this, is it any wonder that in the Civil War that broke out in Russia during the First World War, a significant part of the officers deliberately sided with the “reds”?
By the way, it should be noted that the reproaches addressed to representatives of the aristocracy regarding the fact that they allegedly sat in the rear in their palaces and estates while the common people shed their blood are not entirely fair.
Thus, even many members of the imperial family took an active part in the Great War. For example, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, brother of Tsar Nicholas II, fought fearlessly, commanding the famous Caucasian “wild” division consisting of highlanders. Five sons of Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich Romanov fought on the fronts of the Great War, and one of them, Oleg Konstantinovich, died a heroic death, laying down his head for the Fatherland.
To be continued...
Thank you for attention.
Sergey Vorobiev.
The “Immortals” of the Persian kings, the Praetorians of the Roman Caesars, the Varangian and Slavic mercenaries of the Byzantine emperors, the Drabants of the Scottish kings, the “Black Walloons” of the Burgundian dukes, the Scottish Guard of the French Valois, the Swiss Guard of the French Bourbons... The personal guard was an integral attribute of any self-respecting autocrat. As soon as he ascended the throne, the monarch began reforming the guard inherited from his predecessors, but even greater reforms awaited the guard in the event of a change in the ruling dynasty. The dynasty of Russian tsars, the Romanovs, was no exception. Traditionally, the creation of the guard in general and the guards infantry in particular is attributed to Peter I, but in fact this process began under his predecessors. Having ascended the throne, the first tsar of the Romanov dynasty, Mikhail Fedorovich, carried out a thorough purge of the personnel of the guard inherited from his predecessors (the Stirrup Streletsky Regiment) and thought about creating a new guard of his own. The process of reforming the guard regiments lasted for the entire 300-odd years of the dynasty's reign. Here are some facts from the history of the guards infantry of the Romanov tsars.
1. The first guards infantry units of the Romanovs were the Moscow elected soldier guards regiments:
The 1st Moscow elective soldiers' regiment was formed on June 25, 1642 (during the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich) and is better known as the Lefort infantry regiment (named after Franz Lefort, who was appointed its commander in 1692). On January 14, 1785, it was named the Moscow Grenadier Regiment, and on September 8, 1791, it was disbanded by joining the Ekaterinoslav Grenadier Regiment.
The 2nd Moscow elective soldiers' regiment was also formed in 1642 by decree of the same Mikhail Fedorovich, consisting of 52 companies of 100 people each. Better known as the Butyrsky Regiment (based on the Butyrskaya Sloboda in Moscow) and the Gordon Regiment (named after one of the commanders, Patrick Gordon). From March 9, 1914 – 13th Life Grenadier Erivan Regiment of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. Disbanded early 1918.
The 3rd Moscow Elective Soldiers' Regiment was formed in 1692.
2. Initially, elective soldier regiments were conceived as cadre units: in peacetime they consisted of “initial” people from foreman to colonel, and in wartime they were replenished with ordinary riflemen and deployed into several regiments each. Later, the principle of framing was abandoned, but the somewhat unusual division of regiments into regiments remained. Thus, the 1st Moscow elective soldiers' regiment consisted of 5 regiments, the 2nd Moscow elective soldiers' regiment - of 6 regiments, and the 3rd Moscow elective soldiers' regiment - of 2 regiments.
1698–1702. From left to right: fusilier of the Semenovsky regiment in a winter caftan, chief officer of the Preobrazhensky regiment
regiment, fusilier of the Butyrsky regiment in a summer caftan, grenadier of the Preobrazhensky regiment
Source: O. Leonov, I. Ulyanov “Regular infantry 1698–1801”
Patrick Gordon - military teacher of Peter I. For a long time he commanded the 2nd Moscow
elected soldiers' regiment
Source: http://catholichurch.ru/index.php/gallery/member/4-drogon/
3. All three Moscow elective regiments took part in the Battle of Narva in 1700, which was unsuccessful for the Russian army. As a result of this battle, the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky Guards regiments (at that time part of the 3rd Moscow elective soldiers' regiment) received the status of Life Guards. There is an opinion in the literature that the Preobrazhensky Regiment is the oldest guard regiment. This statement is quite controversial in light of the fact that from the moment of its creation until 1706, the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky Guards regiments were divisions of the same military unit and had a common regimental commander (at first it was Major General A. M. Golovin, and from 1700 - General -Major I.I. Chambers). The official history of the Russian Imperial Army established the seniority of the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments from 1683. The reason for the birth of the version of the “birthright” of the Preobrazhensky Regiment was some subjective facts from the history of the Semenovsky Regiment. Court historians condemned this regiment for its “rebellion” (October 16, 1820, the head company of the Semenovsky regiment, dissatisfied with the ban of the new regimental commander Schwartz on soldiers engaging in crafts, submitted a request to change the regimental commander. The regiment was disarmed and sent in full force to the Peter and Paul Fortress), and the Soviets disliked him for his participation in the suppression of the Moscow uprising in 1905.
Life Guards Semenovsky Regiment
Source: http://russiahistory.ru/lejb-gvardii-semenovskij-polk/
4. Life Guards regiments were conceived by Peter I as a kind of personnel reserve. Initially, all guardsmen had an advantage of two ranks over military personnel of army units. Later, this advantage was retained only for officers, and then, as the number of the guard grew, it was divided into the “old” guard (with an advantage of two ranks) and the “young” guard (with an advantage of one rank). By the beginning of the twentieth century, all guards officers had an advantage of one rank. In the guards hierarchy of the early twentieth century, there was no rank of lieutenant colonel, so the guards captain was immediately promoted to colonel.
Colonel, battalion commander of the Life Guards Semenovsky Regiment in full dress uniform
Source: http://maxpark.com/community/129/content/1797108
5. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the Russian Guards Infantry had reached its maximum development and included 12 infantry and 4 rifle regiments, as well as one separate company. Twelve of the sixteen guards infantry regiments (Preobrazhensky, Semenovsky, Izmailovsky, Jaeger, Moscow, Finland, Lithuanian, Volynsky, 1st Infantry of His Majesty, 2nd Infantry of Tsarskoye Selo, 3rd Infantry of His Majesty, 4th Infantry of the Imperial Family) were initially formed as guards, and four (Grenadier, Pavlovsky, Kexholm of the Austrian Emperor and Petrograd King Frederick William III) were transferred to the guard for special military merits. Organizationally, by 1914, the guards infantry units were consolidated into three guards infantry divisions and a guards rifle brigade (the 1st, 2nd divisions and the rifle brigade made up the guards infantry corps, and the 3rd division was part of the 22nd army corps). The Guards Infantry took an active part in the First World War and was involved in the Lublin (1914), Warsaw-Ivangorod (1914), Czestochowa-Krakow (1914) operations, positional battles near Lomza (1915), and military operations in the city area Kholm (1915), Vilna (1915), Kovel (1916), Vladimir-Volyn (1916) operations, positional battles on the Stokhod River (1916), Galician operation (1917). Guards units were used as shock infantry, which led to large losses in personnel. The losses of the Guards infantry in the first year of the war alone are estimated at 30% of officers and 80% of lower ranks.
6. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the guards infantry was recruited, as a rule, by recruits from the Great Russian provinces. A necessary condition was the presence of a certificate of trustworthiness, which was issued by the police at the recruit’s place of residence. The distribution of recruits among regiments was carried out in accordance with their appearance. So, tall blond men were recruited into the Preobrazhensky Regiment, and in the 3rd and 5th companies - with beards; in Semenovsky - tall brown-haired men; in Izmailovsky and Grenadiersky - brunettes (in His Majesty's company - bearded); in Moscow - brunettes (in the 9th company), the tallest - in the company of His Majesty; in Lithuanian - beardless, tall blonds; in Kexholmsky - beardless, tall brown-haired men; in St. Petersburg - brunettes; in Yegersky, Finlyandsky and Volynsky - people of “light build” of any hair color. The 1st Infantry Regiment was staffed with blondes, the 2nd with brunettes, and the 4th with “short-nosed” men. The military training program for the guards units did not differ significantly from the army one and included the following disciplines: shooting training (the training course included initial training, training in field observation and determining distances to a target, shooting practice, shooting training for commanders and tactical training with combat shooting); engineering training (the course included self-digging, construction of simple engineering structures and the basics of camouflage); bayonet fight. In the guards units, gymnastic (physical) training was introduced earlier than in the army units. The system of gymnastic exercises included: freestyle movements and exercises with guns and sticks; exercises on apparatus; walking, running and marching; field gymnastics; group exercises, games (in 1908, football was included in the list of recommended games); throwing spears and weights.
7. In the Russian Imperial Army, with the exception of the reign of Paul I, they tried not to change the names of the regiments. In the history of the Russian Guards Infantry, only three regiments changed their name. The Life Guards St. Petersburg Regiment was renamed the Life Guards Petrograd Regiment on August 24, 1914 (in connection with the renaming of St. Petersburg to Petrograd). On October 12, 1817, the Lithuanian Life Guards Regiment was renamed Moscow, and on the basis of its 3rd battalion a new Lithuanian Life Guards Regiment was formed in Warsaw. In 1855, the Life Guards Jaeger Regiment was renamed the Life Guards Gatchina, but on August 17, 1870, on the day of the regimental holiday, the regiment was returned to its former name. According to legend, the old name of the regiment was returned thanks to the wit of an elderly honored general (some history buffs attribute the wit to Lieutenant General Ivan Gavrilovich Chekmarev, which seems doubtful, and, most likely, the story is still anecdotal in nature), who responded to the emperor’s greeting: “Hello, old huntsman” - “I’m not an old huntsman, but a young Gatchina resident!”