University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln

DOD Military Intelligence U.S. Department of Defense

3-1946 Handbook on USSR Military Forces: Chapter I, National Defense System, 1 March 1946 War Department (USA)

Robert L. Bolin , Depositor University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected]

Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dodmilintel

War Department (USA) and Bolin, Robert L. , Depositor, "Handbook on USSR Military Forces: Chapter I, National Defense System, 1 March 1946" (1946). DOD Military Intelligence. 24. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dodmilintel/24

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the U.S. Department of Defense at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in DOD Military Intelligence by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln.

Technical Manual TM 30-430 Handbook on USSR Military Forces Chapter I, National Defense System 1 March 1946

Robert L. Bolin, Depositor University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected]

Technical Manual, TM 30-430, Chapter I 1 March 1946

Handbook on USSR Military Forces Chapter I, National Defense System 1 March 1946

War Department Washington, DC

Comments

The copy digitized was borrowed from the Marshall Center Research Library, APO, AE 09053-4502.

Abstract

TM 30-340, Handbook on USSR Military Forces, was “published in installments to expedite dissemination to the field.” TM 30-430, Chapter I, 1 March 1946, “National Defense System,” contains a brief overview of the organization, structure, and geographical distribution of the Soviet armed forces with maps and organizational diagrams.

This manual is listed in WorldCat under Accession Number: OCLC: 19989681

A Note on Scholarly Usage

Since revised editions of Army manuals are customarily issued with the same manual number and title as the previous editions, the minimal scholarly citation must contain the date of issue. The minimum unambiguous citation for this chapter is TM 30-430, Chapter I, 1 March 1946.

TM 30-430 CHAPTER I, III, VII

TECHNICAL MANUAL HANDBOOK ON U. S. S. R. MILITARY FORCES TM 30-430 is being published in installaments to expedite dissemination to the field. These chapters should be inserted in the loose-leaf binder furnished with Chapter V, November 1945.

WAR DEPARTMENT WASHINGTON 25, D. C., 1 March 1946 TM 30-430, Handbook on U. S. S. R. Military Forces, is published for the information and guid­ ance of all concerned. [AG 300.7 (8 'Oct 45)] By ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR:

OFFIc'IAL: DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER EDWARD F. WITSELL Chief of Staff Major General The Adjutant General

DISTRIBUTION: AGF (80); ASF (2); T (10); Arm & Sv Bd (1); S Div ASF (1). Refer to FM 21-6 for explanation of distribution formula. I Mar 46 TM 30-430

CHAPTER I

NATIONAL DEFENSE SYSTEM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Proge Page INTRODUCTION ...... I-I Section II. MAIN ADMINISTRATIONS I. General ...... I-I OF ARMS AND TECHNICAL SERV- 2. Communist Party Supremacy ...... 1-1 ICES ...... 1-22 3. Development of Coordination ...... 1-2 1. General ...... 1-22 4. Historical Development ...... 1-2 2. Artillery ...... 1-22 5. Future Trends ...... 1-5 3. Air Forces ...... 1-23 PART I. THE STATE, THE PARTY, AND 4. Tank and Mechanized Troops ...... 1-23 THE ARMED FORCES ...... 1--6 5. Cavalry ...... 1-24 Section I. U. S. S. R. CONSTITUTION. 6. Engineers ...... 1-24 AL STRUCTURE ...... 1--6 7. Signal Troops ...... 1-24 8. Hydro-Meteorological Serv'ces .... . 1-24 Section II. THE COMMUNIST PARTY. 1--6 9. Antiaircraft Defense Forces ...... 1-25 Section III. ARMED AND AUXILIARY 10. Chemical Warfare Troops ...... 1-25 FORCES ...... 1-8 Section III. REAR SERVICES ...... 1-25 I. General ...... _.. 1-8 1. Chief of Rear Services ...... 1-25 2. Components of High Command ... . 1-8 2. Administrations of Rear Services .. . 1-25 3. The Red Army ...... 1-9 Section IV. POLITICAL, PENAL, AND 4. The Red Navy ...... 1-13 COUNTERINTELLIG ENCE SUPER. Section IV. CIVIL-MILITARY RELA- VISION ...... 1-26 TIONSHIPS ...... 1-13 I. General ...... 1-26 1. General ...... 1-13 2. Counterintelligence ...... 1-26 2. Militarization ...... 1-14 3. Main Political Administration ...... 1-26 3. Economic Mobilization ...... 1-14 4. Military Tribunals ...... 1-26 PART II. ARMED FORCES HIGH COM. Section V. ADMINISTRATIONS FOR MAND, EARLY 1945 ...... 1-15 PERSONNEL AND TRAINING .... . 1-26 Section I. THE STATE DEFENSE COM- 1. General ...... 1-26 MITTEE ...... 1-15 2. Personnel ...... , ...... 1-27 1. Position and Functions...... 1-15 3. Military Educational Institutions .. . 1-27 2. Composition and Significance ...... 1-15 4. Formation and Equipment of Units. 1-27 5. U n i v e r s a I Compulsory Military Section II. GENERAL HEADQUAR- Training ...... 1-27 TERS ...... 1-16 6. Pre-Military Training ...... 1-27 1. Position and Functions...... 1-16 2. Composition and Significance ...... 1-16 List of Illustrations 3. Special Activities ...... 1-17 Figure Page Section III. CHIEF OF STAFF AND 1. The state administrative structure and the THE GENERAL STAFF OF THE RED armed forces ...... 1-7 AR·MY ...... 1-17 2. Military districts of the U. S. S. R. (Western 1. The Chief of Staff ...... 1-17 area) ...... 1-10 2. The General Staff ...... 1-17 3. Military districts of the U. S. S. R. (Eastern PART III. COMMISSARIAT OF DEFENSE area) ...... 1-11 AND RED ARMY ADMINISTRATION ... 1-19 4. Political components of military districts of the Section I. COMMISSARIAT OF DE- U. S. S. R ...... 1-12 FENSE ...... 1-19 5. Parallel agencies, military and civil, to promote I. Position ...... 1-19 close coordinafion...... 1-13 2. Composition and Organization ...... 1-19 6. Command and administration of the Red 3. Functions ...... 1-20 Army ...... 1-21

I-I I Mar 46 TM 30-430

CHAPTER I

NATIONAL DEFENSE SYSTEM

Note: The Peoples' Commissariat of Defense re-absorbed the Red Navy and was renamed "The Peoples' Commissariat of the Armed Forces" in February 1946, and in March 1946 again renamed "Ministry of Armed Forces."

INTRODUCTION

1. GENERAL of national life. The constitutional structure of the The most essential element in the national defense Soviet Union permits absolute control of essential system of the U. S. S. R. springs from the very nature executive and legislative machinery through the con­ of the totalitarian state. The political, government, trol of a limited number of key positions at each economic, and military systems of such a state are so governmental level. Political supervision of the closely integrated that the same machinery and basic army and the navy as well as civil commissariats en­ processes operate equally well in war and peace. In sures Party domination of these organizations and time of war, it is necessary only to shift the already gives the Party a voice in operational and admin­ totalized effort of the nation from civil development istrative decisions, particularly in matters of loyalty to the prosecution of the war. Control of national and appointment of personnel. defense derives both advantages and disadvantages Although the Party, itself, maintains no armed from centralization of control. Centralization of forces, it has at its disposal two reliable organizations control permits quick changes in policies. It ties for the suppression of individual dissidence or collec­ industrial production to defense requirements. It tive rebellion. They are the troops and agents of the assures adequate financial support for necessary de­ Peoples' Commissariats of Internal Affairs and State fense projects. Because military requirements are Security. given priority over property rights or individual The flexibility of the Communist Party also has claims, it enables maximum utilization of new inven­ been a major factor in its continued strength. Party tions, scientific discoveries, etc. members generally are entrusted with all the major On the other hand, administrative difficulties state offices. The Party constantly reinforces its arise in the regulation of the entire life of a nation control by extending membership to nearly all per­ through a huge bureaucracy. Valuable time is lost sons who distinguish themselves in any field. when the approval of many officials is needed for Although the dominence of the Communist Party even the most minor projects. Great numbers of has continued throughout the history of the Soviet personnel are diverted from productive activity to Union, many of its relationships with the Soviet checking, filing, and recording. It is difficult to state and the armed forces have changed and fluctu­ train executives professionally when higher control ated since 1917. Basic political and propaganda revolves on political rather than professional ques­ doctrines have shifted from an early emphasis on tions. Inertia is inherent in the large bureaus. They international proletarian revolution to a more recent tend to resist change, improvement, and general emphasis on intense national patriotism. progress. Lenin and Stalin have retained their eminent posi­ 2. COMMUNIST PARTY SUPREMACY tion, but Marx and Engels now compete with Peter Another fundamental feature of the national defense the Great, Catherine, and even Ivan the Terrible for system of the U. S. S. R. is the supremacy of the doctrinary prestige. A parallel change has taken Communist Party, which never has included more place in the role of the armed forces. Although the than 5 percent of the population, over all aspects armed forces were once a political instrument se-

1-1 TM 30-430 1 Mar 46

lected only from the proletariat, they have become, officer and enlisted personnel, special armed organi­ since 1939, increasingly an instrument of national zations outside the armed forces for state security policy selected from all classes. This development of (the Soviet NKVD and NKGB are comparable to the armed forces as cohesive nonpolitical organiza­ the German 55) , and the delegation of major service tions with increasing autonomy has been subject to functions to civil organizations (the Soviet Com­ considerable fluctuations and reverses. missariats for Rail Transport and Signal Commu­ The contrast between officers of 1918, who were nications, etc., are comparable to the German T odt military technicians under the thumb of political and Reichsarbeitsdienst). However, in purpose and commissars, and present officers, who are members in actual operation, these parallel organizations have of 3 corps with exceptional authority, is outstanding. been profoundly different in the two countries. However, interim reversals and repressions, such as 4. HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT the Great Purge of 1937 and the restoration of politi­ An understanding of the present structure and func­ cal commissars in 1941 and 1942, also must be tioning of the national defense system of the considered. U. S. S. R. requires consideration of the historical 3. DEVELOPMENT OF COORDINATION development of a number of major factors. These The coordination of national defense and the internal include the coordination of defense, the Supreme structure of the Red Army have been developed by a Command, the professionalization of the Red Army, trial-and-error process which began even before and political control over the Red Army. World War I. The authority and degree of inde­ a. Development of the high command and pendence of the various arms demonstrate that, in administration. The concepts of a coordinated some respects, the national defense system is con­ direction of civil and military problems in war· and servative. In other respects, the system has reverted of a unified Supreme Command have developed in to earlier practice after periods of radical experimen­ Tsarist Russia and the U. S. S. R. since 1912. At tation. that time a GHQ (the Imperial Defense Council I For example, a combined commissariat of defense was formed to conduct the operations of all land and with co-equal divisions for ground, naval, air, and sea forces. The Army General Staff was removed supply forces, in existence since early .revolutionary from the War Office at the same time and placed days, was abandoned as unsuccessful in 1937 when under the jurisdiction of the GHQ. The War Office the U. S. S. R. returned to its pre-revolutionary or­ thus was left free to concentrate on administrative ganization of separate army (including air forces) matters. and navy (including naval aviation and coastal de­ In 1915, the War Office strengthened its control fenses). In February 1946, the U. S. S. R. reverted over production, transport, and communications to combined armed forces. The navy was re-absorbed with the formation of a Council of Defense, headed into the Commissariat of Defense, renamed Com­ by the Minister of War and vested with almost un­ missariat of the Armed Forces. limited powers. This council included representa­ Many successful innovations of World War I were tives of industry, the important public bodies, and revived during World War II. They include a uni­ the military, naval, and other departments. Special fied GHQ for control over both land and sea opera­ committees were organized for transportation, fuel, tions and an inter-commissariat council controlling and supplies. production, supply, transportation, etc. The October Revolution of 1917 disrupted these Experience in W orld War II has fostered further organizations. By 1918, however, the new Soviet advances, such as the creation of unified command state had re-instituted a comparable structure. The control over rear services and the replacement sys­ Council of Workers' and Peasants' Defense, headed tem. The present national defense system of the by Lenin, provided central control of policy and U. S. S. R. combines the lesson of two wars. It economic resources. Subordinate to it was the new appears, in general, to be an effective system. GHQ, or Revolutionary Military Council, headed In a cursory comparison of the Soviet and the by Trotsky as Commander in Chief and Commissar late German national defense system, a number of of the Army and Navy. Administrative unification parallels appear. Among these are the unified of the armed forces other than the security troops General Headquarters, the organized r~placement also followed. By 1924, the Commissariat of the army, full separation between the administration of Army and Navy presented the following structure:

1-2 1 filar 46 TM 30-430

General Staff of the Ground Forces. Sanitary Administration. Main Administration of A~my Personnel and Veterinary Administration. Military Schools. Finance Administration. Main Naval Department. During the first year of the war with Germany, Main Department of the Air Forces. it became evident that decentralization had been Main Department of Supply. too extensive and that the defense machinery had Main Sanitary and Veterinary Department. become too sprawling for efficient operation. Con­ Political Administration of the Armed Forces. sequently, by 1942, changes were effected which vir· Between 1934 and 1938, a series of sweeping tually reverted the defense organization to that of changes promoted military preparedness. In 1937, World War I. A GHQ to determine strategy and the Council of Labor and Defense, which had sue· conduct operations was formed directly under the ceeded the Council of Workers' and Peasant's De­ State Defense Committee. It consisted of the key fense, was relieved of economic functions by the personnel of all the armed forces. Supreme Economic Council, and in over-all military The General Staff was relieved of such administra­ policies by the War Council in 1938. To per­ tive functions as mobilization 8,nd rear services, was mit more effective technical development of the removed from the control of the Commissariat of Navy and the specialized arms and to reduce the Defense and operationally was pla~ed directly under concentration of authority under military command the GHQ. A special organization within the Com­ after the Purge, the Commissariat of the Army and missariat was formed to administer mobilitation and the Navy was split in 1937, both divisions undergo­ replacement. The combat arms absorbed the devel­ ing further internal organizational changes. The opment and supply functions peculiar to them. Ar­ Revolutionary Military Council, abolished in 1934, tillery took over all ammunition and all ordnance, was replaced in 1937 by the Supreme Military except armored. Miscellaneous service functions, Council and the Supreme Naval Council. such as quartermaster supply, cooperatives, recrea­ Thus, between 1937 and 1941, the Commissariat tion, and the medical, veterinary, and finance serv­ of Defense emphasized specialization and autonomy ices, were merged under the Chief of the Rear Serv­ within its structure. It included the Commissar, ices of the Red Army. And finally, the appointment 14 assistant commissars, and the following divi­ of a number of key individuals to two, three, and even SIons: four separate positions of authority guaranteed close cooperation between related agencies and helped to Affairs Administration (legal and internal ad­ minimize the tendency toward administrative ineffi­ ministrative affairs). ciency often characteristic of a bureaucratic struc­ General Staff (operations, intelligence, signal ture. This organization has remained fundamentally communications, organization and training, unchanged up to the present time, except for the air defense, rear areas, mobilization, fuels, reabsorption of the Navy. topographic, historical, and administrative h. Changes in status of armed forces. The divisions) . development of the professional and political status Air Forces Administration. of the armed forces, particularly of the Red Army, Artillery Administration. has developed along two basic lines. They are the Engineer Administration. growth of a cohesive, centralized standing army in Signal Administration. opposition to attempted formation of localized forces Antiaircraft Defense Administration. (National Guard), and the gradual reduction of Chemical Defense Administration. direct political control over the army. Military Schools Administration. During the Revolution and the Civil War, all pro­ Combat Training Administration. Personnel Administration. fessional army men were regarded with suspicion Armament Administration. by the new Soviet regime. Former officers operated Moto-Mechanized Materiel Administration. as "military technicians" under the strict control of Quartermaster Supplies Administration. political commissars. Trotsky, particularly, fa­ Military Construction Administration. vored the ultimate abandonment of a standing army Central Military Cooperative Administration. and the substitution of a militia from the proletariat. Recreation Administration. Frunze, on the other hand, constantly emphasized

1-3 TM 30-430 1 Mar 46 the necessity for professional training and the imme­ permanent profession. At the same time, responsi­ diate inauguration of a pyramidal program for bility for the loyalty of its members apd for the inter­ training officers. nal security of the army was transferred in its en­ In 1924, a compromise had been reached. The tirety to the Red Army. Thus, with the conclusion strength of the Red Army and Navy was stabilized of World War II, the Red Army reached the peak at 562,000. In addition, 150,000 security troops and of its prestige as a professional permanent group. 100,000 Frontier Guards were maintained. The rest The history of political control over the armed of the available manpower was trained in territorial forces has varied with changes in their status and units, serving from 8 to 10 months over a period of prestige. In general, tight political control has coin­ 5 years. The entire army, standing and territorial, cided with periods of disaster and uncertainty; loos­ was increasingly placed on a republican basis, with ening of control with confidence and victory. separate forces for the Ukraine, White Russia, From the Revolution of 1917 until about 1923, the Transcaucasia and, ultimately, other republics. high command of the Red Army was vested in a group No permanent status was accorded army personnel. of Communist Party leaders. The heterogeneous At the same time, however, the training of the army units and formations which constituted the Red Army developed gradually along the lines advocated by were commanded by "Party men." These political Frunze. As early as 1921, the first class of Soviet leaders were called War Commissars. The military General Staff officers was graduated from the War officers, then termed "military specialists," played College. only a subordinate role. Credit was given the War This situation continued until 1934, although one Commissars for the successes of the Red Army in major change took place in 1928. At that time, par­ dealing with counterrevolutionary forces and general ticipation in the armed forces of the U. S. S. R. was unrest. Lenin said, "Without the War Commissars, restricted to members of the working class, others we should never have had a Red Army." being relegated to auxiliary service only. Army After 1923, when calm had been restored in So­ service became a life-time profession. Concurrently, viet Russia, it was decided to hand control of maximum ages in grade were drastically reduced the Red Army over to the military to create an effi­ to eliminate older and less reliable personnel and cient and well-trained force. The high command to provide opportunity for younger Soviet officers. was composed of military officers of political relia­ From 1935 on, an increasingly tense situation bility. In those units and formations in which the forced gradual abandonment of the territorial system. senior army officer was considered politically reli­ All territorial units were placed on a full standing able, the commissars were abolished. The test of status by 1939. Increasing demands for manpower political reliability was Party membership or, at the in the army led to the widening of conscription. least, sympathy with the Communist Party. Such In 1939, the principle of armed service by all citi­ officers became commanders, and assistants respon­ zens, as embodied in the constitution of 1936, was sible for political work in the unit or formation were promulgated in the universal service regulations. assigned to them. War Commissars, who were con­ The need for mobility and flexibility of the army also sidered to have acquired sufficient military experi­ led to the merging of all republican units into a single ence during the revolutIonary wars, in some cases force. became commanders. By about 1936, every unit The separate status and prestige of officer per­ and formation of the Red Army had a military sonnel increased with the growth of the army. In commander. 1935, officer ranks were re-introduced, including the All units and formations of the Red Army again new title of "Marshal of the Soviet Union." In 1940, were allotted specially selected political commissars even the formerly hated title of "General" was following the treason trials of 1936-1938. This was resumed. carried out in all cases, regardless of the political This trend was accelerated during the war with reliability of the commander in questioJ1e The Germany. In 1943, officers' epaulets were authorized newly appointed commissars countersigned all orders and the term "officer," itself, returned. Even in the of the commander and thus had veto power on all official military press, comparisons were made with decisions. the Czarist officer corps. Increasing emphasis was During the Finnish Campaign of 1939-1940, it placed on the military, social, and political leader­ was found that considerable difference of opinion ship of the Soviet officer and on military life as a existed between commanders and commissars. The 1-4 1 Mar 46 TM: 30-430 commissars used their powers to interfere with purely ical control of military command within the armed tactical decisions, about which they had insufficient forces has continued on this basis to the present. knowledge. Reverses in the field resulted. Accord­ 5. FUTURE TRENDS ingly, in 1940, commissars were abolished for the A number of major changes have occurred and second time and were reduced to the status of assis­ will occur during the transition of the U. S. S. R. tant commanders for political matters. Among mili­ from war to peace. The State Defense C.)mmittee tary commanders, no distinction was made on the was dissolved in September 1945. It may be that this basis of Party membership. will be followed by the dissolution of the GHQ and The Political Administration of the Red Army that the General Staff will be returned to a status of was renamed the Main Political Administration. full subordination to the Peoples' Commissariat of Former Commissars of Red Army and Party mem­ Defense. Responsibility for mobilization and re­ bers were required not only to disseminate propa­ placement probably will revert to the General Staff as ganda and instruction inside the army, but also to it becomes more of a planning and less of an admin­ help to increase Red Army prestige among the civil­ istrative function. The unification of rear services ian population. and the extensive functions of the arms probably The rna j or reverses which followed the initial will continue. German offensive against the Soviet Union (1941- All evidence indicates retention of independent 1942) led to the reinstitution of the commissars to status by the security forces (NKVD and NKGB). restore the morale, discipline, and patriotism of the It is to be expected that there will be greater inde­ Army. The commander remained the head of the pendence for the air arm. It is a distinct possibility unit or formation and the commissar became, to that the growing importance of the air forces and quote the official directive, its "Father and Soul." the expansion of their proportionate strength may The commissar was required to suppress any lead to the emergence of a separate commissariat trace of treasonable or counterrevolutionary activi­ for air. Of all the arms, air is certain to witness the ties, to maintain the morale and patriotism of the most sweeping revisions in organization, equipment, troops, to supervise propaganda and political work, and techniques. A trend that is worthy of note is the and to support the commander in carrying out diminishing frequency of subordination of support­ operational plans. He was responsible, equally with ing air units to lower echelon command headquarters the commander, for maintaining the "fighting in favor of army or army group control of ever strength of the troops." The power of veto, previ­ greater masses of tactical air power. ously mentioned, was revived. This special posi­ Tighter political control will unquestionably be tion of the commissars, most of whom had no mili­ reestablished over the Red Army, both through tary experience, caused serious personal friction intensive indoctrination of its members and through between them and the professional military com­ complete elimination of possible unreliable elements. manders. Another measure designed to lessen the concerted In October 1942, when the military situation was power of army leadership is the constitutional change critical, Stalin decided that all other considerations of 1944 which transforms the Peoples' Commissariat should give way to purely military interests. Ac­ of Defense from an All-Union to a Union-Republican cordingly, for the third time, the abolition of com­ commissariat, with subordinate commissariats for missars was ordered. They reverted to the status each of the republics. There is little evidence that of assistant commanders for political matters, or this change is taking place, except for the organiza­ chiefs of political administrations and departments tion of Republican Commissariats of Defense by the of armies and fronts. They were given appropriate Ukrainian and White Russian S. S. R's. In fact, the military ranks. These were equivalent, in divisions latest organization of the military districts (1946), and lower commands, to that of the chief of staff. which cuts across republic boundaries, may be con­ Commissars were, in most cases, required to at­ sidered a negative indication. tend courses in basic military subjects. They were Correspondingly, possible reintroduction of a ter­ not expected to be able to command the units or for­ ritorial system is not to be anticipated when consid­ mations to which they belonged. Although they eration is given to the mass drive, at the end of the assisted with military training~ they did not share war, to re-enlist the maximum number of noncom­ tactical responsibility with the commanders. Polit- missioned officers in the Red Army.

1-5 TM 30-430 I Mar 46 PART I. THE STATE, THE PARTY, AND THE ARMED FORCES

Section I. U. S. S. R. CONSTITU­ U. S. S. R. It supervises all courts of the U. S. S. R. TIONAL STRUCTURE Courts are established by the Supreme Soviet for all political divisions of the nation. The Supreme The constitution of the U. S. S. R. (1936) vests Court and special courts with All-Union jurisdiction the highest legislative and executive powers of the are staffed by appointees of the Supreme Soviet. nation in the Supreme Soviet, a representative body The Military Collegium of the Supreme Court is of two chambers. Representation in one chamber, especially charged with the administration of justice the Soviet of the Union, is based on one deputy per within the armed forces. It supervises the entire each 300,000 population. The other chamber, the system of military courts through the Chief Pro­ Soviet of Nationalities, draws its representation on curator of the Commissariat of Defense. the basis of 25 deputies from each of the Union Republics, 11 from each Autonomous Republic, 5 Section II. THE COMMUNIST PARTY from each Autonomous Oblast, and 1 from each More important than the formal governmental national Okrug. structure is the Communist Party. The existence of In peacetime, the Supreme Soviet meets biannually, the Party is specifically authorized in the 1936 Con­ each session lasting approximately 1 week. Between stitution as essential to the preservation and protec­ sessions, the powers of the Supreme Soviet are dele­ tion of the foundations of the state. Although the gated to the Presidium, which is elected by both formation of trade unions, cooperative associations, chambers sitting in joint session. The Supreme youth organizations, and cultural, technical, and sci­ Soviet or the Presidium appoints the commissars of entific societies is an ensured right of the people and the All-Union and Union-Republican commissariats. such organizations may nominate candidates for These collectively form the Soviet or Council of election to the Supreme Soviet and other bodies, "the Peoples' Commissars, the chief executive and admin­ most active and politically conscious citizens in the istrative body of the state. ranks of the working class and other strata of the The Council of Peoples' Commissars consists of workers unite in the Communist Party of the the heads of 24 All-Union commissariats which have U. S. S. R." These provisions guarantee an unchal­ no counterpart within the republics, 22 Union-Re­ lengeable position for the Communist Party, and publican commissariats which have counterparts render opposition to it illegal. within the republics and operate, at least theoreti­ Because the Communist Party is the only organized cally, through them, and approximately 15 main ad­ political entity in the U. S. S. R., it alone can provide ministrations and committee chiefs of commissariat the trained personnel for key government positions. importance. Domination by the Party is further assured by the For more efficient operation, this unwieldly body fact that the Supreme Soviet and the comparable delegates its powers to a smaller number of councils local legislative bodies are very large and meet but and committees. Especially are they delegated to infrequently for brief periods. Consequently, not the Supreme Economic Council and its subordinate only is interim power delegated to the corresponding organizations for defense industries, such as metal­ Presidia, but so is the actual review and control of lurgy and chemistry, machinery production, fuel and executive activities. Additional concentration of electricity, agricultural procurement, and consumer power is facilitated by the Soviet practice of assign­ goods. ing multiple correlated positions to the same indi­ Between 1941 and its dissolution at the end of vidual. World War II, the State Defense Committee of the Internally, the Communist Party consists of a cen­ Council of Peoples' Commissars was the highest oper­ trally-controlled hierarchy which is ultimately based ating committee, and constituted a virtually all­ on small semi-secret "cells" in every part and organi­ powerful body under the direction of Stalin, Chair­ zation of the U. S. S. R. This network maintains its man of the Council of Peoples' Commissars, Commis­ own direct communications, independent of the sar of Defense, and Commander in Chief of the state. Discipline within the Party is strict, and devi­ Armed Forces (fig. 1). ation from authorized doctrine or policy is followed The administration of justice is vested in the Su­ by immediate expulsion or other punishment. preme Court as the highest judicial organ of the Every possible measure is applied to give the Com-

1-6 .------"1 1-01 '- ______STATE DEFENSE COMMITTEE J I r:= ~ ;-._._._._._._, "1 ISUPREME ECONOMICj .r---- ~ i COUNCIL i Q'\ ~'-'-'-F="~, COUNCIL FOR COUNCIL FOR METALLURGY AND MACHINERY CHEMISTRY PRODUCTION I 1 I r· UNION·REPUBLICAN ALL·UNION COMMISSARIATS I I COMMISSARIATS f ~~ ______r A.. I ... ( -- .~- -+------'-1 "\

'.,j-·-S·HIP:-·j -j BUILDING i I ~.-.-.-. 1 ---__ I I 1 r -LM~N~O':Sj 1 _._._._. r"';,~~~""" 1 I . . _I ARMAMENTS I L .. ~.L.~~~ •••• : r '-._._._. I ----- : TRANSPORT A.: 1 1 MORTAR ! I--;'N~N~ L. ...~I~~ •••• ; r -t!~~:::T':'1 ...... 1 ----- :SIGNAL COM.: 1 1 TANK 1 ~~.~~.'~:: ~1~~.Sj 1- -L ~D~~Y-' TRADfJ I -.-.-.-. I AVIATION ! ! ,- HEAL~~--' L_I INDUSTRY i '-.---.--:

CIVIL AIR FLEET ......

LEGEND

r--~· -~ COMMISSARIATS OF THE ARMED FORCES OTHER CIVILIAN AGENCIES

MILITARIZED COMMISSARIATS AND ADMINISTRATIONS COMMAND CHANNEL ......

I i CIVILIAN AGENCIES OF PRIMARY MILITARY IMPORTANCE COORDINATION CHANNEL .-.-.-.~ ~ ,----j ~ AS ABOVE. BUT ABOLISHED WITH END OF WAR L ___I ..... CONTROL BY COMMISSARIATS OF THE ARMED FORCES r Figure 1. The state administrative structure ana the armed forces. r ~ ~ Q TM 30-430 I Mar 46

munist Party maximum political, social, and eco­ Their authority and operations extended not only nomic prestige. It is given credit for every type of throughout the Soviet Union, but well into the zone successful national achievement. Persons in the of operations. Uniformed personnel of these civil U. S. S. R. who distinguish themselves in any way organizations were subject to military law and dis­ are solicited for membership. The Party is per­ cipline but, in all areas, remained under the direct mitted to criticize inefficiency or political deviations. control only of their respective commissariats or In short, the Communist Party attempts to maintain main administrations. (For these and other civilian itself as an elite ruling class directing the state, but organizations which were armed or mobilized for apart from an·d above it. World War II, see Chapter IV.) It is important to Another vital source of power of the Communist note in this connection that the SovIet concept is that Party is its legally-sanctioned political tutelage of all citizens are equally liable for service in the mili­ the armed forces. Its control over the security tia. if not in the regular military forces. forces (NKVD and NKGB) and the Navy has been No one of these forces can be called a special in­ markedly effective at all times. Party control over strument of the Communist Party. In striking con­ the Red Army, although subject to major fluctua­ trast to the methods of the National Socialist Party tions in the past, still is pronounced. Supervision of in Germany during the period of its development and the effectiveness and loyalty of individuals, of their greatest success, the Soviet Communist Party has training status, and of their morale, are functions never been an armed force in itself. Nor has the of the Main Political Administration of the Red Communist Party ever permitted one of the armed Army. The Main Political Administration of the forces of the Soviet Union to come into conflict Red Army reports directly to the Communist Party. with another as a specially favored instrument of Dl:1ring World War II, the Communist Party was the Party. in complete charge of all partisan operations. A carefully exact division of responsibility and A final source of power is the control by the Com­ authority between the troops of the Commissariat of munist Party of the youth of the U. S. S. R. The Internal Affairs (NKVD ) and the troops (Red Komsomols, or League of Communist Youth, the Army) of the Commissariat of Defense (NKO) has Pioneers, and the Octobrists cover even the youngest been firmly established and jealously protected by age groups and provide the major outlet for their the Soviet government. The Great Purge of the Red constructive play and social activities. Army and its command in 1937 was inspired by the NKVD, as Party custodian of the internal security Section III. ARMED AND AUXILIARY of the state. It is significant, however. that the Purge FORCES was conducted by due process of law involving the entire governmental structure, rather than by the 1. GENERAL troops of the NKVD alone. The armed and auxiliary forces of the Soviet Union are of three types: military, semi-military and civil 2. COMPONENTS OF HIGH COMMAND (militarized in time of war) . The military forces Throughout the Red Army and Navy, a distinct divi­ include the Red Army and its air forces, and the sion exists between command channels and agencies Red Navy and its air component. The semi-military and administrative channels and agencies. (For armed forces are the troops of the Peoples' Commis­ administrative channels and agencies, see Part III.,) sariats of Internal and State Security. These include The "high command" of the armed forces em­ frontier and internal guards, local police, and other braces all agencies in the chain of operational com­ armed components for the security of the nation in mand for all elements of the army and the navy. time of peace or war. It includes, under the State Defense Committee, the The entire strength of certain other organizations Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and his is mobilized in direct support of military operations General Headquarters, the Chief of the General Staff in time of war. Militarized during World War II of the Red Army, the Supreme- Naval Council, the were the Peoples' Commissariats of Transportation, Commissariat of the Navy, and the Naval Staff. Maritime Fleet, River Transport, and Signal Com­ Army command stems from the General Head­ munications, as well as the Main Administrations quarters. It extends through the Chief of the Gen­ of the Civil Air Fleet and the Northern Sea Route eral Staff of the Red Army to army groups and other and their operating and maintenance personnel. field forces. (See Part II.)

1-8 I ~:lar 46 TM 30-430

Naval command also stems from the General Study and select command and administrative Headquarters. It 6Xtends through the Supreme officers, other than general officers or officers Naval Council, the Commissariat of the Navy, and of front-line units. the Naval Staff to the active naval units. The four Maintain constant check over the loyalty of all commissariats of the Armed Forces (Defense, Navy, personnel. Internal Affairs [NKVD], and State Security Conduct counterintelligence. [NKGB] maintain administrative and technical con­ Ensure the requisition, procurement, storage, trol, but were subordinated in varying degree in and movement of supplies, and of medical and policy questions to the GHQ during World War II. veterinary facilities. With the end of the war and the dissolution of the Supervise antiaircraft defense, including passive State Defense Committee, it is believed that the re­ measures of the civil population. spective commissariats have again become dominant Supervise pre-military training and draft board and increasingly autonomous. It is not certain activities. whether GHQ for all the armed forces will be con­ Guide defense construction work. tinued or whether the independent Supreme Military Ensure proper civil-military coordination Council of the Army will be revived as the indi­ within the district. yidual components of the armed forces regain their h. Field forces. In the field forces of the Red independence. Army, the basic division is not so much a separation 3. THE RED ARMY of the ground and air components as a separation of tactical from strategic forces. The chief components of the Red Army are the mili­ The tactical forces of the Red Army are composed tary districts and the field forces (active army). of army groups (fronts), each embracing a number a. Military districts. The military districts of air and ground armies and other components comprise the basic zones of the interior organization The number and size of army groups varies. In of the U. S. S. R. They are responsible directly to the 1943, for example, there were 17, but the number Peoples' Commissariat of Defense. For replacement had been reduced to 7 shortly after the close of the purposes, they are controlled by the Main Adminis­ war with Japan. The seven were as follows in Jan­ tration for the Formation and Equipment of Units. uary 1946: In the last 20 years, the number of military dis­ tricts has increased steadily while their average area Group In Eli'Tope: Location has decreased steadily. A more simple and efficient Northern Group ______Old and new Poland. organization has thus become possible. There now Central Group ______Austria, Hungary. are 30 military districts (figs. 2 and 3) . Southern Group ______Bulgaria, Rumania. Each district is directed by a commander and a Occupation Group, Germany ___ Germany. military council. Each is capable, on the average, In the Far East: Trans-Baikal FronL ______Trans-Baikal Military of raising an infantry army in the first echelon of District, Outer Mon­ mobilization. golia, Eastern Man­ Territorially, the military districts coincide with churia. the Oblasts of the U. S. S. R. Although military dis­ Second Far Eastern FronL ____ Khaborovsk Krai, tricts may include more than one Oblast, their bound­ Nor the r n Man­ churia. aries do not cross those of the Oblast. No relation First Far Eastern FronL ______Maritime Krai, West- with the Union-Republics exists (fig. 4). The basic ern Man c h uri a, operating element of the military districts is the Northern Korea. county (rayon), although the more densely popu­ An army group (front) consists basically of t.wo lated districts may have intermediate (sub-district) or more infantry armies, one to two air armies, a control organizations. tank corps, a mechanized corps, and artillery, mortar, The responsibilities of the military districts are rocket, and antiaircraft divisions. (For detailed or­ as follows: ganization of army groups, see Chapter III) 8 Conduct combat and political training. The strategic forces of the Red Army also are Ensure mobilization readiness of troops, trans­ ground and air formations. The principal ground port, and signal communications. components are tank armies, artillery corps, and for­ Conduct the replacement program. tified areas. Certain of the fortified areas are under

1-9 TM 30-430 1 Mar 46

• Headquarttrs of Milit4r~ Distrkb o Unconfirmtd Headquarttrs -- Soundor;es of Militor~ Districts ...... Unconfirmed J;oundariu

Figure 2. Military districts of. the U. S. S. R. (Western area).

1-10 ).

1 Mar 46 TM 30-430

EJ.ST SliER'"

..... :...... :.:.::: ...... :.::.:.:: ...... : ...... ,' ...... " " . '. . . ::.:'.::. :·::::.F'--'-'-~=== .. :.::?»::~:~:::::}:i:i/:>/tA.?:::);:".:.}/;:::~::::::;::::::::::}\:)·?:t/)(:i?:::: LEGEND '. ::':: ..-: ..-. . :'. ~~:. :.'.' .-...... '. ',::. :,:'-.', :', .... ':.:. .-,-.: . .. :.:.: .. : ...... :.:.::.:... :::.:. • Head'lu4rter5 of Militarq Di5tri,b o Unconfirmed He""~uarttrs -- Boundaries of MilitaMj Distri,b ...... Unconfirmed Soundaries

Figure 3. Military districts 0/ the U. S. S. R. (Eastern area).

1-11 TM 30-430 1 Mar 46

Military districts Headquarters Political components

White Sea...... Kemi (?) ...... Petsamo (?), Murmansk Oh., Karelian A. S. S. R., Archangel Oh., Komi A. S. S. R., Nentso Nat'I. Ok. Leningrad...... Leningrad...... Leningrad Oh., Vologoda Oh. Baltic...... Riga...... Estonian S. S. R., Latvian S. S. R. Special...... Koeningsherg (?). . .. Lithuanian S. S. R., Koeningsherg area (?) Minsk...... Minsk...... Be!orussian S. S. R., Vitehsk Oh., Minsk Oh., Mogilev Oh., Polesye Oh., GomelOh. Lvov...... Lvov...... Lvov Area (?). Carpathian...... (?)...... Moldavia. Kiev...... Kiev...... Zhitomir Oh., Kiev Oh., Chernigov Oh., Kamenets-Podolsk Oh., Vinnitsa Oh. Odessa...... Odessa...... Odessa Ob., Kirovograd Oh. Moscow...... Moscow ...... ·.. Kalinin Ob., Yaroslavl Ob., Smolensk Ob., Moscow Ob., Tula Ob., Ryazan Ob. Gorkii ...... Gorkii ...... Ivanovo Ob., Gorkii Oh. Voronezh...... Voronezh...... Voronezh Ob., Tambov Ob. Ore!...... Orel...... Ore! Ob., Kursk Ob. Kharkov...... Kharkov...... Sumy Ob., Dnepropetrovsk Ob., Poltava Ob., Kharkov Oh., Stalino Ob., V oroshilovgrad Ob. Tauric...... Simferopol...... Nicolayev Ob., Zaporozhiye Ob. Kazan...... Kazan...... Kirov Ob., Tatar A. S. S. R., Churvas A. S. S. R., Mari A. S. S. R., Udmurt A.S. S. R. Volga...... Kuihyshev...... Penza Ob., Kuibyshev Ob., Saratov Ob., German-Volga A. S. S. R., Mordva A. S. S. R. Steppe...... Stalingrad...... Stalingrad Ob., Kalmyk A. S. S. R. Don...... Rostov...... Rostov Ob. Kuhan...... Krasnodar...... Krasnodar Krai (containing Adyghey Aut. Oh.). Stavropol...... Voroshilov...... Ordzhonikidze Krai, North Ossetian A. S. S. R., Karachavev Aut. Oh., Chechen-Ingushian A. S. S. R., Kahardino--Balkar A. ·S. S. R., Cir­ cassian Aut. Ob. Tillis...... Tillis...... South Ossetian, Aut. Ob., N akhichevan A. S. S. R., Adzharian A. S. S. R., Armenian S. S. R., Abkhazian A. S. S. R., Georgian S. S. R. Baku ...... Baku ...... Kaghistan A. S. S. R., Azerhaidzhan S. S. R., (containing Nagarno- Karahakh). Ural...... Sverdlovsk (?)...... Komipermyak Oh., Perm Ob., Sverdlovsk Oh., Chelyabinsk Ob. South Ural...... Chkalov...... Bashkir A. S. S. R., Chkalov Oh., West Kazakhstan., Aktyubinsk Oh., Guryev Oh. Central Asia (?). . . .. (?)...... North Kazakhstan Ob., Kustanay Oh., Akmolinsk Ob., Pavlodar Oh., East Kazakhstan Ob., Semipalatinsk Ob., Karaganda Oh., Alma-Ata Oh. Turkestan...... Tashkent...... Kara-Kalpak A. S. S. R., Kzyl-Orda Oh., Dzhampul Ob., South Kazakh­ stan Ob., Kirghiz S. S. R., Osh Oh., Dzhalal-Ahad Oh., Frunze Oh., Tyanshan Oh., Issyk-Kul Oh., Uzhek S. S. R., Samarkand Oh., Tash­ kent Ob., Fergana Ob., Tadzhik S. S. R., Leninahad Ob., Stalinahad Ob., Kulyah Oh., Gorm Oh., Gorno-Budakhshan Aut. Oh., Krasnovodsk Ob., Turkmen S. S. R., Tashauz Oh., Khorezm Ob., Mary Oh., Chardz­ hou Ob., Bukhara Ob. West Siberia ...... Novosihirsk ...... Omsk Ob., Yamalo-Nentso Nat'I. Ok., Ostyako-Vogul Nat'l. Ok., Novosi- hirsk Ob., Altai Krai Oirot Aut. Oh. East Siberia ...... Irkutsk ...... Krasnoyarsk Krai., Taimyr Nat'l Ok., Evenki Nat'l Ok., Irkutsk Oh., Ustordo-Buryant Mongolian Nat'l Ok., Khakass Aut. Oh., Tannu Tuva. Trans-Baikal...... Chita ...... Chit a Ob., Aghinskaye-Buryat Mongolian Nat'l. Ok., Buryat Mongolian A. S. S. R., Yakutsk A. S. S. R. Far East. .... '" ... Khaharovsk...... Chukotsk Nat'l Ok., Koryak Nat'l Ok., Kamchatka Oh., Khabarovsk Krai., Lower Amur Ob., Amur Ob., Jewish Aut. Oh., Ussuri Oh., Pri­ morsk Krai.

Abhreviations used in ahove list: A. S. S. R.-Autonomous Sovie~ Socialist Republic. Aut. Ob.-Autonomous Oblast. Nat'l O' .-National Okrug. Oh.-Obtast. S. S. R.-Soviet Socialist Republic (Union-Republic). NOTE.-The hounJaries, names, and headquarters of most of the military districts are well estahlished. However, the existence of the Orel and Central Asia Military Districts is uncertain, and the boundaries of the Tauric, Leningrad, B~ltic, and South Ural Military Districts are unconfirmed. It is possihle that Estonia is a part of the Leningrad Military District, and Lithuania is a part of the Baltic. Thus the Special Military District includes only East Prussia. Figure 4. Political components oJ military districts of the U. S. S. R. 1-12 1 Mar 46 TM 30-430 naval rather than army command. Other strategic similar to those of the Army General Staff, but in­ forces are the Civil Air Fleet, the Long·Range cluding a Hydrographic Division; the Coastal De­ Bomber Force (an air army), and the PVO, or Air fense Force; and various service and administrative Defense Force. offices comparable to those in the Commissariat of The PVO is a separate part of the Red Army only Defense. Included are an Administration for Naval in its operating elements. Its headquarters is Education, a Main Political Administration, a Sig­ charged with coordination of the administrative nal Communications Administration, and the Office supervision, by the Commissariat of Internal Affairs of the Surgeon General. (NKVD), over passive civil defense measures and h. Forces under command. In time of war, the administrative supervision of the antiaircraft, the naval high command controls, in addition to fighter, and air·warning systems. The latter admin· naval forces, the Peoples' Commissariat for the Ship­ istration is accomplished by the appropriate main building Industry, the Chief Administration of the administrations of the Commissariat of Defense. Northern Sea Route, and the Maritime Fleet. In combat zones, PVO forces are organized into The Soviet Navy is organized into fleets and the defense fronts, consisting of antiaircraft and flotillas as follows: fighter armies, for the protection of major targets. The Northern Fleet. PVO fronts have direct command of the air observa­ The Black Sea Fleet. tion, signal intercept, early warning, and signal com­ The Pacific Fleet. munications systems and operations in their zones. The North Pacific Fleet. Elsewhere in the U. S. S. R., PVO operations are The Azov Flotilla. controlled on the basis of military districts. In each The Dnieper Flotilla. district, this is accomplished by an Air Defense The Amur River Flotilla. Force Staff. The Sungari River Flotilla. 4. THE RED NAVY The Danube Flotilla. a. High command. The high command of A number of fortified areas along the coasts of the Soviet Naval Forces differs from that of the Red the U. S. S. R. are under exclusive control of the Army in that the Commissariat of the Navy naval command. Examples are the White Sea De­ (NKVMF) has remained a link in the operational fense Area and the Vladivostok Defense Area. chain of command. Under the command of the Gen­ eral Headquarters, the Supreme Naval Council is the Section IV. CIVIL-MILITARY highest authority over naval operations and affairs and is comparable to the Military Council of an army RELATIONSHIPS or army group. The Commissariat of the Navy is 1. GENERAL directly subordinate to the Supreme Naval Council. The readiness of a totalitarian state for total mobili­ The chief agencies within and subordinate to the zation and the extent to which it became a reality in Commissariat are: the Naval Staff, with divisions the U. S. S. R. during World War II has already

Commissariat of Defeme Civil Government Main Administration of the Air Forces ...... Commissariat of Aviation Industry. Commissariat of Armaments. Main Administration of Artillery Troops...... {Commissariat of Mortar Armaments. Commissariat of Munitions. Main Administration of Tank and Mechanized Troops. .. Commissariat of the Tank Industry. Main Administration of Signal Troops ...... " Commissariat of Signal Communications. Main Administration of Chemical Warfare Troops...... Commissariat of the Chemical Industry. Main Administration for Antiaircraft Defense ...... " Commissariat of Internal Affairs (NKVD). Main Administration of Railway Transport ...... Commissariat of Transportation. Main Administration for Intendance Service...... Council for Consumers Goods. Main Administration for Supply of Rations...... Council for Agricultural Procurement. Main Administration for Road Construction...... Commissariat of Internal Affairs (NKVD). Main Administration for Medical Services...... Commissariat of Health. Main Administration for Personnel ...... } {Central Administration for Labor Reserves. Main Administration for the Formation and ...... Central Administration for Registration and Distri- Equipment of Units. Lution of Labor Forces. · Ad ., ." C . II' {Commissariat of Internal Affairs (NKVD). M aln mInistratIOn lor ountennte Igence...... C . . f S S . (NKGB) ommlssarlat 0 tate. ecurIty •

Figure 5. Parallel agencies, military and civil, to promote close coordination.

686882°-46--2 1-13 TM 30-430 1 Mar 46 been discussed. The closest cooperation betweeI\. Coordination between commissariats was put on the armed forces, and their control agencies, and a more efficient footing through the institution of the entire structure of the civil economy was pro­ economic councils with extensive power over groups vided and enforced by the central government of industries and national resources. Six such eco­ (fig. 5). nomic councils were formed, each generally com­ 2. MILITARIZATION posed of the commissars of a number of related The wartime position of such semi-military organi­ industries or trusts. The chairmen sit together as zations as the troops of the Commissariats of Internal the Supreme Economic Council. Affairs and State Security and of such civil organiza­ The decisions of the Supreme Economic Council tions as those of the Commissariats of Transporta­ superseded those of the State Planning Committee, tion and Signal Communications also has been dis­ which had produced the Five Year Plans. (This cussed. (For further detail concerning them, see change was instituted because no plan of compar­ Chapter IV.) These organs of the state and their able scope in time, or requiring as much time in rank and file became auxiliary forces to the field preparation as the Five Year Plan, can be appro­ armies and fleets in the fullest sense of the word. priate in the pressing years of a war for national Yet they did not lose their nation-wide functions and survival.) The creation of the Supreme Economic responsibilities. Council, both a planning committee and a body It is worth noting that, in these and other com­ representative of the chief industries and trusts, missariats, military ranks were conferred during further guaranteed full-scale efficient management World War II on a number of key personnel and, of the resources and production capacity of the na­ in some cases, well down into the ranks of the com­ tion toward the needs of the armed forces. missariat and subordinate personnel. Military rank Further evidence of the Soviet realization of total was given the Commissar of the Armaments Indus­ war within the peacetime framework of the state is try, for example, and to many members of the State to be found in the system of universal pre-induction Medical Service. Conversely, many of the outstand­ military training of the populace, whether subject t(l ing military personalities of World War II were the draft or exempt. Within every organized unit elected to the Supreme Sovil!t. One, Marshal Bu­ of Soviet society, whether industrial, political, cul­ denny, was a member of the Presidium as well. tural, or educational, there were representatives of the Red Army who were attached as instructors in 3. ECONOMIC MOBILIZATION military science. Instruction was graded appropri­ In World War II, the numerous commissariats which ately to the age, sex, and occupation of the people direct the national economy were brought into direct involved. Spare time, within very strict limits, was services to the armed forces nearly as closely as the devoted entirely to such training in all parts of the formally militarized commissariats. The recom­ U.S.S.R. mendations of the General Staff, as the chief agency Training programs were prescribed and adminis­ for the planning and evaluation of field operations, tered by the Red Army through its representatives. and of the technical arms and services of the Red Over-all control of the various programs rested in Army became the basis for State Defense Committee the Commissariat of Defense, where the plans of the directives issued to those responsible for planning State Defense Committee, General Headquarters, and and administering all phases of war production. General Staff could best be applied to the military The mobilization sections, created with the first training of the populace. Five Year Plan of 1928, in the plants, factories, and The absolute legal hegemony of the Red Army and installations of the economic commissariats, put Navy in their zones of operations in time of war their plans for conversion to war production into effect. They remained in close contact with the also deserves mention. As a right established by appropriate arm through specialized liaison officers. Soviet law, the armed forces may, given a state of Horses and motor transport had been selected in sufficient urgency, draft for their use any or all of all parts of the U. S. S. R. during peacetime for the equipment and populace of any area of the consignment to the armed forces in the event of U. S. S. R. This may be done without regard to war. These were checked every 6 months to de­ existing laws, decrees, or directives. termine their readiness for transfer to the armed Close coordination also has characterized other forces. relationships between the armed forces and the civil

1-14 1 Mar 46 TM 30-430 economy. This is true of such affairs as the con­ It can be said without exaggeration that every struction of military facilities, the development of element in the national economy and every person new weapons and equipment, and the handling of old enough to do his share is included within the discharged soldiers and of pensions for veterans and national defense system of the Soviet Union in time the families of the dead and wounded. of war.

PART II. ARMED FORCES HIGH COMMAND, EARLY 1945

Section I. THE STATE DEFENSE Deputy Chairman of the Council of Peoples' COMMITTEE Commissars, member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. 1. POSITION AND FUNCTIONS BERIYA, Marshal of the Soviet Union: Com­ The State Defense Committee, created 1 July 1941 missar of Internal Affairs and Chief of Troops arid dissolved in September 1945, is the supreme gov­ of the NKVD, member of the Council of ernmental body in time of war. In effect, it assumes Peoples' Commissars, member of the Polit­ the functions of both the Presidium of the Supreme buro of the Central Committee of the Com­ Soviet and of the Council of Peoples' Commissars. munist Party. Thus it has final authority over the armed forces MALENKOV: Member of the Presidium of the and all the commissariats of the Soviet Union. the Supreme Soviet, member of the Politburo The relationship of the State Defense Committee and Orgburo, Secretary of the Central Com­ with the Supreme Economic Council, with other spe­ mittee of the Communist Party, head of the cial councils and committees of the government, and Central Administration for Personnel of the with the commissariats does not differ from that of Central Committee of the Communist Party, the Council of Peoples' Commissars in normal times. President of the Committee for the Restora­ For over-all control of the conduct of a war, how­ tion of Liberated Areas, member of the Coun­ ever, the State Defense Committee issues directives cil of Peoples' Commissars. on major issues of strategy directly to the General KAGANOVICH: Member of the Council of Headquarters, which controls the armed forces en­ Peoples' Commissars, member of the Polit­ gaged with the enemy. Thus the State Defense Com­ buro of the Central Committee of the Com­ mittee bypasses the administrative machinery of mili­ munist Party, former Commissar of Trans­ tary commissariats in matters of operational strategy. portation, member of the All-Union Commit­ 2. COMPOSITION AND SIGNIFICANCE tee on Transportation. The enormous range of powers vested in the State MIKOYAN: Commissar of Foreign Trade, Defense Committee by virtue of its membership is member of the Council of Peoples' Commis­ clearly indicated by the titles of the following mem­ sars, member of the Politburo of the Central bers composing the committee: Committee of the Communist Party. VOZNESENSKI: Member of the Council of STALIN, Generalissimo: Commander in Chief Peoples' Commissars, members of the Polit­ of the Armed Forces, Chief of the General buro of the Central Committee of the Com­ Headquarters, Chairman of the Council of munist Party, Chairman of the Council for Peoples' Commissars, Commissar of Defense, Defense Industry. Chairman of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. It will be noted that all members of the State BULGANIN, General Armii (General, U. So) : Defense Committee are members of the Council of Deputy Commissar of Defense, Vice Chair­ Peoples' Commissars and of the Politburo of the man of the Council of Peoples' Commissars, Central Committee of the Communist Party. Chairman of the Council of Metallurgical The State Defense Committee is not equipped and Chemical Industries, member of the with a large staff. It relies upon the numerous com· Politburo of the Central Committee of the mittees, councils, commissariats, and the General Communist Party. Headquarters for expert advice, for preparation of MOLOTOV: Commissar of Foreign Affairs, detailed plans, for recommendations, and for the Chairman of the Supreme Economic Council, implementation of its policy decisions. It may thus

1-15 TM 30-430 1 Mar 46 properly be called a "committee," a small group of note that all members of the GHQ are members of key leaders responsible for decisions of policy and the Communist Party. affairs of state. STALIN, Generalissimo: Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Commissar of Defense, Section II. GENERAL etc. HEADQUARTERS ZHUKOV (Chief of GHQ), Marshal of the Soviet Union: First Deputy Commissar of 1. POSITION AND FUNCTIONS Defense, Commander of the First Belorussian The personal Staff of Stalin, Commander-in-Chief Army Group. of the Armed Forces, is known as the Stavka or Gen­ VASILEVSKI, Marshal of the Soviet Union: eral Headquarters of the Armed Forces. The Gen­ Chief of Staff of the Red Army, Deputy Com­ eral Headquarters of the Armed Forces translates missar of Defense. the policy decisions of the State Defense Committee KUZNETSOV, Admiral of the Fleet: Peoples' into military action and directs the prosecution of Commissar of the Navy, member of the Cen­ the war through the Chief of Staff of the Army and tral Committee of the Communist Party. through the Commissariat and Staff of the Navy. NOVIKOV, Chief Marshal of Air Forces: The General Headquarters of the Armed Forces Chief of the Red Army Forces, Deputy Com­ was formed to replace the Supreme Military and missar of Defense. Naval Councils of earlier years in the joint and TIMOSHENKO, Marshal of the Soviet Union: coordinated command of the Army and Navy. It Deputy Commissar of Defense (formerly looks to the General Staffs of the Army and Navy Commissar, then First Deputy Commissar), and to their commissariats for plans and recommen­ Inspector of Infantry, GHQ Coordinator of dations for carrying out major strategic operations the Second and Third Ukrainian Army and in questions of administration. Groups. The General Headquarters is not equipped with VOROSHILOV, Marshal of the Soviet Union: special staffs, nor is it divided into sections. The Member of the Council of Peoples' Commis­ majority of its members are major chiefs of the sars and of the Politburo of the Central Com­ armed forces command and administration. Thus mittee of the Communist Party, former mem­ the major staffs of the armed forces function as ber of the State Defense Committee and working staffs of the General Headquarters. Deputy Commissar of Defense, Commander Constitutionally, the Commissariats of Defense in Chief of Partisans. and Navy are subordinate only to the State Defense SHAPOSHNIKOV, Marshal of the Sovi·et Committee. The General Headquarters has no Union: Member of the Central Committee of direct authority over them. However, the members the Communist Party, formerly Chief of Staff of the Headquarters exercise effective control over of the Red Army, Deputy Commissar of De­ the administrative affairs of the armed forces by fense, Chief of the Historical Division of the virtue of their appointments as deputy commissars. General Staff. This dual appointment of key personnel assures close KHRULEV, General Armii (General, U. S.) : coordination of field command with administration. Chief of Rear Services of the Red Army, The GHQ is not a headquarters in the usual sense Deputy Commissar of Defense. of the term. It is, like the State Defense Committee, VORONOV, Chief Marshal of Artillery: Chief a periodic meeting of the chief military leaders of of Artillery Troops of the Red Army, Deputy the high command structure for the consideration of Commissar of Defense. major strategic plans. FEDORENKO, Chief Marshal of Tanks and 2. COMPOSITION AND SIGNIFICANCE Mechanized Troops: Chief of Tank and Me­ The General Headquarters consists of 12 to 14 of the chanized Troops of the Red Army, Deputy top military leaders. They are selected so as to rep­ Commissar of Defense. reSent the chief branches, arms, and services. BUDENNY, Marshal of Soviet Union: Mem­ The composition of the GHQ in early 1945 amply' " ber of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, illustrates its power and scope and the technical Chief of Cavalry Troops of the Red Army, qualifications of its members. It is important to Deputy Commissar of Defense. 1... 16 1 Mar 46 TM 30-430

VOROBEV, Chief Marshal of Engineer Troops: the Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army is Chief of Engineer Troops of the Red Army, chief executive officer for the Commander in Chief of Deputy Commissar of Defense. the Armed Forces. SHCHERBAKOV, General Polkovnik (Lieuten­ The Chief of Staff is the command link between ant General, U. S.) : Head of the Main Politi. the General Headquarters and the Red Army in the cal Administration of the Red Army, Deputy zone of operations. The Chief of Staff also com­ Commissar of Defense, Member of the Polit­ mands all divisions of the General Staff ;;;ris reo buro of the Central Committee of the Com­ sponsible for the preparation of operational plans munist Party, Secretary of the Moscow Com­ by the staff and for reconnaissance operations or­ mittee of the Communist Party. dered by the staff. 3. SPECIAL ACTIVITIES A special responsibility of the Chief of the Gen­ Elements of the General Headquarters frequently eral Staff, of particular importance in time of peace, are detached to supervise the conduct of major field is the publication of the "Journal of Military operations. A member of the General Headquarters Thought." This publication, probably the most in­ may assume command of an army group (front), as fluential of all Soviet military journals, is directed when Zhukov was made Commander of the First to present analyses of problems of military theory White Russian (Belorussian) Front for the conclud­ and ideology, of basic problems of organization of ing phases of the assault on Germany while still chief the armed forces, of strategy, and of operating tech­ of the General Headquarters. niques. It also is directed to cover the analyses and Several of the members of the General Head­ discussion of coordination of arms, of the training quarters have been appointed as coordinators of the of commanders for all arms, and of practical combat joint operations of two or more army groups lessons. It also is to include extensive critiques of (fronts) . Notable among these was Timoshenko, the accomplishments of the armed. forces of other who supervised the advance of the Second and Third nations. Ukrainian Fronts in the last months of the war. The Chief of the General Staff also is responsible Groups of officers of the General Headquarters have, for supervision of policy of the two highest military on occasion, even been detailed to supervise joint academies, the Frunze Academy (Command and operations of two or more fronts in the field. Thus, General Staff School) and the Academy of the Gen­ they become an advance echelon of the General eral Staff (War College). Headquarters, itself. 2. THE GENERAL STAFF The purpose of this detached service is the super­ a. Position. The General Staff of the Red vision of operations in order not only to assure exe­ Army is the highest advisory body to the Chief of cution of the plans of the Headquarters, but also to Staff of the Red Army, to the Commander in Chief assure rapid, continuous, and objective reporting of of the Armed Forces, and to his personal staff, the the progress of campaigns. General Headquarters. Subordinated operationally Another important factor is the authority over the only to the General Headquarters in time of war, it Commissariats of Internal Affairs (NKVD) and remains subordinate to the Commissariat of Defense State Security (NKGB) that is granted the general for its own internal administration. Although the Headquarters. Although these units are not consti­ interests of the General Staff are primarily opera­ tutionally subordinate, the GHQ may issue direct tional, it also exerts considerable influence upon the orders to them in special cases which require imme­ administration of the Red Army. diate action and are closely related to the conduct h. Functions. The General Staff, in coopera­ of operations. Neither commissariat is represented tion with the staffs of the arms and rear services, is in the General Headquarters. responsible for the preparation in detail of all opera­ tional plans for the Red Army. It also is specifically Section III. CHIEF OF STAFF AND charged with ensuring effective coordination between THE GENERAL STAFF OF THE RED arms and services at all levels. ARMY In common with the staffs of lower headquarters, I. THE CHIEF OF STAFF the. General Staff maintains operations, intelligence, In issuing the commands and directives of the Gen­ signal, and topographical divisions. It also main­ eral Headquarters to units of the army in the field, tains three divisions which are peculiar to the Gen-

1-17 TM 30-430 I Mar 46 eral Staff. They are the Formations Division, which Intelligence Division and the Commissariat of State corresponds to the statistical control sections of lower Security (NKGB). staffs, but which appears to have much broader The Intelligence Division also is responsible for functions than the later in problems of organiza­ the employment of signal intelligence, a responsibil­ tional policy; the Fortified Areas Division; and the ity that is shared by the Main Administration for Historical Division, which is charged with the prep­ Signal Troops and by the signal security services of aration of critiques of operations and of recommen­ the NKVD. The exact delineation of functions and dations based upon them. responsibilities among the three agencies is not c. Organization. The General Staff is organ­ known. ized into divisions as follows: The Intelligence Division works closely with the The First (Operations) Division of the General Topographic Division on terrain intelligence and Staff includes representatives of all the combat arms with the intelligence branches of the arms on intel­ and the rear services. It is charged with the final ligence appropriate to each. preparation of operational plans for submission to The Intelligence Division is believed to be divided the General Headquarters. The Operations Divi­ into five branches: information, operations (sabo­ sion is responsible for the initial deployment of field tage, etc.), espionage, cadres (training), and inter­ forces in any area which is expected to become a nal administration. The information section con­ zone of operations. sists of at least six subsections : Western, Balkan, The Operations Division also is charged with the German, Far Eastern, Near Eastern, and Publica­ immediate command of field units not subordinated tions. The espionage branch' includes sections for to army groups or other field headquarters, i. e., espionage equipment, for signal intelligence, and GHQ units, certain units in transit from their mili­ for operations in each of the various areas of the tary districts to the combat zone, and a pool of offi­ world. cers with General Staff qualifications. The Third (Signal Communications) Division of As the need arises, the Operations Division is the General Staff is charged with planning the signal divided geographically into sections for each the­ facilities required for operations under considera­ ater of operations or areas for which General Staff tion by the General Staff. Its plans are believed plans are being prepared. Toward the close of not to extend to the detailed requirements worked World War II, there were at least five sections. out by the Main Administration for Signal Troops These were designated "North," "Center," "South," of the Commissariat of Defense (see Part III). Nor "Far East," and "Partisans." There also are sections are the plans believed to cover the close coordina­ representing the artillery, mechanized, air and en­ tion of the Main Administration for Signal Troops gin~er arms, the rear services, and the personnel of the Commissariat of Defense with the Commis­ administration of officers of the General Staff. sariat of Signal Communications. The General Staff A branch of this division is believed to control lacks command function in this field. the selection and use of ciphers, codes, and cover The Fourth (Formations) Division of the Gen­ names, and to be charged with the preparation and eral Staff is believed to perform the functions of the execution of deception operations. statistical control sections of lower staffs and to The Second (Intelligence) Division of the Gen­ analyze current and proposed Tables of Organiza­ eral Staff is the highest agency for the collection, tion. collation, and evaluation of positive information The internal organization is not known, but the concerning the enemy. Counterintelligence is han­ division deals with questions concerning the re­ dled by the Main Administration for Counterintelli­ quirements and systems of mobilization and re­ gence in the Commissariat of Defense (see Part III). placement and with the process of selection and appointment of officers. The Intelligence Division also is charged with In this connection, stress must be laid upon the command responsibility for reconnaissance plans fact that Soviet Tables of Organization, especially and may prepare direct orders to the arms, services, for infantry, are modified in accordance with basic and field commanders for execution of the plans. changes in the strategic situation. Prisoner-of-war and document exploitation is con­ During the 1942. defensive stage of the war with trolled by the Intelligence Division. The employ­ Germany, infantry formations were provided with ment of secret agents is a joint responsibility of the additional weapons, especially mortars. Their trans.-

1-18 1 Mar 46 TM 30-430 portation allocations were reduced radically. With The Historical Division of the General Staff is one the resumption of offensive operations~ the organiza­ of the most important of General Staff divisions. Its tion of infantry units again was changed. The plan­ organization is not known, but it draws upon the ning of these changes is believed to have been the most expert opinion available, including high repre­ function of the Formations Division. sentatives of each arm and service, and maintains, The Formations Division does not, however, ad­ under its exclusive control, field offices attached to minister such changes. The actual administration Army Group and Army Headquarters. of the mobilization and replacement processes· has The Historical Division transcends the function been transferred to the Main Administration for indicated by its title. Its duties include the accu­ Personnel (officers) and to the Main Administration mulation and processing of field reports on strategy, for the Formation and Equipment of Units (enlisted tactics, and the employment of arms, weapons, and men) of the Commissariat of Defense. equipment. The recommendations of the Historical The Topographic Division of the General Staff is Division become the chief basis for changes in Red responsible for the study of terrain, defense data, Army operational doctrines, Tables of Organization, and for the preparation of maps and charts in co­ equipment, and materiel specifications. Division operation with the Intelligence Division. It super­ recommendations also affected the appointment and vises the topographic and mapping services of the removal of major field commanders. Red Army. It also coordinates the survey work of Application of the Historical Division's critques, the artillery, engineer, and air arms. The Topo­ covering every aspect of strategy, tactics, logistics, graphic Division is charged with the production and etc., emerged during World War II as a definitely supply of all types of maps to the Red Army in the established function of the General Staff, in which it field. achieved its greatest prestige and influence. I ts in­ The Fortified Areas Division of the General Staff fluence in this respect is expected to remain as great plans the development of fixed defenses for strong­ in peace as it was during war. points, strategic bases, cities, frontier passes, and During World War II approved modifications of certain larger border areas not under naval com­ Red Army practices repeatedly were executed within mand. It also supports the Chief of Staff and the a few months after the critique and recommendations Operations Division in the command control of such were prepared. The continuous study and rapid ap­ areas not under the command of army groups or plication of combat lessons has been one of the other lower headquarters. greatest assets of the Red Army.

PART III. COMMISSARIAT OF DEFENSE AND RED ARMY ADMINISTRATION

Section I. COMMISSARIAT OF certain of the other Deputy Commissars hold the DEFENSE ma j ority of positions in the General Headquarters. 1. POSITION In technical and administrative policies, a third The Peoples' Commissariat of Defense, now renamed agency exerts a large measure of indirect control the Peoples' Commissariat of the Armed Forces, is a over the Commissariat during war. The recommen­ Union-Republican Commissariat, directly subordi­ dations of the General. Staff, based on evaluation of nate to the State Defense Committee in time of war, battle experiences, become directives to the Commis­ and to the Council of Peoples' Commissars in time sariat or its component administrations when ap­ of peace. (There is little evidence that the "Union­ proved by the General Headquarters and adjusted to Republican" title is based on fact. Only two repub­ suit the capabilities of the administrations involved. lics are known to have organized Commissariats of Other agencies, such as the Supreme Court and Defense.) Communist Party, also exert direct control over ad­ The Commissariat relies upon the General Head­ ministrations which are charged with functions quarters for direction in affairs directly. bearing within the Commissariat. upon the prosecution of war. This is not, however, 2. COMPOSITION AND ORGANIZATION a command subordination. It is based upon the fact The Commissariat proper consists of the Commissar that the Commissar 1 First Deputy Commissar, and of Defense (Stalin), the First Deputy Commissar of

1-19 TM 30-430 1 Mar 46

Defense (Zhukov), and 10 or more deputy commis­ and services, which carry the power of directives, sars. The majority of the deputy commissars are are particularly important responsibilities of the heads of the arms or of other main administrations chiefs. of the Red Army. In January 1945,8 of the 12 mem­ It will be noted that there is no main administra­ bers of the Commissariat were members also of the tion for the infantry arm. Responsibility for this General Headquarters, held not less than the rank arm belongs to the Commissariat as a whole. The of General Polkovnik (lieutenant general) , and were infantry arm is supervised only by the Inspector of officers of long standing in the Red Army. Infantry, who is a deputy commissar. The Red Directly subordinate to the Commissar and Dep­ Army considers the infantry a basic arm and the uty Commissars are the Inspectorate of Infantry and direct responsibility, at all levels, of the commander 18 "bureaus" for Red Army affairs. The "bureaus" rather than of a subordinate chief of an arm. All are called "main administrations" and "administra­ strategy, tactics, and administration of the entire tions." In addition, there are a number of main ad· Red Army spring from, or are added to, basic inf~n­ ministrations which are subordinate to the air, artil­ try regulations. lery, and rear services. The Inspectorate of Infantry, although not an Of the 18 main administrations and administra­ administrative agency, performs important func­ tions, 1 administration is concerned with the inter­ tions. They are illustrated by the specific subject nal affairs of the Commissariat itself; 9 main ad· matter of the "Military Bulletin," published by the ministrations control Red Army arms and technical Inspector. The mission of the Bulletin is to present services; 4 main administrations supervise personnel, "analyses, from current war experience, of the theory conscription, and training; 3 main administrations and practice of combat; analyses of combat training, are responsible for political and legal supervision especially in the fields of tactics and fire control; and of Red Army personnel; and the Main Administra­ discussion and instruction concerning organization, tion of the Chief of the Rear Services controls sup­ tactics, techniques, and military experience." ply, maintenance, evacuation, and transportation. The Affairs Administration handles all internal The heads of administrations generally are known problems of the Commissariat. I t is charged partic­ as the chiefs of their respective arms or services. ularly with "housekeeping" and personnel duties. For example, the head of the Main Administration Known divisions of the Affairs Administration in­ of Signal Troops is known as the Chief Marshal of clude the following: Signal Troops of the Red Army. Inventions Division. Guides research and 3. FUNCTIONS coordinates the needs of the arms and their The deputy commissars are charged with the promul­ inspection of new equipment. gation of basic regulations and administrative poli­ Regulation Division. Prepares regulations cies for the Red Army. As heads of administra­ applicable to the entire Red Army. tions, they are responsible for the coordination of Foreign Liaison Division. Provides liaison the activities of their administration with the other with representatives of other nations con­ ducting business with the Commissariat. administrations, particularly with those for training Finance Division. Administers the finances and political supervision. They also are charged of the Commissariat and of the personnel of with the close liaison which each administration must its administrations. maintain with its corresponding commissariat of the Economics Division. Administers the in­ civil economy and with the General Staff (fig. 6) . ternal "housekeeping" affairs of the Commis­ The academies and schools which prepare officers sariat and administrations. for duty in each arm or service are important re­ Publications Division. Prints and distrib­ sponsibilities of the chief of the respective adminis­ utes all publications of the Commissariat and tration. In addition, the publications of the arms administrations.

1-20 .... MILITARY COLLEGIUM COMMANDER STATE CENTRAL ~ IN CHIEF OF EFENSE COMMITTEE n OF COMMITTEE III f-~~E.!? !9~c~_0 SUPREME COURT OF THE .., GENERAL COUNCIL OF PEOPLES' U. S. S. R. COMMUNIST ~ HEADOUARTERS ® COMMISSARS 0 I PARTY ct' ...... ··· .. ·.. ··1 .. ·· .. ······ .. ··- j', u u u u u u, u u u u u u u I ' I t~~~~ ~~~::: ~:::::::::::: :::~:::::: ~:::' <..UMMI~SAR+ OF T···. ' _D~~~g>_ I I .....~, DEPUTY I COMMISSARS ® I I I I I I I i 1 I I I

MAIN ADMINIS· MAIN TRATION OF...--+ MAIN ADMINISTRATION REAR SERVICES ® I ADMINISTRA TlON FOR COUNTER. MAIN ADM; I FOR PERSONNEL INTELLIGENCE OF RAILWAY --l I TRANSPORT I I INTELLI­ MAiN -;;:0-;;;1; I I GENCE ® FOR INTEND. --j+ I ANCE SERVICE I I SIGNAL ~;; ;D;;;N- ! I FOR SUPPLY --< I ORGANIZA­ OF RATIONS I TION I (FORMATIONS) M-;;:;; ;;;~N:- I I OF MOTOR --J TRANSPORT I . I TOPOGRAPHIC I I I MAIN ADMIN. I OF ROAD -I L ;= =--=--=--=--=--=- =--=-=--=--=- =--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- =--=-y -= == -=--=- -J ______..J FORTIFIED CONSTRUCTION I AREAS I I LEGEND MAIN MEDICAL I I HISTORICAL I ADMINISTRA TlVE CONTROL A~~I~~I~j: I VETERINARY ...J I ADMINISTRATION I I COMMAND OF FIELD FORCES I I I POLICY AND· TECHNICAL CONTROL I I I

Figure 6. Commund and administration of the Red Army. l ~ ~ .... ¢ TM 30-430 1 Mar 46 Section II. MAIN ADMINISTRATIONS unusual to find an artillery officer, usually the Chief OF ARMS AND TECHNICAL SERV­ of Artillery of an appropriate staff echelon, placed in over-all command of all troops for an operation ICES in which artillery is the major arm employed. 1. GENERAL The great weight of responsibility falling to the Commissariat of Defense concerned with artillery The main administrations of the nme arms and affairs and the complexity of administration involved technical services are organized, under their chiefs, are such that two main administrations have been into staff sections and administrations which vary in formed to handle the arm. One of them is concerned number according to need. with staff structure and the other with administrative The staff sections of each main administration structure. form the staff of its respective Chief as commander The two administrations perform the following of the arm or service. functions: The chiefs of the artillery, air, tank and mechan­ ized, engineer, and cavalry arms are also members Coordination with the air forces of the develop­ of the General Headquarters. Occasionally, they ment of fire plans for major operations. have direct control of the operation or deployment Technical control and direction of the tactical of units of their arm in the field. The staffs also employment, training of personnel, and sup­ assist the chiefs in these latter capacities. ply activities associated with artillery, mor­ The staff sections appear to correspond to those tars, and rockets, with the exception of self­ of the General Staff and work in close coop~ration propelled artillery. with them. In most cases, the staffs include sections Coordination with appropriate Commissariats for operations, intelligence, signal, communications, of the development and supply of all weapons, and statistical control organization. including infantry and aircraft armament, There are at least three administrations (in some and of all ammunition. Special engineer and cases, main administrations) within each of the chemical weapons and explosives, and air­ main administrations of the arms and technical craft bombs do not fall within this jurisdic­ services. They administer the supply, combat train­ tion. ing, and personnel affairs of their respective arms. All development and dissemination of survey Another element of a main administration is be­ and meteorological data for artillery and co­ lieved to be its Military Council, consisting of the operating arms. These functions are carried chief (Commander), the chief of staff or head of on in conjunction with the Topographic Di­ the operations section, the head of the supply admin­ vision of the General Staff, the Meteorological istration, and a political representative who is re­ Administration of the Main Administration sponsible to the Main Political Administration. The of the Air Forces, and the Main Administra­ Military Council is a directive body with somewhat tion for the Hydro-Meteorological Services. wider powers than are vested in the chief of the arm Planning of artillery observation aircraft oper­ or service, alone. ations in conjunction with the air forces. 2. ARTILLERY h. Commander of artillery. The Chief :Mar­ a. General. Of all the specialized branches of shal of Artillery, ranking artillery officer of the Red the Red Army, none has been more highly develop~d Army, is head of the Main Administration of the nor has been surrounded with a greater tradition of Commander of Artillery, and probably is assisted by emphasis and prestige than the artillery arm. a Military Council. The office is separated both in The functions of the artillery arm embrace, in command and in function~ from the Main Adminis­ addition to those found in the other armies of the tration of Artillery Troops. world, responsibility for the development and supply The Chief Marshal of Artillery, or "Commander of all weapons and ammunition for every arm. Of of Artillery," is assisted by deputies for antiaircraft necessity, they also include direction of training in artillery, rockets, and probably for artillery observa­ the use and maintenance of everything that shoots, tion aircraft. He is provided with a staff, including the preparation of pertinent technical and training the usual branches for operations, intelligence, etc. manuals and materials, and a large share of the The artillery Commander is charged with full respon­ planning phase of all major operations. It is not sibility for the artillery academies, for the influential

1-22 1 Mar 46 TM 30-430

"Artillery Journal," and for all institutions for re­ Ciphers Section. search and development of the artillery arm. Statistical Control (organization) Section. c. Artillery troops. Most of the routine activ­ Air Transport Section. ities of the administration of the arm are delegated Meteorological Section: to the Main Administration of Artillery Troops. General Inspectorate: Organization is believed to include the following: Inspector of Fighters. Office of the Chief of Artillery Supply. Inspector of Ground-Attack Aircraft. Personnel Administration (officers). Inspector of Bombers. Combat Training Administration (enlisted Inspector of Sturman (Navigation, etc.} men). Inspector of Technical Affairs. Special Administrations: Miscellaneous others. Field Artillery Administration. Administrations: Tank Destroyer Artillery Administration. Main Administration of Airborne Troops Antiaircraft Artillery Administration. (probable) . Mortar Administration. Main Administration of the Civil Air Fleet. Rocket Administration. Main Administration of Rear Services and Artillery Topographic Service Administra­ Supply. tion. Main Administration of Engineer Services. Main Administration for Formation and 3. AIR FORCES Training of Units. The Commander of the Air Forces of the Red Army Personnel Administration (officers). is assisted by a Military Council and deputies for Sturman (navigation, etc.) Administra- engineers, navigation, aerial gunnery, political af­ tion. fairs, and probably others., including airborne troops. Aerial Gunnery Service Administration. The Main Administration of the Air Forces, under Administration of Signal Services. his command, is responsible for: Administration of 'Medical Services (sub- Development of fire plans in conjunction with ordinate to the Main Administration of the staff of the Chief of Artillery. Medical Services under the Chief of the Control over all the Red Army Air Forces. Rear Services). All aircraft development and supply matters, in Internal Affairs Administration. cooperation with appropriate economic com­ Administration of Air Academies. missariats. (For further details, see Chapter XI.) All artillery spotting units and operations, in­ cluding photo-reconnaissance, photo-interpre­ 4. TANK AND MECHANIZED TROOPS tation, and topography, in conjunction with The Main Administration of Tank and Mechanized the staff of the Chief of Artillery. Troops is charged with control over the tank~ self­ Publication of the "Air Force Journal." propelled artillery, and motorized infantry forces of Direction and administration of the air acade­ the Red Army; with the development and supply of mIes. tanks and armored equipment~ in cooperation with All air transport arid evacuation, especially of the appropriate commissariat; and with coordina­ the wounded, in cooperation with the Chief tion of the employment and supply of motor trans­ of the Rear Services. This includes opera­ port for motorized troops, in cooperation with the tional control over the Civil Air Fleet. Chief of the Rear Services. It also is responsible The training and operations of airborne troops, for the publication of the periodical, "Journal of in conjunction with the Inspector of Infantry. Tank and Mechanized Troops," and for the academy of the arm. These responsibilities are divided among staff Little is known of the internal structure of this sections, inspectorates, main administrations, and administration. However, it does include the fol­ administrations of which the following are known: lowing: The Air Staff: Office of the Chief. Operations Section. Technical Deputy to the Chief (Mechanical Intelligence Section. Engineer) .

1-23 TM 30-430 I Mar 46

Military Council. tions between the General Headquarters and the Staff (probable). field forces, and in the zone of operations. In the Administrations: zone of the interior, all such responsibility is vested Tanks. in the Commissariat alone. Self-pro pelled artillery. The Chief Marshal of Signal Troops also is, at the Motorized infantry. present time, Chief of the Signal Division of the Supply. General Staff. He formerly was concurrently Peo­ Mechanical engineering. ples' Commissar of Signal Communications. Personnel (officers). The exact channels for coordination of the opera­ Training (enlisted men). tions controlled by this administration with those 5. CAVALRY of the Navy and of the Commissariat of Internal Affairs (NKVD), including the signal security oper­ The Main Administration of Cavalry is concerned ations of the latter, are not known. with horse cavalry only. It works in close con­ junction with the Inspector of Infantry. The pe­ Internal organization is little known, but five riodical of the latter is its only published organ. administrations have been identified. They include Organization of the Main Administration of Cavalry telephope and telegraph, radio, postal services, en­ is believed to be comparable to that of other arms. gineers, and signal supply. A small staff and other administrations are presumed to exist. 6. ENGINEERS 8. HYDRO-METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES Only a few subdivisions of the Main Administration of Engineers are k~own. These include the admin­ The Main Administration of Hydro-Meteorological istrations for combat engineers, ponton engineers, Services was formerly a civil organization directly construction engineers, geological services, and subordinate to the Council of Peoples' Commissars. construction of fortifications. Staff sections and During war, this service and the meteorological administrations probably are similar to those of the services of the Navy and of the Red Army have been other arms, hut fewer in number. coordinated under the control of the Main Adminis­ This administration controls the Engineer Acad­ tration of Hydro-Meteorological Services. It is pos­ emy and publishes the "Military Engineer Journal." sible that the civil service may revert to its former It performs, as do the others, all the training, sup­ status. ply, and development functions peculiar to the arm, The Main Administration is charged with all as­ including the following: pects of pro.curement and dissemination of meteoro­ logical data to military and other agencies. It is Planning of engineer support for major opera­ organized basically into a Main Administration and tions, including sieges and river crossings in an Administration. The Main Administration co­ particular. ordinates all the services involved with the demands Training of engineers. of the agencies served, trains all personnel of the Supply (mines and demolition, construction services, controls the manufacture of equipment and fortifications equipment) . through appropriate Commissariats, and controls the Ponton and bridge construction and supply. distribution of equipment to military units and to Geological surveys in conjunction with the civil units in the military districts. An administra­ Topographic Division of the General Staff tion supervises the activities of stations in the mili­ and the topographic service of the artillery tary districts. arm. Internal organization is as follows: 7. SIGNAL TROOPS Main Administration. The Main Administration of Signal troops is charged with all phases of the radio, telephone, tele­ Chief of the Service. graph, and postal services of the Red Army. It Military Council (probable). closely coordinates with the same services of the Com- Staff. missariat of Signal Communications. . Deputy for Air Forces. Research and development are charged to the Deputy for the Navy. Commissariat. The Administration is largely an Deputy for the Ground Forces. operating agency for the sustaining of communica- Artillery Section.

1-24 1 Mar 46 TM 30-430

Chemical Section. employment of smoke did the troops of the Chemi­ Hydrological Section. cal Warfare Service perform an important part in Deputy for Civil Commissariats (prob­ operations. able) . Central Forecasting, Hydrological, and Section III. REAR SERVICES other Institutes. Central Aerological and other observato- 1. CHIEF OF REAR SERVICES ries. For the functions of the Chiefs of the Rear Serv­ Publications Section (periodicals). ices and their specialized divisions at all echelons Central Bureau of Standards. in the Red Army, see Chapter VII, Logistics. At Personnel Administration. commissariat level, these supply and service func­ Supply Administration. tions are assigned to the main administrations and Administration of Regional Services and Sec­ the administrations under command of the Chief of tions. the Rear Services. Supervises and administers stations under The Chief of the Rear Services, with the rank of the controls of the military districts. General of the Army, is a Deputy Commissar of Defense. He has a personal staff in addition to the 9. ANTIAIRCRAFT DEFENSE FORCES specialized administrations under his control. The Little is known about the internal structure of the staff assists in the coordination of the various sup­ Main Administration ~f Antiaircraft Defense Forces ply services and their administrations. It also han­ (GUPVO). (For the position, fun.ctions, and com­ dles broad problems of supply and assists the Chief ponents of the Air Defense Force, see Part I.) of the Rear Services with his duties as a member The following agencies are believed to exist in of the General Headquarters. the GUPVO: 2. ADMINISTRATIONS OF REAR SERVICES Office of the Chief. Military Council. The Chief of the Rear Services and the main ad­ Staff Sections. ministrations and administrations under his control Deputies for: are charged with all phases of Red Army logistics, Antiaircraft Artillery. except those specifically allotted to the arms and tech­ Fighter Forces. nical services. VNOS (early warning service) . The Main Administrations and Administrations NKVD (passive and incendiary defenses under his control are as follows: under control of the Commissariat of Central Administration of Army Transporta­ Internal Affairs, [NKVD]). tion (rail). Chemical Warfare Services. Main Administration of ' Motor Transport. Administrations for: Main Administration of Roads (construction Personnel. and maintenance). Combat Training. Main Administration of Intendance (clothing, Supply (special supply and coordination etc.) . of supply from other arms) . Main Administration of Subsistence (rations). Publications: Main Administration of the Medical Service. "Chemistry and Defense." Administration of the Veterinary Service. "Antiaircraft Defense Bulletin." Administration of Motor Fuel and Lubricant Administration for coordination of Air De­ Supply. fense Force Headquarters in the military Administration of Finance. districts. Administration of Personnel Losses of Non­ 10. CHEMICAL WARFARE TROOPS commissioned Officers and Enlisted Men and for Relief of their Families. Very little is known about the Main Administra­ Office for publication of the journal, "Rear tion of Chemical Warfare Troops. The activities Area and Supply of the Red Army.'~ of the service were neither extensive nor worthy of particular note during World War II. Only in the (For further information, see Chapter VII.)

1-25 TM 30-430 I Mar 46 Section IV. POLITICAL, PENAL, AND and the civil population of occupied areas. It also COUNTERINTELLIGENCE SUPER­ is responsible for a number of educational insti­ tutions, including the Lenin Political War Academy VISION and the Engels Military-Political School. 1. GENERAL The training of political assistants to command­ Three main administrations, constitutionally sub­ ers, members of the Military Councils, at all eche­ ordinate to the Peoples' Commissariat of Defense, lons and of political commissars (when the political are concerned with supervision of the loyalty and commissar system is operative) is the exclusive re­ legal discipline of the Red Army. They are the sponsibility of the Administration. Main Administration of Counterintelligence, the The Main Political Administration is organized Main Administration of Military Tribunals, and the into a number of component administrations. Chief Main Political Administration. The basic lines of among these are those for organization and training, policy of all three of these administrations are pre­ political propaganda, information, Komsomol, and scribed, not by the Commissariat, but by other Party members. agencies of the state. 4. MILITARY TRIBUNALS 2. COUNTERINTELLIGENCE The activities of military tribunals at all echelons In the establishment of the Main Administration down to divisions, excluding only corps, are super­ of Counterintelligence, the Red Army is made re­ vised, coordinated, and administered by the Main sponsible for the loyalty of all its personnel; for the Administration of Military Tribunals. The head security of the zone of operations, exclusive of rear of this administration is a Chief Procurator of the areas, against penetration by enemy agents; and for U. S. S. R., titled the Chief Procurator of Military the required personnel and organization. Tribunals. All procurators (attorney-generals) of Close cooperation with the Commissariats of In­ subordinate military tribunals are appointed by the ternal Affairs (NKVD) and State Security (NKGB) Chief Procurator, with the advice and approval of is mandatory, but the Administration is not opera­ the Commissariat of Defense. tionally subordinate to either. The Chief Procurator is responsible to the Mili­ Agencies subject to the control of this Adminis­ tary Collegium of the Supreme Soviet for the ap­ tration exist at all echelons of command in the field plication of Soviet law to military affairs and per­ army, down to and including companies. sonnel. The members of the Collegium are ap­ pointed by the Chairman of the Presidium of the 3. MAIN POLITICAL ADMINISTRATION Supreme Soviet. The Main Political Administration of the Red Army, The jurisdiction of the Military Tribunals ex­ subordinate to the Commissariat, is the chief agenc~T tends only to offenses against the laws of the Soviet of the Communist Party for control of the Red Army. Union as interpreted or applied to military affairs. It occupies a position of great power and influence. Military regulations and discipline which do not The Administration is best considered as the mili­ stem from the civil law and which apply only to Red tary branch of the Central Committee of the Com­ Army personnel, are not within the sphere of the munist Party, from which it receives its basic tribunals or of the Main Administration of Mili­ directives. tary Tribunals. Headed by a senior member of the Central Com­ mittee, it issues directives covering all political ac­ tivities in the combat zone and within the Army Section V. ADMINISTRATIONS FOR structure in all areas. Perhaps the most important PERSONNEL AND TRAINING function of the Administration is its supervisory con­ trol over all Party members in the Red Army and its 1. GENERAL reporting of their activities. The administration of personnel affairs, conscrip­ The Main Political Administration is charged with tion, training centers, schools and academies, the strengthening the Party and Komsomol (Commu­ selection of officers and noncommissioned officers, nist Youth or pre-Party) organizations in the Red and the administration of organizations for the mili­ Army, with psychological warfare and propaganda tary training of civilians is shared by a large num­ conducted by the army in the field, and with politi­ ber of agencies at commissariat level. (For further cal indoctrination of Red Army troops, partisans, details of this system, see Chapter II.)

1-26 I Mar 46 TM 30-430

However, four main administrations (with a cordance with the directives of the Commissariat. fifth subordinated to one of the four) are especially Tables of Organization and Equipment, worked charged with closely related responsibilities in this out by the Formations Division of the General Staff field. They are the Main Administration of Person­ and approved by the General Headquarters and the nel and its subordinate, the Main Administration of Commissariat (and the appropriate main admin­ Military Educational Institutions; the Main Admin­ istration if a unit of an arm is involved), are the istration for the Formation and Equipment of Units; basic directives for the GUFUV. Directives con­ the Main Administration for Universal Compulsory cerning the rate of formation are developed by this Military Training; and the Main Administration Main Administration in conjunction with the Chief for Pre-Military Training. These administrations Administration for Military Educational Institu­ are directly responsible for all but the purely tech­ tions, which supplies officer personnel. nical aspects of the activities of the military dis­ In addition to the processes of mobilization and tricts. The latter are controlled by the arms and expansion of the Red Army, GUFUV is charged services. with the recruiting and equipping of trained re­ 2. PERSONNEL placements for field units. Both the formation and The Main Administration of Personnel is concerned replacement processes are handled locally by the exclusively with officer personnel. It is charged military districts, under the direct supervision of with the maintenance of complete records on all the Main Administration for the Formation and officers in the Red Army, including their assign­ Equipment of Units. ments, military occupational specialties, schooling, 5. UNIVERSAL COMPULSORY MILITARY TRAIN- and qualifications. It assigns and promotes all offi­ ING cers up to and including the grade of lieutenant col­ The Main Administration for Universal Compulsory onel, except where such authority is partially Military Training of the Citizens of the U. S. S. R. delegated to the army group (front) Commander. (Vsevobuch) is charged with enforcement of the The Main Administration of Personnel also is State Defense Committee decree requiring military responsible for the activities of the Main Admin­ training for the duration of World War II for all istration for Military Educational Institutions, be­ citizens between the ages of 16 and 50. cause the latter is concerned primarily with officer The decree applies to all persons not members replacements. of the armed forces. All civil organizations, such 3. MILITARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS as factories, cultural societies, and agricultural com­ The Main Administration for Military Educational munities, are instruments for the application of the Institutions (GUVUZ), already mentioned as being decree. subordinate to the Main Administration of Person­ This organization may have been dissolved at nel, is charged with over-all responsibility for all the end of World War II. schools of the Red Army. Technical aspects of 6. PRE-MILITARY TRAINING training in the arms are the responsibility of the The Main Administration for Pre-Military Training appropriate main administrations. Administrative (literally, "for the Military Training of School problems are handled by the military districts in Children") was organized during World War II to which the institutions are located. administer a program of universal physical and Rates and standards for matriculation and grad­ military training through the primary and secondary uation of officers are set by the Main Administra­ schools for children in the first 10 grades (7 to 16 tion of Personnel on the basis of directives from years of age) . the General Headquarters, or, for minor adjust­ Although the proportion of military training has ments, from the Commissariat. been reduced since the end of the war, all school 4. FORMATION AND EQUIPMENT OF UNITS children of both sexes receive as much military The Main Administration for the Formation and training as is commensurate with their individual Equipment of Units (GUFUV) is concerned pri­ capabilities. Recruits with this training are pre­ marily with the formation of units and formations pared to continue full-scale army training immedi­ from available personnel or by conscription in ac- ately after induction.

1-27