What military rank did Stalin have. Shoulder straps of the Generalissimo. The highest military rank. Military rank of I. V. Stalin

- - the highest military rank in the USSR, established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on June 26, 1945 ("Vedomosti of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR" 1945 No. 36). Rank of Generalissimo Soviet Union personally assigned by the Presidium of the Supreme ... ... Soviet legal dictionary

Armed Forces of the USSR ... Wikipedia

Title of Generalissimo of the Soviet Union- Generalissimo (from lat. generalissimus the most important) is the highest military rank in the armed forces of some countries. It was assigned to generals who commanded several, more often allied, armies during the war, and sometimes to persons from families ... ... Encyclopedia of Newsmakers

Main article: Marshal of the Soviet Union Mandatory insignia of the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union Marshal Star of the "large" type This list ... Wikipedia

Casual shoulder straps ... Wikipedia

- (new lat. generalissimus, excellent step from generalis general). A title given to the commander-in-chief of all troops in a state or several allied armies. Dictionary foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

The first bearer of the title Albrecht von Wallenstein Generalissimo (German: Generalissimus, image ... Wikipedia

generalissimo-, a, m. The highest military rank. * Generalissimo of the Soviet Union. ◘ In the USSR, the title of Generalissimo of the Soviet Union was introduced on 06/26/1945; was awarded to I.V. Stalin. BES, 286. His [fleet's] contribution to the cause of victory was noted with fine words in ... ... Dictionary the language of the Soviets

- (from lat. generalissimus the most important) the highest military rank in some countries. First introduced in 1569 in France. It has been known in Russia since the end of the 17th century. The title of G. of the Soviet Union was awarded only to I.V. Stalin. In the XX century. V foreign countries… … Law Dictionary

- (from lat. generalissimus the most important) the highest military rank in some countries. First introduced in 1569 in France. In Russia (from the end of the 17th century), F. Yu. Romodanovsky, A. S. Shein, A. D. Menshikov, Anton Ulrich had the title of Generalissimo ... ... Big encyclopedic Dictionary

Books

  • , . The book "Semenovtsy" continues the series "Regiments of the Russian Army". L.-Guards. The Semyonovsky regiment, like the Preobrazhensky regiment, was founded by Peter I and was part of the so-called Petrovsky brigade. His story is inseparable...
  • Semenovtsy. History, biography, memoirs, Alexander Bondarenko. Semenovtsy's book continues the series Regiments of the Russian Army. L.-Guards. The Semyonovsky regiment, like the Preobrazhensky regiment, was founded by Peter I and was part of the so-called Petrovsky brigade. His story is inseparable...

A list of which you will see below, more often received this rank as recognition of military merit. Finding a position was often an episode of a political career and was associated with military victories.

Generalissimo of Russian history

The word generalissimo can be translated from Latin as "the most important" or "the most important." In many countries of Europe and later Asia, this title was used as the highest military rank. The generalissimo was far from always a great commander, and the best of them won their greatest victories before gaining a high-profile position.

In the history of Russia, five commanders were awarded this highest military rank:

  • Alexey Semenovich Shein (1696).
  • Alexander Danilovich Menshikov (1727).
  • Anton Ulrich of Brunswick (1740).
  • Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov (1799).
  • Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (1945).

Who was first?

Aleksey Semenovich Shein in the historical literature is most often called the first generalissimo in the history of our country. This man has lived short life and was one of the associates of Peter I at the beginning of his accomplishments.

Alexey Shein came from a well-born boyar family. His great-grandfather, Mikhail Shein, was a hero of the defense of Smolensk during the Time of Troubles, and his father died during the war with Poland in 1657. Alexei Semenovich began his service in the Kremlin. He was a steward under Tsarevich Alexei Alekseevich, then - a sleeping bag of the king himself.

In 1679-1681 A.S. Shein was a governor in Tobolsk. Under his leadership, the city, which burned down in a fire, was restored anew. In 1682, Alexei Semenovich received the boyar rank. In 1687, the boyar took part in the Crimean campaign, and in 1695 - the first campaign against Azov.

In 1696, he led the Russian troops during the second campaign against the fortress of Azov. It was then that A.S. Shein received the title of "generalissimo", unusual for Russia. However, the researchers of his biography N.N. Sakhnovsky and V.N. Tomenko questioned this fact. In their opinion, the tsar ordered Shein to be called generalissimo only during the campaign, and the name indicated only the powers of Alexei Semenovich as commander in chief ground forces. After the end of the campaign against Azov, A.S. Shein did not retain the title of generalissimo given to him for the duration of the hostilities. If we accept this point of view, A.D. Menshikov.

Alexander Menshikov went down in history as the closest associate of the first emperor of Russia and one of the greatest generals of his time. He was directly involved in the military reforms of Peter I, starting with the amusing troops. And in 1706 he defeated the Swedes in the battle of Kalisz, participated as one commander in the victorious battles of Lesnaya and Poltava. For his military merits, Alexander Menshikov rose to the rank of President of the Military Collegium and Field Marshal.

For the first time, the commander tried to claim the highest military rank in the reign of Catherine I, when he had exclusive power. He was able to receive the rank of generalissimo under her successor Peter II, when he still had influence on the tsar.

The Saxon ambassador Lefort recalled the staging of this action. The young emperor entered the chambers of the Most Serene Prince and with the words "I destroyed the field marshal" handed him a decree on the appointment of a generalissimo. At this time, the Russian Empire did not wage wars, and the prince did not have a chance to command the armies in his new capacity.

The bestowal of a military rank was one of a whole series of awards that rained down on the Most Serene Prince and his family that year. The most important was the betrothal of his daughter to the emperor. But already in September 1727, Menshikov lost the fight for the location of the monarch and lost all awards and ranks, including the title of generalissimo. The following year, an associate of Peter I was exiled to Berezovo, where he died in November 1729.

Anton Ulrich was the second son of the Duke of Brunswick and nephew famous king Friedrich II. In 1733 he was summoned to Russia, and a few years later became the husband of Anna Leopoldovna, the niece of the Empress of Russia.

In 1740, after the death of Empress Anna Ioannovna, the young son of Anton Ulrich became emperor. The temporary worker of the last reign, Biron, became regent under the baby ruler, and Anton Ulrich was actually removed from making serious government decisions.

Biron feared for his position and, fearing a conspiracy, subjected the emperor's father to an interrogation in public. Anton Ulrich was forced to admit that he wanted to remove the temporary worker from power. Then Biron defiantly offered the highest dignitaries a choice between the prince and himself, and they preferred the acting regent. Head of the Secret Chancellery A.I. Ushakov threatened the emperor's father that, if necessary, he would treat him like any other subject. After that, Anton Ulrich lost all military positions.

On November 7, 1740, Field Marshal Munnich organized a coup and arrested Biron. Contemporaries wrote that Minich, who had previously supported the regent, hoped to receive the rank of generalissimo. But under the new regime, the best Russian commander of his time again did not receive the highest military rank.

Two days later, on November 9, a new manifesto was issued on behalf of Ivan Antonovich. It reported that Biron was suspended, including for insults and threats that he made to the father of the emperor. The powers of the regent were received by the wife of Anton Ulrich, Anna Leopoldovna, and the German prince himself was declared co-ruler and generalissimo.

Anton Ulrich remained Generalissimo until the next palace coup, which brought Empress Elisabeth to power. During the year of being at the highest rank, the prince did nothing. He only quarreled with Minich, who counted on this rank himself and later retired from business.

After the coup on November 25, 1741, Anton Ulrich lost all his ranks and found himself in the position of a hostage. He lived with his wife and children in the northern provinces of the country. In 1744 he was separated from his son-emperor and transferred to live in Kholmogory. In 1746 his wife died, and he and his remaining children continued to live as an exile. In 1774, the aged and blind former generalissimo died. A few years later, Empress Catherine allowed his children to leave Russia and gave them a financial allowance.

Alexander Vasilievich Suvorov became famous as the greatest Russian commander of his time and one of the greatest in Russian history. During his long military career, he successfully fought against the rebellious Poles, the Ottoman Empire, and revolutionary France. He received the highest military rank less than a year before his death, after his last military campaign.

In November 1799, after the completion of the difficult Swiss campaign, Alexander Suvorov was awarded the highest military rank by the Emperor of Russia as a reward for his service and military leadership. From now on, the military board was supposed to send the commander not decrees, but messages.

The Generalissimo withdrew troops from Switzerland by order of the emperor and returned with them to Russia. When the army was in Poland, Suvorov went ahead to the capital. On the way, the generalissimo fell ill and went to his estate. His condition changed for the better, then worsened. And in May 1800, Generalissimo Alexander Suvorov died.

The decree on the introduction of the highest military rank of generalissimo into the USSR appeared on June 24, 1945. A day later, at the suggestion of the Politburo, this rank was given to I.V. Stalin. The title of generalissimo was a sign of recognition of the merits of the general secretary during the war years. In addition to the highest military rank, Joseph Vissarionovich received the title of "Hero of the Soviet Union" and the Order of Victory. According to the memoirs of contemporaries of the events, the leader of the USSR several times refused to introduce this rank.

Home front service Soviet army developed uniforms and insignia new position. They were not approved during the lifetime of the Secretary General, who, if necessary, wore the uniform of a general of the USSR with marshal's shoulder straps. One of the options for the dress uniform of the Generalissimo was rejected by Stalin, who considered it too luxurious.

The military charter of the USSR after the death of Joseph Vissarionovich allowed for the possibility of anyone accepting the title of generalissimo, but no one else was honored with this rank. The Charter of 1975 allowed the awarding of the title of Generalissimo for special services to the country related to the leadership of all armed forces in war time. The title of generalissimo was not introduced into the military charter.

The military and ordinary citizens of the USSR have repeatedly made proposals to give the title of generalissimo to the current general secretaries - N.S. Khrushchev and L.I. Brezhnev. But they did not receive an official move.

Not all the generalissimos of Russia and the USSR, the list of which was higher, became famous as major commanders. But for all of them (except Shein), the title of generalissimo was nothing more than an additional award or recognition of military merit.

The title of Generalissimo was known during the Soviet Union. The rank of generalissimo appeared in 1945; according to the law, a soldier had the right to command all the Armed Forces of the USSR. The Politburo nominated Stalin for this post, explaining this decision by his great merits in the Second World War. The victory of the USSR was hard, but as they say, the winners are not judged, but awarded, so Stalin was also awarded the Order of Victory and the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

According to historians, the rank of Generalissimo was previously discussed by the Politburo several times, but Stalin considered this unnecessary. The Commander-in-Chief changed his mind after the words of Marshal of the USSR Rokossovsky, who did not want to carry out one of Stalin's orders, appealing that they had the same ranks.

Appearance of the Generalissimo

The rear service of the Red Army was engaged in the development of the full dress and everyday uniforms of the highest military rank, but shoulder straps were never introduced during Stalin's lifetime. After the ruler died, there was no longer a need for shoulder straps, and the project was curtailed. The tailors, together with the rear service, suggested several options for shoulder straps and uniforms for the commander in chief:

  • a uniform decorated with epaulettes, which depicted the coat of arms of the USSR along with one five-pointed star, decorated in a wreath made of oak leaves;
  • shoulder straps were also placed on special winter outerwear;
  • a special uniform was designed for riding horses, it looked like a general's uniform of the 19th century.

During his lifetime, Stalin cut off all these proposals, considering the wardrobe too pretentious, catchy, outdated and out of date.

In 2017, the outfits that the Commander-in-Chief could wear are stored in the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War in the capital of Russia, this museum is located on Poklonnaya Hill.

On the shoulder straps of military officers of other ranks there are several insignia, while it is important that a certain distance is measured between the stars - mainly 25 mm. But since only one star was planned on Stalin's shoulder straps, such nuances were not taken into account.

Eyewitnesses who spoke with Stalin more than once note his unsurpassed strict style of clothing:

  1. The generalissimo had shoulder straps of the Marshal of the USSR, the uniform general's tunic of a traditional cut suited him very well. How shoulder straps looked can be seen in the photo.
  2. The light gray jacket always had 4 pockets and a turn-down collar.
  3. The buttonholes were made according to the general format of the overcoat type - in a red tint with gold borders and buttons.

The described form was considered a parade-out, it was in such a tunic that Stalin was depicted in portraits and posters.

Where did the title of Generalissimo go?

Molotov later claimed that Stalin had repeatedly expressed indignation at his decision to be commander in chief. The ruler complained about the pressure from outside, but could no longer refuse the honorary title he had been awarded. After the death of Stalin, no one else was the Generalissimo, but this rank was preserved in the statutes until 1993.

He acted in a formal form in the Russian Federation until January 1, 1993, after which the charter of the internal service of the RF Armed Forces was introduced on a temporary basis, and the generalissimo sank into oblivion. Sometimes a reminder of an unusual title still flashed, for example, history knows the facts when Khrushchev, and then Brezhnev, claimed this post.

How to become an army general

One of the highest ranks of the military is a general. Of course, only a few become generals, but having a great goal in front of you, even if you don’t achieve what you want, you won’t remain captains either. First determine why you need an army - if such a desire is dictated by total unemployment and good physical shape, it is better not to rush. Moreover, from 2004 to 2020, the Russian government is conducting a total purge among the ranks of the military, not allowing hacks and people who do not understand anything about the military profession.

If you want to rise to the highest ranks in the army, get ready to go through a thorny and long path:

  1. It is advisable to enter as a teenager military school. Military education they don’t give it to just anyone - the admissions committee will have to prove that you are a capable, disciplined and courageous student. To do this, you must pass a series of tests and provide required list documents, ranging from an autobiography, testimonials from school teachers, ending with a medical certificate of professional suitability.
  2. After receiving a red diploma, you will definitely need to enter a university. The average and senior officers of Russia are far from being illiterate; these people draw up combat strategies, are distinguished by ingenuity and a quick mind.
  3. Ahead are coming long years services. If you want to become a general, you need to move from rank to rank, not be afraid to be a leader, take responsibility, become an active and loyal comrade for colleagues.

If there is no desire to enter a military school, this item can be skipped. If a young man goes to the army after school on conscription, he has the right to apply to the university later, but by this time he will already know what the army is and what he will have to devote his whole life to. An important nuance - they will not be admitted to a military university if you already have a diploma from another higher education. But this does not mean at all that you will have to give up a military career - many civilian specialties in the army are very valuable.

What you should not do is to be careless, inattentive, undisciplined - any oversight can harm your career. If an outstanding criminal record “hung” on you, about passing military service all that's left is to dream.

How to get promoted to police general

If you are annoyed by the problems of strangers, then you definitely should not serve in the police. Only with charisma, perseverance, masculinity and assertiveness, a kind but strong heart, one can achieve great ranks and titles. This takes into account several important factors:

  • qualification;
  • education - higher education is quoted the most;
  • attitude to service, activity;
  • current position and success in work.

70 years ago, on June 26, 1945, the title of "Generalissimo of the Soviet Union" was introduced in the USSR. Introduced by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of June 26, 1945 on the basis of consideration of the collective petition of workers, engineering and technical workers and employees of the Moscow Ressora plant of February 6, 1943 and the proposal of the commanders of the fronts, General Staff red army, Navy dated June 24, 1945

The next day, June 27, 1945, at the suggestion of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks and the written submission of the front commanders, the title was awarded to Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin "in commemoration of exceptional merits in the Great Patriotic War." In addition, Joseph Vissarionovich was awarded the Order of Victory and he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Generalissimo of Russia

In the entire history of existence in Russia, only five people have been awarded this highest title. For the first time, the title of generalissimo (from Latin generalissimus - “the most important”) was awarded in 1569 in France to the Duke of Anjou (later King Henry III). In France, the term "generalissimo" meant an honorary military title, which was given to persons of the ruling dynasties and the most prominent statesmen. In the Holy Roman Empire Austrian Empire and England it was the position of commander active army in time of war or the commander-in-chief of all the troops of the state. In Russia and Spain, it was an honorary highest military rank.

In Russia, the word "generalissimo" appeared during the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Foreign officers serving in the Russian Amiya used to address the Great Governor, who was considered the commander of the army. Tsar Peter Alekseevich in 1696 for the first time granted the title of generalissimo to the voivode Alexei Semyonovich Shein. Aleksey Shein came from an old boyar family and was noted by Peter for his successes in the Azov campaigns of 1695-1696, which ended with the capture of the Turkish fortress of Azov. During the first, unsuccessful Azov campaign, Aleksey Shein commanded the guards - the Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky regiments. During the second Azov campaign, in 1696, the Russian governor was the commander ground forces. After that, the tsar appointed Shein commander-in-chief of the Russian army, commander of artillery, cavalry and head of the Inozemsky order. Shein was responsible for the southern strategic direction, fought the Turks and the Crimean Tatars. However, Shein soon fell out of favor (due to the case of the archers) and died in 1700.

Officially, the military rank of Generalissimo in the Russian state was introduced by the Military Regulations of 1716. Therefore, formally, the first generalissimo of Russia was the "chick of Petrov's nest", the royal favorite Alexander Danilovich Menshikov. It was a controversial person. On the one hand, he was Peter's faithful companion for a long time, fought successfully, played a big role in the decisive battle of Poltava, where he commanded first the vanguard, and then the left flank of the Russian army. At Perevolochna, he forced the remaining Swedish troops to capitulate. On the other hand, he was power-hungry, and greedy for money and wealth. In terms of the number of serfs, he became the second soul owner in Russia after Tsar Peter. Menshikov was repeatedly convicted of embezzlement. Peter let this go for a long time, recognizing his services to the Fatherland and under the influence of his wife Catherine. However, at the end of Peter's reign, Menshikov fell into disgrace, he was deprived of his main posts.

Under Peter Menshikov did not receive the title of Generalissimo. After the death of Peter, he was able to become the de facto ruler of Russia under Catherine I and Peter II. When on May 6 (17), 1727, Peter II Alekseevich became the third All-Russian emperor, Menshikov received the rank of full admiral. And on May 12 he was awarded the title of Generalissimo. As a result, Menshikov received the rank of generalissimo not in recognition of military merits, but as a favor of the tsar. However, Menshikov was defeated in the fight against other dignitaries and nobles. In September 1727, Menshikov was arrested and exiled. He was stripped of all awards and positions.

The next generalissimo, Prince Anton Ulrich of Brunswick, also did not have any special merits before Russia, which would be worth noting with such a sign of attention. Anton Ulrich was the husband of Anna Leopoldovna. When Anna Leopoldovna became regent (ruler) Russian Empire under the young emperor Ivan VI, her husband received the highest military rank on November 11, 1740. This happened after a palace coup that ended Biron's reign.

Anton Ulrik did not possess, unlike the same Menshikov, any managerial and military talents, he was a soft and limited person. Therefore, he was unable to protect his family. On the night of December 5-6, 1741, another palace coup: The Braunschweig family was overthrown, Elizaveta Petrovna ascended the throne. Anton Ulrik was stripped of all ranks and titles and sent into exile with his entire family.

October 28, 1799 Generalissimo of the Russian land and naval forces became the great Russian commander Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov. He was awarded by Emperor Pavel in honor of the legendary Swiss campaign of 1799, when the Russian miraculous heroes of Suvorov defeated not only the French, but also the mountains. Alexander Suvorov rightfully received this title. He did not lose a single battle, smashed the Poles, Ottomans and French. Suvorov was the author of "The Science of Victory", a brief instruction to soldiers, where the Russian spirit was expressed, allowing you to emerge victorious in the most difficult conditions. The commanders of the Suvorov school were M. I. Kutuzov, P. I. Bagration and others.

Supreme

After the generalissimos of the 18th century, no one else was awarded the highest military rank in Russia, although the Russian army still fought a lot. Winner great army Napoleon Mikhail Kutuzov was awarded the rank of Field Marshal for distinction at Borodino. Even such greatest war like the First World War, did not lead to the emergence of Russian generalissimo. After the October Revolution of 1917, the former military ranks were abolished, and with them the title of generalissimo.

Only during the most terrible and bloody war of the 20th century - the Great Patriotic War, which became sacred for Russia-USSR, since it was a question of the survival of Russian civilization and the Russian superethnos, returned to the idea of ​​reviving this title. After the Great Patriotic War, on June 26, 1945, the highest military rank "Generalissimo of the Soviet Union" was introduced by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, and on June 27 it was awarded to Joseph Stalin, who during the war years was the Soviet Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

With the assignment of the title of Generalissimo to Stalin is very interesting legend. As you know, Stalin was indifferent to titles and signs of power, he lived modestly, even ascetically. The Supreme did not like sycophants, believing that helpful bastards are worse than obvious enemies. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, the issue of conferring the title of Generalissimo to Stalin was discussed several times, but the “leader of the peoples” constantly rejected this proposal. At the same time, senior military leaders especially insisted on the revival of this title, for them the hierarchy was of great importance. One of these discussions took place in the presence of Stalin. Marshal of the Soviet Union Konev recalled that Stalin reacted as follows: “Do you want to assign a generalissimo to Comrade Stalin? Why does Comrade Stalin need this? Comrade Stalin does not need this. Comrade Stalin already has authority. You need titles for authority. Just think, they found a title for Comrade Stalin - Generalissimo. Chiang Kai-shek - Generalissimo, Franco Generalissimo. Nothing to say, good company for Comrade Stalin. You are marshals, and I am a marshal, do you want to put me out of the marshals? Some kind of generalissimo?..” Thus, Stalin gave a categorical refusal.

However, the marshals continued to insist and decided to exert influence through Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky, one of Stalin's favorite commanders. Rokossovsky was able to convince Marshal Stalin with a simple but correct argument showing the military hierarchy. He said: “Comrade Stalin, you are a marshal and I am a marshal, you cannot punish me!” As a result, Stalin surrendered. Although later, according to Molotov, he repented of this decision: “Stalin regretted that he had agreed to the generalissimo. He always regretted. And rightly so. This was overdone by Kaganovich, Beria ... Well, the commanders insisted.

Although, to be honest, he reproached himself in vain. Stalin deserved this high title. His enormous, simply titanic work still affects the position of Russia as a great power.

Joseph Stalin was the only generalissimo in the history of Russia who not only had the highest military rank of the country, but was also its leader. Under his leadership, Russia-USSR was prepared for war: the army, economy and society. The Union became the most powerful industrial power, which not only managed to survive the war with almost all of Europe, led by Nazi Germany, but also won a brilliant victory. The Soviet armed forces became the most powerful force on the planet. And the Soviet Union became a superpower that was the world leader in the field of science and advanced technologies, education and culture, leading humanity into the future. The Red Empire then was a kind of "beacon" for the entire planet, instilling hope in humanity for a brighter future.

After Stalin, the title of Generalissimo of the Soviet Union was not awarded, but was listed in the statutes until 1993. In 1993, along with other separate military ranks Armed Forces USSR, the title of Generalissimo of the Soviet Union was not included in the list of military ranks of the Russian Armed Forces.

70 years ago, on June 26, 1945, the title of "Generalissimo of the Soviet Union" was introduced in the USSR. Introduced by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of June 26, 1945, based on the consideration of the collective petition of workers, engineering and technical workers and employees of the Moscow plant "Ressora" of February 6, 1943 and the proposal of the commanders of the fronts, the General Staff of the Red Army, the Navy dated June 24, 1945

The next day, June 27, 1945, at the suggestion of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks and the written submission of the front commanders, the title was awarded to Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin "in commemoration of exceptional merits in the Great Patriotic War." In addition, Joseph Vissarionovich was awarded the Order of Victory and he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.


Generalissimo of Russia

In the entire history of existence in Russia, only five people have been awarded this highest title. For the first time, the title of generalissimo (from Latin generalissimus - “the most important”) was awarded in 1569 in France to the Duke of Anjou (later King Henry III). In France, the term "generalissimo" meant an honorary military title, which was given to persons of the ruling dynasties and the most prominent statesmen. In the Holy Roman Empire, the Austrian Empire and England, this was the position of the commander of the active army in time of war or the commander-in-chief of all the troops of the state. In Russia and Spain, it was an honorary highest military rank.

In Russia, the word "generalissimo" appeared during the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Foreign officers serving in the Russian Amiya used to address the Great Governor, who was considered the commander of the army. Tsar Peter Alekseevich in 1696 for the first time granted the title of generalissimo to the voivode Alexei Semyonovich Shein. Aleksey Shein came from an old boyar family and was noted by Peter for his successes in the Azov campaigns of 1695-1696, which ended with the capture of the Turkish fortress of Azov. During the first, unsuccessful Azov campaign, Aleksey Shein commanded the guards - the Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky regiments. During the second Azov campaign, in 1696, the Russian governor was the commander of the ground forces. After that, the tsar appointed Shein commander-in-chief of the Russian army, commander of artillery, cavalry and head of the Inozemsky order. Shein was responsible for the southern strategic direction, fought the Turks and the Crimean Tatars. However, Shein soon fell out of favor (due to the case of the archers) and died in 1700.

Officially, the military rank of Generalissimo in the Russian state was introduced by the Military Regulations of 1716. Therefore, formally, the first generalissimo of Russia was the "chick of Petrov's nest", the royal favorite Alexander Danilovich Menshikov. It was a controversial person. On the one hand, he was Peter's faithful companion for a long time, fought successfully, played a big role in the decisive battle of Poltava, where he commanded first the vanguard, and then the left flank of the Russian army. At Perevolochna, he forced the remaining Swedish troops to capitulate. On the other hand, he was power-hungry, and greedy for money and wealth. In terms of the number of serfs, he became the second soul owner in Russia after Tsar Peter. Menshikov was repeatedly convicted of embezzlement. Peter let this go for a long time, recognizing his services to the Fatherland and under the influence of his wife Catherine. However, at the end of Peter's reign, Menshikov fell into disgrace, he was deprived of his main posts.

Under Peter Menshikov did not receive the title of Generalissimo. After the death of Peter, he was able to become the de facto ruler of Russia under Catherine I and Peter II. When on May 6 (17), 1727, Peter II Alekseevich became the third All-Russian emperor, Menshikov received the rank of full admiral. And on May 12 he was awarded the title of Generalissimo. As a result, Menshikov received the rank of generalissimo not in recognition of military merits, but as a favor of the tsar. However, Menshikov was defeated in the fight against other dignitaries and nobles. In September 1727, Menshikov was arrested and exiled. He was stripped of all awards and positions.

The next generalissimo, Prince Anton Ulrich of Brunswick, also did not have any special merits before Russia, which would be worth noting with such a sign of attention. Anton Ulrich was the husband of Anna Leopoldovna. When Anna Leopoldovna became the regent (ruler) of the Russian Empire under the young emperor Ivan VI, her husband received the highest military rank on November 11, 1740. This happened after a palace coup that ended Biron's reign.

Anton Ulrik did not possess, unlike the same Menshikov, any managerial and military talents, he was a soft and limited person. Therefore, he was unable to protect his family. On the night of December 5-6, 1741, another palace coup took place in Russia: the Braunschweig family was overthrown, and Elizaveta Petrovna ascended the throne. Anton Ulrik was stripped of all ranks and titles and sent into exile with his entire family.

On October 28, 1799, the great Russian commander Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov became Generalissimo of the Russian land and sea forces. He was awarded by Emperor Pavel in honor of the legendary Swiss campaign of 1799, when the Russian miraculous heroes of Suvorov defeated not only the French, but also the mountains. Alexander Suvorov rightfully received this title. He did not lose a single battle, smashed the Poles, Ottomans and French. Suvorov was the author of "The Science of Victory", a brief instruction to soldiers, where the Russian spirit was expressed, allowing you to emerge victorious in the most difficult conditions. The commanders of the Suvorov school were M. I. Kutuzov, P. I. Bagration and others.

Supreme

After the generalissimos of the 18th century, no one else was awarded the highest military rank in Russia, although the Russian army still fought a lot. The winner of Napoleon's Great Army, Mikhail Kutuzov, was awarded the rank of Field Marshal for his distinction at Borodino. Even such a great war as the First World War did not lead to the appearance of Russian generalissimos. After the October Revolution of 1917, the former military ranks were abolished, and with them the title of generalissimo.

Only during the most terrible and bloody war of the 20th century - the Great Patriotic War, which became sacred for Russia-USSR, since it was a question of the survival of Russian civilization and the Russian superethnos, did they return to the idea of ​​reviving this title. After the Great Patriotic War, on June 26, 1945, the highest military rank "Generalissimo of the Soviet Union" was introduced by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, and on June 27 it was awarded to Joseph Stalin, who during the war years was the Soviet Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

A very interesting legend is connected with the assignment of the title of Generalissimo to Stalin. As you know, Stalin was indifferent to titles and signs of power, he lived modestly, even ascetically. The Supreme did not like sycophants, believing that helpful bastards are worse than obvious enemies. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, the issue of conferring the title of Generalissimo to Stalin was discussed several times, but the “leader of the peoples” constantly rejected this proposal. At the same time, senior military leaders especially insisted on the revival of this title, for them the hierarchy was of great importance. One of these discussions took place in the presence of Stalin. Marshal of the Soviet Union Konev recalled that Stalin reacted as follows: “Do you want to assign a generalissimo to Comrade Stalin? Why does Comrade Stalin need this? Comrade Stalin does not need this. Comrade Stalin already has authority. You need titles for authority. Just think, they found a title for Comrade Stalin - Generalissimo. Chiang Kai-shek - Generalissimo, Franco Generalissimo. Nothing to say, good company for Comrade Stalin. You are marshals, and I am a marshal, do you want to put me out of the marshals? Some kind of generalissimo?..” Thus, Stalin gave a categorical refusal.

However, the marshals continued to insist and decided to exert influence through Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky, one of Stalin's favorite commanders. Rokossovsky was able to convince Marshal Stalin with a simple but correct argument showing the military hierarchy. He said: “Comrade Stalin, you are a marshal and I am a marshal, you cannot punish me!” As a result, Stalin surrendered. Although later, according to Molotov, he repented of this decision: “Stalin regretted that he had agreed to the generalissimo. He always regretted. And rightly so. This was overdone by Kaganovich, Beria ... Well, the commanders insisted.

Although, to be honest, he reproached himself in vain. Stalin deserved this high title. His enormous, simply titanic work still affects the position of Russia as a great power.

Joseph Stalin was the only generalissimo in the history of Russia who not only had the highest military rank of the country, but was also its leader. Under his leadership, Russia-USSR was prepared for war: the army, economy and society. The Union became the most powerful industrial power, which not only managed to survive the war with almost all of Europe, led by Nazi Germany, but also won a brilliant victory. The Soviet armed forces became the most powerful force on the planet. And the Soviet Union became a superpower that was a world leader in the field of science and advanced technologies, education and culture, leading humanity into the future. The Red Empire then was a kind of "beacon" for the entire planet, instilling hope in humanity for a brighter future.

After Stalin, the title of Generalissimo of the Soviet Union was not awarded, but was listed in the statutes until 1993. In 1993, along with other individual military ranks of the Armed Forces of the USSR, the title of Generalissimo of the Soviet Union was not included in the list of military ranks of the Russian Armed Forces.

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