The wake of the generals of the Russian army, likeSoviet, preserved the continuity of pre-revolutionary Russian insignia. The main element that distinguishes them are zigzags. During the Civil War, there were cases when colonels were recognized directly on the front lines about the appropriation of high rank, and before drawing attack they drew polylines directly on old shoulder straps with chalk.
In the tsarist army there were four highercommanding titles. He was a general-field marshal (shoulder straps with zigzags and crossed staffs), a general from infantry, cavalry and other combat arms, also called a "full general" (shoulder straps with zigzags without stars), lieutenant general (three stars above zigzags) and general- major (two stars).
In February 1917, revolutionary soldiers and sailors, instigated by agitators, tore off their former bosses' hated symbols of "old power" from the shoulders of their former bosses.
After a long break in 1943 in theThe Soviet Army was again introduced traditional for Russia marks of difference. The rank of Major-General, as before 1917, was the first and the youngest among the generals. Then, according to the increasing number of stars, lieutenant-general and colonel-general walked.
Signs of distinction between senior commandersremained almost unchanged. The exception is only the epaulettes of the army general, whose appearance has changed several times already. The rank is really intermediate, and the service duties are so close to the marshals that the line between these two military ranks sometimes became indistinguishable.
The general army riders with four stars wereThe title, after which already and to the marshal not far. During the Great Patriotic War, commanders in this rank, as a rule, served as deputy commander of the front.
In 1974, the insignia of the highest commandthe composition of the Soviet Army underwent some changes. The reasons for this were - the status and responsibilities of the marshal and the army general were virtually identical. In addition, unlike the war years, in those years, later named "stagnant", the next rank was not attributed to the special abilities and personal qualities shown in the course of command and control, but by the length of service, or even just by the jubilee. As if alluding to the prospect of career growth, a single star fell on the new epaulettes of the army general, but how! Marshal's! Next to it is a motorized rifle emblem. Such insignia lasted in the armed forces of the USSR, and then the Russian Federation for twenty years.
In 1993, the rank of marshal in the Russian armed forces was abolished, and in 1997 the shoulder straps of the army general again became four-star, as in 1943.
In 2013 the pendulum again swung to the sidemarshal's stars. It is possible that one big star is more beautiful than four smaller ones. It is not ruled out that in this way they try to mislead the intelligence of countries-likely adversaries. It can also be assumed that aesthetic representations play a significant role in the selection of the style of the insignia. The fact remains - today the epaulettes of the army general again resemble the marshal's. Will they change in the future, is not yet very clear.
