The People's Commissariat of Defence of the Soviet Union () was the highest military department of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

from 1934 to 1946.

History

In the 1920–1930s, the highest military authority of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic/Soviet Union was called the

People's Commissariat for Military and Naval Affairs The People's Commissariat for Military and Naval Affairs of the Soviet Union was the central Military administration, body of military command and control of the Soviet Armed Forces, Armed Forces of the Soviet Union from November 12, 1923, to Marc ...

. On June 20, 1934, the

was transformed into the People's Commissariat of Defense of the Soviet Union. On December 30, 1937, the

People's Commissariat of the Navy of the Soviet Union The People's Commissariat of the Navy of the Soviet Union () was the central governing body that exercised leadership of the Soviet Navy from December 30, 1937, to February 25, 1946. The People's Commissariat was formed from the Navy Directorate of ...

was detached from it. On February 1, 1944, in connection with the adoption of the Law of the Soviet Union on the creation of military formations of the Union republics, the People's Commissariat of Defence of the Soviet Union was transformed from the All–Union People's Commissariat into the Union–Republican. The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic has created its own People's Commissariat of Defence. On February 25, 1946, by decree of the

Presidium A presidium or praesidium is a council of executive officers in some countries' political assemblies that collectively administers its business, either alongside an individual president or in place of one. The term is also sometimes used for the ...

of the

Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union The Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (SSUSSR) was the highest body of state authority of the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1936 to 1991. Based on the principle of unified power, it was the only branch of government in the So ...

, the People's Commissariat of Defence of the Soviet Union merged with the People's Commissariat of the Navy of the Soviet Union into a single Union–Republican People's Commissariat of the

Armed Forces of the Soviet Union The Armed Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, also known as the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union, the Red Army (1918–1946) and the Soviet Army (1946–1991), were the armed forces of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republi ...

. Under this name, the central authority was designated in documents for less than a month, since in accordance with the Law of the Soviet Union of March 15, 1946 on the transformation of the Councils of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union and Union Republics into Councils of Ministers, it was renamed the Ministry of Armed Forces of the Soviet Union. On February 25, 1947, in accordance with the aforementioned decisions, amendments were made to the Constitution of the Soviet Union. The printing organ of the People's Commissariat for Military and Naval Affairs in the part of the

General Staff A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, Enlisted rank, enlisted, and civilian staff who serve the commanding officer, commander of a ...

was the

Military Affairs Military science is the study of military processes, institutions, and behavior, along with the study of warfare, and the theory and application of organized coercive force. It is mainly focused on theory, method, and practice of producing mi ...

magazine. The central organ of the People's Commissariat of Defence of the Soviet Union to educate the commanding and rank-and-file staff of the Red Army, to promote combat training tasks and to develop advanced military thought was the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper.

People's Commissars

Kliment Voroshilov Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov ( ; ), popularly known as Klim Voroshilov (; 4 February 1881 – 2 December 1969), was a prominent Soviet Military of the Soviet Union, military officer and politician during the Stalinism, Stalin era (1924–195 ...

(June 20, 1934 – May 7, 1940) *

Semyon Timoshenko Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko (; ; – 31 March 1970) was a Soviet military commander, Marshal of the Soviet Union, and one of the most prominent Red Army commanders during the Second World War. Born to a Ukrainian family in Bessarabia, ...

(May 7, 1940 – July 19, 1941) *

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...

(July 19, 1941 – February 25, 1946)

Key Documents

Structure

On July 26, 1940

#General Staff of the Red Army, #General Directorate of Political Propaganda of the Red Army, #Main Directorate of the Air Forces of the Red Army, #Main Artillery Directorate of the Red Army, #Main Armored Directorate of the Red Army, #Main Military Engineering Directorate of the Red Army, #Main quartermaster department of the Red Army, #Department of combat training of the Red Army, #Air Defense Administration of the Red Army, #Office of Communications of the Red Army, #Office of the Military Chemical Defense of the Red Army, #Red Army Fuel Supply Administration, #Management of higher military educational institutions of the Red Army, #Department of military educational institutions of the Red Army, #Office of the Red Army #Sanitary Administration of the Red Army, #Veterinary Administration of the Red Army, #Office of the People’s Commissar of Defense, #Finance Department at the People’s Commissar of Defense.

References

Sources

*{{cite book , author=Valery Artsybashev , author2=Sergey Voitikov , display-authors=etal , date=2005 , title=The Command of the Red Army in 1940–1941. The Structure and Personnel of the Central Apparatus of the People's Commissariat of Defense of the Soviet Union, Military Districts and Combined Arms Armies , location=Moscow, Saint Petersburg , publisher=Summer Garden , pages=272 , isbn=5-94381-137-0

External links

List of Orders of the People's Commissar of Defense of the Soviet Union

on the Website of the Ministry of Defense of Russia Command and control