Soviet Army
The Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union (Russian: сухопутные войска, tr. Sovetskiye sukhoputnye voyska) was the land warfare service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces from 1946 to 1992. In English it was often referred to as the Soviet Army.
| Soviet Army | |
|---|---|
| Советская армия | |
Emblem of the Soviet Army | |
| Founded | 25 February 1946 |
| Disbanded | 14 February 1992 |
| Country |
|
| Type | Army |
| Role | Land warfare |
| Size |
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| Nickname(s) | "Red Army" |
| Motto(s) | За нашу Советскую Родину! Za nashu Sovetskuyu Rodinu! "For our Soviet Motherland!" |
| Colors | Red and yellow |
| Equipment |
|
| Engagements |
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| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Georgy Zhukov |
Until 25 February 1946, it was known as the Red Army. In Russian, the term armiya (army) was often used to cover the Strategic Rocket Forces first in traditional Soviet order of precedence; the Ground Forces, second; the Air Defence Forces, third, the Air Forces, fourth, and the Soviet Navy, fifth, among the branches of the Soviet Armed Forces as a whole.
After the Soviet Union ceased to exist in December 1991, the Ground Forces remained under the command of the Commonwealth of Independent States until it was formally abolished on 14 February 1992. The Soviet Ground Forces were principally succeeded by the Ground Forces of the Russian Federation in Russian territory; beyond, many units and formations were taken over by the post-Soviet states; some were withdrawn to Russia, and some dissolved amid conflict, notably in the Caucasus.