Reading literature, watching films or programs on military topics, an ordinary person constantly encounters the names of various military formations that are not entirely clear to him. Any military man will immediately understand what is at stake, what kind of troops is represented by this military formation, what is the number of soldiers, what tasks he performs on the battlefield. For civilians, such information is not familiar due to their ignorance. The division also refers to such terms unfamiliar to the average person.
Meaning of the term "division"
Division is one of the main tactical military formations. It combines different types of troops, but one of them still prevails. The structures of, for example, a tank and motorized rifle division are fully consistent with each other. The only difference is that a tank regiment consists of two or three tank regiments and one motorized rifle regiment. But in the motorized rifle - exactly the opposite. It consists of two or three motorized rifle regiments and only one tank regiment. But in addition to these regiments, the division also accommodates companies and battalions of other military branches. For example, an automobile battalion or a chemical protection company.
The modern army of the Russian Federation has in itsconsisting of such divisions as missile, tank, airborne, aviation, artillery and motorized rifle divisions. The division for other branches of the military is not the largest formation. Either a regiment or a brigade predominates there. The division commander is an important person in her life. They can become a military man with the rank of major general.
Historical necessity
The 20th century was marked for mankind by many wonderful achievements in the field of science. But the terrible side of this century was two global wars that affected more than one country. In such wartime, people measured the military strength and potential of other states by the number of divisions. The defense of each country was built precisely on this military formation, and not only defense. A large number of divisions could increase the importance of any country among other states. Division is a variable concept. That is, in each country, the number of people and weapons that formed the division was different. Therefore, a comparison of the military potential of countries on this basis at the present stage is considered incorrect.
Divisions of the Soviet Union during the war
Divisions in the USSR before the Great Patriotic War were one of the main military formations. The number of such tactical units in the entire Red Army throughout the war totaled 132 divisions. The number of personnel of each of them was about 15 thousand people. The armament and technical equipment of the divisions was only slightly inferior to those of the Germanarmy. Also, each of them was reinforced with 16 tanks and armored vehicles, which significantly increased the combat power. Due to the time, the divisions also had horses in their composition, the number of which reached 1100 individuals. Insufficient funding of the army led to a drop in the power level of the division as a tactical military unit. But the war forced the country to activate all forces, including financial ones. The divisions received the missing resources, including the replenishment of personnel. This helped a lot in a positive resolution of the situation at the front.
Regiment and division - what's the difference?
As in the days of the USSR, and in the modern Russian army, the regiment is a key military formation. If we consider the regiment from the economic side, it immediately becomes clear that it is completely autonomous in this regard. Most often, the commander of the regiment is a colonel. The predominant branch of service gives the name to the regiment, although it includes more than one branch of service. The largest and most important formation is the division. The regiment is included in its composition, connecting with other regiments, companies and divisions. In contrast to the division, the predominance of a certain type of troops is very pronounced. The regiment can contain 200-900 personnel in its ranks.
Division and brigade
The brigade serves as an intermediate link between the regiment and the division. In many states of the world, it is also referred to as the main military formations. In its structure, the brigade is very reminiscent of the regiment, but the number of units included in itmuch bigger. The personnel of the brigade is 2-8 thousand people. The main in this tactical formation, as in the regiment, is the colonel. A division is a larger formation. It has its own headquarters for the coordination of military operations, units and units. The brigade is considered a more flexible and simple formation, in contrast to the division. This led to the fact that the Russian army was transferred to the brigade structure. Divisions survived only in a few branches of the military.
Division Command
As mentioned earlier, a major general is at the helm of the division. This military rank is common in many countries of the world, including the Russian Federation. The major general is a member of the senior officer corps. On the career ladder, he is located between the colonel and the lieutenant general.
The post of division commander appeared after the reform of the military forces in 1924. It was a typical command position. In 1935, after the decision of the Central Executive Committee, the personal rank of "division commander" was introduced, that is, divisional commander. In the hierarchical structure of the Red Army, the division commander stood above the brigade commander (brigade commander) and below the commander (corps commander). This title lasted until 1940, when it was abolished, again becoming just a position.
Guards division - what is it?
The Guards Division was considered one of the most elite military formations. The most responsible and difficult tasks were entrusted to her. The guard as an elite part of the army appeared in the era of slavery. The concept of "guard" in a close to modern sensewas first used in the 12th century in Italy. This was the name of a detachment of soldiers guarding the state banner. This innovation was adopted by Peter I. He created the first regiments of the guard in 1690.
During the Second World War, the divisions, which were called guards, were considered the best military units. They were awarded the title of "Guards" for their special courage and heroism, as well as for their ability to masterfully fight.
In September 1941, by order of the People's Commissar of the USSR, even rifle divisions were transformed into guards. Subsequently, this day became the day of the Guard. For example, the 42nd Guards Rifle Division inherited its high rank from the First Guards Rifle Brigade. Each such division was given a banner that had special meaning for them. In addition, monetary remuneration for service in such a unit also increased. The salary of chiefs was increased by 1.5 times, privates - by 2 times.
In 1942, a new decree was issued, in which, among other things, a special badge "Guard" was established. It was worn on the right side of the chest.
Airborne troops
The airborne division is part of a special kind of troops that have the ability to operate behind enemy lines. This type of troops was created in order to counteract the enemy, destroying, among other things, their nuclear weapons and command posts. The Airborne Forces, acting in the rear, should help both the ground forces and the sailors. The equipment of such divisions is the most modern, the types of weapons are diverse. In order to dropthe necessary loads in the most difficult conditions (bad weather, open terrain, night darkness or daylight, high altitude) The Airborne Forces use parachute equipment. The airborne division, along with the brigade, is the main unit of this type of troops.
In peacetime, the Airborne Forces do not cease to carry out their service. They perform a variety of tasks that help maintain the level of combat readiness of the troops, as well as the mobilization determination of the civilian population. This is very important, because in the event of a military conflict, it is the attitude of people and high combat readiness that decide a lot. From the above, we can conclude that the airborne division is a kind of command reserve, which is called upon if an operation is needed to capture the enemy either from the air or from the rear.
Thus, the division is the main formation of a tactical branch in all types of troops. Although the modern Russian army has abandoned the divisional system, other countries and organizations, such as NATO, actively use this particular system. The combat path of the division is not easy. It has been proven by many wars, but it is an indispensable military formation.
