The Ministry of Defence, an
all-union ministry, was technically subordinate to the
Council of Ministers, as well as to the
Supreme Soviet and the
Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. In 1989 it was, however, larger than most other ministries and had special arrangements for party supervision of, and state participation in, its activities. The Ministry of Defence was made up of the
General Staff, the
Main Political Directorate of the Soviet Army and Soviet Navy, the
Warsaw Pact, the five armed services, and the main and central directorates. The General Staff was created by Stalin in 1935, as the development of more complex military forces required leaders with greater training and specialization. It acted as the main organ of control for all Soviet military forces during World War II. The five armed services were the navy, the
ground forces, the military air forces, the
air defense forces and the rocket forces. Higher level subunits in the Ministry would have an associated military collegium, essentially a council responsible for dealing with various issues, all under the ultimate command of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. Both the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff were predominantly led by the Ground Forces.
Ministry structure Leadership Minister of Defence The
minister of defence was always either a leading Communist Party civilian official or a
Ground Forces general; the position was presumably filled on the recommendation of the
Defence Council with the approval of the
Politburo, although the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet made the formal announcement. After Minister of Defence General
Georgy Zhukov was removed from his position in the Politburo in 1957, the Minister of Defense would not be made a part of Politburo again until 1973. In the 1980s, the Minister of Defense would only maintain alternate membership in the Politburo.
Deputy ministers The three first deputy ministers of defense were the chief of the General Staff, the commander in chief of the Warsaw Pact, and another senior officer with unspecified duties. First deputy ministers of defense have also been selected from the Ground Forces. In 1989 the eleven deputy ministers of defense included the commanders in chief of the five armed services as well as the chiefs of Civil Defense,
Rear Services, Construction and Troop Billeting, Armaments, the Main Personnel Directorate, and the Main Inspectorate.
Departments and directorates of the Ministry •
Main Political Directorate of the Soviet Army and Soviet Navy, a ministerial directorate and a department of the
Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union • General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union • Main and Central Directorates •
Warsaw Pact (
Supreme Commander of the Unified Armed Forces of the Warsaw Treaty Organization) •
Military districts of the Soviet Union • Groups of Forces:
Group of Soviet Forces in Germany,
Northern Group of Armed Forces (Poland),
Central Group of Forces,
Southern Group of Forces • Branches of the Armed Forces and supporting agencies: Strategic Rocket Forces,
Ground Forces,
Air Defence Forces,
Air Forces,
Naval Forces, Civil Defense,
Rear Services, Construction and Troop Billeting, Armaments
Press •
Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) was the "central organ" – official newspaper of the Ministry. ==Responsibilities==