Red Army

A big group of soldiers was formed.

Many people helped the army. Some people sent food to the soldiers. Others even sent metal to help make tanks.

The army grew very large. Many people from different lands joined. It was a very big group.

Later, the army fought in a big war. They helped win in Europe.

This group changed its name later. It became the Soviet Army. History is full of big changes.

The Red Army was a large military group. It started in January 1918. A new government in Russia created it. They needed to defend their new nation. This happened during the Russian Civil War.

Many people helped the army grow. Most soldiers were peasants. Families of these soldiers got extra food. Some people even collected scrap metal. They used the money to buy tanks.

Leon Trotsky was a key leader. He helped organize the troops. He also brought in many old officers. This helped the army become strong.

Later, the Red Army fought in World War II. They were a very large force. They helped win the war in Europe. They even captured the city of Berlin.

In 1946, the name changed. It became the Soviet Army. After the Soviet Union ended, the group split up. Most of it became the Russian Ground Forces.

The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army was a massive military force. It served the Russian Soviet Republic and later the Soviet Union. This army was created to defend a new nation during a difficult time. It was formed to fight against many different groups. These groups were known as the White Army. The Red Army was a key part of the Soviet military for many years.

Creating this army was a very big job. In early 1918, the government decided to build a formal force. They wanted to use the best people from the working classes. Many of the soldiers were peasants who worked on farms. To help them, the government gave food to their families. Some people even collected scrap metal to buy tanks. This showed how much the people wanted to support the army.

Leaders played a major role in how the army worked. Leon Trotsky was a very important leader for the Red Army. He helped organize the troops and changed how officers were chosen. He even brought in many officers from the old Imperial Russian Army. At first, most of these officers were from the old system. By 1922, they made up most of the top commanders. Other leaders like Nikolai Krylenko also helped run the military.

During World War II, the Red Army became a huge force. Up to 34 million soldiers served during this time. This included 8 million people from different ethnic minority groups. The Red Army fought a major part of the war in Europe. They were responsible for a large part of the losses faced by the German army. Eventually, they captured the city of Berlin. Their actions also helped end the war in Japan.

History changed the name and the structure of the army. In February 1946, it was renamed the Soviet Army. This new name lasted until the Soviet Union ended. When the Soviet Union split up, the army was divided among new states. Most of it became the Russian Ground Forces. This group is seen as the successor to the old Soviet Army. It is a major part of how modern history is understood.

The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army was the primary military force of the Russian Soviet Republic. It later became the main land force of the Soviet Union. Established in January 1918, the army was created by the Council of People's Commissars. Its main goal was to defend the new government during the Russian Civil War. This conflict pitted the Red Army against various opposing groups known as the White Army.

The creation of the Red Army followed the collapse of the Imperial Russian Army. In 1917, the Imperial Army was struggling with massive numbers of deserters and wounded soldiers. Vladimir Lenin believed the nation needed a people's militia to prevent the return of old police systems. The new government wanted a force made of the best elements from the working classes. All citizens aged 18 or older were eligible to join the service. To support the many peasant soldiers, the government provided food rations to their families.

Leadership and organization changed significantly during the early years of the conflict. Initially, the army relied on small Red Guard units and various militias. However, these groups were often unable to defend the government against external enemies. In June 1918, Leon Trotsky took charge of reorganizing the military structure. He replaced the election of officers with a traditional military hierarchy. Trotsky also recruited many former officers from the old Imperial Army to serve as advisors, known as voenspetsy. By 1922, these former tsarist officers made up 83% of the Red Army's divisional and corps commanders.

The Russian Civil War was a complex period of fighting from 1917 to 1923. It involved several distinct stages of conflict. The first period began with the October Revolution and the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. This treaty removed Russia from World War I but intensified internal struggles. The second period saw the advance and retreat of various White armies. Leaders like General Denikin and Admiral Kolchak led these forces against the Red Army. Eventually, the Red Army repelled these attacks and exhausted the White forces.

During World War II, the Red Army grew into a massive global power. Up to 34 million soldiers served in the Red Army during this conflict. This large force included 8 million soldiers from non-Slavic minority groups. The Red Army was the largest ground force involved in the Allied victory in Europe. It was responsible for 75% to 80% of the casualties suffered by the German Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS. The army's military operations eventually led to the capture of Berlin. Furthermore, its invasion of Manchuria helped secure the unconditional surrender of Japan.

The human cost of these wars was extremely high for the Red Army. Official records state that 6,329,600 soldiers were killed in action. Another 555,400 died from diseases, and 4,559,000 were listed as missing in action. Most of the deceased were ethnic Russians, totaling 5,756,000 people. Ethnic Ukrainians accounted for 1,377,400 of the losses. While official totals for deaths and missing personnel reached about 8.6 million, other estimates are much higher. Some archives suggest the number of dead and missing could be as high as 14 million.

In February 1946, the Red Army was officially renamed the Soviet Army. This name change reflected its role as a main component of the Soviet Armed Forces. When the Soviet Union dissolved, the military was split among several post-Soviet states. The largest portion of this force became the Russian Ground Forces. Today, the Russian Ground Forces are considered the direct successor to the Soviet Army. This transition marked the end of one of the largest military organizations in history.