Reading literature, watching films or programs on military subjects, an ordinary person constantly encounters the names of various military units, which 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 does it perform on the battlefield. For civilians, such information is not familiar because of their ignorance. The division also refers to such terms unfamiliar to the average person.
The meaning of the term "division"
A division is one of the main tactical military formations. It combines different types of troops, but one of them still prevails. The structures, for example, of the tank and motorized rifle divisions are fully consistent with each other. The only difference is that the tank consists of two or three tank regiments and one motorized rifle. But in a motorized rifle - exactly the opposite. It consists of two or three motorized rifle regiments and only one tank. But besides these regiments, the division also contains companies and battalions of other branches of the armed forces. For example, an automobile battalion or a chemical protection company.
The modern army of the Russian Federation includes such divisions as missile, tank, airborne, aviation, artillery and motorized rifle divisions. The division for other arms is not the largest formation. Either a regiment or a brigade prevails there. The division commander is an important person in her life. They may become a military man with the rank of major general.
Historical need
The twentieth century was marked for mankind by many wonderful achievements in the field of science. But the terrible side of this century was two wars of a global nature that touched 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. A division is a variable concept. That is, in each country, the number of people and weapons forming a 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
The divisions in the USSR before the start of World War II were one of the main military formations. The number of such tactical units throughout the 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 German army. Each of them was also reinforced with 16 tanks and armored vehicles, which significantly increased combat power. Due to the time, the divisions also had horses in their composition, the number of which reached 1100 individuals. Insufficient funding for 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 step up all its forces, including financial ones. Divisions received missing resources, including replenishment of personnel. This greatly helped in the positive resolution of the situation at the front.
Regiment and division - what is the difference?
Both in Soviet times and in the modern Russian army, the regiment is a key military formation. If we consider the regiment on the economic side, then it immediately becomes clear that it is completely autonomous in this regard. Most often, the regiment commander is a colonel. The predominant military branch gives the name to the regiment, although it includes more than one military branch. The big and main formation is the division. The regiment is included in its structure, connecting with other regiments, companies and divisions. In contrast to the division, the predominance of a certain kind of troops is very pronounced. In its ranks, the regiment can contain 200-900 personnel.
Division and brigade
The brigade serves as an intermediate link between the regiment and the division. In many countries of the world it is also referred to as the main military formation. The structure of the brigade is very similar to the regiment, but the number of units included in it is much larger. The personnel of the brigade - 2-8 thousand people. The main in this tactical formation, as well as in the regiment, is the colonel. A division is a larger formation. It has its headquarters to coordinate military operations, units and units. The brigade is considered 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 types of troops.
Division Command
As mentioned earlier, Major General is at the helm of the division. This military rank is widespread in many countries of the world, including the Russian Federation. Major General is a senior officer. On the corporate ladder, he was located between the colonel and the lieutenant general.
The post of division commander appeared after the reform of the military forces in 1924. This was a typical team position. In 1935, after the decision of the CEC, the personal title "division commander" was introduced, that is, a divisional commander. In the hierarchy of the Red Army, the commander stood above the brigade commander (brigade commander) and below the corps commander (corps commander). This title lasted until 1940, when it was abolished, again turning into just a post.
Guards Division - what is it?
The Guards Division was considered one of the most elite military units. 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 close to modern meaning was first applied in the XII century in Italy. So called the detachment of soldiers guarding the state flag. Peter I. took over this innovation. He created the first guard regiments in 1690.
During the Second World War, the divisions, which were called the Guards, were considered the best military units. The title of "Guards" was assigned to them for special courage and heroism, as well as for the ability to masterfully conduct the battle.
In September 1941, by order of the People's Commissar of the USSR, even rifle divisions were converted into guard divisions. 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 awarded the banner, which was of particular importance to them. In addition, the monetary reward for service in this part also increased. The salary of the bosses was increased by 1.5 times, ordinary soldiers - by 2 times.
In 1942, a new decree was issued, in which, among other things, a special breastplate “Guard” was established. He 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, including the destruction of their nuclear weapons and command posts. Airborne forces, operating in the rear, should help both ground forces and sailors. The equipment of such divisions is the most modern, the types of weapons are diverse. In order to dump the necessary cargo in the most difficult conditions (bad weather, open terrain, night darkness or daylight, high altitude), the airborne forces use parachute-landing 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 serve. They perform a variety of tasks that allow maintaining the level of combat readiness of the troops, as well as mobilization determination of the civilian population. This is very important, since in the event of a military conflict it is the people's mood and high combat readiness that decide a lot. From the foregoing, it can be concluded that the airborne division is a kind of command reserve that is turned to if you need to perform an operation to capture the enemy either from the air or from the rear.
Thus, the division is the main tactical formation in all types of troops. Although the modern Russian army has abandoned the divisional system, other countries and organizations, such as NATO, are actively using this particular system. The combat path of the division is not easy. This has proven many wars, but it is an indispensable military formation.