Komkor is the abbreviation to Commanding officer of the Corps (Russian: Комкор / Командир корпуса; literal: Commander of the corps / Corps commander), and was a military rank in the Soviet Armed Forces of the USSR in the period from 1935 to 1940. It was also the designation to military personnel appointed to command a corps sized formation (XXX).
Until 1940 it was the fourth highest military rank of the Red Army, and might have been rated OF-8 in NATO (Three-star rank). It was equivalent to Corps commissar (ru: Корпусной комиссар) of the political staff in all military branches, Flag Officer 1st rank (ru: Флагман 1 ранга) in the Soviet navy, or to Commissar of state security 3rd rank (ru: Комиссар государственной безопасности 3-ого ранга). With the reintroduction of regular genera ranks, the designation Komkor was abolished, and replaced by Colonel general (OF-8).
This particular rank was introduced by disposal of the Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union and the Council of People's Commissars, from September 22, 1935. The new rank structure was as follows:
Command level Brigade X: Kombrig (Brigadier – OF6)
Command level Division XX: Komdiv (Division commander – OF7)
Command level Corps XXX: Komkor (Korps commander – OF8)
Command level Field army XXXX: Komandarm 2nd rank (Army commander 2nd rank – Commander Army OF9b)
Command level Army group, Front XXXXX: Komandarm 1st rank (Army commander 1st rank – Frond commander OF9a)
OF10-level: Marshal of the Soviet Union
A total number of 146 military personnel were promoted to Komkor. However, 59 were purged during the Great Purge. In line to the reintroduction of the regular military rank system in 1940, one Komkor was promoted to General of the Army (Georgy Zhukov), 51 to Lieutenant general (OF-7), and six to Major general (OF-6). Finally, Komkor Leonid Grigorevich Petrovsky was promoted to Lieutenant general in 1941.
Appointment as to Order № 2395” of the Minister of Defence (Soviet Union) from November 11, 1935, pertaining to the “personnel of the Army”:
Alvuso, Michail Ivanovich, executed 1937;
Antonyuk, Maksim Andeevich;
Аpanasenko, Josef Radionovich;
Appoga Ernest Frizevich, executed 1937;
Velikanov, Mikhail Dmitrievich, promoted to Komandarm 2nd rank, executed 1938;
Gorodovikov, Oka Ivanovich;
Ivan Gryaznov, executed in 1938;
Kulik, Grigory Ivanovich, promoted to Komandarm 2nd rank, than to Komandarm 1st rank, became Marshal of the Soviet Union, 1942 degraded to Major general, sent to prison 1947, executed 1950;
Loktionov, Aleksandr Dmitrievich, promoted to Komanarm 2nd rank, converted ton Colonel general, arrested and executed 1941;
Prymakov, V.M., executed 1937;
Putna, Vitovt Kazimirovich, executed 1937;
Ivan Ivanovich Smolin, executed 1937;
Timoshenko, Semyon Konstantinivich;
Feldman, Boris Mironovich, executed 1937;
By Order № 2398” of the Minister of Defence (Soviet Union) from November 21, 1935, to the “personnel of the Army”:
Veyner, Leonid Jakovlevich, executed 1937;
Gekker, Anatoliy Ilyich, executed during the Great Purge 1937, and rehabilitated 1956.
By Order № 2412” of the Minister of Defence (Soviet Union) from November 23, 1935, to the “personnel of the Army”:
Zotov, Stepan Andeeevich;
Stuzke, Kirill Andeeevich, executed 1937.
By Order № 2484” of the Minister of Defence (Soviet Union) from November 26, 1935, to the “personnel of the Army”:
Lepin, Eduard Davydovich, executed 1938;
Frinovsky, Mikhail Petrovich, promoted to Komandarm 2nd rank, executed 1940.
Kuybyshev, Nikolay Vladimirovich, executed 1938;
Hahanyan, Grigory Davidovich, executed 1939;
Yefremov, Mikhail Grigoryevich;
Voronov, Nikolay Nikolayevich;
Pavlov, Dmitry Grigoryevich, executed 1941;
Smushkevich, Yakov Vladimirovich, executed 1941;
Golikov, Filipp Ivanovich, promoted to Marshal of the Soviet Union 1961;
Kovalyov, Mikhail Pokovevich;
Mager, Maksim Petrovich, arrested 1938, released 1940, re-arrested and executed 1941;
Goryachev, Yelisey Ivanovich, committed suicide by shooting himself 1938;
Shtern, Grigory Mikhaylovich, promoted to Komandarm 2nd rank, than to Colonel general, arrested 1941, executed;
Astakhov, Fyodor Alekseevich, converted to Lieutenant general of the aviation, Marshal of the aviation 1944;
Kalinin, Stepan Andrianovich;
Kachalov, Vladimir Jakovlevich;
Konev, Ivan Stepanovich;
Meretskov, Kirill Afanasyevich;
Veryovkin-Rakhalsy, Nikolay Andreevich, converted to Lieutenant general;
Boldin, Ivan Vasilyevich, converted to Lieutenant general
Zakharkin, Ivan Grigoryevich;
Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov, converted to the generals of the army during the great patriotic war on the higher command and staff positions, Commander of the battle, Marshal of the Soviet Union (1943);
Vasily Chuikov, converted to Lieutenant General during the great patriotic war at the highest command positions, Commander of the armies, Marshal of the Soviet Union (1955);
Matvei Zakharov, converted to major general, during the great patriotic war at the highest staff positions, the Chief of staff of a number of fronts, Marshal of the Soviet Union (1959);
Parusinov, Fillip Alekseevich;
Mlasnikov, Ivan Ivanovich;
Kozlov, Dmitry Timofeyevich.
