Divisions of the Soviet Union 1917-1945

The territorial principle of manning the Red Army was introduced in the mid-1920s. In each region able-bodied men were called up for a limited period of active duty in a territorial unit, which comprised about half the Army's strength, each year, for five years. The first call-up period was for three months, with one month a year thereafter. A regular cadre provided a stable nucleus. By 1925 this system provided 46 of the 77 infantry divisions and one of the eleven cavalry divisions. The remainder consisted of regular officers and enlisted personnel serving two-year stints. The territorial system was finally abolished, with all remaining formations converted to the other 'cadre' divisions, in 1937 and 1938.

The Red Army formed at least 42 divisions during the Second World War which had substantial ethnic majorities in their composition derived from location of initial formation rather than intentional "nationalization" of the divisions, including four Azeri, five Armenian, and eight Georgian rifle divisions and a large number of cavalry divisions in the eastern Ukraine, Cuban region, and Central Asia, including five Uzbek cavalry divisions. See .

At the end of the Second World War most of the remaining Guards Airborne Divisions were redesignated Guards Rifle Divisions. At the end of June 1945 this has happened to the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 9th, which became respectively the 111, 112, 113, 115, and 116th Guards Rifle Divisions. In November, it happened to the 1st, 3rd, and 10th Airborne Divisions, which became the 124th, 125th, and 126th Guards Rifle Divisions.

Not intended for front line combat, NKVD Internal Troops were used to guard borders, secure railways, and combat elements such as the Ukrainian Insurgent Army that posed threats to the rear areas and supply convoys of the Red Army. Notwithstanding the original intent of these units, many saw at least some front line combat, several were converted to regular divisions of the Red Army, and others were grouped into a field NKVD army that was later re-numbered as the 70th Army. There were different types of divisions: Rifle Division (abbreviated to RD in this list), Railroad Security Division (RSD), Special Installation Security Division (SISD), and Convoy Forces Security Division (CFSD).

This list is primarily drawn from David Glantz, Companion To Colossus Reborn: Key Documents And Statistics, University Press of Kansas, 2005.

Cavalry divisions in the Red Army were first formed in the early days of the Russian Civil War. The Red cavalry played a key role in the war, as the relatively small size of the forces involved and the large open spaces were ideal for mobile cavalry operations. 27 cavalry divisions were formed during the war, of which all but eleven were disbanded after the end of the war in 1921. The Red Army's cavalry forces was gradually expanded during the interwar period, reaching a peak in 1936, when the Red Army included 36 cavalry divisions. However, the increasing demand for mechanized units resulted in drastic reductions in the Red Army cavalry force during the last few years before the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941.

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