The largest and most ruthless and terrifying armies in history, What is the story of the Russian Red Army?

The drums of war are beating between Moscow and Kiev, and while the Russian armed forces are deployed in different regions and regions around the world, as part of various military missions, the memory evokes the history of the Russian Red Army, which decades ago was considered the strongest and most well-armed armies in the world.

Although decades have passed since its page was finally folded, dreams seem to still haunt the Russians today to recover the huge strength of the Red Army, which was famous and shining among the peoples of the world as a huge military force that was able to defeat the indomitable fleets and armies.

Under many variables, and despite changing its name from the Red Army to the Soviet Army later, the name remained the same. Over the years, this armed force has been famous for committing the most horrific human massacres, in addition to exercising exaggerated violence, and spreading terror among many inside and outside Russia.

However, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the pages of the Red Army, which in turn disintegrated and were then replaced by Russian forces, were closed, and the era of the most powerful and violent army in history ended.

The Red Army The seed of the Bolshevik revolution

As a result of the deteriorating economic conditions and living conditions, massive protests erupted in Russia in 1917, which led to the outbreak of the Russian Revolution (the Bolshevik Revolution) led by Vladimir Lenin, which culminated in the overthrow of the Tsarist Russian Empire, and the disintegration of its army and all its institutions.

In the aftermath of the revolution, a bloody civil war broke out in Russia, between the Bolsheviks and their opponents of the old Russian army guards, nicknamed the White Guard, and the war resulted in the deaths of about 12 million people. Only some volunteers from the Red Guards and some elite units joined the Bolsheviks at that time.

They decided at once to have a powerful war machine, and a military arm, to fight all the forces hostile to them inside and outside the country, and to lay the foundations for the strength of their new rule.

By a decree issued on January 28, 1918, he announced the establishment of the nucleus of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, which was called the "Red Army" for short, and red here denotes the color of blood.

From that date, the door was opened for volunteers to join, and there was already a wide response. The first military participation of the Red Army was in February 1918, when it defeated the German forces in the First World War, and that date became a national holiday for the Soviets.

The leadership was well aware at that time, despite their victory, that the elements of the Red Army lacked military experience and needed a lot of training to respond to the challenges they faced.

Leon Trotsky, the country's Commissar of War Command, one of the most prominent leaders of the Bolshevik Revolution, and later the founder and inspirer of the Red Army, took over the task of supervising the military exercises that had become mandatory by official decree.

Those rigorous exercises, according to historians and specialists, were one of the most important factors that led to the success of the Red Army after that. Trotsky also released the imprisoned old commanders of the army of the Russian Empire, to benefit from their military experience, and imprisoned their parents and families to ensure their loyalty.

Trotsky also imposed severe discipline and control over the army, and executed officers who had been convicted of cowardice or perfidy. He promoted those who showed initiative and courage. Not only did Trotsky train and direct, but sometimes he joined the front lines to encourage the troops.

The numbers of the Russian Red Army expanded, and its skills in war and fighting developed, and it was remarkable at the time that its members did not wear a uniform, unlike the armies of the world.

Internal and external battles and major victories

The first challenges that the Red Army faced after its founding was overcoming the "White Armies" inside Russia, which were receiving international support from many regional powers. After a round of fierce battles, the Red Army defeated the White Army in 1922 and was able to crush the opposition in the European part of Russia and thus expanded to more areas that were under the control of the White Army.

With the end of the bloody civil war, more elements joined the Red Army, which had an estimated 6 million soldiers and commanders. Meanwhile, the country's leaders tended to give priority and utmost importance to the military industries, in preparation for the upcoming battles and wars. They imported many military and defense equipment, and many reports indicate that they also resorted to using spies to learn about the technologies of opponents in the field of weapons and military equipment.

At that time, the Red Army became the most well-equipped and armed in the world. He became famous on an international level.

In 1939, a few months after the outbreak of World War II, the Red Army launched an armed attack on Finland known as the “Winter War” and lasted for 10 continuous days, but it suffered a crushing loss, despite the traditional weapons that were in the possession of the Finns, which encouraged the Germans to Invasion of the Soviet Union.

In cooperation with Finland, Romania, and Italy, the Nazis, with an estimated army of 4 million soldiers and about 3,000 tanks, carried out Operation Barbarossa to invade the Soviet Union in 1941.

The number of the Red Army at the time was estimated to be about 5 million soldiers on board 11,000 military tanks, and many times more than the military aircraft owned by the Axis Army.

The battle ended with the defeat of the Nazis, after the Battle of Moscow in 1942. Al-Ahmar succeeded in thwarting the Germans' plan to invade the Soviets.

Next was the Battle of Stalingrad, in which the Red Army also won a major victory.

Some historical sources indicate that the fame of the cruelty of the Red Army reached several countries and regions and spread terror among many, so that the residents of a German city had carried out the largest mass suicide in history, when the Red Army approached them.

But that did not last long. At the end of 1945, elements of the Red Army began to be demobilized, becoming about 3 million soldiers after it was more than 11 million soldiers, and its name was changed to the Soviet Army, and then eventually disintegrated with the collapse of the Soviet Union.