Russian Army and Navy Ranks

This reference list provides the military ranks used by the Imperial Russian Army, Cavalry, Cossack forces, and Navy during the First World War. It includes officer and enlisted grades, with period abbreviations and English renderings. Where no exact modern equivalent exists, the literal historical form has been retained.

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Russian Military Ranks (1914–1918)

The Imperial Russian Army entered the First World War with a rank system reflecting long-established Tsarist traditions, retaining branch- and estate-specific titles alongside a standardized officer corps. At the apex stood the General-Fel’dmarshal, followed by functional full generals such as General ot Infanterii, General ot Kavalerii, and General ot Artillerii. Below them, General-leytenant and General-maior completed the general officer ladder. Field and company officers included Polkovnik and Podpolkovnik, while company commands were held by Kapitan, cavalry Rotmistr, and Cossack Yesaul. Transitional and junior grades included Shtabs-Kapitan, Poruchik, Podporuchik, Kornet (cavalry), Sotnik (Cossack lieutenant), and Khorunzhiy (Cossack second lieutenant). Enlisted ranks were layered through Feldfebel, Starshiy Unter-Ofitser, Mladshiy Unter-Ofitser, Yefreytor, and Ryadovoy. The Imperial Navy paralleled European practice, headed by Admiral Flota, Admiral, Vitse-Admiral, and Kontr-Admiral, descending through the three Kapitan ranks to Kapitan-Leytenant and Leytenant. Naval junior officers included Michman(midshipman) and Gardemarin (cadet). Petty officer ranks included Starshiy Unter-Ofitser Flota and Mladshiy Unter-Ofitser Flota, while enlisted sailors were classified as Matros of the 1st or 2nd class. Aviation did not yet have a distinct rank structure, with air personnel holding Army or Navy grades. This blended hierarchy demonstrates Imperial Russia’s mixture of traditional estate-based nomenclature with modernized European-style command.

Army Ranks

Naval Ranks

* Kapitan, Rotmistr, and Yesaul were all equivalent to Captain (OF-2). In older Western sources they are sometimes shown as “Major” (Cavalry Major / Cossack Major), but the rank of Major (Maior) no longer existed in the Russian Army after 1798.