What is the origin of the Soviet Guards, a famous unit of World War II?

The Soviet Guards does not refer to a specific unit, but is an honorary title awarded by the Soviet Union to units with outstanding military exploits during World War II in order to boost the morale of the troops. Behind every Guards unit are countless bloody battles and countless heroic deeds. It is a touching story of the Soviet people defending the country and defeating the German invaders.

On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany tore up the "Soviet-German Non-Aggression Pact" and mobilized millions of troops to attack the Soviet Union. The Soviet army was caught off guard and defeated all the way. Important Soviet cities such as Moscow and Leningrad were already under attack. . On September 18, 1941, in order to boost sluggish morale, the Soviet Union issued the famous "Order No. 308", awarding the heroic troops the title of "Guards". The 100th Infantry Division, the 127th Infantry Division, the 153rd Infantry Division, the Infantry Division The 161st Division was the first batch of troops to receive the honorary title. These four troops fought desperately against the Germans on the battlefields of Minsk and Smolensk, and saved the fate of the Soviet troops in the great rout.

Each unit of the Soviet Guards has its own legendary experience. For example, the 1st Guards Tank Brigade withstood the attack of two German armored divisions in the Battle of Moscow and was destroyed in the battle. 133 German tanks; the 1st Guards Infantry Division severely damaged the 35th German Infantry Division and the 25th Armored Division during the battle in Minsk, destroying more than 100 tanks; the 1st Guards Aviation Regiment shot down the enemy just two and a half months after the war broke out 47 aircraft.

In 1942, according to the resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, the Guards were awarded the unique Guards flag and the Guards soldiers were awarded the "Guards" badge to distinguish the Guards from ordinary troops. The style of the Guards flag is basically the same, made of red silk, with golden tassels on the edge; on the front is the Guards badge pattern, the slogan "Destroy the German invaders", and the name and number of the unit; on the back is Lenin's head and "For the Motherland" ” slogan. At the same time, the troops who receive the title of "Guards" can receive more wages, with commanders increased by half and ordinary soldiers doubled. It can be said that there are both spiritual rewards and material rewards. Of course, the title of "Guards" is not only an honor but also a responsibility. Once the flag is lost during the war, the soldiers flee due to fear of death, or the generals miss the opportunity to fight, the commanders will be sent to a military court and the troops will be deprived of all honors.

As the Soviet-German war progressed, more and more Soviet troops grew into qualified Guards troops through the training of blood and fire, including Guards divisions, Guards corps, Guards group armies, Guards Army Group, the formation of the Soviet Guards is getting larger and larger, becoming the absolute core of offense and defense on the battlefield. On April 18, 1943, the Supreme Command of the Soviet Union issued an instruction on the use of Guards troops. The offensive Guards troops were the vanguard to break through the enemy's defensive positions, and the defensive Guards troops were to carry out resolute counterattacks.

By the end of World War II, the Soviet Union’s units that had received the title of Guards had as many as 11 combined arms armies and 6 tank armies; 1 cavalry mechanized group; 40 infantry corps and 7 cavalry corps. corps, 12 tank corps, 9 mechanized corps and 14 aviation corps, 217 infantry divisions, 9 airborne divisions, 17 cavalry divisions, 6 artillery divisions, 53 aviation divisions, 6 anti-aircraft artillery divisions, 7 rocket artillery division; 13 motorized infantry regiments, 3 airborne regiments, 66 tank regiments, 28 mechanized regiments, 3 self-propelled artillery regiments, 64 artillery regiments; 1 mortar brigade, 11 anti-tank destroyers artillery brigade, 40 rocket artillery brigades, 6 engineering brigades and 1 railway brigade.

Of course, we must see that behind the glory of the Soviet Guards are the heavy losses of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union lost 27 million people, 1,710 cities, more than 70,000 villages and towns, and 31,850 industrial enterprises during the war. The Soviet Union’s victory in the Patriotic War was not brought about by one or a few Guardsmen, but by the entire Soviet people. great victory.