Army Commissar of 1st rank explained

Army commissar 1st rank (Russian: Армейский комиссар 1-го ранга), was a political rank in the Soviet Red Army, equivalent to the military rank of Komandarm 1st rank, and comparable to NATO OF-9.

Appointment

1935

Appointment to Army Comissar 1st rank as to the disposal of the Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union and the Council of People's Commissars (CPC) from November 20, 1935:

• Yan Gamarnik (1894–1937), committed suicide to avoid arrest

1937

• Pyotr Smirnov (1897–1939), as to CPC disposal December 20, 1937; arrested June 1938 and later executed

1939

• Lev Mekhlis (1889–1953), as to CPC disposal February 8, 1939
• Efim Shchadenko (1885–1951)

1941

Alexander Zaporozhets (1899–1959)