From Private to Marshal: Your Life in the Red Army (WW2)

What would your life look like in the Red Army during World War II—from an ordinary private to a Marshal of the Soviet Union? Follow an imagined journey through ten levels of military service, from frontline survival to the responsibility of commanding thousands. Each promotion changes your duties, your risks, and the decisions you must live with. This illustrated historical narrative uses a fictional character to explore the experience of military service. It is not the biography of a real soldier or a complete guide to every Soviet rank. Which role would be harder: leading a squad into battle or ordering thousands of men forward? Tell us why in the comments. Subscribe to WAR UNIT for more illustrated military history. 0:00 The infantryman 3:13 Sergeant 5:49 Platoon commander 8:48 Company commander 11:14 Battalion chief of staff 13:53 Battalion commander 16:13 Regimental commander 18:44 Division commander 21:11 Army commander 23:33 Marshal