The institution was established in 1932 as the "J.V. Stalin Academy of the WPRA Mechanization and Motorization Program".[1] It was renamed after Marshal Rodion Malinovsky in 1967. Its mission was to train Soviet and Warsaw Pact commanders, staff officers, and engineers for armored and mechanized units. The best-qualified graduates were selected for the "centralized operations division" of the General Staff.[2] Students entered as captains and majors, some as lieutenant colonels. Commanding and staff officers underwent a three year program while engineers were taught for 4 years. Notable alumni included Vasily Chuikov, Sergey Akhromeyev, Boris Vasiliev, Aleksandr Blagonravov, and Anatoly Kvashnin.[citation needed]
