The 9th Guards Army was formed on 5 January 1945 under the command of Vasily Glagolev as directed by the Stavka directive of 18 December 1944. It was formed from the headquarters of the 7th Army and the Separate Airborne Army. It was composed of the 37th, 38th and 39th Guards Rifle Corps. In February, the army was transferred to southeastern Hungary, near Budapest. It became part of the 2nd Ukrainian Front on 27 February to participate in the Vienna Offensive.