German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
: Militärakademie „Friedrich Engels“) was the first military institution founded in
East Germany
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
and the highest leveled military teaching and research institution. Located in
Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...
, the academy was the center of military science of East Germany.
The academy was formed on January 5, 1959, to provide training and military-related studies to officers of all branches of the newly formed
National People's Army
The National People's Army (german: Nationale Volksarmee, ; NVA ) were the armed forces of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1956 to 1990.
The NVA was organized into four branches: the (Ground Forces), the (Navy), the (Air Force) a ...
(NVA),
Border Troops of the German Democratic Republic
The Border Troops of the German Democratic Republic (german: Grenztruppen der DDR) was the border guard of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1946 to 1990.
The were the primary force guarding the Berlin Wall and the Inner German border ...
, and other security organs as well as armed forces from other nations. The academy's training was comparable to military academies in the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
. In addition to training and research for the implementation of the defense policy of East Germany, the Friedrich Engels Military Academy also focused on the maintenance of the military-scientific heritage and the development to the center of military-scientific work.
History
Before foundation
Foundations for what would become the Friedrich Engels Military Academy were set in February 1949 by the ''University of the German Administration of the Interior'', which was relocated from
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
to the village of Kochstedt in
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt (german: Sachsen-Anhalt ; nds, Sassen-Anholt) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of
and has a population of 2.18 million inhabitants, making it th ...
.
On November 15, 1949, the teaching company opened and was renamed to the ''Kochstedt Officers' School of Central Administration Training of the Ministry of the Interior'', under the leadership of Chief Inspector of the Barracked People's PoliceWalter Freytag.
From September 1952, the academy was renamed the ''Higher Officer School of the Ministry of the Interior''. The location also moved from Kochstedt to
Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...
and continued to be led by Lieutenant General Walter Freytag.
Soon after in 1953 it was renamed to the ''College of the Barracked People's Police'' (KVP). Colonel Wilheim Adam, former adjutant to the commander-in-chief of the 6th Army of the
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...
, post-1945 Minister of Finance of the State of
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
, and member of the
Volkskammer
__NOTOC__
The Volkskammer (, ''People's Chamber'') was the unicameral legislature of the German Democratic Republic (colloquially known as East Germany).
The Volkskammer was initially the lower house of a bicameral legislature. The upper house w ...
, took over the post of commander of the university.
The former
Generalfeldmarschall
''Generalfeldmarschall'' (from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; en, general field marshal, field marshal general, or field marshal; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several ...
Friedrich Paulus
Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus (23 September 1890 – 1 February 1957) was a German field marshal during World War II who is best known for commanding the 6th Army during the Battle of Stalingrad (August 1942 to February 1943). The battle ende ...
used to give lectures at the university after his return from captivity, and by 1954, he led a small working group called the ''War History Research Center in Dresden''. His small working group eventually became the foundations for the Institute for German Military History, which was later renamed the Military History Institute of the German Democratic Republic in 1972.
When the
National People's Army
The National People's Army (german: Nationale Volksarmee, ; NVA ) were the armed forces of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1956 to 1990.
The NVA was organized into four branches: the (Ground Forces), the (Navy), the (Air Force) a ...
(NVA) was formed by the
Volkskammer
__NOTOC__
The Volkskammer (, ''People's Chamber'') was the unicameral legislature of the German Democratic Republic (colloquially known as East Germany).
The Volkskammer was initially the lower house of a bicameral legislature. The upper house w ...
on January 18, 1956, which effectively replaced the Barracked People's Police, allowed for the ''College for Officers of the NVA'' in Dresden to emerge as the highest military teaching facility in
East Germany
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
. Colonel Wilheim Adam became the first commander; followed by Major General Heinrich Dollwetzel from April 1, 1958. This also effectively allowed the NVA to take over the politically reliable and technically competent officers of the Barracked People's Police.
The university was commissioned to raise the scientific level of training in all subject areas in order to create the conditions for a military academy. When it was founded, the chairs of social science training, infantry training, artillery training and tank training were created. In addition to the two-year courses, in which officers who were already experienced in the troop service were trained as regimental commanders, their deputies and chiefs of staff for motor gunner, tank and artillery units, heads of special troops and services, the university carried out one-year qualification courses for senior officers.
After the West German
Bundeswehr
The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...
joined
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
in 1955, the National People's Army joined the rivaling
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact (WP) or Treaty of Warsaw, formally the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland, between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialist repub ...
on May 24, 1958. A formal military academy had to be established to train the National People's Army up to Warsaw Pact standards and requirements.Siehe Rolf Lehmann: ''Die Militärakademie der DDR in Dresden – Struktur und Auftrag.'' In: Dresdner Geschichtsverein e. V. (Hrsg.), ''Dresdner Hefte'', Heft 53, Dresden 1998, Januar, S. 65–69.
Ministerial order 52/58 began in May 1958, which called for the conversion of the college for officers into a military academy. According to the decision of the Council of Ministers of November 28, 1958, it was to become the first military institution to be granted the right to confer the academic degree of "diploma military scientist" and "diploma engineer" and to set up scientific aspirations.
Foundation
The founding of the new military academy was not an instant decision, but more of a reaction to the arms race during the Cold War and the establishment of the
Bundeswehr Command and Staff College
)
, established = 15 May 1957(15 October 1810 as ''Prussian Military Academy'')
, type = Staff college and senior military academy of the German Armed Forces, the Bundeswehr
, endowment =
, staff =
, faculty =
, president =
, provost =
, principal ...
. The military academy's leadership had a particularly close relationship with the Socialist Unity Party leadership, whose political leadership claim was secured by Article 1 of the
Constitution of East Germany
The Constitution of East Germany refers to the constitution of the German Democratic Republic (), commonly known as East Germany. Its original constitution was promulgated on 7 October 1949. It was heavily based on the "Weimarer Reichsverfassung" ...
. This can be evidenced by the awarding of the honorary name "
Heinz Kessler
Heinz Kessler or Heinz Keßler (26 January 1920 – 2 May 2017) was a German communist politician and military officer in East Germany.
His career in the military started when he was conscripted into the Wehrmacht, the armed forces of Nazi Ger ...
on January 10, 1969.
File:Militärakademie „Friedrich Engels“, 1969, Enthüllung des Denkmals für Friedrich Engels im Innenhof vor Eingang F.jpg,
Friedrich Engels
Friedrich Engels ( ,"Engels" '' National People's Army
The National People's Army (german: Nationale Volksarmee, ; NVA ) were the armed forces of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1956 to 1990.
The NVA was organized into four branches: the (Ground Forces), the (Navy), the (Air Force) a ...
and the
Border Troops of the German Democratic Republic
The Border Troops of the German Democratic Republic (german: Grenztruppen der DDR) was the border guard of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1946 to 1990.
The were the primary force guarding the Berlin Wall and the Inner German border ...
, including the Friedrich Engels Military Academy in December 1989.
Status
The military academy had the legal status of a university in East Germany and thus had the right to award graduates and aspirants with academic degrees, such as Graduate Military Scientist, Graduate Engineer, Graduate Social Scientist, Graduate Teacher, and so forth.
The military academy belonged to the second sector of the East German university system, to the so-called universities with special status. However, due to its integration with the National People's Army, there were a few significant differences from civilian universities.
* The responsibilities of the Ministry of Higher and Technical Education were essentially transferred to the Ministry of National Defense, who, in consultation with the Ministry of Higher and Technical Education, issued regulations for the enforcement of statutory university regulations.
* Unlike other universities in East Germany, the rector, the protectors (deputy of the boss), the section directors, and the deans could not be elected. The military academy executives were generals and officers and were assigned to their positions by order/rank.
* The students (officer hearers, around 30 years of age) and course participants were officers and generals who had already completed a technical or university degree and had gained professional experience.
* Military teaching and research subjects were largely subject to military secrecy.
* Although the Friedrich Engels Military Academy was based on the image of Soviet military academies, the merging of all branches of the armed forces, the military-technical and the social-scientific disciplines under one academic roof was a novelty among
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact (WP) or Treaty of Warsaw, formally the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland, between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialist repub ...
states.
* Until 1990, a
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
general with the service title ''Military Specialist'' was a representative of the Warsaw Pact United Armed Forces at the academy
The term ''special status'' also extends to the fact that the military academy, together with the others universities of the National People's Army, Border Troops of the German Democratic Republic, the other protection and security organs as well as the social organizations in the state official representations (statistics, yearbooks,
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
reports) about the university landscape were left out.
Leadership Structure
Head
The military academy was subordinate to the Minister of National Defense of East Germany, who entrusted the duty supervision to one of his deputies. The academy was headed by a commander from 1959 to 1970 and then a chief from 1970 to 1990.
University Structure
The Friedrich Engels Military Academy was unique among Warsaw Pact nations due to its internal structure. All branches of the National People's Army and their sub-branches were under one academic roof. The sections and chairs of the military and military-technical scientific areas were primarily structured according to armed forces, branches of service and military services.
The university structure was subject to multiple changes. In 1990, there were 73 professors or chairs at the military academy. The number of chairs fluctuated depending on the number of students. At its lowest point, there were 44 chairs.
The academy was divided into faculties (called ''sections'' after 1970), which in turn were divided were divided into chairs. Their leaders were under the command of the military academy; they were the direct superiors of the officers' hearers themselves. Initially, only the officer's office of the disciplines (or uses, later: profiles) were assigned to four faculties:
* General leadership
* Artillery
* Tank engineer service
* Back services
From 1960, the chairs and officer listeners were classified into the following faculties:
* Land Forces Faculty
* Tank Engineer Service Faculty
* Air Forces/ Air Defense Faculty
* Social Sciences Faculty
* Naval Forces Faculty
The Social Sciences Faculty was entrusted with the academic training of all political officers in the armed forces in accordance with the three-year program of the
Parteihochschule Karl Marx
The Party Academy Karl Marx (''Parteihochschule Karl Marx'') was an academy (''Hochschule'') that was founded in 1946 in the Soviet occupation zone. During the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), it was subordinate to the Central Committee ...