![Badge](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Badge._Group_of_Soviet_Occupation_Forces_in_Germany_%28GSOFG%29.png)
The Western Group of Forces (WGF),. previously known as the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany (GSOFG). and the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG),. were the troops of the
Soviet Army
uk, Радянська армія
, image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg
, alt =
, caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army
, start_date ...
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 ...
. The Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany was formed after the
end of World War II in Europe
The final battle of the European Theatre of World War II continued after the definitive overall surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allies, signed by Field marshal Wilhelm Keitel on 8 May 1945 in Karlshorst, Berlin. After German dictator Adolf H ...
from units of the
1st and
2nd
A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI).
Second, Seconds or 2nd may also refer to:
Mathematics
* 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'')
* Second of arc, an angular measurement unit ...
Belorussian
Fronts. The group helped suppress the
East German uprising of 1953
The East German uprising of 1953 (german: Volksaufstand vom 17. Juni 1953 ) was an uprising that occurred in East Germany from 16 to 17 June 1953. It began with a strike action by construction workers in East Berlin on 16 June against w ...
. After the end of occupation functions in 1954 the group was renamed the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. The group represented Soviet interests in East Germany during the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
. After changes in Soviet foreign policy during the late 1980s, the group shifted to a more defensive role and in 1988 became the Western Group of Forces. Russian forces remained in the
eastern part of Germany after the
dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...
and
German reunification
German reunification (german: link=no, Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a united and fully sovereign state, which took place between 2 May 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the Ge ...
until 1994.
History
The Group of Soviet Occupation Forces, Germany was formed after the
end of World War II in Europe
The final battle of the European Theatre of World War II continued after the definitive overall surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allies, signed by Field marshal Wilhelm Keitel on 8 May 1945 in Karlshorst, Berlin. After German dictator Adolf H ...
from formations of the
1st and
2nd Belorussian Front
The 2nd Belorussian Front (Russian: Второй Белорусский фронт, alternative spellings are 2nd Byelorussian Front) was a military formation, of Army group size, of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. Soviet army g ...
s, commanded by
Georgy Zhukov
Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov ( rus, Георгий Константинович Жуков, p=ɡʲɪˈorɡʲɪj kənstɐnʲˈtʲinəvʲɪtɕ ˈʐukəf, a=Ru-Георгий_Константинович_Жуков.ogg; 1 December 1896 – ...
. On its creation on 9 June 1945 it included:
* the
Soviet 1st Guards Tank Army
The 1st Guards Tank Army () is a tank army of the Russian Ground Forces.
The army traces its heritage back to the 1st Tank Army, formed twice in July 1942 and in January 1943 and converted into the 1st Guards Tank Army in January 1944. The arm ...
(HQ
Radebeul
Radebeul ( hsb, Radobyle) is a town (''große Kreisstadt'') in the Elbe valley in the district of Meißen (district), Meißen in Saxony, Germany, a suburb of Dresden. It is well known for its viticulture, a museum dedicated to writer Karl May ...
) ·
8th Guards Mechanised Corps, the
11th Guards Tank Corps
*
2nd Guards Tank Army
The 2nd Guards Tank Army () was a large military formation of the Red Army and later the Soviet Army, now part of the Russian Ground Forces of the Russian Federation.
The army was originally formed in early 1943 as the 2nd Tank Army. It was the ...
(HQ
Fürstenberg Fürstenberg (also Fuerstenberg and Furstenberg) may refer to:
Historical states
* Fürstenberg-Baar, county (1441–1559)
* Fürstenberg-Blumberg, county (1559–1614)
* Fürstenberg-Donaueschingen, county (1617–1698)
* Fürstenberg-Fürsten ...
) ·
Soviet 1st Mechanized Corps
The 1st Guards 'Vienna' Order of Lenin Order of Kutuzov Mechanized Corps was a Red Army armoured formation that saw service during World War II on the Eastern Front. After the war it continued to serve with Soviet occupation forces in Central E ...
,
9th Tank Corps,
12th Guards Tank Corps
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1 ...
*
4th Guards Tank Army (HQ Eberswalde) ·
5th Guards Mechanised Corps,
6th Guards Mechanised Corps
G6, G.VI, G.6 or G-6 may refer to:
International politics
* G6 (EU), the six largest European Union members
* Group of Six, a 1975 international summit which led to the G7 and G8
* 44th G7 summit, referred to as the "G6+1" or just "G6" due to ...
;
10th Guards Tank Corps
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1 ...
*
2nd Shock Army
The 2nd Shock Army (russian: 2-я Ударная армия) was a field army of the Soviet Union during the Second World War. This type of formation was created in accordance with prewar doctrine that called for Shock Armies to ''overcome difficu ...
(HQ
Goldberg Goldberg or Goldberger may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Goldberg Ensemble, a British string ensemble
* ''Goldberg Variations'', a set of 30 keyboard variations by Johann Sebastian Bach
* ''The Goldbergs (broadcast series)'', American radio ...
, then
Schwerin
Schwerin (; Mecklenburgisch dialect, Mecklenburgian Low German: ''Swerin''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Germany, second-largest city of the northeastern States of Germany, German ...
) ·
109th Rifle Corps
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1 ...
(
46th,
90th,
372nd Rifle Division
The 372nd Rifle Red Banner Novgorod Division was a division of the Red Army during the Second World War.
History
World War II
It was established at Barnaul, Altai Krai, Siberian Military District, in September 1941. Formed in accordance with ...
s),
116th Rifle Corps (
86th,
321st,
326th Rifle Division),
40th Guards Rifle Corps
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures.
In mathematics
Four is the smallest c ...
(
101st Guards,
102nd Guards,
272nd Rifle Division)
*
3rd Shock Army (HQ
Stendal
The Hanseatic City of Stendal () is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is the capital of the Stendal District and the unofficial capital of the Altmark region.
Geography
Situated west of the Elbe valley, the Stendal town centre is located s ...
) ·
7th Rifle Corps The 7th Rifle Corps (''7th ck'') was a corps in Red Army and Soviet Armed Forces, before and during The Great Patriotic War/World War II.
History 1st formation
The 11th Congress of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks) adopted a resolution o ...
(
146th,
265th,
364th Rifle Divisions) ;
12th Guards Rifle Corps (
23rd Guards,
52nd Guards,
33rd Rifle Divisions);
79th Rifle Corps The 79th Rifle Corps () was a rifle corps of the Red Army in World War II that became part of the Soviet Army during the Cold War.
World War II
The corps was formed in July 1943 as a headquarters with no troops assigned, and subordinated to th ...
(
150th,
171st,
207th Rifle Divisions)
9th Tank Corps
*
5th Shock Army (HQ
Nauen
Nauen is a small town in the Havelland district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is chiefly known for Nauen Transmitter Station, the world's oldest preserved radio transmitting installation.
Geography
Nauen is situated within the Havelland Luch glac ...
, then
Potsdam
Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...
) ·
9th Rifle Corps
The 9th Rifle Corps was a corps of the Red Army. Located in Simferopol during the beginning of the war in the east.
History
The corps headquarters was formed in accordance with orders of the North Caucasus Military District of 6 June and 26 Aug ...
(
248th,
301st Rifle Divisions);
26th Guards Rifle Corps
6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number.
In mathematics
Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...
(
89th Guards,
94th Guards,
266th Rifle Divisions);
32nd Rifle Corps (
60th Guards,
295th,
416th Rifle Divisions);
230th Rifle Division
The 230th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army, originally formed as one of the first reserve rifle divisions following the German invasion of the USSR. After being hastily organized it joined the fighting front along the lower D ...
; three independent tank brigades
*
8th Guards Army
The 8th Guards Order of Lenin Combined Arms Army (abbreviated 8th CAA) is an army of the Russian Ground Forces, headquartered in Novocherkassk, Rostov Oblast, within Russia′s Southern Military District, that was reinstated in 2017 as a success ...
(HQ
Jena
Jena () is a German city and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 inhabitants, while the city itself has a popu ...
, then
Nohra
Nohra is a village and a former municipality in the Weimarer Land district of Thuringia, Germany. Since December 2019, it is part of the municipality Grammetal. On 1 December 2007, the former municipality Utzberg was incorporated by Nohra.
Nohr ...
)
4th Guards Rifle Corps
Fourth or the fourth may refer to:
* the ordinal form of the number 4
* ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971
* Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision
* Fourth (music), a musical interval
* ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...
(
35th Military units
*35th Fighter Wing, an air combat unit of the United States Air Force
*35th Infantry Division (United States), a formation of the National Guard since World War I
*35th Infantry Regiment (United States), a regiment created on 1 July 1 ...
,
47th,
57th Guard Rifle Divisions) ·
28th Guards Rifle Corps (
39th,
79th,
88th Guards Rifle Divisions) ·
29th Guards Rifle Corps
9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding .
Evolution of the Arabic digit
In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...
(
27th,
74th,
82nd Guards Rifle Division
The 82nd Guards Rifle Division was reformed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in March 1943, based on the 2nd formation of the 321st Rifle Division, and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War, including brie ...
s) ·
11th Tank Corps
*
47th Army The 47th Army (russian: 47-я армия) of the Soviet Union's Red Army was an army-level command active from 1941 to 1946.
History
The 47th Army was formed in late July 1941 in the Transcaucasian Military District as part of the Soviet Union's ...
(HQ
Eisleben
Eisleben is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is famous as both the hometown of the influential theologian Martin Luther and the place where he died; hence, its official name is Lutherstadt Eisleben. First mentioned in the late 10th century, E ...
, then
Halle) ·
77th Rifle Corps (
185th,
260th,
328th Rifle Division
The 38th Separate Guards Vitebskaya order of Lenin Red Banner order of Suvorov Motor Rifle Brigade is a mechanized infantry brigade of the Russian Ground Forces, part of the Eastern Military District.
The brigade was formed during the 2009 Ru ...
) ·
125th Rifle Corps (
60th,
76th,
175th Rifle Divisions) ·
129th Rifle Corps (
82nd,
132nd,
143rd Rifle Divisions) ·
1st Guards Tank Corps and the
25th Tank Corps
The 25th Tank Corps was a corps of the Soviet Red Army. It was part of the 12th Army. It took part in the Soviet invasion of Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 admin ...
.
*
49th Army
"Thank God for Mississippi" is an adage used in the United States, particularly in the South, that is generally used when discussing rankings of U.S. states. Since the U.S. state of Mississippi commonly ranks at or near the bottom of such rankings ...
(HQ
Wittenberg
Wittenberg ( , ; Low Saxon language, Low Saxon: ''Wittenbarg''; meaning ''White Mountain''; officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg (''Luther City Wittenberg'')), is the fourth largest town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Wittenberg is situated on the Ri ...
)
*
70th Army
The 70th Army was a Soviet field army during World War II. It was the highest-numbered combined arms army to be formed by the ''Stavka'' during the war. It was active at the Battle of Kursk, the Lublin–Brest Offensive, and the Berlin Strategic ...
(HQ
Rostock
Rostock (), officially the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock (german: link=no, Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock), is the largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and lies in the Mecklenburgian part of the state, c ...
)
*
First Polish Army
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
(two divisions)
*
Dnieper Flotilla The Dnieper Flotilla () is the name given to the various naval flotillas on the Dnieper River. These were particularly active in four conflicts: the Russo-Turkish wars of Russo–Turkish War (1735–1739), 1735–39 and Russo-Turkish War (1787–92) ...
*
16th Air Army
The 16th Red Banner Air Army (russian: 16-я воздушная Краснознамённая армия) was the most important formation of the Special Purpose Command. Initially formed during the Second World War as a part of the Soviet Air F ...
(HQ
Woltersdorf)
The
4th Artillery Corps also became part of the GSFG in 1945.
An order of 29 May 1945 had ordered the disestablishment of the
47th, 77th, 80th,
89th,
25th,
61st, 91st, 16th, 38th, 62nd, 70th, 121st, and
114th Rifle Corps, and of the
71st,
136th,
162nd,
76th,
82nd,
212th,
356th,
234th,
23rd,
397th,
311th,
415th,
328th,
274th,
370th,
41st,
134th,
312th
31 may refer to:
* 31 (number)
Years
* 31 BC
* AD 31
* 1931 CE ('31)
* 2031 CE ('31)
Music
* Thirty One (Jana Kramer album), ''Thirty One'' (Jana Kramer album), 2015
* Thirty One (Jarryd James album), ''Thirty One'' (Jarryd James album), 2015 ...
,
4th,
117th,
247th,
89th,
95th 95 or 95th may refer to:
* 95 (number)
* one of the years 95 BC, AD 95, 1995, 2095, etc.
* 95th Division (disambiguation)
* 95th Regiment
** 95th Regiment of Foot (disambiguation)
* 95th Squadron (disambiguation)
* Atomic number 95: americium
*M ...
,
64th,
323rd,
362nd,
222nd,
49th,
339th,
383rd,
191st,
380th,
42nd
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures.
In mathematics
Four is the smallest c ...
,
139th,
238th,
385th,
200th,
330th,
199th,
1st,
369th,
165th,
169th,
158th, and
346th Rifle Divisions. The
89th Rifle Division was not disbanded and instead transferred to the Caucasus.
[Feskov et al 2013, pp. 381382]
In January 1946, the 2nd Shock Army left the Soviet Zone. A month later, the 47th Army was disbanded, with its units withdrawn to the Soviet Union. In October the 5th Shock Army was disbanded. In 1947 the
3rd
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (d ...
and
4th Guards Mechanized Divisions (Mobilization), former mechanized armies, arrived in the group from the
Central Group of Forces
The Central Group of Forces (Russian: Центральная группа войск) was a formation of the Soviet Armed Forces used to incorporate Soviet troops in Central Europe on two occasions: in Austria and Hungary from 1945 to 1955 and tr ...
. In 1954 the
3rd Shock Army became the 3rd Red Banner Combined Arms Army (russian: 3-я краснознаменная общевойсковая армия).
[Michael Holm]
3 Red Banner Combined Arms Army
February 2015. The 3rd Guards Mechanized Army became the 18th Guards Army on 29 April 1957. On the same day, the 4th Guards Mechanized Army became the 20th Guards Army.
After the abolition of the occupation functions in 1954, the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany became known as the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSVG) on 24 March. The legal basis for the GSVG's stay in East Germany was the
Treaty on Relations between the USSR and the GDR
The Treaty on Relations Between the USSR and GDR was a treaty between the Soviet Union and German Democratic Republic, commonly known as East Germany, signed on 20 September 1955. The treaty became the legal basis for the Group of Soviet Forces in ...
of 1955.
Withdrawals from East Germany in 1956 and 1957/58 comprised more than 70,000 Soviet army personnel, including
18th Guards Army Staff.
The GSFG had the task to ensure for the adherence to the regulations of the
Potsdam Agreement
The Potsdam Agreement (german: Potsdamer Abkommen) was the agreement between three of the Allies of World War II: the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union on 1 August 1945. A product of the Potsdam Conference, it concerned th ...
. Furthermore, they represented the political and military interests of the
Soviet Union
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 national ...
. In 1957 an agreement between the governments of the USSR and the GDR laid out the arrangements over the temporary stay of Soviet armed forces on the territory of the GDR, the numerical strength of the Soviet troops, and their assigned posts and exercise areas. It was specified that the Soviet armed forces were not to interfere into the internal affairs of the GDR, as they had done during the
East German uprising of 1953
The East German uprising of 1953 (german: Volksaufstand vom 17. Juni 1953 ) was an uprising that occurred in East Germany from 16 to 17 June 1953. It began with a strike action by construction workers in East Berlin on 16 June against w ...
.
Following a resolution of the
government of the Soviet Union
The Government of the Soviet Union ( rus, Прави́тельство СССР, p=prɐˈvʲitʲɪlʲstvə ɛs ɛs ɛs ˈɛr, r=Pravítelstvo SSSR, lang=no), formally the All-Union Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, commonly ab ...
in 1979 and 1980, 20,000 army personnel, 1,000 tanks and much equipment were withdrawn from the territory of the GDR, among them the
6th Guards Tank Division
6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number.
In mathematics
Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...
, with headquarters at Wittenberg.
![Soviet German Group](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Soviet_German_Group.png)
In the course of ''
Perestroika
''Perestroika'' (; russian: links=no, перестройка, p=pʲɪrʲɪˈstrojkə, a=ru-perestroika.ogg) was a political movement for reform within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) during the late 1980s widely associated wit ...
'' the GSFG was realigned as a more defensive force regarding strength, structure and equipment. This entailed a clear reduction of the tank forces in 1989. The GSFG was renamed the Western Group of Forces on 1 June 1989. The withdrawal of the GSFG was one of the largest peacetime troop transfers in military history. Despite the difficulties, which resulted from the
dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...
in the same period, the departure was carried out according to plan and punctually until August 1994. Between the years of 1992 and 1993, the Western Group of Forces in Germany (along with the
Northern Group of Forces
The Northern Group of Forces (; ) was the military formation of the Soviet Army stationed in People's Republic of Poland, Poland from the end of World War II, Second World War in 1945 until 1993 when they were withdrawn in the aftermath of the fal ...
) halted military exercises.
![RIAN archive 477983 Soviet military equipment loaded in Rostock](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/RIAN_archive_477983_Soviet_military_equipment_loaded_in_Rostock.jpg)
The return of the troops and material took place particularly by the sea route by means of the ports in
Rostock
Rostock (), officially the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock (german: link=no, Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock), is the largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and lies in the Mecklenburgian part of the state, c ...
and the island of
Rügen
Rügen (; la, Rugia, ) is Germany's largest island. It is located off the Pomeranian coast in the Baltic Sea and belongs to the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
The "gateway" to Rügen island is the Hanseatic city of Stralsund, where ...
, as well as via Poland. The Russian Ground Forces left Germany on 25 June 1994 with a military parade of the
6th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade in Berlin. The parting ceremony in
Wünsdorf
Zossen (; hsb, Sosny) is a German town in the district of Teltow-Fläming in Brandenburg, about south of Berlin, and next to the B96 highway. Zossen consists of several smaller municipalities, which were grouped together in 2003 to form the cit ...
on 11 June 1994 and in the
Treptow Park
Treptower Park (, with a silent ''w'') is a park alongside the river Spree in Alt-Treptow, in the district of Treptow-Köpenick, south of central Berlin.
History
It was the location of the Great Industrial Exposition of Berlin in 1896. It is ...
in Berlin on 31 August 1994 marked the end of the Russian military presence on German soil.
In addition to German territories, the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany operational territory also included the region of town of
Szczecin
Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major s ...
, part of
the territories transferred from Germany to Poland following the end of the Second World War. The rest of Poland fell under the
Northern Group of Forces
The Northern Group of Forces (; ) was the military formation of the Soviet Army stationed in People's Republic of Poland, Poland from the end of World War II, Second World War in 1945 until 1993 when they were withdrawn in the aftermath of the fal ...
, while the southern regions (
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
,
Czechoslovakia
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
) were under the
Central Group of Forces
The Central Group of Forces (Russian: Центральная группа войск) was a formation of the Soviet Armed Forces used to incorporate Soviet troops in Central Europe on two occasions: in Austria and Hungary from 1945 to 1955 and tr ...
.
Generals directing the withdrawals from Germany diverted arms, equipment, and foreign monies intended to build housing in Russia for the withdrawn troops. Several years later, the last GSFG commander, General
Matvei Burlakov, and the Defence Minister,
Pavel Grachev
Pavel Sergeyevich Grachev (russian: Па́вел Серге́евич Грачё́в; 1 January 1948 – 23 September 2012), sometimes transliterated as Grachov or Grachyov, was a Russian Army General and the Defence Minister of the Russian Fed ...
, had their involvement exposed. They were also accused of ordering the murder of reporter
Dmitry Kholodov
Dmitry Yuryevich Kholodov (russian: Дми́трий Ю́рьевич Хо́лодов; 21 July 1967 – 17 October 1994) was a Russians, Russian journalist who investigated corruption in the military and was assassinated on 17 October 1994 in M ...
, who had been investigating the scandals.
Structure and equipment in 1991
![Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F088900-0002, Wittenberg, Wächterhäuschen der Sowjetarmee](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Bundesarchiv_B_145_Bild-F088900-0002%2C_Wittenberg%2C_W%C3%A4chterh%C3%A4uschen_der_Sowjetarmee.jpg)
The Soviet troops occupied 777 barracks at 276 locations on the territory of the German Democratic Republic. This also included 47 airfields and 116 exercise areas. At the beginning of 1991 there were still about 338,000 soldiers in 24 divisions, distributed among five land armies and an air army in what was by then the Western Group of Forces. In addition, there were about 208,000 relatives of officers as well as civil employees, among them about 90,000 children. Most locations were in the area of today's
Brandenburg
Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a states of Germany, state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an ar ...
.
In 1991 there were approximately 4,200 tanks, 8,200 armored vehicles, 3,600 artillery pieces, 106,000 other motor vehicles, 690 aircraft, 680 helicopters, and 180 rocket systems.
;See also:
At the end of the 1980s, the primary Soviet formations included:
*
1st Guards Tank Red Banner Army –
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 larg ...
**
9th Tank Division –
Riesa
Riesa is a town in the district of Meißen in Saxony, Germany. It is located on the river Elbe, approximately northwest of Dresden.
History
The name ''Riesa'' is derived from Slavic ''Riezowe''. This name, romanised as "Rezoa", appears first i ...
**
11th Guards Tank Division –
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 larg ...
**
20th Guards Motor Rifle Division
The 20th Guards Motor Rifle Division () is a formation of the Russian Ground Forces, originally formed within the Soviet Red Army as the 3rd Mechanised Corps. The division was reformed in 2021 from the former 20th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade.
Th ...
–
Grimma
Grimma ( hsb, Grima) is a town in Saxony, Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany, on the left bank of the Mulde, southeast of Leipzig. Founded in 1170, it is part of the Leipzig (district), Leipzig district.
Location
The town is in ...
*
2nd Guards Tank Army
The 2nd Guards Tank Army () was a large military formation of the Red Army and later the Soviet Army, now part of the Russian Ground Forces of the Russian Federation.
The army was originally formed in early 1943 as the 2nd Tank Army. It was the ...
–
Fürstenberg/Havel
Fürstenberg () is a town in the Oberhavel district, Brandenburg, Germany.
Until 1919, Fürstenberg was part of the former Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Geography
Fürstenberg is situated on the River Havel, south of Neustrelitz, and ...
**
16th Guards Tank Division
The 16th Guards Tank Division was a tank division of the Soviet Army and later the Russian Ground Forces.
The division traced its lineage back to the World War II 3rd Tank Corps, formed in the spring of 1942. The corps received its baptism of f ...
–
Neustrelitz
Neustrelitz (; East Low German: ''Niegenstrelitz'') is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the shore of the Zierker See in the Mecklenburg Lake District. From 1738 ...
**
21st Motor Rifle Division –
Perleberg
Perleberg (; North Margravian: ''Perlberg'') is the capital of the district of Prignitz, located in the northwest of the German state of Brandenburg. The town received city rights in 1239 and today has about 12,000 inhabitants. Located in a mostl ...
**
94th Guards Motor Rifle Division –
Schwerin
Schwerin (; Mecklenburgisch dialect, Mecklenburgian Low German: ''Swerin''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Germany, second-largest city of the northeastern States of Germany, German ...
**
207th Motor Rifle Division –
Stendal
The Hanseatic City of Stendal () is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is the capital of the Stendal District and the unofficial capital of the Altmark region.
Geography
Situated west of the Elbe valley, the Stendal town centre is located s ...
(note; earlier Western reporting lists this as a Guards unit; this is incorrect)
*
3rd Red Banner Army –
Magdeburg
Magdeburg (; nds, label=Low Saxon, Meideborg ) is the capital and second-largest city of the German state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is situated at the Elbe river.
Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archdiocese of Magdebur ...
(as of 1988)
[
**]7th Guards Tank Division
The 7th Guards Tank Division was a tank division of the Soviet Army during the Cold War.
The division traced its heritage back to the 7th Guards Tank Corps, formed during World War II in July 1943 from the 15th Tank Corps for its performance in ...
– Dessau
Dessau is a town and former municipality in Germany at the confluence of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the '' Bundesland'' (Federal State) of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2007, it has been part of the newly created municipality of Dessau-Roßlau ...
- Rosslau
** 10th Guards Uralsko-Lvovskaya Tank Division – Altengrabow
** 12th Guards Tank Division – Neuruppin
Neuruppin (; North Brandenburgisch: ''Reppin'') is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, the administrative seat of Ostprignitz-Ruppin district. It is the birthplace of the novelist Theodor Fontane (1819–1898) and therefore also referred to as ''Fonta ...
** 47th Guards Tank Division – Hillersleben
Hillersleben is a village and a former municipality in the Börde district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. A large proving ground for artillery operated there from 1934 to 1945. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the municipality Westheide
Westheide ...
* 8th Guards Order of Lenin Army – Weimar
Weimar is a city in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in Central Germany between Erfurt in the west and Jena in the east, approximately southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together with the neighbouri ...
-Nohra
Nohra is a village and a former municipality in the Weimarer Land district of Thuringia, Germany. Since December 2019, it is part of the municipality Grammetal. On 1 December 2007, the former municipality Utzberg was incorporated by Nohra.
Nohr ...
** 27th Guards Motor Rifle Division – Halle
** 39th Guards Motor Rifle Division – Ohrdruf
Ohrdruf () is a small town in the district of Gotha in the German state of Thuringia. It lies some 30 km southwest of Erfurt at the foot of the northern slope of the Thuringian Forest. The former municipalities Crawinkel, Gräfenhain an ...
** 57th Guards Motor Rifle Division – Naumburg
Naumburg () is a town in (and the administrative capital of) the district Burgenlandkreis, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany. It has a population of around 33,000. The Naumburg Cathedral became a UNES ...
** 79th Guards Tank Division – Jena
Jena () is a German city and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 inhabitants, while the city itself has a popu ...
* 20th Guards Red Banner Army – Eberswalde
Eberswalde () is a major town and the administrative seat of the district Barnim in the German State ( Bundesland / ''federated state'') of Brandenburg, about 50 km northeast of Berlin. Population 42,144 (census in June 2005), geographic ...
** 25th Tank Division – Vogelsang
** 32nd Guards Tank Division – Jüterbog
Jüterbog () is a historic town in north-eastern Germany, in the Teltow-Fläming district of Brandenburg. It is on the Nuthe river at the northern slope of the Fläming hill range, about southwest of Berlin.
History
The Slavic settlement of ' ...
** 35th Guards Motor Rifle Division – Krampnitz
** 90th Guards Tank Division – Bernau bei Berlin
Bernau bei Berlin (English ''Bernau by Berlin'', commonly named Bernau) is a German town in the Barnim district. The town is located about northeast of Berlin.
History
Archaeological excavations of Mesolithic-era sites indicate that this area has ...
*16th Air Army
The 16th Red Banner Air Army (russian: 16-я воздушная Краснознамённая армия) was the most important formation of the Special Purpose Command. Initially formed during the Second World War as a part of the Soviet Air F ...
– Zossen
Zossen (; hsb, Sosny) is a German town in the district of Teltow-Fläming in Brandenburg, about south of Berlin, and next to the B96 highway. Zossen consists of several smaller municipalities, which were grouped together in 2003 to form the cit ...
**6th Guards Fighter Aviation Division
The 6th Guards Don-Szeged Red Banner Order of Suvorov Fighter Aviation Division was a fighter aviation division of the Soviet Air Force during World War II and the Cold War. The division was formed in early 1943 from the 268th Fighter Aviation Div ...
– Merseburg
Merseburg () is a town in central Germany in southern Saxony-Anhalt, situated on the river Saale, and approximately 14 km south of Halle (Saale) and 30 km west of Leipzig. It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese ...
**16th Guards Fighter Aviation Division
The 16th Guards Fighter Aviation Division was an Aviation Division of the Soviet Air Forces, active from 1942 to 1998. Originally activated in 1942 as the 258th Fighter Aviation Division from the Air Forces of the 14th Army, then the 258th Mixed ...
– Ribnitz-Damgarten
Ribnitz-Damgarten () is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, situated on Lake Ribnitz (''Ribnitzer See''). Ribnitz-Damgarten is in the west of the district Vorpommern-Rügen.
The border between the historical regions of Mecklenburg and P ...
. Withdrawn 30 October 1993 to Millerovo Millerovo (russian: Миллерово) is the name of several inhabited localities in Rostov Oblast, Russia.
;Urban localities
*Millerovo, Millerovsky District, Rostov Oblast, a town in Millerovsky District
;Rural localities
* Millerovo, Kuyby ...
, North Caucasus Military District
The North Caucasus Military District was a military district of the Russian Armed Forces, which became in 2010 the Southern Military District and lately also included the Black Sea Fleet and Caspian Flotilla.
It comprised the Republic of Adygeya, ...
, and joined 4th Air Army
Fourth or the fourth may refer to:
* the ordinal form of the number 4
* ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971
* Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision
* Fourth (music), a musical interval
* ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...
.
** 105th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Division – Großenhain
Großenhain (also written as Grossenhain; hsb, Wulki Hojn) is a Große Kreisstadt (German for major district town) in the district of Meissen, Saxony, Germany. It was originally known as Hayne. The current name simply means "big Hayne"
History
...
** 125th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Division – Rechlin
Rechlin is a municipality in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, around 100 km (60 mi) northwest of Berlin. The town's airport has a long history and was the Luftwaffe's main testing ground for new aircraft designs in Nazi Germany. ...
own, not in airfield– disbanded July 1993 or October 1993.
** 126th Fighter Aviation Division – Zerbst
Zerbst () is a town in the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until an administrative reform in 2007, Zerbst was the capital of the former Anhalt-Zerbst district.
Geography
Zerbst is situated in the Anhalt-Wittenberg regio ...
Other Group-level formations included:
*6th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade
The 6th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade () was a Soviet Army mechanized infantry brigade, stationed in East Berlin during the Cold War, from 1962 to 1989.
Formed in 1962 as the 6th Separate Brigade of Protection after the Berlin Crisis of ...
(Karlshorst
Karlshorst (, ; ; literally meaning ''Karl's nest'') is a locality in the borough of Lichtenberg in Berlin. Located there are a harness racing track and the Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin (''HTW''), the largest University of Appli ...
, Berlin) - withdrawn to Kursk
Kursk ( rus, Курск, p=ˈkursk) is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym rivers. The area around Kursk was the site of a turning point in the Soviet–German stru ...
in 1994
*35th Guards Air Assault Brigade
The 35th Guards Air Assault Brigade is an airmobile brigade of the Kazakh Air Assault Forces. It is currently based in Kapchagay. The brigade traces its history back to the Soviet Union as the 111th Guards Airborne Regiment, formed in 1948 as part ...
(effectively an airmobile brigade; Cottbus
Cottbus (; Lower Sorbian: ''Chóśebuz'' ; Polish: Chociebuż) is a university city and the second-largest city in Brandenburg, Germany. Situated around southeast of Berlin, on the River Spree, Cottbus is also a major railway junction with exten ...
, Germany, activated October 1979, and transferred to Kapchagay
Konaev ( kk, Қонаев; russian: Конаев), previously known as Kapchagay ( kk, Қапчағай, links=no; russian: Капшагай, links=no or ), is a city with the Almaty Region of Kazakhstan. It is located on the Ili River, and has ...
, Kazakh SSR
; kk, Қазақ Советтік Социалистік Республикасы)
*1991: Republic of Kazakhstan (russian: Республика Казахстан; kk, Қазақстан Республикасы)
, linking_name = the ...
, in April 1991. Eventually became part of the Kazakh Armed Forces
The Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan ( kk, Қазақстан Республикасының Қарулы Күштері, , russian: Вооружённые силы Республики Казахстан) is the unified armed forces of ...
).
*34th Guards Artillery Division
The 34th Guards Artillery Division (гвардейская артиллерийская дивизия) was an artillery division of the Soviet Ground Forces and the Russian Ground Forces. It was formed after the Second World War in Potsdam as the ...
(Potsdam) (formed 25 June 1945 to 9 July 1945 in Germany)
Commanders-in-Chief of the GSFG
The first three Commanders-in-Chief were also Chiefs of the Soviet Military Administration in Germany
The Soviet Military Administration in Germany (russian: Советская военная администрация в Германии, СВАГ; ''Sovyetskaya Voyennaya Administratsiya v Germanii'', SVAG; german: Sowjetische Militäradministrat ...
.
GSOFG, 1945–54
GSFG, 1954–88
WGF, 1988–94
WGF military soviet
Members (June 1993):[Members of the WGF military soviet, Wünsdorf in June 1993г; Moskow, «Jung guar», 1994; Soviet Forces in Germany 1945-1994: remembrance album … page 113; .]
* Commander-in-Chief of the WGF – Colonel general
Colonel general is a three- or four-star military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, and was a ra ...
М. P. Burlakov
* 1st deputy commander-in-Chief of the WGF – Colonel general A. N. Mityukhin
* Deputy commander-in-Chief of the WGF for the withdrawal of forces – Lieutenant general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
С. В. Тshernilevsky
* WGF chief of staff – Lieutenant general A. V. Teretev
* Deputy commander-in-Chief of the WGF for logistics – Lieutenant general W. I. Isakow
* Deputy commander-in-Chief of the EGF for armaments – Major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
W. N. Shulikov
* Commander of the 16th Air Army – Lieutenant general A. F. Tarasenko
See also
*List of Soviet divisions 1917–45
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
*List of Soviet Army divisions 1989–91
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
*United States Army Europe
United States Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) is an Army Service Component Command (ASCC) /Theater Army responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICO ...
*United States Forces Japan
is a subordinate unified command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). It was activated at Fuchū Air Station in Tokyo, Japan, on 1 July 1957 to replace the Far East Command. USFJ is commanded by the Commander, US Forces ...
*United States Forces Korea
United States Forces Korea (USFK) is a Unified Combatant Command#Subordinate Unified Command, sub-unified command of United States Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). USFK is the joint headquarters for U.S. combat-re ...
Notes
References
*
Further reading
*William Durie, " The United States Garrison Berlin 1945-1994", (Mission Accomplished, Aug 2014 (English).
*
*Scott and Scott, The Armed Forces of the USSR, Westview Press, Boulder, Colorado, 1979
*''Roter Stern über Deutschland'', Ilko-Sascha Kowalczuk und Stefan Wolle, Ch. Links Verlag, Berlin, 2001, . This German book, ''The Red Star
A red star, five-pointed and filled, is a symbol that has often historically been associated with communist ideology, particularly in combination with the hammer and sickle, but is also used as a purely socialist symbol in the 21st century. I ...
over Germany, Soviet troops in the GDR'', presents 49 years of the Soviet Army stationed 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 ...
.
External links
BRIXMIS
(British Liaison Mission to GSFG)
*U.S. Military Liaison Mission memorial site
*German Armed Forces Military History Research Office
The Military History Research Office (german: Militärgeschichtliches Forschungsamt, MGFA) is an office of the ''Bundeswehr'' located at Potsdam, Germany.
Following a reorganisation in 2013, MGFA was consolidated with the to become the Center ...
Database of GSFG and NPA locations
The GSVG : Group of Soviet Forces in Germany
The Group of Soviet Forces in Germany
{{DEFAULTSORT:Group of Soviet Forces in Germany
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
Allied occupation of Germany
Soviet occupation zone
Germany–Soviet Union relations
Cold War military history of Germany
Military units and formations established in 1945
Military units and formations disestablished in 1994
Perestroika
Military history of East Germany
Military history of the Soviet Union
East Germany–Soviet Union relations
1945 establishments in Germany
1994 disestablishments in Germany