The 8th Guards Order of Lenin Combined Arms Army (abbreviated 8th GCAA) was an

army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

of the Soviet Army, as a successor to the 62nd Army of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

, which was formed during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and was disbanded in 1998 after being downsized into a corps. The Soviet 8th Guards Army was formed from the 62nd Army in May 1943 and received Guards status in recognition of its actions in the Battle of Stalingrad. It went on to defend the right bank of the Donets and fight in the Donbass Strategic Offensive in August and September. It then fought in the Lower Dnepr Offensive, where it captured Zaporizhia. During winter and spring 1944 the army fought in the Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive. After the capture of

Odessa ODESSA is an American codename (from the German language, German: ''Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen'', meaning: Organization of Former SS Members) coined in 1946 to cover Ratlines (World War II aftermath), Nazi underground escape-pl ...

, the army was transferred to the Kovel area and fought in the Lublin–Brest Offensive during the summer, capturing

Lublin Lublin is List of cities and towns in Poland, the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the centre of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin i ...

, crossing the

Vistula The Vistula (; ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest in Europe, at in length. Its drainage basin, extending into three other countries apart from Poland, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra i ...

and seizing the Magnuszew bridgehead. The army defended the bridgehead until January 1945, when it helped launch the Vistula–Oder Offensive. The army helped capture

Łódź Łódź is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located south-west of Warsaw. Łódź has a population of 655,279, making it the country's List of cities and towns in Polan ...

Poznań Poznań ( ) is a city on the Warta, River Warta in west Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business center and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John's ...

and Küstrin (modern

Kostrzyn nad Odrą Kostrzyn nad Odrą (translated literally as Kostrzyn upon the Oder; ; ) is a town in Gorzów County, Lubusz Voivodeship in western Poland, on the border with Germany. Geography The town is situated within the historic Lubusz Land (''Ziemia Lubus ...

). The army then fought in the Battle of Berlin. During the war it was led by its commander during the Battle of Stalingrad, Vasily Chuikov. After the war the army was stationed at Nohra, covering the strategic Fulda Gap during the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

. In 1993 the army was withdrawn from Germany to

Volgograd Volgograd,. formerly Tsaritsyn. (1589–1925) and Stalingrad. (1925–1961), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. The city lies on the western bank of the Volga, covering an area of , with a population ...

(the former Stalingrad) and there downsized to a corps, before being disbanded in 1998.

World War II

Activated in October 1941 as the 7th Reserve Army, the Army was re-designated the 62nd Army at

Stalingrad Volgograd,. geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn. (1589–1925) and Stalingrad. (1925–1961), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. The city lies on the western bank of the Volga, covering an area o ...

in July 1942. It was among the victors of

and thus re-designated the 8th Guards Army on 5 May 1943, in accordance with a Stavka directive dated 16 April 1943. In July 1943, it took part in the Izyum-Barvenkovo Offensive (July 17–27), and in August–September - in the Donbass strategic offensive operation (August 13 - September 22) . Developing the offensive in the direction of the Dnieper, the Army with other troops of the Southwestern Front liberated Zaporozhye (October 14), crossed the

Dnieper The Dnieper or Dnepr ( ), also called Dnipro ( ), is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. Approximately long, with ...

south of

Dnipropetrovsk Dnipro is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper River, Dnipro River, from which it takes its name. Dnipro is t ...

south and captured a bridgehead on its right bank. By this time 28th, 29th and 4th Guards Rifle Corps were part of the army. The army was part of the 3rd Ukrainian Front during the Dnieper-Carpathian Offensive. By March 25, 1944, the

Prut River The Prut (also spelled in English as Pruth; , ) is a river in Eastern Europe. It is a left tributary of the Danube, and is long. Part of its course forms Romania's border with Moldova and Ukraine. Characteristics The Prut originates on the eas ...

had fallen and the 3rd Ukrainian Front was dispatched to secure

.Willmott, p. 373 On April 2, Vasili Chuikov's Eighth Guards Army and Forty-Sixth Army attacked through a blizzardPimlott, p. 333 and, by April 6, had driven the defenders past the

Dniester River The Dniester ( ) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and then through Moldova (from which it more or less separates the breakaway territory of Transnistria), finally discharging into the Black Sea on Uk ...

and isolated Odessa. Odessa capitulated on April 10, and Soviet troops began entering

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

proper. In June 1944 the army was transferred to the 1st Belorussian Front and took part in the Lublin–Brest Offensive, seizing and defending a bridgehead over the

river at Magnuszew. Soldiers who perished during battles over

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

are buried at the Soviet Military Cemetery in Warsaw. In 1945 the army was commanded by

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank 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 battlefield, who was norma ...

Vasily Chuikov. It was part of

Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...

Zhukov's 1st Belorussian Front. One of the cities which the army took in its westward drive was

, which the Army seized in January–February 1945. In a deliberate symbolic move the 8th Guards Army was then sent northwards to the center of the front, coming under command of 1st Belorussian Front; Stalin was determined that the army that had defended Stalingrad would take part in the capture of Berlin ( Battle of Berlin). On 2 May 1945, Chuikov took the surrender of the German General Weidling, the commander of the Berlin Defensive Area, and the rest of the Berlin garrison. Later the Eighth Guards Army became part of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. On the creation of the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany in 1945, the Army consisted of: *Headquarters at

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state (Germany), German state of Thuringia, in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt to the west and Jena to the east, southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together w ...

* 4th Guards Rifle Corps ( 35th, 47th Guards, and 57th Guards Rifle Divisions) * 28th Guards Rifle Corps ( 39th Guards Rifle Division, 79th Guards Rifle Division, 88th Guards Rifle Division) * 29th Guards Rifle Corps ( 27th, 74th, 82nd Guards Rifle Divisions) * 11th Tank Corps

Commanders

* Guard Lieutenant-General Vasily Chuikov (April 17, 1943 - October 18, 1943), * Guard Colonel-General Ivan Maslennikov (October 21, 1943 - November 15, 1943), * Guard Colonel-General Vasily Chuikov (November 15, 1943 - May 9, 1945).

Cold War

In the summer of 1946, the 4th Guards Rifle Corps was disbanded along with the 35th, 74th, 82nd and 88th Guards Rifle Divisions. In July 1956, the 28th and 29th Guards Rifle Corps were disbanded. During the

, 8th Guards Army stood opposed to

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

forces (specifically the US V Corps) along the strategically vital Fulda Gap in

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

. In June 1964, the 21st Guards Motor Rifle Division transferred to the 1st Guards Tank Army and was replaced by the 20th Guards Motor Rifle Division. On 22 February 1968, it was awarded the

Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (, ) was an award named after Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution. It was established by the Central Executive Committee on 6 April 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Soviet ...

for success in combat training. In May 1983, the 20th Guards Motor Rifle Division transferred to the 1st Guards Tank Army and was replaced by the 27th Guards Motor Rifle Division. Nohra - GSSD-Kaserne Leninstatue

In 1988, 8th Guards Army consisted of: *Headquarters at Weimar-Nohra *227th Separate Protection and Enforcement Battalion - Weimar-Nohra *794th Separate Spetsnaz Company - Weimar-Nohra *747th Communications Center - Weimar-Nohra * 11th Missile Brigade - Jena-Forst * 449th Missile Brigade -

Arnstadt Arnstadt () is a town in Ilm-Kreis, Thuringia, Germany, on the river Gera (river), Gera about south of Erfurt, the capital of Thuringia. Arnstadt is one of the oldest towns in Thuringia, and has a well-preserved historic centre with a partially ...

* 79th Guards Tank Division -

Jena Jena (; ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Germany 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 in ...

, GDR: - disbanded, 1992 **17th Guards Tank Regiment (Saalfeld) **45th Guards Tank Regiment (Weimar) **211th Guards Tank Regiment (Jena) **247th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (Weimar) **172nd Guards Artillery Regiment (Rudolstadt) **1075th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Weimar) * 27th Guards Motor Rifle Division - General-Maerker-Kaserne, Halle, GDR: - to Totskoye, Volga Military District **68th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (Halle) **243rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (Halle) **244th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (Schlotheim) **28th Tank Regiment (Halle) **54th Guards Artillery Regiment (Halle) **286th Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Halle) * 39th Guards Motor Rifle Division - Ohrdruf, GDR: - disbanded, 1992 **117th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (Meiningen) **120th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (Ohrdruf) **172nd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (Gotha) **15th Guards Tank Regiment (Ohrdruf) **87th Guards Artillery Regiment (Gotha) **915th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Ohrdruf) * 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 ...

, GDR – disbanded, 1993 **170th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (Naumburg) **174th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (Weißenfels) **241st Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (Leipzig) **57th Guards Tank Regiment (Zeitz) **128th Guards Artillery Regiment (Zeitz) **901st Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Naumburg) *119th Separate Tank Regiment - Bad Langensalza *390th Guards Artillery Brigade - Ohrdruf, disbanded, 1998 *227th Separate Protection and Enforcement Battalion - Nohra *18th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade - Gotha *943rd Separate Anti-Tank Battalion - Altenburg *194th Separate Radio Engineering Regiment - Weimar *46th Separate Radio Engineering Battalion - Nohra *678th Separate Electronic Warfare Battalion - Frankendorf *91st Separate Communications Regiment - Weimar *446th Separate Radio Relay Cable Battalion - Naumburg *325th Separate Engineer Battalion - Gera *722nd Separate Airborne Ferry Battalion - Halle *134th Separate NBC Reconnaissance Battalion - Gera *116th Material Support Brigade - Altenburg *173rd Separate Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion - Markensdorf *202nd Separate Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion - Oberlungwitz *794th Separate Special Purpose Company - Nohra * 900th Separate Air Assault Battalion - Leipzig *336th Separate Helicopter Regiment - Nohra *65th Pontoon-Bridge Regiment - Merseburg In February 1989, the 486th Separate Helicopter Regiment was activated at Jüterbog from the 241st, 311th, 327th and 345th Separate Helicopter Squadrons. After the Soviet withdrawal from Germany the army was reduced in size to become 8th Guards Army Corps on 1 June 1993, and withdrawn to

, the former Stalingrad. There it appears to have taken the place of the 34th Army Corps. From June 1993 to February 1995, it was commanded by Lev Rokhlin. 8th Guards Army Corps was disbanded in May 1998.

References

Bibliography

* Beevor, Antony; Cooper, Artemis (2002). ''The Fall of Berlin 1945'' (1st ed.). New York: Viking. * * Powell, Colin L.; Persico, Joseph (1996). ''My American Journey'' (1st ed.). New York: Ballantine Books.

World War II

Commanders

Cold War

References

Bibliography

Further reading