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57-594: The LaSK had a peacetime organisation since 1972 under the command of the Kommando Landstreitkräfte (Kdo. LaSK) . Its largest formations between 1956 and 1990 were the Military Districts III and V , which generally consisted of three active divisions each, plus training, combat support and logistic units. The 1st Motor Rifle Division was additionally attached to the Military District V, but

114-409: A 1973 study, NVA leaders from the late 1950s through the 1960s came predominantly from working-class backgrounds, with few from middle-class or professional families and no representatives of the aristocracy present in the upper echelons. Excepting specialized military or political instruction, most NVA leaders reported primary school as their highest level of formal education. The NVA disbanded with

171-401: A Hemdbluse, worn without a shirt, trousers, and a visored service cap. The winter service uniform featured a tunic with four large buttoned-down patch pockets, a black waist belt, the service cap, breeches, shirt, tie, and pants belt; high boots were reserved for officers and NCOs. A long, heavy, belted greatcoat was also part of the winter uniform. With a few details, the semi-dress uniform was

228-399: A ceremonial dagger worn on the left side and fastened to a silver-gray parade belt. Officers in guards of honor, as well as officers of cadet schools when on parade, carried sabers. In winter, a greatcoat , scarf, and gloves were worn. Naval officers wore dark blue uniforms with a peaked cap while ratings wore sailor caps. The summer service uniform for officers was a bloused jacket , called

285-495: A graduate-student stipend. After the reform of 2005, service in the NVA became known as "served outside of the Bundeswehr ". Many former NVA officers feel bitter about their treatment after unification. While receiving only minimal pensions, few have been able to find jobs except as laborers or security guards. Former NVA officers are not permitted to append their NVA rank to their name as

342-628: A possible Soviet invasion, but the declaration of martial law in Poland (13 December 1981) averted the crisis. The NVA went into a state of heightened combat readiness on several occasions, including the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia, and, for the last time, in late 1989 as protests swept through the GDR. The NVA operated as

399-665: A professional title; no such prohibition applies to rank attained in the Wehrmacht or in the Waffen-SS during the Nazi era. One of the few former NVA facilities to remain open was a base in Storkow near Berlin, which housed the NVA's camouflage and deception center. This became the Bundeswehr Unit for Camouflage and Deception . The NVA was, in relation to its equipment and training, one of

456-548: A professional volunteer army until 1962, when conscription was introduced. The GDR's National Defense Council controlled the armed forces, but the mobile forces came under the Warsaw Pact Unified Command. Political control of the armed forces took place through close integration with the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED), which vetted all officers. Military training (provided by the school system) and

513-588: A quilted stone gray padded suit without a camouflage pattern was worn over the service uniform. Later winter uniforms were also of the same camouflage pattern as the summer variant. The winter uniform also included a fur pile cap or a steel helmet, boots, knitted gray gloves, belt, and suspenders. Seasonal considerations and weather governed the kind of work uniforms worn. Generally, reconditioned articles of service uniforms (field, semi-dress, and padded winter uniforms) were dyed black and issued for all types of fatigue and maintenance details. Coveralls are also used by

570-411: The Bundeswehr ) and all soldiers over the age of 55 were discharged. Until 1 March 2005, Germany listed time served in the NVA as time "served in a foreign military". Service in the NVA did not count for points towards federal pensions in the unified Germany . Retired NVA soldiers and officers received only minimal pensions after unification: a thirty-year veteran would receive a pension smaller than

627-479: The Kasernierte Volkspolizei wore the same basic uniform. Several later modifications were introduced, but the style and cut remain fundamentally the same. There were a variety of uniforms worn according to the setting (work or social) and season (summer or winter). Most uniforms (service, semi-dress, and parade) were stone grey, a brownish-grey colour that was conspicuously different from the grey-green of

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684-633: The Kdo. LaSK . In wartime both military districts would form field armies: the 3rd Army in the south, reinforced by the GDR 6th, 10th, and 17th reserve divisions, and the 5th Army in the north, reinforced by the Soviet 94th Guards Motor Rifle Division and the 138th and 221st Separate Tank Regiments from the GSFG . Both armies would have been commanded by the Soviet high-command, while the Kommando Landstreitkräfte

741-770: The Wehrmacht . With the exceptions of the People's Navy, whose dark-blue uniforms were consistent with the styles of most navies around the world, and the Combat Groups of the Working Class ( Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse ), who wore their own olive-green fatigue uniforms, all NVA armed services, the Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment, the Border Troops of the German Democratic Republic , and

798-641: The Luftwaffe . After 1999, 22 of the 24 aircraft were given to Poland . Before the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, military service in the GDR was voluntary, though the Free German Youth and public schools mounted intensive recruitment drives, and service in the NVA was often a prerequisite for career advancement. Compulsory military service had been introduced in 1956 in West Germany , one year after

855-455: The Berlin Wall where they were responsible for numerous deaths . The NVA was dissolved on 2 October 1990 with the GDR before German reunification , and its facilities and equipment were handed over to the Bundeswehr (the armed forces of West Germany ), which also absorbed most of its personnel below the rank of non-commissioned officer . The German Democratic Republic (GDR) established

912-743: The German Cross in the Wehrmacht during the Second World War. In its first six years the NVA operated as an all-volunteer force. ( West Germany , in contrast, re-introduced universal military service in 1956.) The GDR introduced conscription in 1962. According to the Parallel History Project on Cooperative Security: the NVA was incorporated in the Warsaw Pact and consisted of army, air force/air defense (Luftstreitkräfte/Luftverteidigung), and

969-775: The Group of Soviet Forces in Germany . There were also reports of a special NVA diversionary battalion in south Germany equipped with M-48s and M-113s, to cause confusion amongst NATO forces (emulating and improving on the example of Otto Skorzeny 's 150th Panzer Brigade during the Ardennes Offensive ). However more recent reports throw doubt on the existence of any such unit. Divisions Regiments Battalions Detachments Small Arms : [REDACTED] Armoured Vehicles : Kommando Landstreitkr%C3%A4fte The Kommando Landstreitkräfte (short: Kdo LaSK or Kommando LaSK)

1026-772: The Oberkommando der Luftwaffe , built by Ernst Sagebiel in 1936, and located in the area of the Wildpark Potsdam . It was disbanded together with the NPA in 1990. The legal successor became the Bundeswehrkommando Ost under LG Jörg Schönbohm . Today the "Einsatzführungskommando of the Bundeswehr" is stationed in this Barracks. The main task of the NPA Army Command was to provide Command, Control and Communications (C3) to

1083-534: The Peaceful Revolution that led to the downfall of the GDR's communist government, some NVA forces were placed on alert but were never deployed against protesters. At the same time, the Soviet government ordered its troops in the GDR to remain in barracks. After the forced retirement of SED and state leader Erich Honecker and other conservatives from the ruling Politburo at the height of the crisis in October 1989,

1140-526: The People's Police . Officers' uniforms differed from those of enlisted personnel by better quality and texture cloth. The field and service uniforms were normal attire for most day-to-day functions. Several basic categories of uniforms were worn: The parade uniform for ground forces officers was the semi-dress/walking-out tunic with all authorized orders, awards and decorations attached, breeches and riding boots , steel helmet, white shirt, dark-gray necktie, and

1197-958: The armed forces of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1956 to 1990. The NVA was organized into four branches: the Landstreitkräfte (Ground Forces), the Volksmarine (Navy), the Luftstreitkräfte (Air Force) and the Grenztruppen (Border Troops). The NVA belonged to the Ministry of National Defence and commanded by the National Defense Council of East Germany , headquartered in Strausberg 30 kilometers (19 mi) east of East Berlin . From 1962, conscription

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1254-588: The military branch as the whole, as well as to the subordinated corps-sized commands, officer's high schools, groups, organizations, and units of the NPA's Land Forces. Under deployment conditions, and in line with the situation awareness C3 had to be executed from the Component Headquarters in Geltow , Field Component Headquarters or Operations Centers. Source: The commanding general was competent, mandated and authorized to provide tasks and orders direct to

1311-543: The 10th Motor Rifle Division (Ronneburg), the 17th Motor Rifle Division (Petersroda), the 19th Motor Rifle Division (Wulkow, which was not based on a training centre), and the 20th Motor Rifle Division (Bredenfelde). Mobilisation Divisions – command of the Military District III of land forces ( Leipzig ) 6th Motor Rifle Division ( Königswartha ) 10th Motor Rifle Division ( Ronneburg ) 17th Motor Rifle Division ( Petersroda ) Reserve divisions – command of

1368-576: The 1960s most of these World War II veterans had retired. (The West German Bundeswehr was even more reliant on Wehrmacht veterans, who initially comprised the majority of its commissioned ranks.) The following list includes the NVA generals who were awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in the Wehrmacht during the Second World War. The following list includes the NVA generals who were awarded

1425-487: The GDR's National Defence Council authorised the formation of Baueinheiten (construction units) for men of draft age who "refuse military service with weapons on the grounds of religious viewpoints or for similar reasons". The construction soldiers wore uniforms and lived in barracks under military discipline, but were not required to bear arms and received no combat training. In theory, they were to be used only for civilian construction projects. The GDR therefore became

1482-426: The Military District V of land forces ( Neubrandenburg ) 19th Motor Rifle Division ( Wulkow ) 20th Motor Rifle Division ( Bredenfelde ) The Kommando Landstreitkräfte also contained some specially trained units – like the 40th Paratrooper Battalion (later the 40th Air Assault Regiment "Willi Sänger"). The structure and equipment was mostly of Soviet design, and the NVA operated in close collaboration with

1539-505: The NVA had advisors in Algeria , Angola , Ethiopia , Guinea , Iraq , Libya , Mozambique , South Yemen , and Syria . When the Soviet Union prepared to occupy Czechoslovakia in 1968, the GDR government committed the 7th Panzer Division and the 11th Motorised Infantry Division to support the intervention (assigned to 20th Guards Army and 1st Guards Tank Army respectively), becoming

1596-590: The NVA was the Ministry for National Defense ( Ministerium für Nationale Verteidigung ) headquartered in Strausberg near East Berlin . NVA administration was divided into the following commands: The National People's Army had a Military Intelligence Agency Whose Purpose was to “prevent surprise by the enemy.” The first military units of the Central Training Administration ( Hauptverwaltung Ausbildung – HVA ) were dressed in police blue. With

1653-609: The NVA's reserves would have nearly doubled its strength. GDR authorities also had at their disposal the internal security troops of the Ministry of the Interior (the Kasernierte Volkspolizei ) and the Ministry for State Security (the Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment ) along with the 210,000 strong party auxiliary " Combat Groups of the Working Class " ( Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse ), who were available in times of war. The highest level of leadership for

1710-717: The National People's Army on 1 March 1956 (six months after the formation of the West German Bundeswehr ) from the Kasernierte Volkspolizei . This formation culminated years of preparation during which former Wehrmacht officers and communist veterans of the Spanish Civil War helped organize and train paramilitary units of the People's Police . Though the NVA featured a German appearance – including uniforms and ceremonies patterned after older German military traditions – its doctrine and structure showed

1767-618: The People’s Navy (Volksmarine). At its peak in 1987, the three NVA services had about 156,000 men under arms altogether. Between 1956 and 1990, about 2.5 million male GDR citizens performed army duty. Like the ruling communist parties of other Soviet satellites, the East German Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) assured control by appointing loyal party members to top positions and by organizing intensive political education for all ranks. The proportion of SED members in

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1824-787: The Protection of the Workers and Farmers' Power". The NVA never took part in full-scale combat, although it participated in a support role in the suppression of the Prague Spring of 1968, provided medical support during the Soviet–Afghan War , and NVA officers often served as combat advisers in Africa. Some of the first NVA advisors went to the Republic of the Congo in 1973. During the 1980s at various times

1881-571: The West German military was established, but the GDR held back from this step until 1962. The situation changed when the border was sealed in August 1961, and five months later the government announced a mandatory service term of 18 months for men. There was, at first, no alternative service for conscientious objectors . This changed in 1964 when, under pressure from the Protestant Church in Germany ,

1938-456: The dissolution of the East German government in October 1990. Under the process of "Army of Unity" ( Armee der Einheit ), NVA facilities and equipment were handed over to the Bundeswehr , the federal defense force of the unified Germany. Bundeswehr Eastern Command ( Bundeswehrkommando Ost ) was set up for the control of units or facilities in the territory of former East Germany, and

1995-437: The event of a full-scale mobilisation, the six regular divisions of the NVA would have been supplemented by three mobilisation divisions and two reserve divisions. All five divisions would be mobilised on M+2. The cadre of each mobilisation/reserve division remained on hand as the regular staff of training centers/non-commissioned officer (NCO) schools. The five second line divisions were the 6th Motor Rifle Division (Königswartha),

2052-510: The first deployment of German troops outside Germany for the first time since the Second World War . But the East German participation raised Czech ire, and the two divisions were "kept out of sight in the Bohemian forests " and allowed to travel only at night. In a few days they were withdrawn. In the early 1970s the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG) high command assigned to the NVA

2109-403: The first measures taken after the reunification was a survey and securing of weapons and devices by former members of the NVA. The federally operated Materiel Depot Service Gesellschaft (MDSG) was charged with taking custody of and warehousing this equipment. The MDSG employed 1,820 people who were primarily taken from the Bundeswehr . The MDSG was privatised in 1994. Much of the materiel

2166-631: The growing militarization of East German society bolstered popular support for the military establishment. From a Leninist perspective, the NVA stood as a symbol of Soviet-East German solidarity and became the model communist institution – ideological, hierarchical, and disciplined. The NVA synthesized communist and Prussian symbolism, naming its officers' academy, the Friedrich Engels Military Academy , after Karl Marx 's co-author Friedrich Engels , and its highest medal after Prussian Army General Gerhard von Scharnhorst . During

2223-642: The influence of the Soviet Army became one of the Warsaw Pact militaries opposing NATO during the Cold War . The majority of NATO officers rated the NVA the best military in the Warsaw Pact based on discipline , thoroughness of training, and the quality of officer leadership. The NVA did not see significant combat but participated in the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, deployed military advisors to communist governments in other countries, and manned

2280-618: The lower ranks, especially armor and air force personnel. Officers in technical branches supervising fatigue details wore a laboratory-style smock . High-ranking officers occasionally wore white uniforms (or white jackets), and staff officers were issued distinctive staff service uniforms. Women wore uniforms consisting of jackets, skirts or slacks, blouses, caps, boots or pumps, and other appropriate items according to season and occasion. Personnel, such as paratroopers , motorcyclists, and tank troops, wore additional items with their uniforms identifying them as such. NVA personnel initially wore

2337-402: The new SED leadership ruled out using armed force against the protesters. The manpower of the NVA consisted of some 85,000 soldiers in 1962, climbed to 127,000 by 1967, and remained essentially steady through 1970. In 1987, at the peak of its power, the NVA numbered 175,300 troops. Approximately 50% of this number were career soldiers, while the others were short-term conscripts. According to

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2394-417: The officer corps rose steadily after the early 1960s, eventually reaching almost 95 percent. The NVA saw itself as the "instrument of power of the working class" ( Machtinstrument der Arbeiterklasse ). According to its doctrine, the NVA protected peace and secured the achievements of socialism by maintaining a convincing deterrent to imperialist aggression. The NVA's motto, inscribed on its flag, read: "For

2451-485: The only Warsaw Pact country to provide a non-combat alternative for conscientious objectors. However, fearing that other soldiers would be contaminated by pacifist ideas, the government took care to segregate the construction units from regular conscripts. Moreover, conscripts who chose the alternative service option often faced discrimination later in life, including denial of opportunities for higher education . The NVA had four main branches: In wartime, mobilization of

2508-514: The restructuring of the Barracked Police (CIP) in 1952, khaki uniforms similar in shape and colour to those of the Soviet Army were introduced. The desire for a separate "German" and "socialist" military tradition, and the consequent founding of the NVA in 1956, introduced new uniforms which strongly resembled those of the Wehrmacht . They were of a similar cut and made of a brownish-gray, called stone gray , cloth. The dark high-necked collar

2565-429: The same for all ranks and was worn for walking-out purposes (i.e. off-duty and off-post). It consisted of a single-breasted tunic without belt, a silver-gray shirt with dark-gray tie, the service cap, long trousers, and black low-quarter shoes. Officers also wore the tunic with a white shirt. During periods of warm weather, there was the option of omitting the tunic, and furthermore omitting the tie. A double-breasted jacket

2622-467: The strong influence of the Soviet Armed Forces . During its first year, about 27 percent of the NVA's officer corps had formerly served in the Wehrmacht . Of the 82 highest command positions, ex- Wehrmacht officers held 61; however, very few of them had served in high ranks. The military knowledge and combat experience of these veterans were indispensable in the NVA's early years, although by

2679-482: The strongest armies in the Warsaw Pact. It was equipped with a large number of modern weapons systems, most of Soviet origin, from which a small portion were given back to the Soviet Union in 1990. The remaining equipment and materiel was still substantial, including large quantities of replacement parts, medical supplies, atomic, biological and chemical warfare equipment, training devices and simulators, etc. One of

2736-673: The subordinated deputies. He was assisted by a so-called Militärrat of the Army Command , the highest HQ advisory body on deputy level. The command was composed by the following establishment: The following units and commands reported directly to NPA Land Forces Command: 52°23′10.6″N 12°58′15.7″E  /  52.386278°N 12.971028°E  / 52.386278; 12.971028 National People%27s Army The National People's Army ( German : Nationale Volksarmee , pronounced [natsi̯oˈnaːlə ˈfɔlksʔaʁˌmeː] ; NVA [ɛn faʊ ˈʔaː] ) were

2793-539: The wartime mission of capturing West Berlin . The NVA plan for the operation, designated "Operation Centre", called for some 32,000 troops in two divisions, accompanied by the GSFG's Soviet 6th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade . The plan was regularly updated until 1988, when a less ambitious plan that simply aimed at containing Berlin was substituted. In the autumn of 1981 the NVA stood ready to intervene in Poland in support of

2850-448: Was designated to leave that formation in wartime to play a key role in the assault on West Berlin. The 6th Motor Rifle Division existed only for two years (1956–1958) as an active formation. While the two districts held the bulk of the GDR's land forces, additional artillery- and support elements, as well as the paratroopers of the 40th Paratrooper Battalion (upgraded to the 40th Air Assault Regiment in 1986) were under direct command of

2907-415: Was given free of charge to beneficiaries in the new federal states or other departments, to museums, or to friendly nations in the context of military support for developing countries . The German Federal Intelligence Service secretly sold NVA equipment to several countries, violating international and German laws as well as international treaties. The rest was destroyed. 24 modern MIG-29s became part of

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2964-513: Was later removed, except on the coats from 1974 to 1979. Even the NVA's M-56 "gumdrop" army helmet , in spite of its easily noticeable resemblance to well-known Soviet designs, was actually based on a prototype "B / II" helmet that was initially developed for the Wehrmacht by the Institute for Defence Technical Materials Science in Berlin. The helmet had seen trials since 1943, but was not adopted by

3021-427: Was led by Lieutenant General Jörg Schönbohm . Most facilities closed, and equipment was either sold or given to other countries. Most of the NVA's 36,000 officers and NCOs were let go, including all officers above the rank of Oberstleutnant . The Bundeswehr retained only 3,200 – after a demotion of one rank. In addition, all female soldiers (at this point it was still prohibited for women to become soldiers in

3078-477: Was mandatory for all GDR males aged between 18 and 60 requiring an 18-month service, and it was the only Warsaw Pact military to offer non-combat roles to conscientious objectors , known as " construction soldiers " ( Bausoldat ). The NVA reached 175,300 personnel at its peak in 1987. The NVA was formed on 1 March 1956 to succeed the Kasernierte Volkspolizei (Barracked People's Police) and under

3135-425: Was optional for officers and warrant officers. The summer field uniform for both officers and enlisted consisted of a jacket and trousers originally in Flachtarnenmuster and then in Strichtarn , a dark-brown (later a forest green) raindrop camouflage pattern on a stone-gray background; a field cap, service cap, or steel helmet ; high black boots; and a gray webbing belt with y-strap suspenders. In winter,

3192-401: Was the Army staff — and simultaneously the Army command of the National People's Army (NPA) Land Forces of the former GDR . On 1 December 1972 the Kommando LaSK was established under the command of LG Horst Stechbarth as independent Army Staff, and Main Army Command of the Land Forces , a Military branch of the GDR National People's Army. As HQ served the former barracks of

3249-508: Was to focus on the military supply chain, medical services, internal security and assist in the capture of West Berlin. The headquarters of Military District V in the north was in Neubrandenburg . 1st Motor Rifle Division ( Potsdam ) 8th Motor Rifle Division ( Schwerin ) 9th Panzer Division ( Eggesin ) The headquarters of the southern district was in Leipzig . 4th Motor Rifle Division ( Erfurt ) 7th Panzer Division ( Dresden ) 11th Motor Rifle Division ( Halle ) In

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