After the unification of Germany, hundreds of GDR officers turned out to be thrown on the mercy of fate.

Older photo: November 1989, Berlin Wall, literally saddated by a crowded crowded crowd. Sad and confused faces only have a group of people in the foreground - GDR border guards. More recently formidable for enemies and fairly aware of the elite of the country, they overnight became unnecessary in this holiday. But it was not the most terrible for them ...

"Somehow accidentally found himself in the house of the former captain of the National People's Army (NNA) GDR. He graduated from our Higher Military School, a good level programmer, but for three years already worn without work. And on the neck of the family: wife, two kids.

From him I first heard what was destined to hear many times.

You betrayed us ... - the former captain will say. Said calmly, without a donkey, gathering the will in a fist.

No, he was not "Political Commissioner", did not cooperate with the Staff and nevertheless lost everything. "

The problem, however, is much deeper: throwing the soldiers and officers to the arbitrariness of the fate of the soldiers and officers, whether we did not betray themselves? And was it possible to save the NNA, let and under a different name and with a changed organizational structure, but as a faithful ally of Moscow?

Let's try to figure out, of course, as far as possible, in the framework of a small article, especially since these issues have not lost relevance to this day, especially against the background of the expansion of NATO to the east and dissemination of the US military-political influence in the post-Soviet space.

Disappointment and humiliation

So, in 1990, the union of Germany occurred, which caused Euphoria from the side and Western, and Eastern Germans. It happened! The Great Nation again gained unity, finally collapsed so hated Berlin Wall. However, as it often happens, unrestrained joy changed to bitter disappointment. Of course, not for all residents of Germany, no. Most of them, as sociological surveys show, do not regret the association of the country.

Disappointment touched on some part of the inhabitants of the GDR in the summer. Pretty quickly they realized: the anchlus essentials occurred - the absorption of their homeland by the Western neighbor.

The officer and non-commission officer corps of the former NNA suffered the greatest extent. He did not become an integral part of the Bundeswehr, but was simply dissolved. The most former GDR servicemen, including generals and colonels, were dismissal. At the same time, the service in NNA did not have the military, nor for civilian labor experience. The same, who was lucky enough to put on the form of recent opponents, were lowered in rank.

As a result, East German officers were forced to stand for hours to stand in queues on the labor exchange and washing in search of work - often low-paid and unqualified.

And worse. In his book, Mikhail Boltunov cites the words of the last Minister of Defense of the GDR Admiral Theodora Hofman: "With the union of Germany, NNA was dissolved. Many professional servicemen were discriminated against. "

Discrimination, simply put - humiliation. Otherwise, it could not be, because the famous Latin proverb reads: "The grief is defeated!". And the mountain is doubly if the army was not crushed in the battle, but simply a devotee and its own, and the Soviet leadership.

This was directly spoken in one of the interviews the former Goland of the UGV General Matvey Burlakov: "Gorbachev and others betrayed the Union." And is it a betrayal from the betrayal of his faithful allies, which, including the geopolitical security of the USSR in the west direction?

However, many will consider the last approval controversial and observe irreversibility and even the echievement of the process of combining two Germany. But the point is not that Germany and the GDRs were inevitably needed to unite, but in how it could happen. And the absorption of the western Germany of the Eastern neighbor was far from the only way.

What was an alternative that would allow the officer building of the NNA to take a worthy situation in new Germany and remain loyal to the USSR? And what more for us is important: did the Soviet Union possess real opportunities to maintain their military-political presence in Germany, without allowing NATO expansion to the East? To answer these questions, we need to make a small historical excursion.

In 1949, a new Republic appeared on the map - GDR. It was created as a response to education in the American, British and French occupation zones of the FRG. Interestingly, Joseph Stalin did not seek the creation of the GDR, performing the initiative of the unification of Germany, but under the condition of its non-treatment in NATO.

However, the former allies refused. Proposals for the construction of the Berlin Wall came to Stalin on the outcome of the 40s, but the Soviet leader refused this idea, having considered it the discrediting USSR in the eyes of the world community.

Recalling the history of the birth of the GDR, should also take into account the first chancellor of the West German State of Conrad Adenauer, who, according to the former Soviet ambassador to Germany Vladimir Semenov, "cannot be considered only a political opponent in Russia. He had an irrational hatred of Russian. "

Birth and formation of NNA

Under these conditions, and with the direct participation of the USSR, on January 18, 1956, NNA was created, quickly turned into a powerful force. In turn, the Military Navy GDR became the most combal along with the Soviet in the Warsaw Treaty.

This is not an exaggeration, for the GDRs included Prussian and Saxon lands, which presented the once most militant German states who had strong armies. This is especially true of, of course, Prussians. It was the Prussians and the Saxons that amounted to the basis of the officer corps first of the German Empire, then Reichsvera, then the Wehrmacht and, finally, NNA.

Traditional German discipline and love for military case, strong military traditions of Prussian officers, a rich military experience of previous generations, multiplied by the advanced military equipment and achieving the Soviet military thought, made an army of the GDR dislostsed force in Europe.

The power of the Army of the GDR was in combat training of its personnel, for the number of NNA has always remained relatively low: for 1987, she has numbered 120 thousand soldiers and officers in their ranks, let us say, the People's Army, the Filisk - the second of the army after the Soviet in the Warsaw Agreement .

However, in the case of a military conflict with NATO, the Poles were to fight in the secondary sections of the front - in Austria and Denmark. In turn, more serious tasks were made before NNA: to fight in the main direction - against the troops operating from the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany, where the first echelon of NATO's land forces was deployed, that is, the Bundeswehr, as well as the most combat-ready divisions of the Americans, the British and French.

Trusted the Soviet leadership of the German brothers in arms. And not in vain. Commander of the 3rd armies of the ZGV in the GDR and later Deputy Headquarters of the Staff of the Soviet Forces Group in Germany, General Valentin Varennikov wrote in his memoirs: "The National People's Army GDR has actually grown in my eyes for 10-15 years from zero to a formidable modern army equipped with all Needless and able to act no worse than Soviet troops. "

This point of view is essentially confirmed by Matvey Burlakov: "The peak of the Cold War was in the early 80s. It remained to give a signal - and everything would be rushed. All the warheads, shells in tanks, remained in the barrel to shove - and go ahead. All would be burned, everyone would have destroyed them there. Military objects I mean - not a city. I often met with the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee Klaus at Namenann. He somehow asks me: "I saw the plans of the Army of the GDR, which you claimed. Why didn't you start an offensive? " We tried to collect these plans, but someone wasted, removed the copies. And Naumann agreed with our calculation that we should be on La Manche for a week. I say: "We are not aggressors, why do we go for you? We always waited for you first start. " So explained to them. We cannot say that we were the first to start. "

We will pay attention: Naumann saw the plans of the army of the GDR, the tanks of which were among the first to achieve La Mans and, according to his recognition, no one could effectively prevent themselves.

In a word, on the outcome of the 80s, the Army GDR was ready for any tests, but here is the country - no. Unfortunately, the combat power of the armed forces could not compensate for the socio-economic problems faced by the GDR to the beginning of the last quarter of the 20th century. He headed in 1971 by Erich Honekker focused on the Soviet model of building socialism, which significantly distinguished him from many leaders of other countries in Eastern Europe.

The key goal of Honecker in the socio-economic sphere is to improve the welfare of the people, in particular, through the development of housing construction, increasing pensions.

Alas, but the good endeavors in this area led to a decrease in investment in the development of production and the update of obsolete equipment, which was 50 percent in industry and 65 percent in agriculture. In general, the Eastern German economy, as well as Soviet, developed on an extensive path.

Defeat without a single shot

Mikhail Gorbachev's arrival in 1985 complicated the relations of the two countries - Honecker, being a conservative, negatively reacted to restructuring. And this is against the background of the fact that in the GDR attitude to Gorbachev as the initiator of reforms was enthusiastic. In addition, on the outcome of the 80s, the mass departure of the GDR citizens in Germany began. Gorbachev made it to understand his East German colleague that the Soviet Assistance of the GDR directly depends on Berlin Reforms.

Further is well known: in 1989, Honecker was removed from all posts, a year later, the GDR was absorbed by Western Germany, and a year later, the Soviet Union ceased to exist. The Russian leadership hurried to bring almost half a million grouping from Germany, equipped with 12 thousand tanks and armored vehicles, which became an unconditional geopolitical and geostrategic defeat and accelerated the introduction of the USSR yesterday's allies in the Warsaw Treaty in NATO.

Demonstration performances with special forces GDR

But all these are dry lines about the relatively recently past events, behind which the drama of thousands of NNA officers and their families. With sadness in the eyes and pain in the heart they looked at the last parade of the Russian troops on August 31, 1994 in Berlin. The devotees, humiliated, no one needed, they witnessed the departure of the once allied army, without a single shot of losers with them with them.

And after all, just five years before that, Gorbachev promised not to leave the GDR on the arbitrary of fate. Has the Soviet leader of the foundation for such statements? On the one hand, it would seem not. As we have already noted, in the late 80s, the flow of refugees from the GDR in Germany increased. After the Honecker displacement, the GDR leads did not demonstrate either will, nor the decisiveness to maintain the country and take for this truly effective measures that would allow to reunite Germany on equal fundamentals. Declarative statements that were not supported by practical steps, in this case not in the account.

But there is another side of the medal. According to Boltunov, nor France, nor the United Kingdom considered the issue of German reunion relevant. This is understandable: in Paris they were afraid of strong and united Germany, less than a century twice the military power of France twice. And of course, not in the geopolitical interests of the fifth republic was to see united and strong Germany from their borders.

In turn, the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher adhered to a political line aimed at preserving the balance of power between NATO and the Warsaw Treaty, as well as the compliance of the terms of the final act in Helsinki, the rights and responsibility of four states for post-war Germany.

And perhaps, the most important thing is: in the containment of processes aimed at the union of Germany, the British leadership extended to support Moscow and Paris. And even more than one: the German chancellor himself, Helmut, was initially not initiated by the acquisition of Western Germany his Eastern neighbor, but he advocated the creation of a confederation, having put forward a program from ten points to implement his idea.

Thus, in the 1990s, the Kremlin and Berlin had every chance to implement an idea, once proposed by Stalin: the creation of a single, but neutral and not a member of NATO Germany.

The preservation of a limited contingent of Soviet, American, English and French troops on the territory of the United German, and the guarantor of German neutrality, and the Armed Forces created on an equal basis would not allow the spread of pro-Western sentiment in the army and would not have become former NNA officers in the rogue.

Personality factor

All this was quite realized in practice and responded to foreign policy interests such as London and Paris, so Moscow and Berlin. So why Gorbachev and his environment, who had the opportunity to rely on the GDR protection to rely on the support of France and England, did not and easily went to the absorption of Western Germany their Eastern neighbor, ultimately changing the balance of power in Europe in favor of NATO?

From the point of view of the Boltunov, a personality factor played a decisive role in this case: "... the events took an unspecious turn after the meeting of foreign ministers, on which E. A. Shevardnadze ( uSSR Foreign Minister. - Auto) I went to direct violation of the Gorbachev Directive.

It is one thing - the reunification of two independent German states, another - anchlus, that is, the absorption of the GDR by the Federal Republic. It is one thing - overcoming the split of Germany as a cardinal step towards the elimination of the split of Europe. Other - Transferring the front edge of the split continent from Elba to Oder or further east.

The explanation of his behavior of Shevardnadze gave very simple - I learned this from the president's assistant ( THE USSR. - Auto) Anatoly Chernyaeva: "Ghisher asked that this. And Hesser is a good man. "

Perhaps this explanation thoroughly simplifies the picture associated with the association of the country, but it is obvious that such a rapid absorption of Western Germany GDR is a direct consequence of short-sightedness and weakness of the Soviet political leadership, oriented from the logic of its decisions, more on the positive image of the USSR in Western The world than the interests of their own state.

Ultimately, the collapse and GDR, and the social value as a whole, as well as the collapse of the Soviet Union, gives a vivid example of the fact that the defining factor in history is not some objective processes, but the role of personality. This is undisputed with an undeniable manner of humanity.

After all, there were no socio-economic prerequisites for the exit to the historic arena of the ancient Macedonian, if not the outstanding personal qualities of the kings of Philippe and Alexander.

Never of the French would not put the knees most of Europe, would not be their emperor Napoleon. And there would be no October coup in Russia, the most shameful in the history of the country of the Brest world, as well as the Bolsheviks in the Civil War would have won, if not for the identity of Vladimir Lenin.

All this is only the most vivid examples of an indisputable way testifying to the defining role of the personality in history.

There is no doubt that anything like the events of the early 1990s could not occur in Eastern Europe if Yuri Andropov was located at the head of the Soviet Union. A person with a strong will, in the field of foreign policy, he invariably proceeded from the geopolitical interests of the country, and they demanded the preservation of military presence in Central Europe and a comprehensive strengthening of the combat power of NNA, regardless of the relationship between Americans and their allies.

The scale of the Personality of Gorbachev, as, however, and his closest environment, objectively did not correspond to this complex of the most complicated intra and foreign policy problems that the Soviet Union faced.

The same can be said about the Egon Krenz, who replaced Honecker as a SEPG Secretary General and who was not a strong and volitional personality. This is the opinion of the Krenz of General Marcus Wolf, who led the external intelligence of the GDR.

One of their properties of weak politicians is inconsistency in the following course. It happened to Gorbachev: In December 1989, at the plenum of the CPSU Central Committee, he unequivocally stated that the Soviet Union would not quit the GDR on the mercy of fate. And a year later, the Kremlin allowed West Germany to implement the anchlus of his Eastern neighbor.

The political weakness of the Soviet leadership felt since during his visit to Moscow in February 1990, since it was after that he began more vigorously a course on the reunification of Germany and the main thing - began to insist on the preservation of its membership in NATO.

And as a result: In modern Germany, the number of American troops exceeds 50 thousand soldiers and officers quartered, including on the territory of the former GDR, and the NATO military car is unfolded near Russian borders. And in the case of military conflict, well-trained and trained officers of the former NNA will not be able to help us. Yes, and hardly want ...

As for England and France, their fears regarding the unification of Germany were not in vain: the latter quickly took leading positions in the European Union, strengthened its strategic and economic situation in Central and Eastern Europe, gradually ousting British capital from there.

Igor Khodakov

In 1990, the new United Germany fell inheritance rich and completely not the necessary weapons dowry of the former GDR. The bastards shoved the sleeves and began to rake well.

Dowry and final sale

The third of October 1990, the GDR stopped existing, and together with it and its army is one of the most combat-ready and well-armed among the countries of the Warsaw Treaty. New Germany got a huge and completely unnecessary weapon heritage of the arms of the arms of the houses. Germany received more than 2500 tanks, 6600 BMP and BTR, 2500 artillery guns (including self-propelled), about 180 helicopters, almost 400 aircraft and 69 warships. All this was crowned and a half million units of firearms and 300 thousand tons of ammunition.

All this arsenal was divided into three categories.

The first, rather small one, got something that the Bundesser was going to use personally - for example, MiG-29 fighters or passenger Tu-154. In the second category - the fact that the Germans wanted to try and, perhaps, leave themselves or attach some border guards or foresters. Mi-24 and Mi-8 helicopters got here, as well as a piece of caterpillar and marine equipment. Third, the most numerous category, determined what was required to get rid of.

Among the reasons are technical obsolence, inconsistency of NATO standards and the need to purchase spare parts from foreign countries.

There was one more, not a particularly advertised fact: the more Gederov weapons remain, the more the Geerers themselves remain in the army themselves - which did not want anyone.

While the Germans were engaged in taking into account and control, there were some very annoyed people waving contracts on the door. It turned out that under the very curtain, October 1-2, 1990, Gadereztsi signed a lot of the most diverse weapons in chasing prices and buyers are interested in where the goods!

The Poles expected 11 MiG-29 aircraft with air-air missiles, 2,700 anti-tank missiles to Fagot complexes and many other. Hungarians who claimed that 200 T-72 tanks were bought, 130 thousand anti-tank mines and a whole list on three sheets.

MiG-29 at the airfield PRED, August 1990

NATO's future allies asked to wait a bit, because multiliate businessmen with far fantastic documents have come forward.

So, the American firm "Si-Si International" argued that the owner of three small rocket ships of the project 151, 12 Rocket boats of the project 205, several tens of airplanes MiG-21 and MiG-23, and also (hold onto the chair!) 1200 Tank T-55, 200 T-72 and 170 systems of reactive salvo flames. Because of their shoulder, representatives of the Panaman "Beizh-Ma" were smeared, asked, where they are 32 Mi-24 helicopters, a hundred tanks T-72 and tens of thousands of gunshot units. For them they tried to squeeze representatives of even half-life firms with more modest requests - mainly in the field of firearms and ammunition.

Most contracts are assessed invalid. But here, let's say, one soldher soldered by a certain company Mawia is still extremely illegally floating - already in African Guinea.

"Storm in the desert" and help friends

For a number of reasons, Germany refused to participate in the operation of the "storm in the desert", but invited participants financial and material and technical assistance - after all, thanks to the Gadererovsky reserves, she did not cost them anything. The Germans sent more than 1,500 units for rear services for the Middle East and many supply items like tents, flashes, blankets and other things.

But the main requests concerned the opportunity to look at the Soviet High-Tech, which has never come to NATO's hands before.

It is primarily about combat aircraft and their weapons, anti-aircraft missile and anti-tank complexes, as well as on the naval novelties. From local German dicks, everyone was interested in anti-tank and anti-personnel mines.

Many such programs were not recorded as a purchase and sale, but were carried out within the framework of military-technical cooperation and transfer of the material part for training.

Eastern Herman MiG-23

The hits were airplanes MiG-23 and Su-22 with air-air missiles and air-surface missiles, anti-worm rockets of the P-15 family, SET-40 anti-submarine torpedoes and anti-aircraft missile systems "OSA".

The highest activity was shown by the United States, which operated on the principle of "Wanted only two". They received, among other things, 14 airplanes MiG-23, two Su-22, one MiG-29, three helicopters Mi-24, 86 T-72 tanks, 19 BMP-1 and 15 BMP-2, 17 MT-LB (multipurpose Armored conveyor armored), as well as three batteries SPK "OSA" with ammunition. A considerable part of this technique was intended for arming parts OPFOR (Opposing Force), which on the exercises depict "bad guys".

The Americans even dragged for the tests of a small rocket ship of the project 1241. In the Eastern Germans, he wore the name "Rudolf Eglegifer", after the union briefly fell into the West German fleet, where he was renamed Hiddenze. Six months later, he was sent to the USA - now it can be seen in the Marine Museum "Batlship Cove" in Massachusetts.

Former "Rudolph Egleger" - now "Hiddense" - in the Maritime Museum of Massachusetts

Not everyone received the desired. Israel, who from the Federal Republic of Germany was warm, although not cloudless relations in the field of military cooperation, tried - like the United States to ask everything and immediately. The Germans, however, were more cautious, not wanting excess noise in the Middle East. In many things, Israel refused, and something he received in the form of individual elements, and not a whole complex. So, the Israelites transferred radar from MiG-29 - but not the entire aircraft; Rockets from the SPK - but without the control cabin, and so on.

Surprisingly, in no open documents do not appear the communication systems, radio spots and radio electronic struggle. Whether everyone believed that there was nothing to look at, whether they were passed on the secret channels.

Big Bazaar.

The bulk of weapons decided to sell with a big discount or even to give free - as help. Storage and disposal of all this wealth still flew into a penny.

The scandinavians, who have long been confessed by the principle of "we would have been cheaper" in military expenditures for a long time.

Finns, who possessed the impressive Soviet Arsenal, bought a wide front: 97 T-72, 72 SAU "Carnation", 36 RM-70 (Czech versions "Grad"), 140 BMP-1, 218 Gaubitz D-30 and 166 guns M-46 .

Gederovsky T-72

The Swedes reached for their share. Surprisingly looking at bedding prices and not particularly trading, they acquired more than 800 (!) MT-LB and 400 BMP-1. About a quarter of them bought for spare parts, but the rest, passing modernization in Poland and the Czech Republic, went to serve in the troops.

Poles and Hungars also gained, but point and highly technologically. Hungarians received three aircraft MiG-23, two dozen Czech training aircraft L-39 and six Mi-24 helicopters. Poles were taken by small rocket ships in the GDR, and also received two SU-22 and MiG-23. A little later, they are free of charge of 18 Mi-24. And the main gift of the Poles received in 2004 - in the form of 14 free MiG-29 with four hundred rockets in addition.

Suddenly, the main visitors of the German military second-hand became the Greeks.

One of the poorest countries of NATO Rowing is welcome with both hands. Among the obtained were three batteries of the "OSA" SPC with 900 rockets, 11,500 missiles to the anti-tank missile complex "Fagot", five hundred BMP-1, 120 schilli "shill" and 156 "Grads" with a 200-thousandth reserve of rockets! Most of the Germans were given free of charge as part of the military assistance program, but some deliveries still broke down - the Greeks had no money to pay for transportation.

Greeks were not lost - "OSA" still serves them by faith and true

The Turks, as he hung around, took three hundreds of BTR-60, and then focused on an easy weapon, bought five thousand RPG-7 with 200 thousand shells, 300 thousand Kalashnikov machines and 2500 machine guns with 83 million cartridges.

But the very impressive deal with Indonesia.

The Fleet GDR was small and built for specific tasks in the coastal areas of the Baltic Sea. Germany did not expect crowds of customers, but their complete lack of interest was surprised. Recruited Indonesia. The country of many islands wanted to get more ships, and the Germans were only glad to get rid of the burden. Indonesians took all 16 small anti-submarine ships of the project 133.1, a dozen of tank-tolerant ships, two shipping vessels and nine trashmen. The deal came out so unusual that the corruption component in it did not seek only the lazy.

Indonesian Corvette "Hid Nyak Ding" - former "Lubz" - in 1994

Germany gave ships for a ridiculous amount of $ 14 million - True, Indonesians had to pay another 300 million for the repair and demilitarization of ships in German shipyards. Their inverse remilitarization after distillation was supposed to cost another 300 million, plus 120 million was required to modernize the shipyard and 180 to build a new content item. In an amazing way, on German shipyards from the ships, they forgotten the majority of high-tech weapons systems all the time, but then in Indonesia them, if judged by documents, were installed on the second round.

It is noteworthy that the second largest buyer of marine equipment (three travelers, a rescue ship, a ship supply and a tug) was just as far from the Baltic Sea Uruguay.

New markets

Thanks to the inheritance of the GDR, the first half of the 90s, Germany was part of the three world weapons providers. But then the heat was asleep and the former countries of the USSR and Eastern European neighbors began to trade in this segment. In addition, the main consumers became the country from such a list, which would never officially approved the German government.

Non-soldered just quietly cut.

The Great Sale of the GDR names - besides the fact that many countries have been treated for almost free technician, and the other side was. FRG managed to reach many new markets. And soon she was able to offer someone's toys there - and much more expensive.

We betrayed the GDR

After the unification of Germany, hundreds of GDR officers turned out to be thrown on the mercy of fate.

Older photo: November 1989, Berlin Wall, literally saddated by a crowded crowded crowd. Sad and confused faces only have a group of people in the foreground - GDR border guards. More recently formidable for enemies and fairly aware of the elite of the country, they overnight became unnecessary in this holiday. But it was not the most terrible for them ...

"Somehow accidentally found himself in the house of the former captain of the National People's Army (NNA) GDR. He graduated from our Higher Military School, a good level programmer, but for three years already worn without work. And on the neck of the family: wife, two kids.

From him I first heard what was destined to hear many times.
"You betrayed us ..." Said the former captain. Said calmly, without a donkey, gathering the will in a fist.
No, he was not "Political Commissioner", did not cooperate with the Staff and nevertheless lost everything. "

These are lines from the book of Colonel Mikhail Boltunov "ZGV: Gorky Road Home."
And then the author appeals to himself and to all of us: "It means that it is. We betrayed the GDR, NNA, this captain? Or is it only the emotions of an offended person? ".

Disappointment and humiliation

As a result, East German officers were forced to stand for hours to stand in queues on the labor exchange and washing in search of work - often low-paid and unqualified.
And worse. In his book, Mikhail Boltunov cites the words of the last Minister of Defense of the GDR Admiral Theodora Hofman: "With the union of Germany, NNA was dissolved.

Many professional servicemen were discriminated against. "
Discrimination, simply put - humiliation. Otherwise, it could not be, because the famous Latin proverb reads: "The grief is defeated!". And the mountain is doubly if the army was not crushed in the battle, but simply a devotee and its own, and the Soviet leadership.

To answer these questions, we need to make a small historical excursion.
In 1949, a new Republic appeared on the map - GDR. It was created as a response to education in the American, British and French occupation zones of the FRG. Interestingly, Joseph Stalin did not seek the creation of the GDR, performing the initiative of the unification of Germany, but under the condition of its non-treatment in NATO.

Birth and formation of NNA

It is noteworthy that in some ways the dreams of the most far-sighted German and Russian statesmen were embodied at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries who dreamed of the military union of the Russian and German Empires.

The power of the Army of the GDR was in combat training of its personnel, for the number of NNA has always remained relatively low: for 1987, she has numbered 120 thousand soldiers and officers in their ranks, let us say, the People's Army, the Filisk - the second of the army after the Soviet in the Warsaw Agreement .

I often met with the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee Klaus at Namenann. He somehow asks me: "I saw the plans of the Army of the GDR, which you claimed. Why didn't you start an offensive? " We tried to collect these plans, but someone wasted, removed the copies. And Naumann agreed with our calculation that we should be on La Manche for a week.

I say: "We are not aggressors, why do we go for you? We always waited for you first start. " So explained to them. We cannot say that we were the first to start. "
We will pay attention: Naumann saw the plans of the army of the GDR, the tanks of which were among the first to achieve La Mans and, according to his recognition, no one could effectively prevent themselves.

From the point of view of intellectual preparation of the personnel of NNA, it also stood at a high level: by the mid-80s, in its ranks 95 percent of the officer corps had a higher or secondary special education, about 30 percent of officers graduated from military academies, 35 percent are the highest military schools.

In a word, on the outcome of the 80s, the Army GDR was ready for any tests, but here is the country - no. Unfortunately, the combat power of the armed forces could not compensate for the socio-economic problems faced by the GDR to the beginning of the last quarter of the 20th century. He headed in 1971 by Erich Honekker focused on the Soviet model of building socialism, which significantly distinguished him from many leaders of other countries in Eastern Europe.

The key goal of Honecker in the socio-economic sphere is to improve the welfare of the people, in particular, through the development of housing construction, increasing pensions.

Defeat without a single shot

Gorbachev made it to understand his East German colleague that the Soviet Assistance of the GDR directly depends on Berlin Reforms.
Further is well known: in 1989, Honecker was removed from all posts, a year later, the GDR was absorbed by Western Germany, and a year later, the Soviet Union ceased to exist.

The Russian leadership hurried to bring almost half a million grouping from Germany, equipped with 12 thousand tanks and armored vehicles, which became an unconditional geopolitical and geostrategic defeat and accelerated the introduction of the USSR yesterday's allies in the Warsaw Treaty in NATO.

Demonstration performances with special forces GDR

Declarative statements that were not supported by practical steps, in this case not in the account.
But there is another side of the medal. According to Boltunov, nor France, nor the United Kingdom considered the issue of German reunion relevant.

This is understandable: in Paris they were afraid of strong and united Germany, less than a century twice the military power of France twice. And of course, not in the geopolitical interests of the fifth republic was to see united and strong Germany from their borders.

Against this background, it does not seem random the desire of London to develop in the second half of the 80s cultural and economic ties with the GDR, and when it became obvious that the union of Germany is inevitable, the British leaders offered to stretch this process for 10-15 years.
And perhaps, the most important thing is: in the containment of processes aimed at the union of Germany, the British leadership extended to support Moscow and Paris.

And even more than one: the German chancellor himself, Helmut, was initially not initiated by the acquisition of Western Germany his Eastern neighbor, but he advocated the creation of a confederation, having put forward a program from ten points to implement his idea.

Thus, in the 1990s, the Kremlin and Berlin had every chance to implement an idea, once proposed by Stalin: the creation of a single, but neutral and not a member of NATO Germany.

Among the former Wehrmacht officers who were standing at the origins of the creation of the National People's Army of the GDR, General Vinzzz Muller occupies a special place. During the Second World War, he headed the Operational Department at the headquarters of the Army Group "C", which participated in the final phase of the Mazhino line. Later, in the post of head of the 17th Army headquarters, Müller fought in Ukraine and the North Caucasus. Lieutenant's latter battle was held at the beginning of the summer of 1944 near Minsk as the commander of the 4th Army, after which it was forced to capitulate before the upcoming parts of the Red Army.
Until 1948, Vinzzen Muller was in Soviet captivity, where in the root changed his political views, becoming a consistent anti-fascist. In 1952, he returned to military activities, taking the most active part in creating a professional army of the GDR.
Taking the highest posts in the structure of NNA, Muller supported contacts with its former combat comrades who have served in Bavaria. It is known that General several times secretly met with the Minister of Finance by Germany by Fritz Scheffer, trying to contribute to improving relations between both Germany. In 1958, Muller fell into opal and was resigned.
In March 1956, Willy Shtof, who received the title of Colonel-General a year before the head of the Ministry of National Defense of the GDR. Since 1931, Schtof, since 1931, consisted in the ranks of the Communist Party of Germany, but could not avoid service in the Wehrmacht. Since 1941 he fought on the Eastern Front, was injured, awarded with an iron cross. The war for him ended only in 1945 with captivity, where he began fruitful cooperation with the Soviet authorities.
Hans von HIV devoted all the war to aviation, heading various air connections. In the Soviet captivity got in Carlsbad on the last day of the war. Like most of the German military, returned to their homeland only in 1948, where he was immediately adopted into the border guardation of the eastern zone of the occupation as the head of the supply department. Later, occupied a similar post in the GDR barrage.
Another interesting figure in the former guidance link of the Wehrmacht - Colonel Wilhelm Adam, at the last stage of the Battle of Stalingrad, part of the 6th Army of Paulus. After passing prisoner was in Suzdal, Krasnogorka and Vochovo. Actively participated in the activities of the Soviet "Union of German officers."
After returning to Germany, Adam worked in educational and financial structures. One of the first was attracted to the construction of the Armed Forces of the GDR. At first he was appointed the position of a head to the department of management of educational institutions, then he headed the highest officer school in Dresden. Until the death of Paulus Adam supported friendly relations with him. Delivered to the title of Major General Nna.
Colonel Rudolf Bumler with artillery specialty. During the war, he held the post of headquarters of various armies. In captivity, during the Belarusian offensive operation under Mogilev, immediately disrupted from his Nazi past and began to work closely with the Soviet states security bodies.
Upon returning to Germany, he taught in military educational institutions, later took the post of the main inspector of the barrage. Health problems forced him to find a quieter place of work - they became the position of head of the military-technical school in Erfurt. Bumler often acted with indictments to the FRG leadership. According to rumors, since 1959 he held an unofficial post in the East German intelligence "Staja".
Arno Background Lensky Along with Vinzin Muller was another general of Wehrmacht, which was entrusted with the construction of the NNA. He finished the second world under Stalingrad in the rank of lieutenant-general. Just like Paulus, kept in Krasnogorsk, Suzdal, Voikovo, participated in the activities of anti-fascist organizations.
In the GDR on the recommendation of Marshal Chuikov Lensky resumed a military career in the structures of the NNA. His duties included the formation and development of the tank troops of the East German state. Soon, the general fell into opal: he was accused of unreliability, criticized for disregarding discipline. From the late 1950s, the East Herman and Soviet authorities decided to gradually dismiss the former Wehrmacht officers from the service.

- "Militärgeschichte", AuSG. 3/2012

In March 1980, the Cover "Der Spiegel" looked like a photo of four GDRS soldiers, legged under the vicious ribbon in the style of Wehrmacht, with the inscription: "African Honecker Corps". The Hamburg magazine told about 2,720 engaged military advisers from the GDR, including 1,000 in Angola, 600 in Mozambique, 400 in Libya and 300 in Ethiopia. Prior to that, the bright wording has already met in other newspapers. In the Hamburg weekly "Die Zeit" in May 1978, a title appeared: "African Hoffmann Corpus"; Then in June 1978 followed Bayernkurier and his "Red African Honecker Case". And in November 1979, the Americans read about the "East German African Corps".

Almost all newspapers were ready to publish a sensation about the military from the GDR in Africa: in Paris "Le Figaro" in August 1978 reported that more than 2,000 soldiers from the GDR came to Ethiopia entering the command of Soviet generals. Westernoberlinskaya "Tagesspiegel" in December 1978 printed, with reference to the Bavarian Prime Minister Franz-Joseph Strauss, that only in Angola there are 5,000 "GDR Army soldiers", primarily "elite parts such as air landing." 2,000 of them were "currently involved in the offensive." In February, "Tagesspiegel" announced the redeployment of the East German airborne regiment from Ethiopia to Angola.

"Die Welt" in February 1980 spoke about the total number of "military experts from the GDR" in Africa: "About 30,000". In December 1979, the leader in the opposition of the XDS / HSS faction in the German Bundestag Rainer Bartzel on the pages "Welt Am Sonntag" proclaimed: "The Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt no longer has the right to be silent about the bloody track of the GDR." In the popular film of 1977, "Wild Geese" - with famous actors Roger Murom, Richard Burton and Hardy Kruger - also there is a scene that occurs on the African Earth, where the officer of the National People's Army (NNA) is killed at the dispatch tower at the dispatch tower (NNA), easily identifiable by shaped cap. In the attacking camp, along with local African and Cuban soldiers, two HDR officers also flashed. So whether the Armed Forces of the GDR were involved in Africa indeed?

African requests

Many times, African governments asked for East Berlin to send NNA military personnel. First of all, they requested military advisers, instructors and military pilots. For example, send NNA to his country asked President of Zambia Kenneth Kaunda and his Minister of Defense of Gray Zulu, in 1979 - 1980. Specifically, Pilots NNA should have protected the Zambian airspace. The Minister of Defense of the GDR Heinz Hoffmann refused immediately, with the wording: "not feasible." In the 1980s, with the second attempt, the Zambian president requested to send military advisers. Negotiations with Hoffmann "have not yet led to any decision," wrote Caund to the Secretary-General of SEPG Erich Honecker after he did not receive anything from the Minister of Defense of the GDR. Similarly, in 1979, the leader of the Zimbabviy (Rhodesian) liberation movement of the attainment of Joshua Nomo, visiting the GDR, expressed the desire to see the NNA officers in the camps of Ran in Zambia. The general of the Army Hoffmann again refused to send military personnel, this time as "politically inexpedient." Single cases of failure of Zambia and Zimbabwe in sending advisers, instructors and pilots reflected the general course of the Armed Forces of the GDR into passivity. The leadership of the GDR acted cautiously: basically, it is restrained and skeptically referred to requests and requests concerning sending servicemen to third world countries. In East Berlin and Strausberg (headquarters of the Ministry of Defense), there was no reason to have a danger in drawing their soldiers to conflicts and war on the African continent. Direct participation in hostilities could probably have far-reaching political and military consequences. East Berlin gave the importance of the international reputation of the GDR and did not want to give a reason for negative publications in the Western press. Thus, the use of the army abroad represented innumerable risks for GDR. In such adventures, the GDR and its armed forces did not enter - except for several exceptions described below.

In some, strictly limited cases, NNA was still attended in Africa: Already in 1964, two officers of this army were sent to Zanzibar to advise the People's Republic of China in the construction of its armed forces. Also before 1970, 15 officers and nonsense officers of Volksmarine (Navy GDR) were sent to Zanzibar - as advisers. Some, mostly limited by several weeks, travel advisors and "specialists" were carried out, for example, in Angola. In large volumes, officers and pilots of transport aviation in Mozambique and Ethiopia were sent.

Military Advisors and Transport Aviation Pilots in Mozambique

One of the main recipients of Military Assistance of the GDR was Mozambique. In the country in southern Africa, more than thirty years have raged war, both with an external opponent and civilians. The new state, after receiving independence in 1975, was forced to reflect the attacks of armed opposition in many years and bloody war. At the same time, the conflict of the East and the West also spread to the south of Africa. The ruling (to this day) of the Fremimo party positioned the country as the socialist, armed rebels from Renamo supported South Africa and the United States. Already during a long struggle for independence against the Portuguese colonial authorities, the GDR maintained even weak freelo weapons and equipment. In December 1984, the partisans from the opposition, among other foreigners, killed eight civilian specialists from the GDR. Eastern Germans were specialists in agriculture, they were captured along the path to the state farm, where they had to work.

In response to this, in 1985, NNA sent several groups of senior officers to the country, and even two generals for service as advisers at the General Staff, commands, headquarters and connections. The task of officers who were in the country about six months was primarily an improvement in the safety of more than 700 specialists from the GDR. Along with this, they had to increase the combat qualities of the Armed Forces of Mozambique. Since the end of 1985, there were always three NNA officers in the country as advisors. In this regard, there was also the use of transport aircraft of the GDR Air Force from 1986 to 1990. Machines based in the capital, Maputo, provided the needs of specialists who worked in the country from the GDR and should have been, when aggravating the situation, proceed to their evacuation. In addition to officers involved in the territory, the Mozambique Government in 1985 - 1986. Repeatedly applied to the GDR, expressing the need for instructors and "mentors" NNA. In June 1986, the Army General Kessler - Hoffman's successor as Minister of Defense, informed Honekker and Egon Krenz (CEC Secretary and Member of the SEPG Politburo - Pri. Transl.) That he also refused such participation: appreciated the work of "mentors" on the spot As "inexpedient" on "political grounds". Before that, in January 1986, Krenz rejected as "inexpedient" placement in Mozambique instructors from Rows of NNA. In addition to the basing of pilots of transport aviation and the work of advisers, references to another use of NNA in Mozambique in the extensive base of sources failed.

Operations in Ethiopia

After the fall of Emperor High Selessis I in 1974, a series of wars begins in Ethiopia. In February 1977, together with Lieutenant Colonel Mengist Hayle Mariam, the young military came to power, who sought to radically turn the former domestic political situation with its feudal relations, and in foreign policy oriented to Moscow, Havana and East Berlin. Mengist's Board is difficult to call stable; He led the war against neighboring Somalia, as well as against the separatists in the north. Mengist sent dramatic requests for military assistance to the Ambassadors of the USSR, Southern Yemen, Cuba and GDR: "The people of Ethiopia feels isolated and abandoned, comrade," he wrote it in a literally in the telegram Honecker in August 1977. Calls from Addis Ababa and Havana did not remain unnoticed: in October 1977, about 150 Soviet officers, including four generals, were here as instructors and advisors. In September 1977, the first 200 Cubans were involved on the side of Ethiopians, since December 1977 Havana increased its grouping. Now she has numbered from 16 to 18 thousand people. GDR sent weapons and equipment - but not a soldier. If parts of the NNA were in Ethiopia, then General Hoffmann during his visit to the country in May 1979, probably had to meet with them and mention this visit in one of the reports. A fundamentally skeptical position of the NNA command and the refusal of combat operations in the same way applied to the War Ethiopian shocked. Danger due to the presence of the military to get into local conflicts, and ultimately in the war, was high. However, NNA transport aircraft to Ethiopia came and were involved.

Between 1984 and 1988 First four, and then another car were placed on an African Horn. To overcome the consequences of catastrophically severe droughts, in October 1984, Addis Ababa directed urgent requests for help in various countries. From November of this year, the GDR has sent the first two cars of NNA military transport aviation, as well as the civil airline internflug - to ensure international air report. At this stage, 41 people were involved, of which 22 officers and the UNT-Officer NNA and 19 employees of Interflug. Priority had secrecy. The involvement of NNA to aircraft and crews was to be hidden. The order was unambiguously prescribed to prepare cars in the "Variant for Civil Aviation", the recognition equipment is dismantled, and the staff of the Air Force to provide civilian service passports. Two An-26 were overnight overnight and are equipped with civilian identifiable signs. Even on the dishes and technical inventory of the crew, the identification signs of the NNA were painted. The staff did not have any uniform. Witnesses argue that the NNA signs were escaped even from underwear: nothing had to point to belonging to the Armed Forces of the GDR. The reason for strict secrecy was rooted not so much in the possible danger of a business trip to Ethiopia, but in the usual practice of the GDR in solving military issues.

Almost simultaneously with the aircraft of the GDR, three C-160 TransLAs of the Bundeswehr Air Force flew to Emiypius - quite officially and without camouflage. They were also based on the ASEB airfield, later on the Dawa hole, and were used in the same way as NNA machines. Thus, an unusual German-German joint operation took place.

From his base in Assab An-26, the first weeks were mostly flying to Asmara, Aksum and Makele. In the following months, mainly in Addis Ababa, the hole-Dowa, Goji and Cabele-Dehar. Flights over various territories of Ethiopia complicated constantly running wars, including civilian. The aggravation of the global conflict of the West and the East also played its role. The base of the ASB and some flight areas were located on the territory especially fiercely fought Eritrea. Airplanes transported food, as well as medicines and clothing. The operation lasted until October 1985, and the GDR aircraft also participated in the controversial Ethiopian operations on compulsory resettlement.

At the request of the Ethiopian government, NNA transport aircraft returned in April 1986, now as an "operational connection of the NNA GDR." Personal composition was also represented by the GDR Air Force. Two An-26 were placed in the capital of Addis Ababa. The third operation of transport aviation began in June 1987. One "Antonov" was again located at the Addis Ababa airport. As in the case of the operation in Mozambique at the same time, he had a task to provide maintenance and supply of specialists and medical teams from the GDR. In addition, in 1987-88. The limited number of NNA officers were involved as a group of protection in the deployed GDR hospital in the method.

Despite the support of the GDR, Cuba and other socialist countries, Ethiopian government troops acted in Eritrea from the beginning of 1988 until the collapse of the country. Mengista mode was immediately threatened. Several times he received urgent help from the GDR. Honecker personally decided in 1988 and once again to produce large deliveries of weapons, including tanks. These actions of the GDR could neither delay nor prevent Sunset Mengist. He was overthrown in 1991. Eritrea received independence in 1993. And the individual internal documents of the GDR already in 1977 were characterized by Ethiopia Mengist as a "bottomless barrel".

Targeted misinformation?

Messages about the Eastern Hermann military operations in Africa had a response even in the internal documents of the Federal FRG government. For example, in September 1978, the Department 210 of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in response to the report of planning headquarters, which put the military presence of Cuba and GDR in Africa for one step, objected: "In the policies of the GDR, the Action policies are significantly lagging behind the massive military activity of Cuba." The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in South Africa in his reports in Bonn marked reports about the military presence of the GDR in Angola in November 1978, as what was obvious and were: "Rumors".

It remains an open question about the origin of these misleading messages. References that gave the then articles sent to "Safety Experts" or "Western Analysts". Much says that it has answered the interests of the South Africa Republic. The reports of thousands of GDR soldiers at their borders carried for the government of Pretoria tangible benefits: no doubt, it was very interested to present the struggle in southern Africa as part of the conflict of the West and the East, and position himself as a close ally of the West. South Africa - due to racial segregation and the violent suppression of a color majority ("apartheid") - has experienced increasing pressure on the part of Western Europe and FRG. Thus, intensify in Germany an old image of the enemy - the GDR from the South African point of view seems quite reasonable. The remark of the magazine "Der Spiegel" of 1980 that the South African special services could well run disinformation, when looking at the future seems correct. As a rule, the press readily picks up and publishes similar messages, even if the sources are covered with darkness. After intensive surveys in the archives, there is only one conclusion today: the "African Honecker Corps" existed only in the minds of journalists, some politicians and special services.

Exactly sixty years ago, January 18, 1956, it was decided to establish the National People's Army of the German Democratic Republic (NNA GDR). Although as the day of the National People's Army officially celebrated on March 1, since it was on this day that in 1956 the first military units of the GDR took the oath, in reality the NNA can be counted from January 18, when the People's Chamber of the GDR adopted the law on the National People's Army of the GDR. Existenceing 34 years, until the unification of Germany in 1990, the National People's Army, the GDR entered the story as one of the most combat-ready armies of post-war Europe. Among the socialist countries, she was the second after the Soviet army in terms of training and was considered the most reliable in a number of armies of the Warsaw contract.

Actually, the history of the National People's Army, the GDR began following how his own armed forces began to form West Germany. The Soviet Union in the postwar years spent a much more peace-loving policy than its Western opponents. Therefore, the USSR long time sought to observe the agreement and did not hurry with the armament of Eastern Germany. As you know, according to the decision of the Conference of Government Heads of Government, the USSR and the United States, which last July 17 - August 2, 1945 in Potsdam, Germany was forbidden to have their own armed forces. But after the end of World War II, the relationship between yesterday's allies is the USSR on the one hand, the United States and the UK on the other hand, began to grow rapidly and soon turned into extremely tense. Capitalist countries and the Socialist Camp were on the verge of armed confrontation, which actually gave reason to violate those agreements that were achieved in the process of victory over Hitler Germany. By 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany was created on the territory of the American, British and French zones of the occupation, in the territory of the Soviet area of \u200b\u200bthe occupation - the German Democratic Republic. The first to the militarization of the "its" part of Germany - Germany, "the United Kingdom, USA and France have begun.

In 1954, Paris agreements were concluded, the secret part of which provided for the creation of Western Germany's own armed forces. Despite the protests of the West German population, which he saw in the recreation of the armed forces of the country, the growth of revengery and militaristic sentiment and a new war feared, on November 12, 1955, the Government of Germany announced the creation of the Bundeswehr. So began the history of the West German army and the history of the almost undisguised confrontation of the "two Germany" in the field of defense and armaments. After a decision on the creation of the Bundeswehr, the Soviet Union did not have any other way out, as "give good" to the formation of his own army and the German Democratic Republic. The history of the National People's Army of the GDR became a unique example of a strong combat Commonwealth of the Russian and German armies, which in the past they fought more with each other than they collaborated. Do not forget that the high combat capability of the NNA has begun to enter into the composition of the GDR Prussia and Saxony - lands from which the main part of the German officers has long been occurring. It turns out that it is NNA, and not the Bundeswehr, the historical traditions of the German armies inherited the historical traditions of the German armies, but this experience was delivered to the combat cooperation of the GDR and the Soviet Union.

Currenna People's Police - Predecessor NNA

It should be noted that in fact the creation of armed divisions, the service in which was based on military discipline, began in the GDR even earlier. In 1950, a folk police were created as part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the GDR, as well as two main departments - the main air police department and the Main Department of Maritime Police. In 1952, a barracks of the People's Police was created on the basis of the main department of combat training of the People's Police of the GDR, which was an analogue of the internal troops of the Soviet Union. Naturally, the KNP could not conduct combat actions against modern armies and was designed to perform purely police functions - to deal with sabotage and gangster groups, overclocking mass riots, protect public order. This was confirmed by the decision of the 2nd Party Conference of the Socialist Unified Party of Germany. The barracks of the People's Police was subordinated to the Minister of Internal Affairs of the GDR Willy Schutfu, and the direct leadership of the barrennaya folk police was carried out by the Chef KNP. Lieutenant-General Heinz Hoffman was appointed to this post. The personnel of the barracks of the People's Police was gained from the number of volunteers who concluded a contract for at least three years. In May 1952, the patronage of the barrennaya folk police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs took the Union of Free German Youth, which contributed to a more active influx of volunteers in the ranks of the barracks and the improvement of the state of the rear infrastructure of this service. In August 1952, the composition of the Cas Marriage Folk Police of the GDR was included in the independent Maritime People's Police and the Air Field Police. The Air Field Police in September 1953 was transformed into the Aeroclubs of the KNP. It had two airfields of Kamenz and Bautsen, Yak-18 and Yak-11 training aircraft. The Naval People's Police has a guardian boat and small travelers.

In the summer of 1953 it is the people's police barracks, along with the Soviet troops, has played a major role in the suppression of organized agents of the US-British riots. After that, there was a strengthening of the internal structure of the GDR barrennic police and the strengthening of its military component. Further reorganization of the KNP in a military pattern continued, in particular, the main headquarters of the GDR barrage of the GDR, which was headed by Lieutenant-General Vinzhnot Müller - the former La Lengthoma. There have also been set up Territorial Administration "North", headed by Major General Herman Rentshem and Territorial Administration of the "South", headed by Major General Fritz Yona. Each territorial administration was subordinate to three operational detachments, and in submission of the main headquarters there was a mechanized operational detachment, which was even 40 units of armored vehicles, including T-34 tanks. Operational troops of the barrage folk police were reinforced motorway battalions with the number of personnel up to 1,800 servicemen. The structure of the operational detachment included: 1) the headquarters of the operational detachment; 2) a mechanized company on BA-64 and SM-1 armored cars and motorcycles (in the same company were in service with armored tank trucks SM-2); 3) three motorized infantry companies (on trucks); 4) a company fire support (platoon with three field artillery guns ZIS-3, anti-artillery platoon with three 45 mm or 57 mm antitank guns, mortar platoon with three 82 mm mortars); 5) Staff Right (Communication platoon, sperm platoon, chemical platoon, reconnaissance platoon, transport platoon, supply platform, management department, medical department). In Kazarmennaya People's Police were established military ranks and uniforms introduced, wherein the shape of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the People's Police of the GDR (if serving the people's police wore a dark blue uniform, the employees of the police barracks received a "militant" form of khaki). Military ranks in Kazarmennaya People's Police were set as follows: 1) soldiers 2) corporal, 3) NCO, 4) head-NCO, 5) feldwebel, 6) Oberfeldwebel, 7) non-Lt. 8) Lieutenant, 9) Ober Lieutenant, 10) Captain, 11) Major, 12) Lieutenant Colonel, 13) Colonel, 14) Major General, 15) Lieutenant-General. When it was decided to create the National People's Army of the GDR, thousands of employees of the barracks of the People's Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs expressed the desire to go to the National People's Army and continue the service there. Moreover, in fact, the "skeleton" of NNA - land, air and maritime divisions, and the command staff of the barracks of the People's Police, including the highest commanders, was created, and the commanders of the barracks of the People's Police, including the highest commanders, was hardly completely crossed. The employees remaining as part of the barrennoy folk police continued to perform the functions of the protection of public order, the fight against crime, that is, they retained the functionality of the internal troops.

"Founders Fathers" Army GDR

March 1, 1956, the Ministry of National Defense of the GDR began its work. He was headed by Colonel-General Willy Shtof (1914-1999), in 1952-1955. Having held the post of Minister of Internal Affairs. Communist with pre-war experience, Willie Shtof entered the German Communist Party at 17th. Being underground, he, however, could not avoid service in the Wehrmacht and in 1935-1937. He served in an artillery regiment. Then he was demobilized, worked as an engineer. During World War II, Willie Shtof was again called up for military service, participated in the battles in the territory of the USSR, was injured, and for the manifest prowess was awarded the iron cross. He passed the whole war and was captured in 1945 while in the Soviet camp for prisoners of war, he passed a course of special training in an anti-fascist school for prisoners of war. The Soviet command was prepared from among the prisoners of war future personnel to occupy administrative posts in the zone of Soviet occupation. Willie Shtof, who had not yet occupied prominent posts in the Communist movement of Germany, made a dizzyer in a few post-war years. After the liberation of captivity, he was appointed head of the industrial and construction department, then headed the Office of the Economic Policy of the SEPG office. In 1950-1952 Willie Schutof served as director of economic management of the GDR Ministerial Council, and then was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs of the GDR. Since 1950 he was also a member of the Central Committee of the SEPG - and this despite his young age - thirty-five years old. In 1955, being Minister of Internal Affairs of the GDR, Willy Shtof received the military rank of Colonel-General. Given the experience of leadership by the Security Ministry, in 1956 it was decided to appoint the Minister of National Defense of the German Democratic Republic of Willy Tood. In 1959, he received the next military rank of Army General. From the Ministry of Internal Affairs transferred to the Ministry of National Defense of the GDR and Lieutenant-General Heinz Hoffman, who held the position of head of the barrage of the People's Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the GDR.

Heinz Hoffman (1910-1985) may be called the second "founder's father" of the National People's Army, the GDR, besides Willy Tood. The leaving of the working family, Hoffman, at the age of six, joined the Communist Union of Youth of Germany, and at the age of twenty became a member of the Communist Party of Germany. In 1935, the underground Heinz Hoffman was forced to leave Germany and flee to the USSR. Here he was selected for education - first political in the International Lenin School in Moscow, and then the military. From November 1936 to February 1837 Gofman held special courses in Ryazan at the Military Academy. M.V. Frunze. After the end of the courses, he received the title of Lieutenant and, on March 17, 1937, he was sent to Spain, where at that time the civil war was located between the Republicans and Frankists. Lieutenant Gofman was appointed to the position of an instructor for the appeal with the Soviet to the training battalion of the 11th International Brigade. On May 27, 1937, he was appointed by the Military Commissioner of the Battalion "Hans Beymler" as part of the same 11th international brigade, and on July 7, he accepted the command of the battalion. The next day, Hoffmann wounded in the face, and on July 24 - to feet and stomach. In June 1938, Gofman, who had previously undergoing treatment in Barcelona hospitals, was taken out of Spain - first to France and then in the USSR. After the beginning of the war, he worked as a translator in camps for prisoners of war, then became the main political officer in the Savior-Zavodsky camp for prisoners of war in the territory of the Kazakh SSR. From April 1942 to April 1945 Gofman held the posts of Politruck and the teacher at the Central Anti-Fascist School. April to December 1945, he was an instructor, and then the head of the 12th party school of the Communist Party of Germany in a similar one.

After returning in January 1946 to the territory of East Germany, Hoffman worked in various positions in the Union of SEPG. On July 1, 1949, in the rank of the Inspector General, he became the vice-president of the German Internal Affairs Directorate, and from April 1950 to June 1952, Heinz Gofman served as the head of the Main Directorate of Martial Preparation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the GDR. On July 1, 1952, he was appointed Head of the Currenna People's Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the GDR and Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of the country. On Heinz Hoffman, for obvious reasons, and lay down when incorporating the leadership of the emerging Ministry of National Defense of the GDR in 1956, it was also facilitated by the fact that from December 1955 to November 1957. Gofman was a course of study at the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR. Returning to the Motherland, on December 1, 1957, Gofman was appointed First Deputy Minister of National Defense of the GDR, and on March 1, 1958, also - the head of the Main Staff of the National People's Army of the GDR. Subsequently, on July 14, 1960, Colonel-General Heinz Gofman replaced Willie Tood as Minister of National Defense of the GDR. Military Office of the German Democratic Republic General of the Army (since 1961) Heinz Hoffman headed to his death in 1985 - twenty-five years.

Head of the main headquarters of NNA from 1967 to 1985 Colonel-General remained (since 1985 - General Army) Heinz Kessler (born 1920). The leaving of the family of workers-communists, Kessler in youth participated in the activities of the youth organization of the Communist Party of Germany, however, as the overwhelming majority of his peers, did not avail a call to the Wehrmacht. As an assistant, a machine gunner was sent to the Eastern Front and already on July 15, 1941 he fonded to the side of the Red Army. In 1941-1945 Kessler was in Soviet captivity. At the end of 1941, he entered the courses of anti-fascist school, then engaged in propaganda activities among prisoners of war and was appealing to the soldiers of the existing Wehrmacht armies. In 1943-1945 He was part of the National Committee "Free Germany". After liberation from captivity and return to Germany, Kessler in 1946, at the age of 26, became a member of the Central Committee of the SEPG and in 1946-1948. He headed the Organization of the Free German Youth in Berlin. In 1950, he received appointment by the head of the Main Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Inspector MVD and remained in this post until 1952, when he was appointed Head of the Air Field Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the GDR (since 1953 - Head of the Office of Aeroclubs MVD GDR). The title of Major General Kessler was assigned in 1952 - with the appointment of the head of the aircraft police. From September 1955 to August 1956, he was trained at the Air Force Military Academy in Moscow. After the completion of studies, Kessler returned to Germany and was on September 1, 1956, he was appointed Deputy Minister of National Defense of the GDR - the commander of the military-air forces of the NNA. On October 1, 1959, he was awarded the military rank of Lieutenant-General. In this post, Kessler was 11 years old - until the head of the headquarters of NNA. On December 3, 1985, after the unexpected death of the general of the army of Karl-Heinz Hoffman, Colonel-General Heinz Kessler was appointed Minister of National Defense of the GDR and was in this post until 1989 after the collapse of Germany, on September 16, 1993, Berlin court sentenced Heinz Kessler to seven with Half the years in prison.

Under the leadership of Willy Tood, Heinz Hoffmann, other generals and officers, with the actively participation of the Soviet military command, the construction and development of the National People's Army of the GDR began, quickly turned into the most combat-ready after the Soviet Armed Forces among the armies of the Warsaw Pact countries. All who had a relation to the service in Eastern Europe in the 1960s - 1980s, noted a significantly higher level of training, and the main manner of the military personnel of the NNA compared to their colleagues from the armies of other socialist states. Although, initially, many officers and even the generals of the Wehrmacht, who were the only military specialists in the country for that period, the Officer Corps of the Bundeswehr were involved in the National People's Army, the GDR was brought to the National People's Army. Former Hitler's generals were not so numerous in its composition and, most importantly, were not in key positions. A system of military education was created, thanks to which new officer personnel were quickly managed to prepare, up to 90% of which came out of workers and peasant families.

The National People's Army of the GDR in the event of an armed confrontation of the "Soviet bloc" with Western countries, an important and challenging task was assigned. It was NNA who had to directly join the fighting with the connections of the Bundeswehr and, together with the parts of the Soviet Army, to promote the territory of West Germany. Not by chance NATO considered NNA as one of the key and very dangerous opponents. Hate to the National People's Army, the GDR subsequently affected the attitude towards its former generals and officers already in United Germans.

The most combal army in Eastern Europe

The German Democratic Republic was divided into two military districts - the Southern Military District (MB-III) with headquarters in Leipzig, and the Northern Military District (MB-V) with Headquarters in Neubrandenburg. In addition, one artillery brigade of central subordination was part of the National People's Army Army. The composition of each military district included two motorized divisions, one armored division and one rocket brigade. Motorized Division NNA GDR included in its composition: 3 motorized shelf, 1 armored regiment, 1 artillery regiment, 1 anti-aircraft missile regiment, 1 rocket department, 1 engineering battalion, 1 material support battalion, 1 sanitary battalion, 1 chemical protection battalion. Armored Division included in its composition 3 armored shelf, 1 motorized regiment, 1 artillery regiment, 1 anti-aircraft missile regiment, 1 engineering battalion, 1 material support battalion, 1 chemical protection battalion, 1 sanitary battalion, 1 reconnaissance battalion, 1 rocket department. A rocket brigade included in its composition 2-3 rocket departments, 1 engineering company, 1 rot of material support, 1 meteorological battery, 1 repair company. The artillery brigade included 4 artillery departments, 1 repair company and 1 company material support. The Air Force Air Force included in its composition 2 air divisions, each of which included 2-4 shock escords, 1 anti-aircraft missile brigade, 2 anti-aircraft shelf, 3-4 radiotechnical battalions.

The history of the GDR Navy began in 1952 when the Ministry of the Interior as part of the German Democratic Republic were established Marine Division People's Police. In 1956, ships and personnel of the People's Police Maritime GDR Interior Ministry entered the National People's Army was created and until 1960 had the name of the Naval Forces of the GDR. The first commander of the Navy of the GDR became Rear Admiral Felix Scheffler (1915-1986). A former merchant seamen, since 1937, he served in the Wehrmacht, but almost immediately, in 1941, fell into Soviet captivity, where he remained until 1947. In captivity he joined the National Committee of Free Germany. After returning from the captivity, he worked as secretary of the Karl Marx of the Higher Party School named after Karl Marx, then he entered the service in the maritime police, where he was appointed headquarters of the headquarters of the Maritime Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the GDR. On October 1, 1952, he received the title of counter-admiral, from 1955 to 1956. He held the post of commander of the Naval People's Police. After the establishment of the Ministry of National Defense of the GDR March 1, 1956 moved to the position of commander of the Navy of the GDR, and held that position until December 31, 1956 He later held several important posts in the Naval Command, responsible for military training personnel, and then - for Technology and weapons, and retired in 1975. From the post of deputy commander of the fleet on the rear. As commander of the Navy of the GDR Scheffler, Felix was succeeded by Vice-Admiral Waldemar Verner (1914-1982) - the former Communist underground workers in 1935 who left Nazi Germany, and after returning to the GDR headed by a Chief Marine Police Headquarters. From 1952 to 1955 Ferner held the post of commander by the Naval People's Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the GDR, in which the main department of maritime police was transformed. From 1 January 1957 to 31 July 1959, he commanded the Navy of the GDR, and then from 1959 to 1978. He served the head of the main political department of the National People's Army of the GDR. In 1961, Waldemar Verner was the first in the GDR was awarded the rank of Admiral - the highest rank of naval forces in the country. The longest of the commander of the People's Navy, the Armed Forces of the National Navy (so since 1960 they were called the GDR) was a counter-admiral (then Vice Admiral and Admiral) Wilhelm Eim (1918-2009). Former prisoner of war who gets up on the side of the Soviet Union, Aime returned to post-war Germany, and quickly made a party career. In 1950 he began his service in the General Directorate Ministry of Internal Affairs of the GDR marine police - first liaison officer, then - deputy chief of staff and head of the Organization Department. In 1958-1959 Wilhelm Eym supervised the Navy CDR. August 1, 1959 he was appointed to the post of commander of the Navy of the GDR, but from 1961 to 1963. He studied at the Naval Academy in the USSR. Upon returning from the Soviet Union, the responsibilities of the Commander of the Council Admiral Heinz Norkirchen re-gave way to Wilhelm Eima. The post of commander of Eym was until 1987

In 1960, a new name was adopted - the People's Navy. The VMF GDR has become the most combed after the Soviet naval forces of the Warsaw Pact countries. They were created taking into account the complex Baltic hydrography - after all, the only sea, to which the GDR exit had the Baltic Sea. Small suitability for the actions of large ships led to the predominance of the Folk Navy GDR high-speed torpedo and rocket boats, anti-submarine boats, small rocket ships, anti-submarine and mineral ships, landing ships. The GDR had a sufficiently strong sea aircraft equipped with airplanes and helicopters. The People's Navy had to solve, first of all, the tasks of the defense of the country's coast, the fight against submarines and the enemy mines, disembarking tactical landings, support for the ground forces on the coast. Personal composition "Volksmarine" numbered about 16,000 servicemen. In service with the Navy GDRs were 110 combat and 69 auxiliary ships and ships, 24 marine aviation helicopters, (16 Mi-8 and 8 Mi-14), 20 Su-17 bombers. The command of the Navy GDR was located in Rostock. He was obeyed by the following structural units of the Navy: 1) flotilla in Peimenund, 2) flotilla in Rostock - Varnemünde, 3) flotilla in Drank, 4) Naval School. Karl Liebknecht in Strallzund, 5) Naval School. Walter Steffens in Strallzunde, 6) Coastal Rocket Regiment "Waldemar Werner" in Gelbenzande, 7) Sea squadron of combat helicopters "Kurt Barthhel" in a vapor, 8) Marine Aviation Squadron "Paul Vyshuorka" in Lag, 9) Communication Regiment "Johann Vigolek" In Boelendorf, 10) Battalion of communication and flights in Lag, 11) a number of other parts and service units.

Until 1962, the National People's Army of the GDR was recruited through the recruitment of volunteers, a contract was concluded for a term of three years. Thus, for six years, NNA remained the only professional army among the armies of socialist countries. It is noteworthy that the call for military service was introduced in the GDR for five years later than in the capitalist Germany (there the army moved from the contractual for a question in 1957). The number of NPA also inferior to the Bundeswehr - in 1990 in the ranks of the NPA were serving 175,000 people. GDR defense was compensated by the presence in the country a huge contingent of Soviet troops - WGF / GSVG (Western Group of Forces / Group of Soviet Forces in Germany). The training of the NNA officer was carried out at the Military Academy named after Friedrich Engels, the Higher Military Political School named after Wilhelm Peak, specialized military-schools of childbirth of the troops. The National People's Army of the GDR was introduced interesting system of military ranks, overlap with the old title of the Wehrmacht, but partially contained explicit borrowing from the system of military ranks of the Soviet Union. The hierarchy of military ranks in the GDR looked like this (in brackets there are analogues of the titles in Volksmarine - People's Navy): I. Generals (admirals): 1) Marshal GDR - the title was never assigned in practice; 2) Army General (Fleet Admiral) - in the Army was assigned the rank of senior officials, the Navy never appropriated the title because of the small number of "Volksmarine"; 3) Colonel-General (Admiral); 4) Lieutenant-General (Vice Admiral); 5) Major General (counter-admiral); II. Officers: 6) Colonel (Captain Zur Zee); 7) Lieutenant Colonel (Fregathen-Captain); 8) Major (Corvetn-Captain); 9) Captain (Captain Lieutenant); 10) Ober-Lieutenant (Ober Lieutenant Zur Zee); 11) Lieutenant (Lieutenant Zur Zee); 12) Unter-Lieutenant (Unter-Lieutenant Zur Zee); III. Fenrichi (similar to Russian ensigns): 13) Ober-Fenrich Ober-Fenrich (Fenrich Ober-Headquarters); 14) headquarters Fenrich (headquarters-fhenry); 15) Ober-Fenrich (Ober-Fenrich); 16) Fenrich (Fenrich); Ivservants: 17) Feldofebel headquarters (OberMyster headquarters); 18) Ober-Feldfebel (Ober-Maister); 19) Feldfebel (Maister); 20) Unter-Feldwebel (Obermat); 21) Unter-Officer (MAT); V. Soldiers / Sailors: 22) Headquarters (headquarters-sailor); 23) Efreitor (Ober-Sailor); 24) Soldier (sailor). Each kind of troops corresponded and its own definite color in the edging of the shoulder. The generals of all kinds of troops have been scarlet, motor suitable parts - white, artillery, rocket troops and air defense units - brick, armored troops - pink, landing troops - orange, troops of communication - yellow, military-building troops - olive, engineering troops, chemical forces, topographic and road transport services - black, rear unit, military justice and medicine - dark green; Air Force (Air Force) - blue, anti-aircraft missile forces Air Force - light gray, navy - blue, border guards - green.

Sad fate of NNA and its servicemen

The German Democratic Republic with a complete reason can be called the most faithful ally of the USSR in Eastern Europe. The National People's Army of the GDR remained the most efficient after the Soviet army of the Warsaw Treaty countries until the end of the 1980s. Unfortunately, fate and the GDR, and her army was bad. East Germany ceased to exist as a result of the policy of "unification of Germany" and the corresponding actions of the Soviet side. In fact, the GDR was simply given to the Federal Republic of Germany. The latest Minister of National Defense of the GDR was Admiral Theodore Hofman (Ry.1935). It also applies to the new generation of GDR officers who received military education in the military institutions of the republic. On May 12, 1952, Hofman received a sailor to the service in the Sea People's Police of the GDR. In 1952-1955, he was trained in the officer school of the Naval People's Police in Stralsund, after the end of which was distributed to the position of combat training officer in the 7th floor of the Navy GDR, then served as a commander of the torpedo boat, studied at the Naval Academy in the USSR. After returning from the Soviet Union, she held a number of team positions in Volksmarine: Deputy Commander and Head of the 6th Flotilla, Commander of the 6th Flotilla, Deputy Head of the Navy headquarters on operational work, Deputy Commander of the Navy and the Head of Combat Training. From 1985 to 1987 Council Admiral Hofman held the position of headquarters of the Navy GDR, and in 1987-1989. - Commander of the Navy GDR and Deputy Minister of Defense of the GDR. In 1987, Hofman was awarded the military rank of Vice-Admiral, in 1989, with appointment as Minister of National Defense of the GDR - Admiral. After April 18, 1990, the Ministry of National Defense of the GDR was abolished and the Ministry of Defense and Disarmament came to him, which was headed by Democratic Politician Rainner Eppelman, Admiral Hofman even until September 1990 held the post of Assistant Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the National People's Army GDR . After the dissolution, NNA was fired from military service.

The Ministry of Defense and Disarmament was created after in the GDR, under pressure from the Soviet Union, where Mikhail Gorbachev was in power long ago, reforms began, affected and military sphere. On March 18, 1990, the Minister of Defense and Disarmament was appointed - they became 47-year-old Rainer Eppelman, Distant and Pastor in one of the evangelical parishes of Berlin. In his youth, Eppelman departed 8 months of imprisonment for the refusal of service in the National People's Army of the GDR, then received a spiritual education and from 1975 to 1990. served as pastor. In 1990, he became Chairman of the Democratic Breakthrough party and in this capacity was elected to the Military Chamber of the GDR, and was also appointed Minister of Defense and Disarmament.

On October 3, 1990, a historical event occurred - the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic reunited. However, it was actually not a reunification, but was simply the inclusion of the territories of the GDR in the FRG, with the destruction of the administrative system that existed in the socialist period and its own armed forces. The National People's Army GDR, despite the high level of preparation, was not included in the Bundeswehr. The FRG authorities feared that the generals and officers of the NNA retain the communist sentiment, therefore it was decided to actually disband the National People's Army of the GDR. It was sent to the Bundeswehr sent only ordinary and nonsense officers of the urgent service. Personnel servicemen were fortunate much less. All generals, admirals, officers, fengich and non-worm officers were dismissed from military service. The total number of dismissed - 23155 officers and 22549 UNTER officers. Almost any of them managed to recover in the Bundeswehral service, the overwhelming majority was simply dismissed - the military service did not count themselves in the military service or even in civil service. Only 2.7% of officers and UNTER-Officers were able to continue the service in the Bundeswehr (mainly, these were technical specialists who could serve the Soviet technique, which after the reunification of Germany got Germany), but they got the title are lower than those they wore In the National People's Army - Germany refused to recognize the military ranks of the NNA.

The veterans of the National People's Army of the GDR, remaining without pensions and excluding military experience, were forced to look for low-paid and low-skilled work. The right-wing German party were against their right to wear a military uniform of the National People's Army - the armed forces "totalitarian state" is estimated in modern Germany GDR. As for military equipment, the overwhelming majority were either utilized or sold to third countries. Thus, the combat boats and ships "Volksmarine" were sold to Indonesia and Poland, part was transferred to Latvia, Estonia, Tunisia, Malta, Guinea-Bissau. The reunification of Germany did not lead to its demilitarization. Until now, American troops are posted on the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Bundeswehr divisions are now involved in armed conflicts around the world - allegedly as peacekeeping forces, and in reality - protecting the interests of the United States.

Currently, many former military personnel of the National People's Army, the GDR are part of public veteran organizations engaged in the protection of the rights of former officers and UNT-Officers NNA, as well as the struggle against discrediting and discharge of the history of the GDR and the National People's Army. In the spring of 2015, in honor of the seventieth anniversary of the Great Victory, more than 100 generals, admirals and senior officers of the GDR National People's Army have signed a letter - an appeal "Soldiers of Peace", which warned Western countries against the escalation of conflicts in the modern world politics and confrontation with Russia . "We need not military campaign against Russia, but mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence. We need not military dependence on the United States, and their own responsibility for the world, "the appeal says. Under the appeal, among the first, the signatures of the latest ministers of the National Defense of the GDR - General of the Army of Heinz Kessler and Admiral Theodore Hofman.

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