On August 31, 2018, it will be 24 years since the solemn withdrawal of Russian troops from Germany, or rather the so-called GDR, took place. About 15,000 tanks and 500,000 soldiers returned home to Russia that day. This day is marked by a great holiday for the GDR - the final freedom of Germany. Why final? Yes, because in 1989 the Berlin Wall was finally destroyed, from that moment the authorities no longer controlled the political situation in Germany. People were angry and excited about the policy of the USSR. And soon the ZGV was withdrawn.
What is ZGV, and where did this name come from?
These servicemen were called the Western Group of Forces or the Western Group of Forces - the combined armed forces of the USSR, which were introduced into Germany after World War II by agreement between the allied countries: America, France, England and Russia, or rather the USSR. The ZGV existed until 1994, until it was abolished by decree of the Minister of Defense on September 1.
Creation of the initial form of the ZGV - a group of Soviet occupation forces in Germany
Westerna group of troops in Germany only to be present in the occupied territories of the country and to keep order there on a par with the allied forces. A significant part of the troops was detached from several fronts, the order for which was to remain in this territory until they were told to leave. These troops left the Belarusian and Ukrainian fronts, founding the GSOVG - the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany. This group was located in the German city of Potsdam, where their headquarters and base were located.
Goals and functions of the GSOVG in the GDR
At first, the goals of the GSOVG (or the Western Group of Forces) were only to eliminate the consequences of the fascist regime and the impact of this regime on the local population. After that, the protection of the borders of occupied Germany controlled by the USSR was added to this, as well as the complete demilitarization of the German side in order to secure the world from new possible attacks when the troops were withdrawn.
During the formation of the GDR, according to the documents of those times, the rights to resolve internal affairs were divided between it and the GSOVG, since the German side asked for greater independence and independence. She already guarded her borders herself, but the Soviet military retained control over the passage to its territories, as well as the territories of the allies. Also, legal norms were introduced for the Soviet military, their families, for the working class and the complete non-interference of the North-Western Group of Forces in the affairs of the GDR, as well as a decrease in the number of soldiers in Germany, their places of residence, areas where theycould do exercises, and so on.
The military strength of the USSR at the time of the 80s
With the order of forces in the 80s, the GSVG was the most powerful military formation in the occupied territories. America, England and France seemed like small detachments compared to the forces of the Soviet Union. Such forces were needed in order to help the allies in the person of the participants in the Warsaw Pact at any moment, and also in order to leave some forces to protect their territories in Germany. The western group of Soviet troops, located in these territories, also consisted of air forces, there were also combined arms and tank dispositions, which made it possible to operate in any situation. All were armed with the latest technology, and often several times a year there was a modernization of existing weapons, replacement or complete re-equipment of the FGP forces.
Served there almost one and a half million people, who controlled almost a hundred thousand different pieces of equipment, among which were artillery pieces, and ordinary transport, which was maintained by these same people in cleanliness and full combat readiness.
Renamed to Western Group of Forces and confirmed withdrawal of troops
Already in June 1989, the forces of the USSR were renamed the Western Group of Forces. The troops, previously called the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, did not change at all in their composition, and in fact this was done only in order to indicate the belonging of these troops on the political and military map of the world. A few months later, Mikhail Gorbachev, at that time the President of the USSR, andthe chancellor of Germany, or rather the FRG, signed an agreement that this group of Soviet troops would be completely withdrawn from German territory, and the country itself would again begin to be called a separate state, independent of anyone, before the end of 1994.
After the collapse of the USSR, the Russian Federation, represented by President Yeltsin Boris Nikolaevich, issued a decree and took under its wing the Western Group of Forces, continuing the withdrawal of troops, which ended on August 31, 1994, when the last military men ended up on the territory of their homeland.
Celebration of trust and love for an ally
The withdrawal of the Western Group of Forces from the territory of Germany was marked by a parade, which was attended by all parties to the conflict, and a statue of a warrior-liberator was opened, which looked like a Soviet soldier. During the holiday, the President of Russia made a speech that this day is very important for history and relations around the world, that this is an example of complete trust and love for its allies in the person of Germany, and that from now on relations between these countries will only improve and flourish.
After the withdrawal of about five hundred thousand soldiers, hundreds of thousands of their children, as well as all equipment located in Germany, as a sign of goodwill, the USSR gave all their property acquired over the years of being in the occupied territory. The price of all this property was about eleven billion Deutschmarks, which is about $16.5 billion today.
