On August 31, 2018, it will already be 24 years since the moment when the ceremonial withdrawal of Russian troops from German territory, specifically the so-called GDR, took place. About 15 thousand tanks and 500 thousand soldiers returned home that day to Russia. This day is marked by a great holiday for the GDR - the ultimate freedom of Germany. Why is the 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 politics of the USSR. And soon there was the conclusion of the GBV.
What is the GBV, and where does this name come from?
These soldiers 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 GBV existed until 1994, until it was abolished by decree of the Minister of Defense of September 1.
Creation of the initial form of the ZGV - a group of Soviet occupation forces in Germany
The Western Group of Forces was created in Germany only to be present in the occupied territories of the country and to monitor order there along with the allied forces. A substantial part of the troops was allocated from several fronts, the order for which was to remain on this territory before they were told to leave. These troops left the Belarusian and Ukrainian fronts, establishing the GSOVG - the Group of Soviet occupation forces in Germany. This group was located in the German city of Potsdam, where there was their headquarters and base location.
The goals and functions of the GSOWG 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 security of the USSR-controlled borders of occupied Germany 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complete demilitarization of the German side in order to secure the world from new possible attacks when the troops are withdrawn.
At the time the GDR was formed, according to documents of those times, the right to decide internal affairs was divided between it and the GSOVG, since the German side requested more independence and independence. She herself was guarding her borders, but the Soviet military retained control over the passage to its territories, as well as the territories of the allies. Legal norms were also 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 they could be trained, and etc.
The military force of the USSR at the time of the 80s
With the schedule of forces for the 80s, the GSVG was the most powerful military formation in the occupied territories. America, England and France seemed only small units in comparison with the forces of the Soviet Union. Such forces were needed in order to help the allies in the person of the Warsaw Pact parties at any moment, as well as to leave some forces to guard 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 locations, which made it possible to act in any situations. 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 FGP forces.
Nearly one and a half million people served there, commanding nearly a hundred thousand different pieces of equipment, among which were artillery pieces and ordinary vehicles, which were maintained by the same people in cleanliness and full combat readiness.
Renaming in PGW and confirmation of troop withdrawal
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 to mark the belonging of these troops on the political and military map of the world. A few months later, Mikhail Gorbachev, the then president of the USSR, and the German chancellor, or rather the FRG, signed an agreement that this group of Soviet troops would be completely withdrawn from Germany, and that the country would again begin to be called a separate state, independent of either whom, until the end of 1994.
After the collapse of the USSR, the Russian Federation in the person of President Yeltsin Boris Nikolayevich issued a decree and adopted the PGW under its wing, continuing the withdrawal of troops, which ended on August 31, 1994, when the last military found themselves in their homeland.
Celebration of trust and love for an ally
The withdrawal of the Western Group of Forces from German territory was marked by a parade at which all parties to the conflict were present, as well as a statue of a liberator soldier that 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 henceforth the 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 the equipment that was in Germany, they gave all their property acquired over the years of their stay in the occupied territory as a sign of goodwill to the USSR. The price of all this real estate amounted to about eleven billion German marks, which as of today is about 16.5 billion dollars.