Copyright by Elliott Carson Nowacky 2012 The Thesis Committee for Elliott Carson Nowacky Certifies that this is the approved version of the following thesis: From Occupation to Withdrawal: A Short History of the Soviet/Russian Western Group of Forces in Germany 1945-1994 APPROVED BY SUPERVISING COMMITTEE: Supervisor: Thomas J. Garza Bella B. Jordan From Occupation to Withdrawal: A Short History of the Soviet/Russian Western Group of Forces in Germany 1945-1994 by Elliott Carson Nowacky, B.A History Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts The University of Texas at Austin August 2012 Dedication To my late parents Ed and Catherine. Acknowledgements This thesis would not have been possible without the help of many people. I would like to thank Professor Thomas Garza and Dr. Bella Bychkova-Jordan for their guidance, constructive criticism and ever present enthusiasm during the writing process. My appreciation also goes to Andriy, Elena and Yuri at the NovaMova Language Institute in Kiev. Andriy, who is also one of the people I interviewed for this project, went above the call of duty in arranging an additional interview with another ZGV veteran in L’viv for me during my short time in Ukraine. Yuri helped me slog through Michael Boltunov’s Gorkaya Doroga Domoi and Elena assisted in preparing my interview questions in Russian. Kudos are also in order for Jay K. and Brandon P, my former “battle buddies” here at UT; Thanks for helping a middle-aged graduate student remain sane. I would also like to thank Don A., the Slavic bibliographer, Sheila W., the German bibliographer and the Inter-Library Services staff at the Perry-Castaneda Library. Each provided excellent assistance as I looked for additional resources etc. Finally, I am indebted to Don Clark, David Large and Pierce Mullen from Montana State University for encouraging me as a young undergraduate student more than 25 years ago to explore the history and culture of Germany and the Soviet Union. My curiosity in both continues to this day. Danke! Spacibo! v Abstract From Occupation to Withdrawal: A Short History of the Soviet/Russian Western Group of Forces in Germany 1945-1994 Elliott Carson Nowacky, MA The University of Texas at Austin, 2012 Supervisor: Thomas J. Garza The body of knowledge in the English language concerning the Soviet/Russian Western Group of Forces which occupied Germany from 1945 until the fall of 1994 is virtually non-existent. This thesis is an attempt to begin adding to this limited knowledge. Having relied primarily on German and Russian sources, as well as previously untapped recollections of two former soldiers who served in the Western Group of Forces during the late 1980s/early 1990s, the results of my research show that there are significant discrepancies and gaps between the official Soviet/Russian history and unofficial accounts including the recollections of the two veterans interviewed. In many cases the unofficial sources contradict each other as well. Now that many of these discrepancies and gaps have been identified opportunities await a historian eager to write the first comprehensive history of the Soviet/Russian Western Group of Forces. vi Table of Contents List of Tables ...........................................................................................................x List of Figures ........................................................................................................ xi List of Illustrations ................................................................................................ xii Introduction ..............................................................................................................1 Chapter 1: Theoretical..............................................................................................5 Mackinder Strikes Back ..................................................................................5 Russia and its Role in Post-Soviet Space – Russian Perspectives ..................8 Russia and its Role in Post-Soviet Space – Western Perspectives ...............11 The Eurasian Black Hole ..............................................................................13 The Political Representation of Space After The Cold War .........................17 Chapter 2: Soviet Military Structures – On Overview...........................................19 The Soviet Ministry of Defense and General Staff .......................................19 Military Services and Associated Structures ..............................................20 High Commands ...........................................................................................22 Military Districts ...........................................................................................22 Teatr Voennykh Deistvii (TVDs) ..................................................................23 Nesting of the Groups of Forces ...................................................................25 Chapter 3: Soviet Military Withdrawals from the Western Façade 1944-1958 ...26 Yugoslavia ....................................................................................................26 Norway ..........................................................................................................27 Czechoslovakia .............................................................................................29 Denmark ........................................................................................................33 Bulgaria .........................................................................................................36 Finland ..........................................................................................................37 Romania ........................................................................................................39 vii Chapter 4: The GSOVG & GSVG: Forerunners to the ZGV ..................................43 GSOVG – Summer 1945 ...............................................................................43 SVAG /SKKG ................................................................................................45 GSOVG - 1946 –1953 – Reorganization, Consolidation, Modernization, Isolation & confrontation ....................................................................46 GSVG: 1954 – 1989 – The Cold War Years .................................................49 Chapter 5: Internal and External Factors ...............................................................58 Perestroika and Glasnost ..............................................................................58 The Eastern European Revolutions of 1989 .................................................65 Reunification Models: An Overview ............................................................69 2 + 4 = German Reunification .....................................................................70 Chapter 6: The Withdrawal of the ZGV: Overview, Oversight, Requirements/Restrictions, Problems/Obstacles and Logistics ....................75 The ZGV in Early 1991 .................................................................................75 German Bundeswehr Liaison Elements ........................................................78 The Joint German-Soviet Commission .........................................................79 New Restrictions and Requirements .............................................................82 The Withdrawal ............................................................................................85 Operational Problems....................................................................................94 Chapter 7: Real Estate, Housing, Retraining and Charitable Aid ..........................97 Real Estate ....................................................................................................97 The Military Housing Shortage ....................................................................99 The Retraining Program – The ZGV Embraces Capitalism ........................103 Charitable Aid Initiatives ............................................................................105 Chapter 8: Individual Recollections of Service in the ZGV .................................112 Andriy K. – A Soldier’s Perspective...........................................................112 An Officer’s Perspective .............................................................................118 Chapter 9: Legacy ................................................................................................124 The Union of Veterans - ZGV/GSVG..........................................................124 viii The ZGV Museum in Wünsdorf ..................................................................127 ZGV Websites: A Case Study .....................................................................129 Appendix A: Disposition of GSVG Forces 1956 .................................................139 Appendix B: Treaty on the Final Settlement .......................................................140 Appendix C: Disposition of ZGV Forces .............................................................146 Appendix D: Transit Routes through Poland .......................................................147 Appendix E: Interviews with former ZGV Soldiers ............................................148 Interview with Andriy K, Kiev, July 2011 ..........................................................148