National People's Army - Organization

Organization

The NVA had four main branches:

  • The Landstreitkräfte (Ground Forces) with a strength of 180,000 in the following divisions:
    • 1. Motorisierte-Schützen-Division (Potsdam-Eiche)
    • 4. Motorisierte-Schützen-Division (Erfurt)
    • 6. Motorisierte-Schützen-Division (Königswartha)
    • 7. Panzerdivision (Dresden)
    • 8. Motorisierte-Schützen-Division (Schwerin)
    • 9. Panzerdivision (Eggesin)
    • 10. Motorisierte-Schützen-Division (Ronneburg)
    • 17. Motorisierte-Schützen-Division (Petersroda)
    • 19. Motorisierte-Schützen-Division (Wulkow)
    • 20. Motorisierte-Schützen-Division (Bredenfelde)
  • The Volksmarine (People's Navy) with a strength of 18,300.
  • The Luftstreitkräfte/Luftverteidigung (Air Forces/Air Defence) with a strength of 58,000.
  • The Grenztruppen der DDR (Border troops of the GDR), consisting of 50,000 border guards.

In wartime, mobilization of the NVA's reserves would have nearly doubled its strength. GDR authorities also had at their disposal the internal security troops of the Ministry of the Interior (the Kasernierte Volkspolizei or garrisoned People's Police) and the Ministry for State Security (the Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment) along with the 210,000 strong party auxiliary "Combat Groups of the Working Class" (Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse), who were available in times of war.

The highest level of leadership for the NVA was the Ministry for National Defense (Ministerium für Nationale Verteidigung) headquartered in Strausberg near East Berlin. NVA administration was divided into the following commands:

  • the Kommando Landstreitkräfte (KdoLaSK) based in Geltow near Potsdam.
  • the Kommando Luftstreitkräfte und Luftverteidigungskräfte (KdoLSK/LV) based in Strausberg.
  • the Kommando Volksmarine (KdoVM) based in Rostock.
  • the Kommando der Grenztruppen (KdoGT) based in Pätz near Berlin.

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