Combat Groups of the Working Class

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Emblem of the Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse

The Combat Groups of the Working Class (German: Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse, KdA) was a paramilitary organisation in East Germany, founded in 1953 and abolished in 1990. It numbered about 400,000 volunteers for much of its existence.

Contents

1 History
2 Command and Control
3 Membership
4 Organization
5 Training and Equipment
6 Badges, Awards and Insignia
7 Oath of the Combat Groups
8 References
9 See also

History

The Kampfgruppen were formed after the Workers Uprising in June 1953. It was intended to be the East German equivalent to the Factory Units of the Worker's Militia of Czechoslovakia which played a very important part in the communist putsch in Czechoslovakia in 1948.

The largest use of the KdA was during the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961. The best trained and most politically reliable KdA units and members from Saxony, Thuringia and East Berlin participated in the construction and guarding of the Wall. Over 8,000 KdA, about 20% of all military units, were involved in this effort. During the six week deployment of KdA to the Wall only eight members escaped to the West indicating a high state of morale and political reliability.

The KdA were not used during the peaceful mass protests is late 1989 at the Nikolaikirche in Leipzig as many KdA members identified with the protester's cause and some participated in the marches. The decline of the SED and rapid political changes in East Germany after the Wall was opened made the KdA no longer relevant or necessary. The decision to disband the KdA was made by the Volkskammer in December 1989. Disarmament of the KdA began that month and was supervised by the police who consolidated and stored weapons and equipment along with the Volksarmee. The final 189,370 fighters in 2,022 units were completely demobilized in May 1990.

Command and Control

The KdA fell under the authority of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party (SED). The KdA was the political-military instrument of the SED, it was essentially a "party Army". All KdA directives and decisions were made by the Central Committee (Zentral-Komitee - ZK) of the Politbüro. The SED Central Committee also supervised the rest of the armed forces through its Security Commission (Sicherheitskommission).

The ZK exercised this power through two chains-of-command. The first was the Ministry of the Interior and the People's Police Volkspolizei, which provided military training, equipment and operational expertise. Second was through the SED Bezirk directorates and the SED Kreis directorates in the areas of personnel and political suitability of members.

Commanders of the battalions and hundreds were appointed by the Pary organization in the major factories or enterprises of the area. They were confirmed by the Kreisleitung of the SED, to which they gave regular reports on the state of training, equipment and membership.

Membership

By 1989, the KdA's membership was about 187,000 active members and a total of about 210,000 including reserve members. Recruitment was done by the party branches in the factory or enterprise. Membership was voluntary, but SED party members were required to join as part of their party obligation. Non-party members were compelled to join by the Free German Trade Union (FDGB). Men in the age of 25 to 60 were eligible for membership. Younger men, if they were not doing military service were part of the Paramilitary Society for Sport and Technology (GST). Many chose to enlist in the KdA so as to avoid being drafted into the army.

Organization

The KdA were units based on their working place. General units were closely tied to their local basis, nationalized enterprises, state and local administration offices and other working places, and their organizations and their employment did not extend beyond their district level. The mobile or motorized units, designated Battalions of the Regional Reserve, could be employed outside their local and district areas.

The organization was similar to the United States National Guard or British Territorial Army; however, unlike a National Guard or Territorial Army, it was strictly controlled by the governing Socialist Unity Party.

Each large factory, along with many neighbourhoods, had their own Kampfgruppe, each made up of about 100 workers who sought to "defend the property of the people".

The KdA were organised like infantry, and were to supplement the military and police serving as security in rear areas during wartime or in political emergencies, such as protests against the government.

Der Kämpfer was the monthly newspaper of the KdA which was printed by the SED's Neues Deutschland publishing house was the voice of the KdA.

Training and Equipment

Training was conducted by the People's Police, Volkspolizei, to avoid the KdA being counted as part of the total strength of the armed forces under international treaties. The KdA also provided economic savings to the SED which didn't have to construct barracks for these forces whose members continued their productive work while training in their spare time. A KdA member trained with his group after work and on weekends for a total of 136 hours annually.

The KdA had at their disposal many of the weapons that the police would use in riot situations, such as SK-1 armoured personnel carriers, mortars, anti-aircraft guns and anti-tank guns.

There is speculation that politically reliable KdA groups could have been sent overseas to help train local militias, especially in countries in Africa that received military aid from East Germany. It is thought that large numbers of KdA members were sent to Brazzaville.

KdA camps were held annually, usually in the wilderness, for training purposes.

Badges, Awards and Insignia

There were a series of badges as well as service and merit medals awarded to KdA members. The KdA also wore distinctive red rank insignia on the right arm of their uniform.

Oath of the Combat Groups

I am ready, as a fighter of the Working Class to fulfil the directives of the Party to defend the German Democratic Republic and its Socialist achievements at any time with my weapon in my hand and to lay down my life for them. This I swear.

References

W. Bader, Civil War in the Marking; The Combat Groups of the Working Class in East Germany, Independent Information Centre, London

Forester, Thomas M., The East German Army; Second in the Warsaw Pact, George Allen & Unwin Ltd, London, 1980