| Kampfgruppen Der Arbeiterklasse |
Website Links For Combat |
Information AboutKampfgruppen Der Arbeiterklasse |
|
The Combat Groups of the Working Class ( organisation in East Germany , founded in 1953 and abolished in 1990 . It numbered about 400,000 volunteers for much of its existence. 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. Command and Control The Kampfgruppen fell under the authority of the Central Committee of the SED . The '' Politbüro '' of the SED Central Committee also supervised the rest of the armed forces through its "Security Commission" ''(Sicherheitskommission)''. Organization Units and units based on their working place. The general units are closely tied to their local basis, nationalized enterprises, state and local administration offices and other working places, and their organizations and their employment does not extend beyond their district level. The mobile or motorized units, designated Battalions of the Regional Reserve, can be employed outside their local and district areas. The KdA was similar to the United States National Guard ; however, unlike a National Guard, it was strictly controlled by the governing Socialist Unity Party Of Germany . Each large Factory , along with many neighbourhoods, had their own Kampfgruppe, each made up of about 100 Worker s who sought to "defend the Property of the people". Membership was voluntary; many chose to enlist in the KdA so as to avoid being Drafted into the Army . A KdA member trained with his group after work and on weekends for a total of 136 hours annually. The KdA were organised like . As they were sanctioned by the Volkspolizei , the KdA had at their disposal many of the weapons that the police would use in riot situations, such as SK-1 Armoured Personnel Carrier s, Mortar s, Anti-aircraft guns and Anti-tank guns. Very politically reliable KdA groups could be sent overseas to help train local militias, especially in countries in Africa that received military aid from East Germany. Large numbers of KdA members were sent to Brazzaville particularly. For a certain number of years service, a KdA member could be given a Medal . KdA Camp s were held annually, usually in the Wilderness , for Training purposes. By 1989 , the KdA's membership exceeded half a million, meaning that one in 36 East Germans was a member. See also External link |