From Zilian Pg 122 =
DECISION 8: NO TRANSFER OF NVA TRADITION
In this area of personnel management and administration, the final decision examined is the one by the MOD not to allow any NVA tradition to be taken over into the Bundeswehr. Shortly after Unification, Dr. Stoltenberg explained that "Unity assumed reconciliation" [Einheit setzt Versohnung vorraus].
Reconciliation does not mean to simply gloss over the problems stemming from the different traditions of the German armed forces in the east and west. The task is to work together on these in a convincing manner [uberzeugend] ."
Tradition in the NV A has been described as adhering to:
the view of the East German Communist party in its historical role in the revolutionary struggle of the Geman working class under the leadership of its revolutionary party.
Correspondingly the NVA and the Border Troops should be "those who continue the revolutionary and progressive traditions and those bearers of the socialistic military tradition.
The decision not to allow the transfer of any NVA traditions had its roots in State Secretary Karl-Heinz Carl's decision that on October 3, 1990, the identity of NVA would vanish: "On October 3, one Bundeswehr."196 BG Andreas Wittenberg added that at the end of September 1990, Admiral Wellershof, the Bundeswehr Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, indicated that NVA traditions would not be perpetuated. "The NVA is history," said Wittenberg, explaining the psychological and ideological rationale. The former NVA would be able to look back at the NVA and recognize that there was a better way, "a way that honors human dignity." He indicated that they had already realized: "We have been deceived by the leadership of the GDR."
The issue of a valid tradition for the Bundeswehr itself has been, since the Bundeswehr's establishment, a contentious one, as discussed elsewhere. It was to be expected that Bundeswehr leaders would take a very close and critical look at the assimilation of any traditions of an Army that, although composed of ethnic brothers, was based on a fundamentally opposed belief system, one that did not-at least in Bundeswehr eyes-respect human dignity. It is not surprising then that as the founders of the Bundeswehr realized in the 1950's that a fundamental break with the past was necessaaary, so too a catagorical break with the past was also imperative for former NVA, a break in part embodied in this decision on tradition. It was this psychological-ideological factor that most explains this decision...
First Lieutenant Dietrnar Korn expanded on the rationale for the decision. First, on a military-organizational level, the German Army was moving to AS 5 and the former qualifications of the individual-presumably reflected by the badges on his uniform-might not be needed. Second, and more significantly, the NVA possessed a totally different value system, a different ideology. "It was a totally contrary ideology. He cannot walk around wearing these badges." German Army regulations dictated that badges could be worn. Former NVA could apply to wear a certain badge, as he himself had applied to wear US Army marksmanship badges. For example, if a former NVA had an East German parachutist badge, he would be able to wear the German Army badge after a brief training period.
The specifics for the implementation of this decision were detailed by a Joint Staff directive on September 25, 1990. This explained that with the takeover of command authority by MOD on October 3, 1990, all regulations, decrees, and directives of the FRG would now apply to the joined area. In the takeover of the units on October 3, no GDR or NVA flags would be hoisted or lowered. All NVA unit colors and documents were to be sent to the Military History Museum
in Dresden. As directed in the order of the MDD (GDR), the national markings and names of the military equipment were to be removed by October 2, and they were to be marked "Bundeswehr." All GDR, NVA, or Warsaw Pact medals and awards were not to be worn or displayed.
On the NVA side the basics of these changes had been disseminated to the NVA four days prior to Unification by the MOD in Command Number 48/90. It directed that all unit colors, streamers (Fohnenschleifen), orders of the day, documents that conferred names of facilities and garrison signs were to be sent to the Military History Museum in Dresden by October 20. Nationality markings and names were to be removed from equipment, buildings and facilities by October 2.
DECISION 8: NO TRANSFER OF NVA TRADITION
In this area of personnel management and administration, the final decision examined is the one by the MOD not to allow any NVA tradition to be taken over into the Bundeswehr. Shortly after Unification, Dr. Stoltenberg explained that "Unity assumed reconciliation" [Einheit setzt Versohnung vorraus].
Reconciliation does not mean to simply gloss over the problems stemming from the different traditions of the German armed forces in the east and west. The task is to work together on these in a convincing manner [uberzeugend] ."
Tradition in the NV A has been described as adhering to:
the view of the East German Communist party in its historical role in the revolutionary struggle of the Geman working class under the leadership of its revolutionary party.
Correspondingly the NVA and the Border Troops should be "those who continue the revolutionary and progressive traditions and those bearers of the socialistic military tradition.
The decision not to allow the transfer of any NVA traditions had its roots in State Secretary Karl-Heinz Carl's decision that on October 3, 1990, the identity of NVA would vanish: "On October 3, one Bundeswehr."196 BG Andreas Wittenberg added that at the end of September 1990, Admiral Wellershof, the Bundeswehr Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, indicated that NVA traditions would not be perpetuated. "The NVA is history," said Wittenberg, explaining the psychological and ideological rationale. The former NVA would be able to look back at the NVA and recognize that there was a better way, "a way that honors human dignity." He indicated that they had already realized: "We have been deceived by the leadership of the GDR."
The issue of a valid tradition for the Bundeswehr itself has been, since the Bundeswehr's establishment, a contentious one, as discussed elsewhere. It was to be expected that Bundeswehr leaders would take a very close and critical look at the assimilation of any traditions of an Army that, although composed of ethnic brothers, was based on a fundamentally opposed belief system, one that did not-at least in Bundeswehr eyes-respect human dignity. It is not surprising then that as the founders of the Bundeswehr realized in the 1950's that a fundamental break with the past was necessaaary, so too a catagorical break with the past was also imperative for former NVA, a break in part embodied in this decision on tradition. It was this psychological-ideological factor that most explains this decision...
First Lieutenant Dietrnar Korn expanded on the rationale for the decision. First, on a military-organizational level, the German Army was moving to AS 5 and the former qualifications of the individual-presumably reflected by the badges on his uniform-might not be needed. Second, and more significantly, the NVA possessed a totally different value system, a different ideology. "It was a totally contrary ideology. He cannot walk around wearing these badges." German Army regulations dictated that badges could be worn. Former NVA could apply to wear a certain badge, as he himself had applied to wear US Army marksmanship badges. For example, if a former NVA had an East German parachutist badge, he would be able to wear the German Army badge after a brief training period.
The specifics for the implementation of this decision were detailed by a Joint Staff directive on September 25, 1990. This explained that with the takeover of command authority by MOD on October 3, 1990, all regulations, decrees, and directives of the FRG would now apply to the joined area. In the takeover of the units on October 3, no GDR or NVA flags would be hoisted or lowered. All NVA unit colors and documents were to be sent to the Military History Museum
in Dresden. As directed in the order of the MDD (GDR), the national markings and names of the military equipment were to be removed by October 2, and they were to be marked "Bundeswehr." All GDR, NVA, or Warsaw Pact medals and awards were not to be worn or displayed.
On the NVA side the basics of these changes had been disseminated to the NVA four days prior to Unification by the MOD in Command Number 48/90. It directed that all unit colors, streamers (Fohnenschleifen), orders of the day, documents that conferred names of facilities and garrison signs were to be sent to the Military History Museum in Dresden by October 20. Nationality markings and names were to be removed from equipment, buildings and facilities by October 2.
Cheers, Torsten.
Some body want to help me out here. My respect for Torsten and Dirk go up post by post. I have an idea why they have left the lands that were once theirs. Well enough of my being on my soap box
Cheers, Torsten.
. But that was obviosly true of the DDR too, the only difference being that the DDR existence was effectively dependent on the cold war and the wall. Once these had gone the existence of the DDR had no justification.
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