Cold War Briefings: Group of Soviet Forces Germany

Briefing 5- 01/05/2026

The Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG), originally known as the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany (GSOFG), represented one of the largest and most strategically significant Soviet military deployments during the Cold War. Established in the aftermath of World War II, it served as a forward-based force to secure Soviet interests in Europe, deter NATO aggression, and maintain control over the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Spanning nearly five decades from 1945 to 1994, the GSFG evolved from an occupation army into a highly mechanized offensive force, before its complete withdrawal amid the collapse of the Soviet Union and German reunification. This report examines its history, structure, key events, troop strengths, and dissolution, drawing on historical analyses to provide a comprehensive overview.

Formation and Early History

The GSFG traces its origins to the final days of World War II in Europe. On June 9, 1945, just weeks after the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, the GSOFG was formally established from units of the 1st and 2nd Belorussian Fronts under the command of Marshal Georgy Zhukov. Its initial composition included formidable formations such as the 1st and 2nd Shock Armies, 5th Shock Army, 8th Guards Army, 47th Army, 3rd Shock Army, 69th Army, 2nd Guards Tank Army, and 5th Guards Tank Army, alongside various rifle corps and divisions like the 47th, 77th, and 80th Rifle Corps.

Rapid demobilization followed the war's end. A May 29, 1945, order disbanded numerous rifle corps and divisions, including the 71st, 136th, and 162nd Rifle Divisions, to reduce the force's size. By January 1946, the 2nd Shock Army departed the Soviet zone, and the 47th Army was disbanded in February, with units redeployed to the Soviet Union. The 5th Shock Army followed suit in October 1946. In 1947, reinforcements arrived in the form of the 3rd and 4th Guards Mechanized Divisions from the Central Group of Forces.

The occupation phase ended in 1954, prompting a rename to the GSFG on March 24, 1954, to reflect its shift from administrative control to military readiness. This change aligned with the 1955 Treaty on Relations between the USSR and the GDR, which formalized the Soviet military presence. A 1957 bilateral agreement further delineated the GSFG's temporary stationing, numerical limits, bases, and training areas, while prohibiting interference in GDR domestic affairs—though this was tested during the 1953 East German uprising.

GSFG in East Germany. Source:Album from the Cold War Outpost History Group Collection

Organizational Structure and Key Commanders

Headquartered in Wünsdorf (now Zossen, Brandenburg), the GSFG occupied 777 barracks across 276 locations in the GDR, including 47 airfields and 116 exercise areas, primarily in modern-day Brandenburg. By the late 1980s, it comprised the 1st Guards Tank Army, 2nd Guards Tank Army, 3rd Red Banner Combined Arms Army, 8th Guards Combined Arms Army, 20th Guards Combined Arms Army, and the 16th Air Army, supported by divisions such as the 39th Guards Motor Rifle Division, 10th Guards Tank Division, and 7th Guards Airborne Division. Specialized units included the 35th Landing-Assault Brigade, 6th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade, and various artillery, engineer, and support regiments.

The GSFG's command structure emphasized experienced Soviet marshals and generals, many of whom had distinguished themselves in World War II. Early GSOFG commanders included:

- Georgy Zhukov (1945–1946)

- Vasily Sokolovsky (1946–1949)

- Vasily Chuikov (1949–1953)

- Andrei Grechko (1953–1957)

Under the GSFG banner (1954–1989), leadership passed to figures like

Period	Commander	Notes
1945–1946	Georgy Zhukov	Initial post-war commander
1946–1949	Vasily Sokolovsky
1949–1953	Vasily Chuikov
1953–1957	Andrei Grechko
***************	Group of Soviet Forces Germany	*****************
1957–1960	Matvei Zakharov	Under GSFG banner (from 1954)
1960–1961	Ivan Yakubovsky
1961–1962	Ivan Konev
1962–1965	Ivan Yakubovsky	(returned for second term)
1980–1985	Mikhail Zaitsev
*******************	Western Group of Forces	*****************
1987–1990	Boris Snetkov
1990–1994	Matvey Burlakov	Oversaw the final withdrawal from Germany

Major Events and Operations

The GSFG's presence was marked by several pivotal events. In June 1953, Soviet tanks intervened to suppress the East German workers' uprising, demonstrating the force's role in stabilizing the GDR regime despite the 1957 agreement's stipulations. Withdrawals punctuated the Cold War era: over 70,000 personnel, including the 18th Guards Army staff, left between 1956 and 1958; another 20,000 troops and 1,000 tanks, including the 6th Guards Tank Division, departed in 1979–1980.

Structurally, the 1957 reorganization saw the 3rd Shock Army become the 3rd Red Banner Combined Arms Army, while mechanized armies were redesignated as the 18th and 20th Guards Armies. By the late 1980s, the GSFG had realigned into an offensive posture with reduced tank forces in 1989. Military exercises ceased in 1992–1993 as withdrawal accelerated, amid the Soviet Union's dissolution.

Troop Strength and Equipment

At its 1991 peak, the WGF fielded approximately 338,000 soldiers across 24 divisions, organized into five land armies and one air army, supported by 208,000 family members and civilians (including 90,000 children). Equipment inventories were formidable: 4,200 main battle tanks, 8,200 armored fighting vehicles, 3,600 artillery pieces, 106,000 motor vehicles, 690 fixed-wing aircraft, 680 helicopters, and 180 multiple rocket launchers. This arsenal underscored the GSFG's role as the Soviet Union's primary theater reserve against NATO.

Earlier strengths were even larger post-1945, with multiple shock armies and tank formations, though demobilizations reduced numbers progressively.

Withdrawal and Dissolution

The GSFG's end came swiftly with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and German reunification in 1990. Renamed the WGF, it executed one of history's largest peacetime troop withdrawals, transporting forces and materiel primarily by sea through Rostock and Rügen ports, and overland via Poland. The operational zone included the Szczecin region (now in Poland), distinct from the Northern and Central Groups of Forces.

By August 1994, all units had departed. Milestones included a June 25, 1994, parade by the 6th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade in Berlin, a farewell ceremony in Wünsdorf on June 11, and a final event in Berlin's Treptow Park on August 31. Scandals marred the process: Commanders like Burlakov and Defense Minister Pavel Grachev were accused of diverting arms, equipment, and housing funds, leading to investigations and links to the 1994 murder of journalist Dmitry Kholodov.

Legacy

The GSFG exemplified Soviet military strategy in post-war Europe: a bulwark against Western influence that shaped Cold War dynamics. Its evolution from occupation force to high-tech offensive command, followed by orderly yet contentious withdrawal, reflects broader geopolitical shifts. The legacy endures in discussions of arms control, demilitarization, and the human costs of superpower rivalry, with former bases now repurposed in unified Germany.

References

1. Feskov, V. I., et al. (2013). *The Armed Forces of the USSR after World War II: From the Red Army to the Soviet: Part 1 Land Forces*. Tomsk: Scientific and Technical Literature Publishing. ISBN 978-5-89503-530-6.

2. Odom, William E. (1998). *The Collapse of the Soviet Military*. Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-07469-7.

3. Zabecki, David T. (2014). *Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History*. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-59884-981-3.

4. Zaloga, Steven J. (1989). *Tank War-Central Front – NATO vs. Warsaw Pact*. Osprey Elite Series No. 26. ISBN 0-85045-904-4.

5. Dmitriyev, S. N., ed. (1994). *Soviet Forces in Germany 1945–1994*. Moscow: Young Guard. ISBN 5-235-02221-1.

6. Wikipedia. "Group of Soviet Forces in Germany." Accessed October 7, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_of_Soviet_Forces_in_Germany.

Written by Edward Kane

Copyright © 2025 Cold War Outpost History Group