National Defense Council of East Germany
Encyclopedia
The National Defense Council of the German Democratic Republic (GDR - East Germany) (German: Nationaler Verteidigungsrat der DDR - NVR) was created in 1960 as the supreme state body of the GDR in charge of national defense matters, including mobilization planning. The NVR held the supreme command of the GDR's armed forces (including the internal security forces), and the NVR's chairman was considered the GDR's commander-in-chief
.
Politburo
of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany
(SED), met for the first time on 6 July 1954. With the enactment of the "Law on the Formation of the National Defense Council of the GDR" on 13 February 1960, the Security Commission was transformed into the NVR. When the Council of State of the GDR (Staatsrat der DDR
) was created on 12 September 1960 to replace the office of President of the GDR
, the law creating the Staatsrat (which amended the 1949 GDR Constitution
) also acknowledged the role of the NVR in GDR defense policy. On 9 April 1968, when the 1968 GDR Constitution
became effective, the NVR was designated as the supreme leadership body of the state in time of war
or national emergency, with full legislative and executive
authority. The first session of the NVR convened on 16 March 1960; the 78th, and last, session convened on 16 June 1989.
. Some of the members of the NVR also held leadership roles in the "armed organs" (bewaffnete Organe) of the state: the National People's Army
, the Volkspolizei
, and the Ministry of State Security
. Subordinate to the NVR were the regional (Bezirk) and district (Kreis) operational directorates (Einsatzleitungen), whose chairmen were also the first secretaries of the regional and district party organizations of the SED.
's claim as the leading political force in the SED, as he became the NVR's first chairman, even though Wilhelm Pieck
was still president of the GDR at the time. Upon Erich Honecker
's rise to power in 1971, he replaced Ulbricht as chairman of the NVR. Egon Krenz
became chairman of the NVR on 24 October 1989 following Honecker's resignation as state and party leader, but held on to power himself for only a few weeks in the wake of the Wende and the fall of the Berlin Wall
.
in October 1990, individual members of the NVR were prosecuted in connection with their political responsibility for the regime's border policies, including the use of deadly force (Schießbefehl
) and the deaths of escapees along the inner-German border and the Berlin Wall. As an example, in 1997, Krenz was convicted and sentenced to 6½ years in prison for his role in the deaths of four escapees, although he actually served just under four years (13 January 2000 to 18 December 2003) before being released on parole
.
was built in Prenden, near Wandlitz
, for the members of the NVR; this was the largest bunker complex in the GDR.
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
.
Background
The predecessor of the NVR, the Security Commission of the CCCentral Committee
Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the twentieth century and of the surviving, mostly Trotskyist, states in the early twenty first. In such party organizations the...
Politburo
Politburo
Politburo , literally "Political Bureau [of the Central Committee]," is the executive committee for a number of communist political parties.-Marxist-Leninist states:...
of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany
Socialist Unity Party of Germany
The Socialist Unity Party of Germany was the governing party of the German Democratic Republic from its formation on 7 October 1949 until the elections of March 1990. The SED was a communist political party with a Marxist-Leninist ideology...
(SED), met for the first time on 6 July 1954. With the enactment of the "Law on the Formation of the National Defense Council of the GDR" on 13 February 1960, the Security Commission was transformed into the NVR. When the Council of State of the GDR (Staatsrat der DDR
Staatsrat
In the German Democratic Republic , the State Council was the collective head of state from 1960 to 1990.-Origins:...
) was created on 12 September 1960 to replace the office of President of the GDR
Leaders of East Germany
The political leadership of East Germany was in the hands of several offices.Prior the proclamation of an East German state, the Soviets established in 1948 the German Economic Commission as a de facto government in their occupation zone...
, the law creating the Staatsrat (which amended the 1949 GDR Constitution
Constitution of the German Democratic Republic
East Germany was founded in 1949 and was absorbed into the Federal Republic of Germany on 3 October 1990. Its original constitution was promulgated on 7 October 1949. It was heavily based on the "Weimarer Reichsverfassung", such that the GDR would be a federal and democratic republic...
) also acknowledged the role of the NVR in GDR defense policy. On 9 April 1968, when the 1968 GDR Constitution
Constitution of the German Democratic Republic
East Germany was founded in 1949 and was absorbed into the Federal Republic of Germany on 3 October 1990. Its original constitution was promulgated on 7 October 1949. It was heavily based on the "Weimarer Reichsverfassung", such that the GDR would be a federal and democratic republic...
became effective, the NVR was designated as the supreme leadership body of the state in time of war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
or national emergency, with full legislative and executive
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
authority. The first session of the NVR convened on 16 March 1960; the 78th, and last, session convened on 16 June 1989.
Composition of the NVR
The NVR consisted of a chairman and at least 12 members, all of whom were members of the CC of the SED; most were also members of the CC's PolitbüroPolitburo
Politburo , literally "Political Bureau [of the Central Committee]," is the executive committee for a number of communist political parties.-Marxist-Leninist states:...
. Some of the members of the NVR also held leadership roles in the "armed organs" (bewaffnete Organe) of the state: the National People's Army
National People's Army
The National People’s Army were the armed forces of the German Democratic Republic .The NVA was established in 1956 and disestablished in 1990. There were frequent reports of East German advisors with Communist African countries during the Cold War...
, the Volkspolizei
Volkspolizei
The Volkspolizei , or VP, were the national police of the German Democratic Republic . The Volkspolizei were responsible for most law enforcement in East Germany, but its organisation and structure were such that it could be considered a paramilitary force as well...
, and the Ministry of State Security
Stasi
The Ministry for State Security The Ministry for State Security The Ministry for State Security (German: Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (MfS), commonly known as the Stasi (abbreviation , literally State Security), was the official state security service of East Germany. The MfS was headquartered...
. Subordinate to the NVR were the regional (Bezirk) and district (Kreis) operational directorates (Einsatzleitungen), whose chairmen were also the first secretaries of the regional and district party organizations of the SED.
Leadership of the NVR
The NVR strengthened Walter UlbrichtWalter Ulbricht
Walter Ulbricht was a German communist politician. As First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1950 to 1971 , he played a leading role in the creation of the Weimar-era Communist Party of Germany and later in the early development and...
's claim as the leading political force in the SED, as he became the NVR's first chairman, even though Wilhelm Pieck
Wilhelm Pieck
Friedrich Wilhelm Reinhold Pieck was a German politician and a Communist. In 1949, he became the first President of the German Democratic Republic, an office abolished upon his death. He was succeeded by Walter Ulbricht, who served as Chairman of the Council of States.-Biography:Pieck was born to...
was still president of the GDR at the time. Upon Erich Honecker
Erich Honecker
Erich Honecker was a German communist politician who led the German Democratic Republic as General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1971 until 1989, serving as Head of State as well from Willi Stoph's relinquishment of that post in 1976....
's rise to power in 1971, he replaced Ulbricht as chairman of the NVR. Egon Krenz
Egon Krenz
Egon Krenz is a former politician from East Germany , and that country's last Communist leader...
became chairman of the NVR on 24 October 1989 following Honecker's resignation as state and party leader, but held on to power himself for only a few weeks in the wake of the Wende and the fall of the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
.
Judicial Consequences Following German Reunification
After German reunificationGerman reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
in October 1990, individual members of the NVR were prosecuted in connection with their political responsibility for the regime's border policies, including the use of deadly force (Schießbefehl
Schiessbefehl
The German term Schießbefehl was the common term to refer to Befehl 101 , a standing order that instructed border patrols of the former German Democratic Republic to prevent border penetration by all means including killing the violators.-Prescribed procedure:The GDR border troops , who were...
) and the deaths of escapees along the inner-German border and the Berlin Wall. As an example, in 1997, Krenz was convicted and sentenced to 6½ years in prison for his role in the deaths of four escapees, although he actually served just under four years (13 January 2000 to 18 December 2003) before being released on parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
.
Security Arrangements for Members of the NVR
An underground bunkerBunker
A military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks...
was built in Prenden, near Wandlitz
Wandlitz
Wandlitz is a municipality in the district of Barnim, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated 25 km north of Berlin, and 15 km east of Oranienburg...
, for the members of the NVR; this was the largest bunker complex in the GDR.
Members of the NVR (Mid-1989)
- Erich Honecker (Chairman of the Council of State), Chairman of the NVR
- Generaloberst Fritz Streletz (Chief of Staff of the National People's Army (NVA)), Secretary of the NVR
- ArmeegeneralArmeegeneralArmeegeneral was a senior military rank of East Germany, used until 1990. It was the equivalent of a Four-Star-General in Western nations and ranked below the Marschall der DDR , although no one was ever promoted to the latter rank.East German officers who achieved the rank of Armeegeneral were:*...
a.D. (Retired) Willi StophWilli StophWilli Stoph was an East German politician. He served as Prime Minister of the German Democratic Republic from 1964 to 1973, and again from 1976 until 1989.-Biography:...
(Chairman of the Council of Ministers) - Armeegeneral Heinz Keßler (Minister of National Defense)
- Armeegeneral Erich MielkeErich MielkeErich Fritz Emil Mielke was a German communist politician and Minister of State Security—and as such head of the Stasi —of the German Democratic Republic between 1957 and 1989. Mielke spent more than a decade as an operative of the NKVD during the rule of Joseph Stalin...
(Minister of State Security) - Armeegeneral Friedrich Dickel (Minister of the Interior)
- Generaloberst Horst Brünner (Director of the Main Political Administration of the NVA)
- Egon Krenz (a Deputy Chairman of the Council of State), SED CC Secretary for Security Questions, etc.
- Alfred NeumannAlfred NeumannAlfred Neumann may refer to:*Alfred Neumann , politician*Alfred Neumann *Alfred R. Neumann, first president of the University of Houston–Clear Lake*Alfred Neumann See also:...
(First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers) - Werner Krolikowski (First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers)
- Horst SindermannHorst SindermannHorst Sindermann was a Communist German politician and one of the leaders of East Germany.-Early life:Sindermann was born in Dresden as the son of the Saxon Social Democratic politician Karl Sindermann...
(President of the People's Chamber) - Günter MittagGünter MittagGünter Mittag was a German member of parliament, secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany , and a central figure in the German planned economy.-Biography:...
(SED CC Secretary for Economics) - Kurt HagerKurt HagerKurt Hager , was an East German statesman, member of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, was known as the Chief Ideologist of his Party and decided about many cultural and educational policies in East Germany.-Life:The son of a laborer, Hager passed the high school exam in 1931, after a visit of...
(Director of the Ideological Commission of the Politbüro) - Günter Kleiber (Member of the Politbüro, First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers)
- Wolfgang Herger (Department Head for Security Questions in the SED CC)
- Werner Eberlein (First Secretary of the SED Regional Directorate MagdeburgMagdeburgMagdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
) - Hans Albrecht (First Secretary of the SED Regional Directorate SuhlSuhl- Geography :Suhl sits on the south edge of the Suhler Scholle, an upthrust granite complex that is streaked by numerous dikes. This is part of the Ruhla-Schleusingen Horst that defines the southwest side of the Thuringian Forest...
)