The Combat Groups of the Working Class ( German : Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse , KdA) was a paramilitary organization in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1953 to 1989.
41-699: KDA , or similar, may refer to: Businesses and organisations [ edit ] Government and politics [ edit ] Combat Groups of the Working Class (German: Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse ; KdA), East Germany Kachin Defense Army , Myanmar Karachi Development Authority , Pakistan Khulna Development Authority , Bangladesh Kollam Development Authority , India Military [ edit ] For paramilitaries, see § Government and politics . Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace ,
82-416: A Kampftruppe battalion. Heavy hundreds ( Schwere Hundertschaft ) were equipped with anti-tank , mortar and air-defense platoons, and were motorized using the trucks of their enterprises or nationalized haulage firms. Three or four heavy hundreds formed a heavy battalion of which there were over 130 by 1973. They may also be equipped with wheeled armored personnel carriers and armoured cars such as
123-685: A national legislature from the Soviet Military Administration in Germany . This was granted by Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko . The Volkskammer then convened with the Länderkammer to elect Wilhelm Pieck as the first President of East Germany and Otto Grotewohl as the first Prime Minister of East Germany . From its founding in 1949 until the first competitive elections in March 1990 , all members of
164-631: A Norwegian weapons supplier General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (informally Kotelawala Defence Academy ), Sri Lanka Other organisations [ edit ] Kentucky Distillers' Association , an American trade group Kennedy's Disease Association , an American medical charity Music [ edit ] KDA (DJ) , an English house DJ K/DA , a virtual K-pop group Other uses [ edit ] Kilo dalton (kDa), 1000 unified atomic mass units Worimi language , spoken in NSW, Australia (ISO 639-3: kda ) Topics referred to by
205-526: A ballot paper; voters simply took the ballot paper and dropped it into the ballot box. Those who wanted to vote against the National Front list had to vote using a separate ballot box, without any secrecy. The table below shows an overview of the reported results of all parliamentary elections before 1990, with the resulting disposition of parliamentary seats. In 1976, the Volkskammer moved into
246-647: A specially constructed building on Marx-Engels-Platz (now Schloßplatz again), the Palace of the Republic ( Palast der Republik ). Prior to this, the Volkskammer met at Langenbeck-Virchow-Haus [ de ] in the Mitte district of Berlin. Initially, voters in East Berlin could not take part in elections to the Volkskammer, in which they were represented by indirectly elected non-voting members, but in 1979
287-624: A training camp in the wilderness. The KdA paramilitaries were often equipped like professional infantry, despite having somewhat less training. The KdA wore olive green uniforms different from that of the National People's Army, and were similar in pattern to that of the American Battle Dress Uniform or Soviet Afghanka . The soft kepi style cap has a visor, a circular top crown, a side crown with an outside crown band, and earflaps which fold up and secure over
328-506: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Combat Groups of the Working Class The KdA served as the de facto militia of the ruling Socialist Unity Party of Germany composed of party members and politically reliable working people , based on dictatorship of the proletariat principles, to be deployed locally to fight civil unrest or invasion . The KdA
369-526: The BTR-152 and Garant 30k SK-1 . Heavy hundreds designated Battalions of the Regional Reserve and could be employed outside their local and district areas. Men between the ages of 25 and 60 were eligible for armed service while women were eligible for other roles, mainly used in the medical and supply services. Men under 25-years-old, if they were not performing compulsory military service in
410-703: The Central Committee (Zentralkomitee) (ZK) of the Socialist Unity Party with all directives and decisions made by the ZK's Politbüro , effectively making it the party's personal army . The ZK also supervised the rest of the armed forces through its security commission ( Sicherheitskommission ), but exercised its power over the KdA through two chains-of-command. The first ran through the Ministry of
451-652: The German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) which had occurred three months earlier, and was violently suppressed by the Volkspolizei (civil police) and the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany . The anti-government uprising threatened the Soviet -backed GDR and the ruling Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED), who viewed it as a " counter-revolutionary " act. Initially, the official task of
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#1732781030963492-549: The dictatorship of the proletariat – the ethos of the worker being the centre of power in the new socialist state – so membership was mainly drawn from workers from state enterprises . The KdA made its first public appearance at the annual May Day demonstration on May 1, 1954, and were visible in public during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 in case of a similar revolt in the GDR. A central school for KdA leaders
533-445: The iMG-D , and East German-made MPi-K and MPi-KM rifles. The KdA did not have traditional military ranks but had "positional titles" as follows: 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 uniforms. Honour gifts to the commanders of the fighting groups of the working class were testimonies of social honor in
574-515: The office of president . As such, on two occasions, the president of the People's Chamber served as acting president for brief periods in 1949 and 1960. The last president of the People's Chamber, Sabine Bergmann-Pohl , was also interim head of state during the last six months of East Germany's existence due to the State Council having been abolished. The presidency of the People's Chamber
615-564: The property of the people". Each hundred was organized into three platoons , each containing three groups (squads). The commander of the hundred had a political deputy and a general deputy, plus a supply officer and a chief medical orderly . An inspector of the Volkspolizei assisted with training. Other personnel included the three platoon leaders, three deputy platoon leaders, eighty-one Kämpfer (fighters), and three medical orderlies (one per platoon). Three or four hundreds could form
656-813: The German Democratic Republic. The oath of the Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse stated: I am ready, as a fighter of the Working Class to fulfill 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. There are indications that the KdA was involved in East German military aid to communist movements and governments in Africa . On May 23, 1980, Radio Brazzaville reported
697-528: The Interior ( Ministerium des Innern ) and then the Volkspolizei , which provided military training , equipment and operational expertise. The second was through the SED district ( Bezirk ) and county ( Kreise ) directorates in the areas of personnel and political suitability of members. Commanders were appointed by the SED party organization in the major factories or enterprises in the area and were confirmed by
738-586: The KdA was to fight against saboteurs , class enemies , and other "enemies of socialism " within the GDR, especially as armed protection for valuable factories . The KdA was intended to mirror the People's Militias of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia which played a very important part in the consolidation of party's power in Czechoslovakia in 1948. The organization was designed to reflect
779-490: The National People's Army, could join the paramilitary Society for Sport and Technology (GST) until reaching the age for KdA membership. Membership was voluntary , although SED members were required to join the KdA as part of their party obligation. Non-SED members were compelled to join by the Free German Trade Union Federation (FDGB), and recruitment was accomplished by the SED branches in
820-491: The SED county leadership ( Kreisleitung ) which received regular reports on the state of training, equipment and membership. Der Kämpfer was the monthly newspaper and voice of the KdA, printed by the SED's Neues Deutschland publishing house. The KdA were organized into units called Hundertschaften and battalions . Hundertschaften (hundreds) were the primary units of the KdA, made up of about 100 workers from large factories or even neighborhoods who sought to "defend
861-417: The SED, and were required to accept the SED's " leading role " as a condition of their continued existence. The members of the People's Chamber were elected in multi-member constituencies , with four to eight seats. To be elected, a candidate needed to receive half of the valid votes cast in their constituency. If, within a constituency, an insufficient number of candidates got the majority needed to fill all
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#1732781030963902-544: The Volkskammer were elected via a single list from the National Front , a popular front / electoral alliance dominated by the SED. In addition, seats were also allocated to various organizations affiliated with the SED, such as the Free German Youth . Effectively, the SED held control over the composition of the Volkskammer. In any event, the minor parties in the National Front were largely subservient to
943-745: The construction and guarding of the Berlin Wall in the summer and autumn of 1961. During the six-week deployment of the KdA to the East Berlin- West Berlin sector boundary, only eight members defected to the West , indicating a high state of morale and faith in the SED. By 1966 and 1967, the total strength of the KdA was 181,500 "fighters" ( Kämpfer ) which was divided between "asset security forces" and "operational reserves". Units whose districts bordered West Berlin and West Germany received better equipment and were directly subordinate to
984-474: The district management of territorial defense. The KdA were not activated during the peaceful mass protests of the Peaceful Revolution in late 1989, which saw the decline of the SED and rapid political changes in the GDR, as many KdA members identified with the protesters and some even participated in the marches. On 9 November 1989, the GDR government announced the opening of the Berlin Wall and
1025-530: The electoral law was changed to provide for 66 directly elected deputies with full voting rights. After the 1990 election , the disposition of the parties was as follows: The president of the People's Chamber was the third-highest state post in the GDR (after the chairman of the Council of Ministers and the chairman of the State Council) and was the ex officio vice president during the existence of
1066-407: The free travel of East German citizens, rendering the purpose of the KdA no longer relevant or necessary. The Volkskammer , the parliament of the GDR, made the decision to disband the KdA on 14 December, with the processes of disarmament and demobilization beginning that month. The disarming of the KdA was supervised by the Volkspolizei and the National People's Army who consolidated and stored
1107-526: The pockets on both sleeves, later they were moved to the left breast above the pocket. The KdA had at their disposal many of the weapons that the police would use in riot situations, and also SK-1 armoured cars and SK-2 water cannon (both armoured and unarmoured versions). After the SPW 152 APC, a variant of the Soviet BTR-152 , had been phased out from the army arsenals in the mid sixties, it became
1148-449: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title KDA . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=KDA&oldid=1255199150 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Articles containing German-language text Short description
1189-462: The seats, a second round was held within 90 days. If the number of candidates getting this majority exceeds the number of seats in the respective constituency, the order of the candidates on the election list decided who got to sit in the Volkskammer. Candidates who lost out on a seat because of this would become successor candidates who would fill casual vacancies which might occur during a legislative period. Only one list of candidates appeared on
1230-736: The standard combat transport for KdA units. The early KdA was armed with surplus German and Soviet equipment from World War II or weapons which had been phased out by the regular East German army: In terms of small arms , KdA personnel were armed with the Mauser Kar98k rifle, the Mosin–Nagant Karabiner 44 , the Degtyaryov machine gun , and the MPi-41 submachine gun during the 1950s and 1960s. In later years, KdA troopers were gradually re-equipped with Eastern Bloc weaponry like
1271-490: The state and local administration offices, and other state-owned enterprises – their organizations and their employment generally did not extend beyond the district level. The organization was similar reserve forces like the United States National Guard or British Territorial Army ; however, the KdA was strictly controlled by the SED itself and not the government. The KdA fell under the authority of
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1312-403: The top. The jacket has a straight cut bottom, with two breast and two skirt pockets plus a pocket on each upper sleeve. The trousers contain four standard type pockets and later versions had an internal cargo pocket on each thigh. The M1956 helmet used by the army was also worn. The KdA organizational patch was worn on the left sleeve over the sleeve pocket and rank patches were worn on or below
1353-417: The total strength of the armed forces under international treaties. The KdA was substantially cheaper to maintain than the official army, since members did not require accommodation, supplies and wages were the same as regulars , and members continued their civilian work while training in their spare time. A KdA member trained with his unit after work and on weekends for a total of 136 hours annually, usually at
1394-794: The visit of a KdA delegation in Brazzaville , People's Republic of the Congo , announcing they were willing to train Congolese people's militiamen in East Germany as well and supply them with equipment. Author Gunter Holzessig reports in that context, that the Congolese People's Militia commander Michel Ngakala was present at a KdA-event in East Germany in 1982. Similar formations: Volkskammer The Volkskammer ( German: [ˈfɔlkskamɐ] , " People's Chamber ")
1435-400: The weapons and equipment. The final 189,370 personnel in 2,022 units were completely demobilized by May 1990. The KdA served a similar role to infantry to supplement the military and police as security in rear areas during wartime or in political emergencies , such as protests against the government. Units were closely tied to the workplaces they were recruited from such as factories, farms,
1476-410: The workplaces. Membership of the KdA peaked in the early 1980s, reaching a total of approximately 210,000 personnel including approximately 187,000 active members and the remainder in reserve. Some sources claim that the KdA had reached over 500,000 members in 1987. Training for KdA personnel was conducted by the Volkspolizei , the GDR's civil police force, to avoid the KdA being counted as part of
1517-639: Was a rubber stamp parliament that did little more than ratify decisions already made by the SED Politburo. By the 1970s and before the Peaceful Revolution , the Volkskammer only met two to four times a year. In October 1949 the Volksrat ("People's Council"), charged with drafting the Constitution of East Germany , proclaimed itself the Volkskammer and requested official recognition as
1558-588: Was a civil reserve force tied to the GDR's Ministry of the Interior and the Volkspolizei , reaching 211,000 personnel at its peak in 1980. The KdA was disbanded by the Volkskammer after the opening of the Berlin Wall in November 1989. The Combat Groups of the Working Class ( German : Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse or KdA ) was formed on September 29, 1953, in response to the Uprising of 1953 in
1599-629: Was abolished in 1958. Constitutionally , the Volkskammer was the highest organ of state power in the GDR, and both constitutions vested it with great lawmaking powers. All other branches of government, including the judiciary, were responsible to it. By 1960, the chamber appointed the State Council (the GDR's collective head of state), the Council of Ministers (the GDR's government), and the National Defence Council (the GDR's collective military leadership). In practice, however, it
1640-575: Was set up in Schmerwitz in 1957, and the organization received its official name Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse in 1959. The largest use of the KdA occurred during the construction of the Berlin Wall from 13 August 1961, with over 8,000 personnel (about 20% of all military units) mobilized to participate in the effort. The best-trained and most-politically reliable KdA units and members from Saxony , Thuringia , and East Berlin participated in
1681-520: Was the supreme power organ of East Germany . It was the only branch of government in the state, and per the principle of unified power , all state organs were subservient to it. The Volkskammer was initially the lower house of a bicameral legislature . The upper house was the Chamber of States , or Länderkammer , but in 1952 the states of East Germany were dissolved, and the Chamber of States