East German Republic Day Parade of 1989

The East German Republic Day Parade of 1989 (Ehrenparade der Nationalen Volksarmee zum 40. Jahrestag der DDR 1989) was a parade of the National People's Army on Karl-Marx-Allee (between Strausberger Platz and Alexanderplatz) in East Berlin on 7 October 1989 commemorating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of East Germany.[1][2] This was the last East German Republic Day Parade and the last major East German political event with the regime falling mere weeks later.[3][4][5][6][7][8] In Germany, this parade is remembered as the end of "the great period of military parades".[9]

Description

Defense Minister Army General Heinz Kessler inspected the parade while accompanied by Deputy Minister of Defense, Colonel General Horst Stechbarth who commanded the parade. Military bands from the Military Music Service of the National People's Army representing three of the four services of the Nationale Volksarmee and the Corps of Drums of the Friedrich Engels Guard Regiment performed the military marches at the parade, including the Präsentiermarsch der Nationalen Volksarmee and the Parademarsch № 1 der Nationalen Volksarmee. The event was accompanied by protests and more than 1,000 demonstrators were arrested.[10] The live transmission on television of the GDR was commented by the reporter Bert Sprafke.

There was also a naval parade (Flottenparade) of the NVA's Volksmarine in the port city of Rostock. It was led by Admiral Theodor Hoffmann, Commander of the Volksmarine.[11]

Attendees and international guests

GDR

Foreign

Full order of the parade

Military bands

Infantry column

Mobile column

  • Members of the 40th Air Assault Regiment "Willi Sänger" in light airborne vehicles
  • Members of the AB-1 Reconnaissance Battalion "Dr. Richard Sorge", 1st Motorized Rifle Division in armored personnel carriers
  • Members of the 1st Motorized Rifle Division "Hans Beimler" in armored personnel carriers
  • Mine launchers on trucks
  • Rocket launchers
  • 152mm howitzers towed by Tatra trucks
  • Armored personnel carriers
  • Anti-aircraft guns on tracked vehicles
  • PR-23 "Julian Marchlewski" tank regiment in T-72 tanks
  • Tank Destroyer Equipment
  • amphibious 122mm self-propelled howitzers
  • AR-1 "Rudolf Gyptner" artillery regiment with 152 mm howitzers
  • Members of the NVA with anti-aircraft radar on wheeled armored vehicles
  • 9K33-Osa weapon systems on BAZ-5937 type base vehicles
  • 2K12-Kub weapon systems on ZIL-131 trucks
  • 5th Air Defense Missile Regiment "Bernhard Bästlein" with 2K11 Krug weapon systems
  • heavy anti-aircraft missiles, using trucks as tractors
  • light anti-aircraft missiles on trucks
  • 18th Coastal Missile Regiment “Waldemar Verner” with mobile launch ramps
  • 9K79 and 9K714 on mobile launchers

See also

References

  1. ^ Neubert 2008, S. 123.
  2. ^ "GHDI - Image". germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org.
  3. ^ "The beginning of the end of East Germany". 8 October 2009.
  4. ^ "The Fast Track to Reunification - Germany - DW - 03.10.2005". DW.COM.
  5. ^ "Forty years of the GDR". revolution89.de. 14 June 2016.
  6. ^ "How the Wall Was Cracked - A Special Report; Party Coup Turned East German Tide; CLAMOR IN THE EAST". The New York Times. 19 November 1989.
  7. ^ "East Germany founded 60 years ago - Germany - DW - 07.10.2009". DW.COM.
  8. ^ Bahrmann, Hannes; Links, Christoph (13 April 2017). The Fall of the Wall: The Path to German Reunification. Ch. Links Verlag. ISBN 9783862843947 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ 100 Jahre Militärparaden auf dem Roten Platz, 1 DVD (Buchhandelslink)
  10. ^ "GHDI - Image". ghdi.ghi-dc.org.
  11. ^ "Flottenparade 1989 in Rostock". June 11, 2017.
  12. ^ "Oct. 7, 1989: How 'Gorbi' Spoiled East Germany's 40th Birthday Party". 7 October 2009 – via Spiegel Online.
  13. ^ "Der letzte Tanz der Totgesagten beim 40. Geburtstag der DDR". www.tagesspiegel.de.
  14. ^ "GORBACHEV LENDS HONECKER A HAND". The New York Times. 7 October 1989.
  15. ^ Gewirtz, Julian (2022). Never Turn Back: China and the Forbidden History of the 1980s. Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674241848.
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