Requiem for an Army by Herspring, Dale R. (1998) Paperback

by Dale R. Herspring

Most Western models suggest that in the face of open threats to the military's core interests, the army would have fought to keep the status quo. Yet the military actually facilitated the introduction of a new democratic polity and in the process dug its own grave. Trained under a Russian-inspired system that minimized the role of the individual, this group was suddenly exposed to the radically different Innere Fuehrung concept that lies at the heart of the Bundeswehr's ethos.

Genres: History, Germany

Paperback

First published September 1, 1998

Reviews

[Martin Samuels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many armies have disappeared over the years, but almost invariably as a consequence of military defeat on the battlefield. By contrast, the NVA played a vital role in ensuring that the collapse of East Germany in 1989/90 did not descend into bloodshed, and then found itself absorbed by another army (the Budeswehr) rather than being abolished. Herspring provides an excellent analysis of this extraordinary period, focusing on the experience of the members of the NVA.

The book essentially falls into two parts: the attempts of the NVA command to make sense of the events happening around them with bewildering speed and to avoid the armed forces becoming drawn into any potential internal conflict, and then the experience of those officers and soldiers who sought to continue their military careers in the Budeswehr - the very army that they had been trained to fight.

Herspring brings out with clarity just how fast events moved during 1989 and how difficult it was for even those at the heart of the system to comprehend just how completely the seemingly total grip of the SED would disintegrate. Even after the Berlin Wall had fallen, it was inconceivable for many that the whole DDR system, including its army, would be swept away. He also shows how deep were the differences in basic outlook, both towards politics and military relationships, between the rigidly hierarchical NVA and the Bundeswehr, which had focused on personal ethical accountability and devolution of command.

[Kriegslok · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and in depth warts and all examination of the NVA, This is a genuinely scholarly work which refuses to be distracted by partisan predjudices and instead examines the NVA for the professional military unit it was. Examining how the NVA was built out of nothing, how it developed, its importance within the Warsaw Pact and the variety of factors which contributed to its demise. Herspring also goes to great lenght to demonstrate how the NVA was a military dedicated to the defence of the DDR and not some internal security apparatus. In a final section he examines the effect of the fall of the DDR on the NVa and its personel and how they adapted or didn't adapt to the changed circumstances. It also looks at how the Bundeswehr approached the sensitive task of taking over the remenants of the NVA.

A highly recommended work for those with an interest in the real DDR and NVA.