SUMMARY OF EVENTS IN EAST GERMANY BETWEEN 16 JUNE AND 13 JULY 1953

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A001800570009-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 6, 2002
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: July 20, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION. REPORT
SECRET
SECURITY INFORMATION
i
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COUNTRY East Germany/Poland
Summary of Events in East Germany
between 16 June and 13 July 1953
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of Its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person Is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form Is prohibited.
REPORT. NO.
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
20 July 1953
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1. Soviet Ground OB; The deployment of Soviet troops in numerous cities after
16 June was either for the purpose of controlling unrest or as a security
measure in order to prevent demonstrations or strikes. The order for the
lst Mechanized Division to occupy East Berlin must have been received by
the divisional headquarters around midnight of 16 or 17 June at the latest.
The , first units of the division entered the southern edge of Berlin at about
5s30 A.M. on 17 June. All other divisions in the East Zone were alerted in
the early morning of 17 June and quickly ordered to their assigned areas.
The units assigned to Berlin hermetically sealed the sector boundaries
immediately after their arrival and occupied the larger factories and
enterprises as well as all public buildings and squares. On 19 June, the
Soviet troops were replaced at the sector borders by KVP and regular police.
On 24 azd 25 June., the regular police assumed the responsibility for the
control of,the sector borders. The divisions assembled their units at
selected points in the city. The units changed their locations constantly
in order to appear everywhere as much as possible. On the night of 28 June,
the first units of the lla.th Guards Mechanized Division left Berlin. On 10 July,
parts of the lst Mechanized Division and of the 12th Guards Tank Division were
still stationed in the outskirts of East Berlin.
2.. The main points of unrest in the zone were Magdeburg, Halle., and Leipzig.
Soviet troops moved into these cities during 17 and 18 June after long march
movements. The general recall of troops from those cities in which no great
demonstrations were observed occurred on 26 June. Units remained in other
cities up to early July. Training at troop training grounds was resumed in
some cases on 1 July. Engineer exercises were held in the vicinity of
Jerichow and Wittenberg beginning on about 7 July. During the week of
1 July, the exchange of AAA units at the Wustrow firing range took place.
It is believed however that, in contrast with the dispatch of units to training
areas for summer exercises in April, stronger troop units are now present in
permanent billeting areas, probably as a security measure against future
outbreaks and unrest.
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3. Rumors regarding the movement of Soviet units to Poland cannot be confirmed.
It is certain that at-the time of the withdrawal of Soviet units from Berlin,
no ground forces departed by rail toward the East. According to several
indications, it is presumed that the 9th Mechanized Division and possibly
units of-the 7th Mechanized Division-marched-by road on about 18 June across
the Oder-and Neisse to the East-. There are indications of the return movement
of the 9th Mechanized Division from Goerlitz on 5 July and of the 7th Guards
Mechanized Division from Guben on 9 July.
4* The OB of Soviet units during and after the uprisings was as follows!
Unit Remarks
57th Guards Rifle Division Presumably on alert at, its own garrison.
39th Guards Rifle Division Presumably on alert at its own garrison;
units from Plauen were sent to the
uranium mining area between 17 and 22
June.
20th Guards Mechanized Division Units were assigned to Weimar, Jena,
and Zeitz. The units were partially
withdrawn from Weimar prior to 28 June
and returned to Ohrdruf.
21st Guards Mechanized Division Probably sent to Halle.
94th Guards Rifle Division Apparently on alert in its own garrison.
18th Mechanized Division Parts of the division were sent from the
Wittstock troop training grounds between
17 and 27 June.
207th Rifle Division
Units were definitely sent to Quedlinurg,
Gommelcn,' Ascheraleben-Eisleben and probably
to Steudal.
19th Guards Mechanized Division Sent in force to Magdeburg on 17 June.
On 6 July only a tank unit remained in
Magdeburg. An unidentified engineer
regiment of the GOFO was withdrawn from
the Aken area on 17 June, where it had
been training since April,and sent to
Magdeburg, Dessau-Rosslau, Bitterfeldt
and Bernburg. It returned again to
Aken on 25 June.
11th Guards Tank Division The division, including tank units,
was sent to the Dresden area on 17 June.
9th Tank Division Some units of the division were recalled
from the Zeithain troop training grounds
and sent to Riesa and Oschatz on 18 June.
Since the troop training grounds were no
longer occupied on 2 July, it is assumed
that the division was recalled and placed
on alert at its owr} garrison.
fth Guards Mechanized Division At least two mechanized regiments and two
tank regiments were sent to Leipzig on
18 June. Other elements of the division
were sent to Grirmaa and Wurzen. On 3 July,
tho units of the # vision were recalled from
Leipzig and probably returned to the Koenigs-
brueck troop training grounds.
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Unit Remarks
6th Guards Tank Division Elements moved to Wittenburg and Dessau.
The units began to return to their posts
on 26 June.
9th Mechanized Division
9th Guards Tank Division
7th Guards Tank Division
10th Guards Tank Division
25th Tank Division
The camp of the division at the Tauer
troop-training grounds was empty on 18
June. Individual. tanks and trucks were
seen in the Cottbus and Weisswasser areas.
On 17 and 18 June, 100 tanks, possibly the
entire division, moved out of Muskau in the
direction of Goerlitz. Empty railroad
rolling stock was later ordered to Goerlitz.
On the basis of this information, it is
assumed that the division was probably
employed in Silesia.
The bulk of the division was in Berlin
on 17 June . One regiment, was still there
on 10 July.
The bulk of the division was probably sent
to Berlin on 17 June. Elements were still
in the inner city and in its northern
environs on 10 July.
The bulk of the division probably remained
in its billeting area. The rifle regiment,
however, may have been sent to the Berlin
area on 18 June.
Parts of the division were possibly employed
in the Halle Wilier seburg area.
Individual units were possibly sent to the
Brandenburg-Potsdam area.
Elements of the division were located in
Oranienburg between 17 and 26 June and sent,
from there to the northern area of Berlin
for two days on a security mission.
6th Guards Mechanized Division The bulk of the division was apparently
withdrawn from Templin between 18 and
30 June. A part may possibly have been
sent to northern Berlin as a reserve. The
divisiir with most of its units probably
returned to its garrison on 1 July.
7th Guards Mechanized Division No definite information is available.
However, the transport of parts of the
84th Heavy Tank and SP Regiment from
Guben through Frankfurt/Oder on 9 July
suggests that at least parts of this
division may have been sent east of the
Oder.
!. Volkspolizeis During the unrest the UP remained pr^edotinently in its garrison on
alert status. Some of the units from the Pasewalk army group, Orenienburg,and
Saxony (Baerenstein-Niederschlag)iiere sent to Berlin as reinforcements. Some of
the KVP units, especially those in the area of the northern army group, had once
more resumed normal training activities on 22 June. The Weisswasser troop training
grounds, which were evacuated by the KVP at the beginning of the disturbances, were
again occupied by 800 KVP troops on 25 June. Since the beginning of July, the
infantry units in Bmerenstein-Niederschlag were moved in bulk to Chemnitz and
Marienberg. It is possible that parts of the division at Prora were moved to the
mainland, possibly to Saxony.
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6. Soviet A.ir OB.- On 16 June, units of'-the 24th Air Army were observed engaged in
routine flying activity. The situation., however., must have changed radically on
the night of--16 to 17 June because all air units were placed on ready alert
(Erhoehte Alarm-Bereitschaft) between 17 and 19 June. Ground-attack units were
immediately stationed in the vicinity of the troubled centers and prepared for
eventual attacks. For example, bombs were transferred to Doeberitz and Brandis
airfields where pilots were already seated in IL?iO planes. Alert status was
intensified at the fighter airfields. Moreover, all planes were withdrawn from
the hangars and parked in revetments. The pilots remained near their planes,
field guard watch was increased and defense measures were taken to protect the
fields against uprisings. The air units were placed on a war footing in readiness
against a possible attack by the Western Powers. Normal training and routine
flying activity was resumed on the night of 20 June.
7. A transferof bomber and reconnaisance units equipped with ID-28's to the East
began on 2L June. Many reliable reports ascertained and confirmed that as of
13 July Werneu:chen, Brand, -Welzowa and Jueterbog airfields had been evacuated.
Of the six bomber unit fields, only the evacuation of_ Finsterwalde has not yet
been conclusively confirmed. It must be assumed., however, that the movement
involves the entire bomber corps of the 24th Air Army. Between 24 and 30 June.,
a total. of 8 large ' air-force railroad transports were observed at Guben which
is a:ssuiaed to be the assembly-departure point (AbgangsoTt) for Werneuchen
airfield. The trains were allegedly enroute to Koval.
8. It is unknown whether the eastward movement of the planes is related to the
reported disturbances in Poland. Other possible reasons are as fol.lowss
protection of IL..288s against sabotage or further disturbances, maneuvers of
Soviet light bomber units outside of East Germany; rotation of these units for
new ones paralleling the exchange of MiG-l5 units in the .fal.1 of 1951. Whatever
the reason, the departure of the bomber units means a great weakening of the
attack strength of the 24th Air Army.
9. Trans ort As seen from the limited view of the local RBD ? s,, raa..l.road movements
in Zone remained normal throughout the disturbances. Only the S.Bah.n
in Berlin was stopped completely. Important traffic centers were occupied by
Soviet troops. Railroads were not used to transport troops to the trouble centers,
in order to avoid a. de1V in the dispatch of troops and to circumvent possible
sabotage of railroad facilities. After order was restored and the danger minimized.,
all track-laying-vehicles were transported back to garrisons or troop--training
grounds by railroad.
10. Possibly as a consequence of the uprising in East Germany, an increase of information
on partisan activity in Poland was received at the end of June and in early July. As
far as it is known., sabotage was directed against the Frankfurt/Oder-Warsaw-Brest
railroad lines. Numerous bridges and track were reported to have been. blasted.
Through traffic to Poland was diverted to the northern transit lines since about 6 July.
Border crossings at Frankfurt/Odor have fallen off since 4 Jul.y. No information on the
southern border crossings is available. If Polish partisan activities increase., a part
of the Soviet railroad transit traffic must come to a standstill resulting in a conse-
quent increase of Baltic Sea traffic. Since disturbances may likewise affect Czecho-
slovakia, the rerouting of traffic through Czechoslovakia would also present many
uncertainties.
11, Poliiticala The uprising in East Germany undoubtedly constituted a severe setback
to the Soviet political. program, because the revolt caused the officially directed
revision of'SED policy to get out of hand ' domestically, while internationally
the Communist pose of an alleged change of heart was destroyed.
12. Accordingly., the period immediately after the uprising was dominated by partially
conflicting moves, Steps were taken initially to restore the SED regime as the
only inner-political instrument available, simply as a reaction against the uprising
and out of fear of repetition. This was done despite th- fret that the SED had been
compromised by the new political course and even more ass.by the uprising. Numerous
arrests and interrogations were carried out while simultaneously SED functionaries
launched an extensive propaganda campaign to "pacify" and "enlighten". According
to all indications before and after 17 June, the intention at most was a modification
of the SED r6gime but not its dissolution. In any case,, the abandonment of the SED
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is not contemplated until such a time as it would fit .into the framework of German
reunification along Eastern lines. Punitive measures and., to some extent,, lack of
fulfillment of promises made in conjunction with the new political force resulted
in new limited uprisings in early July. These., however., are more in the nature of
after-pains.
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13. On the other hand., an increasing adherence to the new political course., particularly
its foreign policy aspects., could be detected despite the retard ' efforts of certain
SED functionaries. The decisions adopted by the Politburo on 9 June were featured by
the SED Central Committee on 21 June. Disintegrating symptoms within the SED, FDGB,
and FEJ (numerous resignations, prophylactic barring of new members) and the increased
activity of the non-Communist parties, which received permission to do some careful
recruiting among SED members., pointed to a shift towards the revamping of the internal
political structure along bourgeois lines. Additional pronouncements regarding the
raising of the civilian living standards in the future., the lifting of restrictions
on the Church., abatement of propaganda attacks on the SPD, in addition to the relatively
speedy lifting of martial law and the restoration of normal traffic to Berlin, and
finally;, various statements concerning the issuance of directives along the political
line developed by Semenov, confirm the view that the new political course aiming at the
reunification and neutralization of Germany will be adhered to.
11. SSD: Unconfirmed information states that one of the SSD district administrations was
placed on an alert basis on 17 June at an unknown hour. All. SSD staff members remained
at their posts day and night. By the evening of 17 June., necessary preparations had
been made to destroy all files which had been concentrated in one spot.. Either on
17 June or on one of the following days, the district office received adirective,
presumably from the Ministry of State Security in Berlins, not to divert personnel
in answer to outlying requests for aid. Patrol and arrest operations were carried out
throughout the period of 17 to 19 June.
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