29:
387:. In Kellerhoff's conclusion, the organisation was known to the German government, the German political opposition, German intelligence agencies and the US authorities in Germany. The Schnez-Truppe was a political risk, but given the lack of any native defensive capability in West Germany, it was a necessary measure to counter the perceived threat from communist East Germany.
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possessed almost 1,300 tanks, of which 47 were heavy and 480 medium battle tanks. The Schnez-Truppe was to field four armoured divisions, to be deployed in case of a German-only war between East and West with no outside interference. The tanks for the armoured divisions, however, would have had to
248:
became aware of the secret army around 1951 and informed leading opposition politicians of its activities but did not order any decisive action against Schnez and shied away from conflict with World War II veterans. Instead, he ordered the domestic intelligence services to monitor the organisation
361:
and
Bavaria, in the former US occupation zone. The historian Agilolf Keßelring concluded that Schnez's activities were almost certainly known to US intelligence agencies. The Schnez-Truppe was organised down to the company level and consisted predominantly of members of former German elite tank
335:, former commander of the division, served as a consultant in military and security matters for the West German government under Adenauer. West Germany, not armed at the time, was concerned with its own inability to defend itself after the outbreak of the
253:(Operation Insurance). Attempts by Skorzeny to establish a similar organisation to the Schnez-Truppe were seen more critically by the Gehlen Organization, as he was considered too unpredictable.
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The organisation was active in the US occupation zone in southern
Germany, and aimed to field up to four armoured divisions in case of war. It was to become active in case of an attack by
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general, who had been privately employed by Schnez after the war before he joined the police. Schnez also organised road transport for his forces through logistics companies.
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308:, who was part of an independent commission to study the early history of the German intelligence service. The file on the Schnez-Truppe in the archive of the
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145:. It has been reported as having been founded with a membership of some 2,000 former officers; later obtaining a total strength of up to 40,000 members.
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271:
278:, Supreme Commander of NATO ground forces in Central Europe from 1957 to 1963. Albert Schnez also rose to the rank of Inspector General of the
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The fate of the secret army is unknown, but leading figures of the Schnez-Truppe joined the then newly formed West German armed forces, the
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The general public in
Germany was unaware of the Schnez-Truppe until 2014, when files relating to it were declassified by the
233:, to provide black lists of potentially left-leaning individuals as well as, in one case, profiling a member of the police as
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and provide small-scale financial support. Within the Gehlen
Organisation, the Schnez-Truppe received the code name
341:
209:
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The organisation was formed in secret in 1949 by Albert Schnez, who had risen to the rank of colonel in the
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and finally retired in 1971. He had become an obstacle to the reforms of the armed forces
Defence Minister
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been provided by the US Army, as West
Germany possessed none at the time, and Schnez was most active in
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after they had been rediscovered in 2011. The declassified files were reviewed by the German historian
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The organisation engaged in surveillance of left-leaning politicians, like the outspoken member of the
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In 1951, Schnez offered the service of his organisation to the German intelligence service, the
216:. Schnez was in contact with other right-wing organisations and individuals in Germany, such as
305:
193:
Schnez's secret army was to have weapons supplied by the West German police, with the help of
401:
396:
354:
187:
174:. The aim of the secret army formed by Schnez was to liberate Germany if an invasion by the
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The Schnez-Truppe was part of a larger movement in West
Germany at the time, codenamed the
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occurred. Initially, the secret army would retreat to a foreign country, possibly
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The Schnez-Truppe never came close to a similar status and structure to the post-
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212:. In case of war, the secret army was planned to be used against communists in
336:
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Agilolf Keßelring: The Gehlen
Organisation and the defence of West Germany
36:, the founder of the Schnez-Truppe. Following rearmanent, Schnez became a
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477:[Former officers of the Wehrmacht and SS planned secret army].
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of East
Germany in case of a Korea-like scenario if the East attacked.
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concluded that the organisation was part of the "prehistory" of the
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was an illegal clandestine paramilitary organisation formed in
475:"Ehemalige Offiziere der Wehrmacht und SS planten Geheimarmee"
568:[Wehrmacht and SS veterans planned secret army].
327:(Greyhound movement) and based on the insignia of the
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in the event of an invasion or German communists in a
423:"Files Uncovered: Nazi Veterans Created Illegal Army"
137:. The paramilitary was intended to fight against the
442:"SS-Offiziere gründeten 1949 deutsche Geheim-Armee"
348:According to intelligence reports at the time, the
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87:
77:
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57:
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21:
566:"Wehrmachts- und SS-Veteranen planten Geheimarmee"
220:, in relation to resistance to a Soviet invasion.
339:. The main aim was to have a counterforce to the
526:[So secret was Adenauer's secret army].
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444:[SS officers form German secret army].
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524:"So geheim war Adenauers Geheimarmee wirklich"
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625:Cold War military history of Germany
156:, but without outside interference.
630:1949 establishments in West Germany
268:Inspector General of the Bundeswehr
208:faction in the German Parliament,
206:Social Democratic Party of Germany
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564:Das Gupta, Oliver (11 May 2014).
421:Klaus Wiegrefe (May 14, 2014).
1:
186:, the latter being ruled by
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121:in 1949 by veterans of the
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251:Unternehmen Versicherungen
635:Stay-behind organizations
227:, the predecessor of the
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483:(in German). 12 May 2014
450:(in German). 11 May 2014
350:Kasernierte Volkspolizei
342:Kasernierte Volkspolizei
133:under the leadership of
379:. The German historian
310:Bundesnachrichtendienst
291:Bundesnachrichtendienst
274:from 1961 to 1964, and
244:West German Chancellor
230:Bundesnachrichtendienst
520:Kellerhoff, Sven Felix
381:Sven Felix Kellerhoff
329:116th Panzer Division
333:Gerhard von Schwerin
571:Süddeutsche Zeitung
225:Gehlen Organization
115:Schnez Organisation
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576:. Retrieved
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72:Paramilitary
62:West Germany
597:(in German)
574:(in German)
532:(in German)
362:divisions.
359:Württemberg
298: [
210:Fritz Erler
180:Switzerland
640:Bundeswehr
609:Categories
578:16 October
536:16 October
487:13 October
454:13 October
408:References
385:Bundeswehr
366:Assessment
337:Korean War
280:Bundeswehr
259:Bundeswehr
154:Korean War
95:commanders
88:Commanders
42:Bundeswehr
376:Freikorps
199:Wehrmacht
167:Wehrmacht
143:civil war
130:Waffen-SS
124:Wehrmacht
529:Die Welt
480:Die Zeit
447:Die Welt
391:See also
266:, first
239:half-Jew
235:Halbjude
318:Bavaria
314:Pullach
170:during
160:History
93:Notable
58:Country
44:(1967).
40:in the
50:Active
302:]
184:Spain
580:2018
538:2018
489:2018
456:2018
270:and
127:and
109:The
78:Size
68:Type
53:1949
312:in
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182:or
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611::
546:^
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431:^
331:.
316:,
300:de
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237:(
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