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</div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Group of Forces</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. 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class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Беларуская</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupement_nord_des_forces_arm%C3%A9es_sovi%C3%A9tiques" title="Groupement nord des forces armées soviétiques – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Groupement nord des forces armées soviétiques" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EB%B6%81%EB%B6%80%EA%B5%B0%EC%A7%91%EB%8B%A8_(%EC%86%8C%EB%A0%A8)" title="북부군집단 (소련) – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="북부군집단 (소련)" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gruppo_di_Forze_del_Nord" title="Gruppo di Forze del Nord – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Gruppo di Forze del Nord" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%B3%C5%82nocna_Grupa_Wojsk" title="Północna Grupa Wojsk – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Północna Grupa Wojsk" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Polski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D0%B3%D1%80%D1%83%D0%BF%D0%BF%D0%B0_%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B9%D1%81%D0%BA" title="Северная группа войск – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Северная группа войск" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" 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class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Northern_Group_of_Forces.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/20/Northern_Group_of_Forces.jpg/250px-Northern_Group_of_Forces.jpg" decoding="async" width="250" height="173" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/20/Northern_Group_of_Forces.jpg/375px-Northern_Group_of_Forces.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/20/Northern_Group_of_Forces.jpg 2x" data-file-width="380" data-file-height="263" /></a><figcaption>Review of the 6th Soviet Guards Vitebsk-Novgorod Mechanised Division, Northern Group of Forces, in <a href="/wiki/Borne_Sulinowo" title="Borne Sulinowo">Borne Sulinowo</a>, Poland.</figcaption></figure> <p>The <b>Northern Group of Forces</b> (<a href="/wiki/Russian_language" title="Russian language">Russian</a>: <span lang="ru">Северная группа войск</span>; <a href="/wiki/Polish_language" title="Polish language">Polish</a>: <i lang="pl">Północna grupa wojsk</i>) was the military formation of the <a href="/wiki/Soviet_Army" title="Soviet Army">Soviet Army</a> (<a href="/wiki/Russian_Ground_Forces" title="Russian Ground Forces">Russian Ground Forces</a> starting 1992) stationed in <a href="/wiki/People%27s_Republic_of_Poland" class="mw-redirect" title="People's Republic of Poland">Poland</a> from the end of <a href="/wiki/World_War_II" title="World War II">Second World War</a> in 1945 until 1993 when they were withdrawn in the aftermath of the <a href="/wiki/Fall_of_the_Soviet_Union" class="mw-redirect" title="Fall of the Soviet Union">fall of the Soviet Union</a>. Although officially considered Polish allies under the <a href="/wiki/Warsaw_Pact" title="Warsaw Pact">Warsaw Pact</a> treaty, they were seen by many Poles as a Soviet occupation force. <a href="/wiki/Jan_Parys" title="Jan Parys">Jan Parys</a>, the first civilian minister of defense of the Republic of Poland between 1991 and 1992, expressed this. <sup id="cite_ref-Golon_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Golon-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History">History</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Northern_Group_of_Forces&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: History"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Bunkier_atomowy.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Bunkier_atomowy.jpg/250px-Bunkier_atomowy.jpg" decoding="async" width="250" height="187" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Bunkier_atomowy.jpg/375px-Bunkier_atomowy.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Bunkier_atomowy.jpg/500px-Bunkier_atomowy.jpg 2x" data-file-width="567" data-file-height="425" /></a><figcaption>Former Soviet nuclear weapons warehouse <i>Granit 2</i> near <a href="/wiki/Szprotawa" title="Szprotawa">Szprotawa</a>, Poland</figcaption></figure> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Early_years">Early years</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Northern_Group_of_Forces&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Early years"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Soviet forces entered <a href="/wiki/Poland" title="Poland">Poland</a> for the first time on <a href="/wiki/Soviet_invasion_of_Poland" title="Soviet invasion of Poland">17 September 1939</a>, and then again as they were advancing towards <a href="/wiki/Nazi_Germany" title="Nazi Germany">Nazi Germany</a> in the course of the <a href="/wiki/Red_Army" title="Red Army">Red Army</a>'s <a href="/wiki/Operation_Bagration" title="Operation Bagration">Operation Bagration</a> in the summer of 1944. Following the <a href="/wiki/Vistula-Oder_Offensive" class="mw-redirect" title="Vistula-Oder Offensive">Vistula-Oder Offensive</a> in early 1945, all of Poland was liberated from Nazi occupation by Soviet forces. While formal Polish sovereignty was almost immediately restored, the territory of Poland fell under <i>de facto</i> Soviet control as the Soviet military and security forces acted to ensure that Poland would be ruled by the Soviet-installed <a href="/wiki/Polish_Committee_of_National_Liberation" title="Polish Committee of National Liberation">communist puppet government of Poland</a>. </p><p>As the war ended, the structure of the Soviet military was reorganized from a war-time to a peace-time mode. Directive No. 11097 of 10 June 1945 created several new formations, known as <i>Groups of Forces</i>, equivalent to <a href="/wiki/Military_district" title="Military district">military districts</a>, but used for command and administration of Soviet forces outside the Soviet Union itself. One of those new formations, at that time 300,000-400,000 strong, was to be stationed in Poland. It was mostly based on the <a href="/wiki/2nd_Belorussian_Front" title="2nd Belorussian Front">2nd Belorussian Front</a> of General <a href="/wiki/Konstantin_Rokossovsky" title="Konstantin Rokossovsky">Konstantin Rokossovsky</a> (formerly stationed around <a href="/wiki/Mecklenburg" title="Mecklenburg">Mecklenburg</a> and <a href="/wiki/Brandenburg" title="Brandenburg">Brandenburg</a>).<sup id="cite_ref-polit_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-polit-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Rzecz_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rzecz-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> With the exception of <a href="/wiki/Szczecin" title="Szczecin">Szczecin</a> (Stettin), which fell under the operational territory of the <a href="/wiki/Western_Group_of_Forces" class="mw-redirect" title="Western Group of Forces">Western Group of Forces</a>, the Northern Group of Forces was located entirely within the territory of Poland. </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/Polish_communist" class="mw-redirect" title="Polish communist">Polish communist</a> government, which largely owed its existence to the Soviets (see <a href="/wiki/Polish_Committee_of_National_Liberation" title="Polish Committee of National Liberation">Polish Committee of National Liberation</a>, <a href="/wiki/1946_Polish_people%27s_referendum" title="1946 Polish people's referendum">1946 Polish people's referendum</a>, <a href="/wiki/1947_Polish_legislative_election" class="mw-redirect" title="1947 Polish legislative election">1947 Polish legislative election</a>),<sup id="cite_ref-Golon_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Golon-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> signed several agreements with the Soviet Union regulating the status and purpose of the Soviet troops. </p><p>In the early years, the Soviet forces aided the Polish communists in establishing their government and combating anti-communist resistance, such as the Polish <i><a href="/wiki/Cursed_soldiers" title="Cursed soldiers">cursed soldiers</a></i> or the <a href="/wiki/Ukrainian_Insurgent_Army" title="Ukrainian Insurgent Army">Ukrainian Insurgent Army</a> (see <a href="/wiki/Operation_Vistula" title="Operation Vistula">Operation Vistula</a>).<sup id="cite_ref-Golon_1-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Golon-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Rzecz_5-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rzecz-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Another major task of the Northern Group was to organize and transport <a href="/wiki/War_reparations" title="War reparations">war reparations</a> from the <a href="/wiki/Former_eastern_territories_of_Germany" title="Former eastern territories of Germany">former eastern territories of Germany</a> attached to Poland after World War II (the so-called <a href="/wiki/Recovered_Territories" title="Recovered Territories">Recovered Territories</a>) to the Soviet Union.<sup id="cite_ref-Golon_1-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Golon-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-pol2_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-pol2-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-IPNMM_7-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-IPNMM-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-IPN-Ś_8-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-IPN-Ś-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> These actions, often involving the complete stripping down of industrial facilities, sometimes also took place in traditionally Polish territories. This caused tensions between the Soviets and the Polish government, which intended to use the resources of those territories to rebuild Poland.<sup id="cite_ref-Golon_1-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Golon-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-pol2_6-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-pol2-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Cold_War">Cold War</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Northern_Group_of_Forces&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Cold War"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>By 1949 the Soviet Union had concluded twenty-year bilateral treaties of friendship, cooperation, and mutual assistance with Poland and several other countries, which usually granted the Soviet Union rights to a continued military presence on their territory.<sup id="cite_ref-loc_9-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-loc-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Polish government, however, had no operational control over the Soviet forces.<sup id="cite_ref-Rzecz_5-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rzecz-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> On December 17, 1956, as one of the agreements of the <a href="/wiki/Polish_October" title="Polish October">Polish October</a> period, the Polish and Soviet governments signed the <a href="/wiki/Status_of_Forces_Agreement" class="mw-redirect" title="Status of Forces Agreement">dedicated treaty</a> that would finally fully regulate the Soviet military presence in Poland, the "Agreement on Legal Status of Soviet Troops Temporarily Stationed in Poland".<sup id="cite_ref-Rzecz_5-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rzecz-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Jamgotch_10-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Jamgotch-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-polit_3-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-polit-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-DBM_11-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-DBM-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Golon_1-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Golon-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Bor_12-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Bor-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> According to the 1956 treaty (which was further developed by later, more specific amendments), the Soviet military in Poland was limited to 66,000 troops, although the Soviets never fully disclosed the actual number of personnel of the Northern Group to the Polish government, and the Polish government had no right to inspect the Soviet bases.<sup id="cite_ref-Golon_1-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Golon-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Rzecz_5-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rzecz-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The treaty also limited the number of Soviet bases in Poland to 39, while the actual number of bases reached 79.<sup id="cite_ref-polit_3-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-polit-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Bor_12-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Bor-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Soviets also installed nuclear weapons in Poland, without informing the Polish government of that fact.<sup id="cite_ref-Rzecz_5-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rzecz-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The treaty's name declared the Soviet military presence to be temporary, while in fact the treaty did not contain any limitations to the duration of their stay, nor any provisions on their withdrawal.<sup id="cite_ref-polit_3-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-polit-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Bor_12-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Bor-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Navrátil_13-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Navrátil-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Until the 1956 agreement, the Soviet troops stationed in Poland were seen by some Poles as occupying Polish territory;<sup id="cite_ref-Golon_1-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Golon-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> even afterwards they were <i>de facto</i> exempt from any Polish oversight<sup id="cite_ref-polit_3-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-polit-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-pol2_6-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-pol2-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Bor_12-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Bor-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and their role of an 'allied force' stationed in the territory was viewed by many as a mere <a href="/wiki/Propaganda" title="Propaganda">propaganda</a> claim.<sup id="cite_ref-Golon_1-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Golon-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-pol2_6-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-pol2-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The issue of Polish-Soviet military cooperation was further regulated the next year, and in the 1965 Polish-Soviet friendship treaty that reflected the Soviet domination of Polish military policy.<sup id="cite_ref-globsecorg_14-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-globsecorg-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The Northern Group of Forces had several objectives. With the beginning of the <a href="/wiki/Cold_War" title="Cold War">Cold War</a>, it was to act, together with other Groups of Forces, as a counterpart to the <a href="/wiki/Western_Bloc" title="Western Bloc">Western Allies</a> (particularly the <a href="/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States</a>) forces in Europe. Later, in that regard it represented part of the <a href="/wiki/Warsaw_Pact" title="Warsaw Pact">Warsaw Pact</a> forces, countering the <a href="/wiki/NATO" title="NATO">NATO</a> troops. Its second objective was much less stressed in public Soviet sources, but nonetheless crucial: it was to ensure the loyalty of the <a href="/wiki/Polish_communist" class="mw-redirect" title="Polish communist">Polish communist</a> government, and its <a href="/wiki/Polish_People%27s_Army" title="Polish People's Army">Polish People's Army</a>; a policy consistent with that of the <a href="/wiki/Brezhnev_Doctrine" title="Brezhnev Doctrine">Brezhnev Doctrine</a>, and enforced during events such as the <a href="/wiki/Hungarian_Revolution_of_1956" title="Hungarian Revolution of 1956">Hungarian Revolution of 1956</a> or the <a href="/wiki/Prague_Spring" title="Prague Spring">Prague Spring</a> of 1968.<sup id="cite_ref-Golon_1-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Golon-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Rzecz_5-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rzecz-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-pol2_6-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-pol2-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-loc_9-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-loc-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-globsecorg_14-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-globsecorg-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Soviet forces were mobilized and actually advanced on <a href="/wiki/Warsaw" title="Warsaw">Warsaw</a> during <a href="/wiki/Polish_October" title="Polish October">Polish October</a> in 1956, and there were threats that they could be similarly used before the <a href="/wiki/Martial_law_in_Poland" title="Martial law in Poland">martial law in Poland</a> was introduced to stem the progress of the <a href="/wiki/Solidarity_(Polish_trade_union)" title="Solidarity (Polish trade union)">Solidarity</a> movement in 1980.<sup id="cite_ref-Rzecz_5-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rzecz-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> All of the objectives of the Northern Group were shared with the <a href="/wiki/Group_of_Soviet_Occupation_Forces_in_Germany" class="mw-redirect" title="Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany">Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany</a> in the <a href="/wiki/German_Democratic_Republic" class="mw-redirect" title="German Democratic Republic">German Democratic Republic</a> and to a lesser extent with the two Groups with a shorter history: the <a href="/wiki/Central_Group_of_Forces" title="Central Group of Forces">Central Group of Forces</a> in <a href="/wiki/Czechoslovakia" title="Czechoslovakia">Czechoslovakia</a> (from 1968 on) and the <a href="/wiki/Southern_Group_of_Forces" title="Southern Group of Forces">Southern Group of Forces</a> in <a href="/wiki/Hungary" title="Hungary">Hungary</a> and (only until 1958) <a href="/wiki/Romania" title="Romania">Romania</a>. </p><p>The presence of Soviet forces on Polish territory caused several problems, in addition to the war reparations issue. Although not supported by the Soviet High Command, excesses by individual soldiers of the Red Army led to mounting tensions between Soviet forces and the Polish population.<sup id="cite_ref-Davies2_15-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Davies2-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Raack_16-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Raack-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Contemporary archives contained many reports of mugging, burglary, rape and murder attributed to Soviet soldiers in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War;<sup id="cite_ref-PadrK_17-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-PadrK-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> even <a href="/wiki/Polish_Communists" class="mw-redirect" title="Polish Communists">Polish Communists</a> were uneasy, as in 1945 the future Chairman of the <a href="/wiki/Polish_Council_of_State" class="mw-redirect" title="Polish Council of State">Polish Council of State</a>, <a href="/wiki/Aleksander_Zawadzki" title="Aleksander Zawadzki">Aleksander Zawadzki</a>, worried that "raping and looting of the Soviet army would provoke a civil war".<sup id="cite_ref-Davies_18-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Davies-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In the early years, the Red Army appropriated any resources it needed from the Polish government with no thought of compensation, or treating Poles as their allies. For example, when the Northern Group commander, <a href="/wiki/Konstantin_Rokossovsky" title="Konstantin Rokossovsky">Konstantin Rokossovsky</a>, decided that it should be headquartered in <a href="/wiki/Legnica" title="Legnica">Legnica</a>, he ordered all Poles, including communist officials who were organizing the city and provincial government, to vacate one third of the city within 24 hours, later requisitioning any of their private belongings (like furniture) left behind. This incident was perceived by contemporaries as a particularly brutal action, and rumors circulated exaggerating its severity.<sup id="cite_ref-Legnica_19-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Legnica-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Later, Polish settlements in which Soviet garrisons were placed were inconvenienced in other ways, for example by being removed from all official maps<sup id="cite_ref-Bor_12-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Bor-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> or by the low flying Soviet jets, training at night.<sup id="cite_ref-Rzecz_5-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rzecz-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Approximately 600 Polish citizens died over the years 1945–1993 in crimes or accidents for which the Soviet soldiers were responsible.<sup id="cite_ref-Rzecz_5-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rzecz-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Soviet army, which was subject to many financial privileges (reduced taxation, import tariffs, etc.),<sup id="cite_ref-Rzecz_5-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rzecz-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> often refused to pay for municipal resources it consumed, particularly water, gas or electricity.<sup id="cite_ref-Golon_1-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Golon-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-pol2_6-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-pol2-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> On the other hand, Soviet units did also aid the locals with infrastructure projects, harvests, or during environmental disasters.<sup id="cite_ref-Rzecz_5-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rzecz-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>After the <a href="/wiki/Fall_of_communism_in_Poland" class="mw-redirect" title="Fall of communism in Poland">fall of communism in Poland</a> in 1989, and with the signs of the <a href="/wiki/Fall_of_the_Soviet_Union" class="mw-redirect" title="Fall of the Soviet Union">fall of the Soviet Union</a>, the new Polish government wanted the Soviet troops to leave Poland.<sup id="cite_ref-Rzecz_5-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rzecz-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> By that time the Northern Group had already shrunk to 58,000 troops,<sup id="cite_ref-globsecorg_14-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-globsecorg-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> but its military installations were still spread over about 700 square kilometres of Polish territory.<sup id="cite_ref-Bor_12-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Bor-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> After a new treaty in late 1991 and May 1992, and Poland's withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact, the Soviet agreed to withdraw military units by 1992 and support units by 1993.<sup id="cite_ref-Rzecz_5-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rzecz-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Soviet troops had already begun leaving Poland, with the first group exiting in 1991. All troops left Poland by the end of 1993, the last leaving on 18 September.<sup id="cite_ref-polit_3-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-polit-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Symbolically, <a href="/wiki/President_of_Poland" title="President of Poland">Polish President</a> <a href="/wiki/Lech_Wa%C5%82%C4%99sa" title="Lech Wałęsa">Lech Wałęsa</a> saw them off on 17 September, the anniversary of the <a href="/wiki/Soviet_invasion_of_Poland_(1939)" class="mw-redirect" title="Soviet invasion of Poland (1939)">Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-polit_3-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-polit-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Structure">Structure</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Northern_Group_of_Forces&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Structure"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Post_War">Post War</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Northern_Group_of_Forces&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Post War"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The Group was headquartered in <a href="/wiki/Legnica" title="Legnica">Legnica</a>, <a href="/wiki/Lower_Silesia" title="Lower Silesia">Lower Silesia</a>, where Soviet military took over a third of the city as their <a href="/wiki/Extraterritorial" class="mw-redirect" title="Extraterritorial">extraterritorial</a> enclave (although for six years<sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Dates_and_numbers#Chronological_items" title="Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers"><span title="The time period mentioned near this tag is ambiguous. (January 2023)">when?</span></a></i>]</sup> the operational headquarters was in <a href="/wiki/%C5%9Awidnica" title="Świdnica">Świdnica</a>).<sup id="cite_ref-polit_3-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-polit-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Other major Soviet military bases were located in <a href="/wiki/Bagicz" title="Bagicz">Bagicz</a>, <a href="/wiki/Bia%C5%82ogard" title="Białogard">Białogard</a>, <a href="/wiki/Brzeg" title="Brzeg">Brzeg</a>, <a href="/wiki/Borne_Sulinowo" title="Borne Sulinowo">Borne Sulinowo</a> (one of the two largest), <a href="/w/index.php?title=Burzykowo&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Burzykowo (page does not exist)">Burzykowo</a>, <a href="/wiki/Chojna" title="Chojna">Chojna</a>, <a href="/wiki/D%C4%99bice,_Lower_Silesian_Voivodeship" title="Dębice, Lower Silesian Voivodeship">Dębice</a>, <a href="/wiki/K%C4%99szyca_Le%C5%9Bna" title="Kęszyca Leśna">Kęszyca Leśna</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kluczewo_Airfield" title="Kluczewo Airfield">Kluczewo</a>, <a href="/wiki/K%C5%82omino" title="Kłomino">Kłomino</a>, <a href="/wiki/Nowa_S%C3%B3l" title="Nowa Sól">Nowa Sól</a>, <a href="/wiki/O%C5%82awa" title="Oława">Oława</a>, <a href="/wiki/Przemk%C3%B3w" title="Przemków">Przemków</a>-<a href="/wiki/Trzebie%C5%84,_Lower_Silesian_Voivodeship" title="Trzebień, Lower Silesian Voivodeship">Trzebień</a> (may refer to the same base as Strachów/Pstrąże), <a href="/wiki/Pstr%C4%85%C5%BCe" title="Pstrąże">Strachów</a> (now - deserted town shown as Pstrąże on maps), <a href="/wiki/%C5%9Awidnica" title="Świdnica">Świdnica</a>, <a href="/wiki/%C5%9Awi%C4%99tosz%C3%B3w" title="Świętoszów">Świętoszów</a>, <a href="/wiki/%C5%9Awinouj%C5%9Bcie" title="Świnoujście">Świnoujście</a> (military harbor), <a href="/wiki/Szprotawa" title="Szprotawa">Szprotawa</a>, <a href="/wiki/Wschowa" title="Wschowa">Wschowa</a>, <a href="/wiki/%C5%BBaga%C5%84" title="Żagań">Żagań</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Rzecz_5-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rzecz-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-cela_20-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-cela-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Those bases included 15 airfields, 1 large and 11 smaller ports,<sup id="cite_ref-Rzecz_5-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rzecz-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In the late 1940s the NGF included: </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/43rd_Army_(Soviet_Union)" title="43rd Army (Soviet Union)">43rd Army</a> was stationed in the region <a href="/wiki/Gda%C5%84sk" title="Gdańsk">Gdańsk</a> - <a href="/wiki/%C5%9Awinouj%C5%9Bcie" title="Świnoujście">Świnoujście</a> - <a href="/wiki/Szczecinek" title="Szczecinek">Szczecinek</a>; one of its corps was stationed on the <a href="/wiki/Denmark" title="Denmark">Danish</a> island of <a href="/wiki/Bornholm" title="Bornholm">Bornholm</a>. However, it was disbanded in the summer of 1946.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/65th_Army_(Soviet_Union)" class="mw-redirect" title="65th Army (Soviet Union)">65th Army</a> was stationed in the region <a href="/wiki/%C5%81%C3%B3d%C5%BA" title="Łódź">Łódź</a> - <a href="/wiki/Pozna%C5%84" title="Poznań">Poznań</a> - <a href="/wiki/Wroc%C5%82aw" title="Wrocław">Wrocław</a>. <a href="/wiki/7th_Tank_Army" class="mw-redirect" title="7th Tank Army">7th Red Banner Tank Army</a> was created in 1946 from HQ, 65th Army and in 1947 was transferred to the <a href="/wiki/Belorussian_Military_District" class="mw-redirect" title="Belorussian Military District">Belorussian Military District</a>. After the creation of 7th Tank Army, <a href="/w/index.php?title=18th_Rifle_Corps&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="18th Rifle Corps (page does not exist)">18th Rifle Corps</a> was transferred to the control of the Northern Group of Forces, where it remained from 12 June 1946 until it was disbanded in July 1952.<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/52nd_Army_(Soviet_Union)" title="52nd Army (Soviet Union)">52nd Army</a> was stationed in the region <a href="/wiki/Kielce" title="Kielce">Kielce</a> - <a href="/wiki/Cz%C4%99stochowa" title="Częstochowa">Częstochowa</a> - <a href="/wiki/Krak%C3%B3w" title="Kraków">Kraków</a>.</li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=96th_Rifle_Corps&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="96th Rifle Corps (page does not exist)">96th Rifle Corps</a> was stationed in the region <a href="/wiki/%C5%81om%C5%BCa" title="Łomża">Łomża</a> - <a href="/wiki/M%C5%82awa" title="Mława">Mława</a> - <a href="/wiki/Pu%C5%82tusk" title="Pułtusk">Pułtusk</a>.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/3rd_Guards_Cavalry_Corps" class="mw-redirect" title="3rd Guards Cavalry Corps">3rd Guards Cavalry Corps</a> was stationed in <a href="/wiki/Lublin" title="Lublin">Lublin</a>.</li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=3rd_Guards_Tank_Corps_(Soviet_Union)&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="3rd Guards Tank Corps (Soviet Union) (page does not exist)">3rd Guards Tank Corps</a> was stationed in <a href="/wiki/Krak%C3%B3w" title="Kraków">Kraków</a>.</li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=5th_Tank_Corps_(Soviet_Union)&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="5th Tank Corps (Soviet Union) (page does not exist)">5th Tank Corps</a> was stationed in <a href="/wiki/Bia%C5%82ystok" title="Białystok">Białystok</a>.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/10th_Tank_Corps" title="10th Tank Corps">10th Tank Corps</a> was stationed in <a href="/wiki/Krotoszyn" title="Krotoszyn">Krotoszyn</a>.</li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=20th_Tank_Corps_(Soviet)&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="20th Tank Corps (Soviet) (page does not exist)">20th Tank Corps</a> was stationed in <a href="/wiki/Wroc%C5%82aw" title="Wrocław">Wrocław</a>. This formation became the <a href="/wiki/20th_Tank_Division" class="mw-redirect" title="20th Tank Division">20th Tank Division</a> later in 1945.</li> <li>Elements of the Soviet <a href="/wiki/4th_Air_Army" class="mw-redirect" title="4th Air Army">4th Air Army</a> were also stationed in Poland: <a href="/w/index.php?title=8th_Fighter_Corps_(Soviet_Union)&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="8th Fighter Corps (Soviet Union) (page does not exist)">8th Fighter Corps</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_4th_Air_Assault_Corps&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Soviet 4th Air Assault Corps (page does not exist)">Soviet 4th Air Assault Corps</a> and <a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_5th_Bomber_Corps&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Soviet 5th Bomber Corps (page does not exist)">Soviet 5th Bomber Corps</a>.</li></ul> <p>Altogether the Northern Group of Forces had three ground and one air army, four tank corps (from July 1945 reorganized into tank divisions), 30 rifle <a href="/wiki/Division_(military)" title="Division (military)">divisions</a>, 12 air divisions, one cavalry corps and 10 artillery divisions. The formation had a strength of around 300,000-400,000 soldiers stationed in Poland. </p><p>This large number of formations was quickly reduced as the post war demobilisation took place. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Mid_1950s">Mid 1950s</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Northern_Group_of_Forces&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Mid 1950s"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>By 1955 the force had been reduced to the <a href="/wiki/18th_Rifle_Division_(Soviet_Union)" class="mw-redirect" title="18th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)">18th</a>, <a href="/wiki/26th_Rifle_Division_(Soviet_Union)" class="mw-redirect" title="26th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)">26th</a>, and <a href="/wiki/27th_Rifle_Division_(Soviet_Union)" class="mw-redirect" title="27th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)">27th Rifle Divisions</a>, the <a href="/wiki/20th_Tank_Division" class="mw-redirect" title="20th Tank Division">20th Tank Division</a>, and the <a href="/w/index.php?title=26th_Mechanised_Division&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="26th Mechanised Division (page does not exist)">26th Mechanised Division</a> - probably numbering no more than 100,000 troops. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="1980s_and_Early_1990s">1980s and Early 1990s</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Northern_Group_of_Forces&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: 1980s and Early 1990s"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238443738">.mw-parser-output .locmap .od{position:absolute}.mw-parser-output .locmap .id{position:absolute;line-height:0}.mw-parser-output .locmap .l0{font-size:0;position:absolute}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pv{line-height:110%;position:absolute;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pl{line-height:110%;position:absolute;top:-0.75em;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pr{line-height:110%;position:absolute;top:-0.75em;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pv>div{display:inline;padding:1px}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pl>div{display:inline;padding:1px;float:right}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pr>div{display:inline;padding:1px;float:left}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .od,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .od .pv>div,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .od .pl>div,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .od .pr>div{background:#fff!important;color:#000!important}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .locmap{filter:grayscale(0.6)}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data .locmap div{background:transparent!important}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .locmap{filter:grayscale(0.6)}html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .od,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .od .pv>div,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .od .pl>div,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .od .pr>div{background:white!important;color:#000!important}html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data .locmap div{background:transparent!important}}</style><div class="locmap noviewer noresize thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:502px"><div style="position:relative;width:500px;border:1px solid lightgray"><span class="notpageimage" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Relief_Map_of_Poland.svg" class="mw-file-description" title="Northern Group of Forces is located in Poland"><img alt="Northern Group of Forces is located in Poland" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Relief_Map_of_Poland.svg/500px-Relief_Map_of_Poland.svg.png" decoding="async" width="500" height="486" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Relief_Map_of_Poland.svg/750px-Relief_Map_of_Poland.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Relief_Map_of_Poland.svg/1000px-Relief_Map_of_Poland.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="861" data-file-height="837" /></a></span><div class="od notheme" style="top:61.538%;left:21.963%;font-size:91%"><div class="id" style="left:-6px;top:-6px"><span class="notpageimage" typeof="mw:File"><span title="Group HQ"><img alt="Group HQ" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Red_pog.svg/12px-Red_pog.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Red_pog.svg/18px-Red_pog.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Red_pog.svg/24px-Red_pog.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="64" data-file-height="64" /></span></span></div><div class="pl" style="width:6em;right:7px"><div style="background-color:white"><b>Group HQ</b></div></div></div><div class="od notheme" style="top:25.128%;left:25.545%;font-size:91%"><div class="id" style="left:-5px;top:-5px"><span class="notpageimage" typeof="mw:File"><span title="6th Rifle"><img alt="6th Rifle" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/Green_008000_pog.svg/10px-Green_008000_pog.svg.png" decoding="async" width="10" height="10" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/Green_008000_pog.svg/15px-Green_008000_pog.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/Green_008000_pog.svg/20px-Green_008000_pog.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="64" data-file-height="64" /></span></span></div><div class="pr" style="width:6em;left:6px"><div style="background-color:white"><small>6th Rifle</small></div></div></div><div class="od notheme" style="top:57.436%;left:14.953%;font-size:91%"><div class="id" style="left:-5px;top:-5px"><span class="notpageimage" typeof="mw:File"><span title="20th Tank"><img alt="20th Tank" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/DeepPink_pog.svg/10px-DeepPink_pog.svg.png" decoding="async" width="10" height="10" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/DeepPink_pog.svg/15px-DeepPink_pog.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/DeepPink_pog.svg/20px-DeepPink_pog.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="64" data-file-height="64" /></span></span></div><div class="pl" style="width:6em;right:6px"><div style="background-color:white"><small>20th Tank</small></div></div></div><div class="od notheme" style="top:18.462%;left:20.405%;font-size:91%"><div class="id" style="left:-4px;top:-4px"><span class="notpageimage" typeof="mw:File"><span title="83rd Air A."><img alt="83rd Air A." src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Blue_0080ff_pog.svg/8px-Blue_0080ff_pog.svg.png" decoding="async" width="8" height="8" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Blue_0080ff_pog.svg/12px-Blue_0080ff_pog.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Blue_0080ff_pog.svg/16px-Blue_0080ff_pog.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="64" data-file-height="64" /></span></span></div><div class="pr" style="width:6em;left:5px"><div style="background-color:white"><small>83rd Air A.</small></div></div></div><div class="od notheme" style="top:61.538%;left:21.963%;font-size:91%"><div class="id" style="left:-4px;top:-4px"><span class="notpageimage" typeof="mw:File"><span title="114th Missile"><img alt="114th Missile" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Red_pog.svg/8px-Red_pog.svg.png" decoding="async" width="8" height="8" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Red_pog.svg/12px-Red_pog.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Red_pog.svg/16px-Red_pog.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="64" data-file-height="64" /></span></span></div><div class="pr" style="width:6em;left:5px"><div style="background-color:white"><small>114th Missile</small></div></div></div><div class="od notheme" style="top:58.718%;left:16.667%;font-size:91%"><div class="id" style="left:-4px;top:-4px"><span class="notpageimage" typeof="mw:File"><span title="140th Anti-Air."><img alt="140th Anti-Air." src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Blue_pog.svg/8px-Blue_pog.svg.png" decoding="async" width="8" height="8" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Blue_pog.svg/12px-Blue_pog.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Blue_pog.svg/16px-Blue_pog.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="64" data-file-height="64" /></span></span></div><div class="pr" style="width:6em;left:5px"><div style="background-color:white"><small>140th Anti-Air.</small></div></div></div><div class="od notheme" style="top:8.718%;left:74.766%;font-size:91%"><div class="id" style="left:-4px;top:-4px"><span class="notpageimage" typeof="mw:File"><span title="132nd Bomber"><img alt="132nd Bomber" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Blue_0080ff_pog.svg/8px-Blue_0080ff_pog.svg.png" decoding="async" width="8" height="8" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Blue_0080ff_pog.svg/12px-Blue_0080ff_pog.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Blue_0080ff_pog.svg/16px-Blue_0080ff_pog.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="64" data-file-height="64" /></span></span></div><div class="pr" style="width:6em;left:5px"><div style="background-color:white"><small>132nd Bomber</small></div></div></div><div class="od notheme" style="top:55.897%;left:15.888%;font-size:91%"><div class="id" style="left:-4px;top:-4px"><span class="notpageimage" typeof="mw:File"><span title="149th Bomber"><img alt="149th Bomber" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Blue_0080ff_pog.svg/8px-Blue_0080ff_pog.svg.png" decoding="async" width="8" height="8" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Blue_0080ff_pog.svg/12px-Blue_0080ff_pog.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Blue_0080ff_pog.svg/16px-Blue_0080ff_pog.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="64" data-file-height="64" /></span></span></div><div class="pr" style="width:6em;left:5px"><div style="background-color:white"><small>149th Bomber</small></div></div></div><div class="od notheme" style="top:28.718%;left:11.526%;font-size:91%"><div class="id" style="left:-4px;top:-4px"><span class="notpageimage" typeof="mw:File"><span title="239th Fighter"><img alt="239th Fighter" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Blue_0080ff_pog.svg/8px-Blue_0080ff_pog.svg.png" decoding="async" width="8" height="8" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Blue_0080ff_pog.svg/12px-Blue_0080ff_pog.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Blue_0080ff_pog.svg/16px-Blue_0080ff_pog.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="64" data-file-height="64" /></span></span></div><div class="pr" style="width:6em;left:5px"><div style="background-color:white"><small>239th Fighter</small></div></div></div></div><div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Relief_Map_of_Poland.svg" title="File:Relief Map of Poland.svg">class=notpageimage| </a></div>Northern Group of Forces locations 1989</div></div></div> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Soviet_Northern_Group.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Soviet_Northern_Group.png/500px-Soviet_Northern_Group.png" decoding="async" width="500" height="221" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Soviet_Northern_Group.png/750px-Soviet_Northern_Group.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Soviet_Northern_Group.png/1000px-Soviet_Northern_Group.png 2x" data-file-width="4076" data-file-height="1800" /></a><figcaption>Northern Group of Forces as of 1988</figcaption></figure> <p>The <a href="/wiki/83rd_Guards_Airborne_Brigade" class="mw-redirect" title="83rd Guards Airborne Brigade">83rd Separate Air Assault Brigade</a> was formed at <a href="/wiki/Bia%C5%82ogard" title="Białogard">Białogard</a> in 1986. </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/6th_Guards_Motor_Rifle_Division" title="6th Guards Motor Rifle Division">6th Guards Motor Rifle Division</a> (1982-) and 20th Tank Division were the principal Soviet formations stationed in the Group in the 1980s and early 1990s. Air support was provided by the <a href="/wiki/4th_Air_Army" class="mw-redirect" title="4th Air Army">4th Air Army</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <ul><li><b>Northern Group of Forces</b>, in <a href="/wiki/Legnica" title="Legnica">Legnica</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/6th_Guards_Motor_Rifle_Division" title="6th Guards Motor Rifle Division">6th Guards Motor Rifle Division</a>, in <a href="/wiki/Borne_Sulinowo" title="Borne Sulinowo">Borne Sulinowo</a></li> <li>20th Tank Division, in <a href="/wiki/%C5%9Awi%C4%99tosz%C3%B3w" title="Świętoszów">Świętoszów</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/83rd_Guards_Airborne_Brigade" class="mw-redirect" title="83rd Guards Airborne Brigade">83rd Separate Air Assault Brigade</a>, in <a href="/wiki/Bia%C5%82ogard" title="Białogard">Białogard</a></li> <li>114th Operational-Tactical Missile Brigade, in Legnica</li> <li><a href="/wiki/140th_Anti-Aircraft_Missile_Brigade" title="140th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade">140th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade</a>, in <a href="/wiki/Trzebie%C5%84,_Lower_Silesian_Voivodeship" title="Trzebień, Lower Silesian Voivodeship">Trzebień</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/4th_Air_Army" class="mw-redirect" title="4th Air Army">4th Air Army</a>, in <a href="/wiki/Legnica" title="Legnica">Legnica</a> <ul><li>132nd Bomber Aviation Division, in <a href="/wiki/Chernyakhovsk" title="Chernyakhovsk">Chernyakhovsk</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/149th_Mixed_Aviation_Division" title="149th Mixed Aviation Division">149th Bomber Aviation Division</a>, in <a href="/wiki/Szprotawa" title="Szprotawa">Szprotawa</a></li> <li>239th Fighter Aviation Division, in Klezewo near <a href="/wiki/Stargard" title="Stargard">Stargard</a></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul> <p>In the 1990s, when the Group was preparing to leave Poland, it had the strength of approximately 56,000 soldiers, with 600 tanks, 400 artillery pieces and 200 planes.<sup id="cite_ref-Rzecz_5-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rzecz-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The Northern Group had its own newspaper, the <i>Znamia Pobiedy</i> (Flag of Victory). </p><p>The Northern Group had <a href="/wiki/Nuclear_weapons" class="mw-redirect" title="Nuclear weapons">nuclear weapons</a> deployed in at least three bases<sup id="cite_ref-polit_3-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-polit-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Rzecz_5-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rzecz-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> in Poland with some 178 nuclear assets, growing to 250 in the late 1980s. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Personnel">Personnel</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Northern_Group_of_Forces&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Personnel"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Soviet">Soviet</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Northern_Group_of_Forces&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Soviet"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <dl><dt>Commanders of Northern Group of Forces</dt></dl> <ul><li>June 1945 - October 1949: <a href="/wiki/Marshal_of_the_Soviet_Union" title="Marshal of the Soviet Union">Marshal of the Soviet Union</a> <a href="/wiki/Konstantin_Rokossovsky" title="Konstantin Rokossovsky">Konstantin Rokossovsky</a></li> <li>October 1949 - August 1950: colonel general <a href="/wiki/Kuzma_Trubnikov" title="Kuzma Trubnikov">Kuzma Trubnikov</a></li> <li>September 1950 - July 1952: lieutenant general <a href="/wiki/Alexei_Radziyevsky" class="mw-redirect" title="Alexei Radziyevsky">Alexei Radziyevsky</a></li> <li>July 1952 - June 1955: lieutenant general <a href="/wiki/Mikhail_Konstantinov" title="Mikhail Konstantinov">Mikhail Konstantinov</a></li> <li>June 1955 - February 1958: army general <a href="/wiki/Kuzma_Galitsky" title="Kuzma Galitsky">Kuzma Galitsky</a></li> <li>February 1958 - March 1963: colonel general <a href="/wiki/Georgy_Khetagurov" title="Georgy Khetagurov">Georgy Khetagurov</a></li> <li>March 1963 - June 1964: colonel general <a href="/w/index.php?title=Sergei_Maryakhin&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Sergei Maryakhin (page does not exist)">Sergei Maryakhin</a></li> <li>June 1964 - October 1964: lieutenant general <a href="/w/index.php?title=Alexander_Rudakov&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Alexander Rudakov (page does not exist)">Alexander Rudakov</a></li> <li>October 1964 - June 1967: colonel general <a href="/wiki/Gleb_Baklanov" title="Gleb Baklanov">Gleb Baklanov</a></li> <li>June 1967 - November 1968: army general <a href="/wiki/Ivan_Shkadov" title="Ivan Shkadov">Ivan Shkadov</a></li> <li>December 1968 - May 1973: colonel general <a href="/wiki/Magomed_Tankayev" title="Magomed Tankayev">Magomed Tankayev</a></li> <li>June 1973 - July 1975: colonel general <a href="/wiki/Ivan_Herasymov" class="mw-redirect" title="Ivan Herasymov">Ivan Gerasimov</a></li> <li>July 1975 - January 1978: colonel general <a href="/w/index.php?title=Oleg_Kulishev&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Oleg Kulishev (page does not exist)">Oleg Kulishev</a></li> <li>February 1978 - August 1984: colonel general <a href="/w/index.php?title=Yuri_Zarudin&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Yuri Zarudin (page does not exist)">Yuri Zarudin</a></li> <li>August 1984 - February 1987: colonel general <a href="/w/index.php?title=Alexander_Kovtunov&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Alexander Kovtunov (page does not exist)">Alexander Kovtunov</a></li> <li>February 1987 - June 1989: colonel general <a href="/w/index.php?title=Ivan_Korbutov&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Ivan Korbutov (page does not exist)">Ivan Korbutov</a></li> <li>July 1989 - June 1992: colonel general <a href="/wiki/Viktor_Dubynin" title="Viktor Dubynin">Viktor Dubynin</a></li> <li>June 1992 - September 1993: colonel general <a href="/w/index.php?title=Leonid_Kovalyov&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Leonid Kovalyov (page does not exist)">Leonid Kovalyov</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Polish">Polish</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Northern_Group_of_Forces&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Polish"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <dl><dt>Representative of Polish Council of Ministers</dt></dl> <ul><li>June 1945 - 1946: colonel <a href="/w/index.php?title=Antoni_Alster&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Antoni Alster (page does not exist)">Antoni Alster</a></li></ul> <dl><dt>Delegates of Economical Committee of Council of Ministers</dt></dl> <ul><li>December 1946 - July 1947: colonel <a href="/w/index.php?title=Julian_Tokarski_(politician)&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Julian Tokarski (politician) (page does not exist)">Julian Tokarski</a></li> <li>July 1947 - May 1949: colonel Wojciech Wilkoński</li> <li>May 1949 - 1952: colonel Teodor Kusznierek</li> <li>1952 - 1957: colonel <a href="/w/index.php?title=Jan_Kogut&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Jan Kogut (page does not exist)">Jan Kogut</a></li></ul> <dl><dt>Representatives of the Polish People's Army in the matter of stay of Soviet forces in Poland</dt></dl> <ul><li>April 1957 - April 1968: brigadier general <a href="/w/index.php?title=Leszek_Krzemie%C5%84&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Leszek Krzemień (page does not exist)">Leszek Krzemień</a> (also known as Maks Wolf)</li> <li>April 1968 - November 1972: major general <a href="/w/index.php?title=Czes%C5%82aw_Czubryt-Borkowski&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Czesław Czubryt-Borkowski (page does not exist)">Czesław Jan Czubryt-Borkowski</a></li> <li>November 1972 - March 1977: major general <a href="/w/index.php?title=J%C3%B3zef_Stebelski&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Józef Stebelski (page does not exist)">Józef Stebelski</a></li> <li>April 1977 - 1986: major general <a href="/w/index.php?title=Micha%C5%82_Stryga&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Michał Stryga (page does not exist)">Michał Stryga</a></li> <li>1986 - December 1988: major general <a href="/w/index.php?title=Zbigniew_Ohanowicz&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Zbigniew Ohanowicz (page does not exist)">Zbigniew Ohanowicz</a></li> <li>January 1989 - October 1990: brigadier general <a href="/wiki/Mieczys%C5%82aw_D%C4%99bicki" title="Mieczysław Dębicki">Mieczysław Dębicki</a></li> <li>October 1990 - February 1995: brigadier general <a href="/w/index.php?title=Zdzis%C5%82aw_Ostrowski&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Zdzisław Ostrowski (page does not exist)">Zdzisław Ostrowski</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Aftermath">Aftermath</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Northern_Group_of_Forces&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Aftermath"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The Soviet Army was stationed in Poland for 48 years; it is estimated that its stay cost the Polish state 62.6 <a href="/wiki/1000000000_(number)" class="mw-redirect" title="1000000000 (number)">billion</a> <a href="/wiki/Z%C5%82oty" class="mw-redirect" title="Złoty">złoty</a> (in 1993 prices, approx. 3.5 billion <a href="/wiki/US_dollar" class="mw-redirect" title="US dollar">US dollars</a>, not counting items removed from Polish territory after World War II); however, the Polish government decided to waive any claims to ensure a quicker evacuation of Soviet troops.<sup id="cite_ref-Rzecz_5-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rzecz-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-pol2_6-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-pol2-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-kprm_23-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-kprm-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Soviets also claimed that any costs Poland incurred were balanced by the various aid (ex. infrastructure construction) provided over the years by the Soviet troops, as well as by the liberation from the Nazi occupation and later security.<sup id="cite_ref-Rzecz_5-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rzecz-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In 1994 the Polish government passed legislation covering the use of the territories formerly used by the Soviet forces.<sup id="cite_ref-cela_20-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-cela-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Most of those territories have been put on sale by the Polish government.<sup id="cite_ref-cela_20-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-cela-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Some of the Soviet administered areas were subject to ecological contamination and pollution (by oil products, heavy metals, <a href="/wiki/Unexploded_ordnance" title="Unexploded ordnance">unexploded ordnance</a>).<sup id="cite_ref-Rzecz_5-20" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rzecz-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-cela_20-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-cela-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> They were also damaged by years of disrepair and poor maintenance.<sup id="cite_ref-Rzecz_5-21" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rzecz-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Northern_Group_of_Forces&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Central_Group_of_Forces" title="Central Group of Forces">Central Group of Forces</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Southern_Group_of_Forces" title="Southern Group of Forces">Southern Group of Forces</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Western_Group_of_Forces" class="mw-redirect" title="Western Group of Forces">Western Group of Forces</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Northern_Group_of_Forces&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-Golon-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Golon_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Golon_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Golon_1-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Golon_1-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Golon_1-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Golon_1-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Golon_1-6"><sup><i><b>g</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Golon_1-7"><sup><i><b>h</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Golon_1-8"><sup><i><b>i</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Golon_1-9"><sup><i><b>j</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Golon_1-10"><sup><i><b>k</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><span class="languageicon">(in Polish)</span> <a href="/wiki/Miros%C5%82aw_Golon" title="Mirosław Golon">Mirosław Golon</a>, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://historicus.umk.pl/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=12">Północna Grupa Wojsk Armii Radzieckiej w Polsce w latach 1945-1956. Okupant w roli sojusznika</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160303223411/http://historicus.umk.pl/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=12">Archived</a> 2016-03-03 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a> (Northern Group of Soviet Army Forces in Poland in the years 1945-1956. Occupant in the role of an ally), 2004, Historicus - Portal Historyczny (Historical Portal). An online initiative of <a href="/wiki/Nicolaus_Copernicus_University_in_Toru%C5%84" title="Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń">Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń</a> and <a href="/wiki/Polskie_Towarzystwo_Historyczne" class="mw-redirect" title="Polskie Towarzystwo Historyczne">Polskie Towarzystwo Historyczne</a>. Last accessed on 30 May 2007.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFParys2014" class="citation journal cs1">Parys, Jan (2014). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286559394_The_Soviet_army_in_Poland">"The Soviet army in Poland"</a>. <i>The Journal of Kolegium Jagiellonskie Torunska Szkola Wyzsza</i>. <b>1</b>: 12–18 – via ResearchGate.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Journal+of+Kolegium+Jagiellonskie+Torunska+Szkola+Wyzsza&rft.atitle=The+Soviet+army+in+Poland&rft.volume=1&rft.pages=12-18&rft.date=2014&rft.aulast=Parys&rft.aufirst=Jan&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.researchgate.net%2Fpublication%2F286559394_The_Soviet_army_in_Poland&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANorthern+Group+of+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-polit-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-polit_3-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-polit_3-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-polit_3-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-polit_3-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-polit_3-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-polit_3-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-polit_3-6"><sup><i><b>g</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-polit_3-7"><sup><i><b>h</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-polit_3-8"><sup><i><b>i</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><span class="languageicon">(in Polish)</span> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.polityka.pl/polityka/index.jsp?place=Lead30&news_cat_id=1315&news_id=13566&layout=16&forum_id=146&fpage=Threads&page=text#sowiet">Wyjście Sowietów</a><sup class="noprint Inline-Template"><span style="white-space: nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot" title="Wikipedia:Link rot"><span title=" Dead link tagged March 2022">permanent dead link</span></a></i><span style="visibility:hidden; color:transparent; padding-left:2px">‍</span>]</span></sup>, <a href="/wiki/Polityka" title="Polityka">Polityka</a>, 'Rok 1993', 27 stycznia 2007</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Craig Crofoot, in a manuscript available at www.microarmormayhem.com, says that the NGF was established by Order No. 11096 dated 29 May 1945 issued by the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command (Stavka VGK), and took effect on 10 June 1945</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Rzecz-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Rzecz_5-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rzecz_5-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rzecz_5-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rzecz_5-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rzecz_5-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rzecz_5-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rzecz_5-6"><sup><i><b>g</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rzecz_5-7"><sup><i><b>h</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rzecz_5-8"><sup><i><b>i</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rzecz_5-9"><sup><i><b>j</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rzecz_5-10"><sup><i><b>k</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rzecz_5-11"><sup><i><b>l</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rzecz_5-12"><sup><i><b>m</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rzecz_5-13"><sup><i><b>n</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rzecz_5-14"><sup><i><b>o</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rzecz_5-15"><sup><i><b>p</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rzecz_5-16"><sup><i><b>q</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rzecz_5-17"><sup><i><b>r</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rzecz_5-18"><sup><i><b>s</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rzecz_5-19"><sup><i><b>t</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rzecz_5-20"><sup><i><b>u</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rzecz_5-21"><sup><i><b>v</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Jerzy Domagała, <i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.rzeczpospolita.pl/dodatki/specjal_040428/specjal_a_14.html">Bratnia straż</a></i>, Rzeczpospolita, 28.04.04 Nr 100. Retrieved on 15 June 2008</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-pol2-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-pol2_6-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-pol2_6-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-pol2_6-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-pol2_6-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-pol2_6-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-pol2_6-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-pol2_6-6"><sup><i><b>g</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><span class="languageicon">(in Polish)</span><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.polityka.pl/archive/do/registry/secure/showArticle?id=3353722">Drodzy towarzysze. Koszty pobytu Armii Radzieckiej w PRL</a> Polityka. Pomocnik historyczny. Nr 1(6) - nr 4 (2589) z dnia 27-01-2007; s. 15</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-IPNMM-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-IPNMM_7-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1 cs1-prop-foreign-lang-source"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050321165047/http://www.ipn.gov.pl/biuletyn/13/biuletyn02_2.html">"MIĘDZY MODERNIZACJĄ A MARNOTRAWSTWEM"</a> (in Polish). <a href="/wiki/Institute_of_National_Remembrance" title="Institute of National Remembrance">Institute of National Remembrance</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ipn.gov.pl/biuletyn/13/biuletyn02_2.html">the original</a> on 2005-03-21.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=MI%C4%98DZY+MODERNIZACJ%C4%84+A+MARNOTRAWSTWEM&rft.pub=Institute+of+National+Remembrance&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ipn.gov.pl%2Fbiuletyn%2F13%2Fbiuletyn02_2.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANorthern+Group+of+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-IPN-Ś-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-IPN-Ś_8-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1 cs1-prop-foreign-lang-source"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20010725001739/http://www.ipn.gov.pl/biuletyn/4/biuletyn4_51.html">"ARMIA CZERWONA NA DOLNYM ŚLĄSKU"</a> (in Polish). <a href="/wiki/Institute_of_National_Remembrance" title="Institute of National Remembrance">Institute of National Remembrance</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ipn.gov.pl/biuletyn/4/biuletyn4_51.html">the original</a> on 2001-07-25.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=ARMIA+CZERWONA+NA+DOLNYM+%C5%9AL%C4%84SKU&rft.pub=Institute+of+National+Remembrance&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ipn.gov.pl%2Fbiuletyn%2F4%2Fbiuletyn4_51.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANorthern+Group+of+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-loc-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-loc_9-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-loc_9-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://memory.loc.gov/frd/cs/soviet_union/su_appnc.html">APPENDIX C: THE WARSAW PACT -- Soviet Union</a>. US Library of Congress study.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Jamgotch-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Jamgotch_10-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">"The Polish-Soviet Treaty of December 17, 1956 formalized for the first time a situation which had existed in fact since World War II.".<br /><a href="/w/index.php?title=Nish_Jamgotch&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Nish Jamgotch (page does not exist)">Nish Jamgotch</a>,<i>Soviet-East European Dialogue: International Relations of a New Type?</i>, Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace, Stanford University, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=yFAXAAAAIAAJ&q=Soviet+army+Poland+1956+treaty">Google Print, p.64</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-DBM-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-DBM_11-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/w/index.php?title=David_B._Michaels&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="David B. Michaels (page does not exist)">David B. Michaels</a>, <i>International Privileges And Immunities: A Case for a Universal Statute</i>, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1971, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/90-247-5126-8" title="Special:BookSources/90-247-5126-8">90-247-5126-8</a>, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=hWYZ2zSCG3sC&dq=Soviet+army+Poland+1956+treaty&pg=PA145">Google Print, p.144</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Bor-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Bor_12-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Bor_12-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Bor_12-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Bor_12-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Bor_12-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Bor_12-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><span class="languageicon">(in Polish)</span> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.bornesulinowo.pl/Historia/historia.htm">Borne Sulinowo - historia</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20111227015752/http://www.bornesulinowo.pl/Historia/historia.htm">Archived</a> 2011-12-27 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a> (history). Official municipal website of the town.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Navrátil-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Navrátil_13-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Jaromír Navrátil, <i>The Prague Spring 1968: a national security archive documents reader</i>, Central European University Press, 1998, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/963-9116-15-7" title="Special:BookSources/963-9116-15-7">963-9116-15-7</a>, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=Ayky5eit0DIC&dq=Soviet+army+Poland+1956+treaty&pg=PA533">Google Print, p.533</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-globsecorg-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-globsecorg_14-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-globsecorg_14-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-globsecorg_14-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/gsfp.htm">Group of Soviet Forces in Poland Northern Group of Forces (NGF)</a> at globalsecurity.org</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Davies2-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Davies2_15-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Norman_Davies" title="Norman Davies">Norman Davies</a>, <i><a href="/wiki/God%27s_Playground" title="God's Playground">God's Playground</a>, a History of Poland</i>, Columbia University Press, 2005, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-231-12819-3" title="Special:BookSources/0-231-12819-3">0-231-12819-3</a>, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=EBpghdZeIwAC&dq=Soviet+Poland+reparations+loot+Germany&pg=PA359">Google Print, p.359</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Raack-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Raack_16-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Richard_C._Raack&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Richard C. Raack (page does not exist)">Richard C. Raack</a>, <i>Stalin's Drive to the West, 1938-1945: the origins of the Cold War</i>, Stanford University Press, 1995, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8047-2415-6" title="Special:BookSources/0-8047-2415-6">0-8047-2415-6</a>, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=pAdZMaWn8cIC&dq=Soviet+looting+Poland&pg=PA90">Google Print, p.90</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-PadrK-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-PadrK_17-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Padraic_Kenney" title="Padraic Kenney">Padraic Kenney</a>, <i>Rebuilding Poland: Workers and Communists, 1945-1950</i>, Cornell University Press, 1997, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8014-3287-1" title="Special:BookSources/0-8014-3287-1">0-8014-3287-1</a>, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=z_Z_nJnzTp4C&dq=Soviet+looting+Poland&pg=PA155">Google Print, p.155</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Davies-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Davies_18-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Norman_Davies" title="Norman Davies">Norman Davies</a>, <i><a href="/wiki/God%27s_Playground" title="God's Playground">God's Playground</a>, a History of Poland</i>, Columbia University Press, 1982, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-231-05352-5" title="Special:BookSources/0-231-05352-5">0-231-05352-5</a>, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=DMoPXktGwiUC&dq=Unqualified+Soviet+support&pg=RA1-PA558">Google Print, p.558</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Legnica-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Legnica_19-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Paweł Piotrowski of the <a href="/wiki/Institute_of_National_Remembrance" title="Institute of National Remembrance">Institute of National Remembrance</a>, Wrocław, writes that the report of <a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Public_Security_of_Poland" class="mw-redirect" title="Ministry of Public Security of Poland">Polish Secret Police</a> notes that "in certain aspects" the resettlement brought about the associations with the Nazis' forced resettlement of Jews into <a href="/wiki/Ghetto" title="Ghetto">ghettos</a>; and for a time a rumour spread through Poland that the Soviets were massacring Polish population around Legnica; though no evidence of anyone being killed in the course of it has come to light. See <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050321233124/http://www.ipn.gov.pl/biuletyn/4/biuletyn4_51.html">cited article</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-cela-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-cela_20-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-cela_20-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-cela_20-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-cela_20-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.celarf.gov.pl/english/index.htm">THE CATALOGUE OF ESTATES LEFT BY THE ARMY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION - The investment offer</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20091124015147/http://www.celarf.gov.pl/english/index.htm">Archived</a> 2009-11-24 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a> Retrieved on 15 June 2008</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-21">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHolm" class="citation web cs1">Holm, Michael. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/corps/18sk.htm">"18th Rifle Corps"</a>. <i>www.ww2.dk</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2016-03-17</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.ww2.dk&rft.atitle=18th+Rifle+Corps&rft.aulast=Holm&rft.aufirst=Michael&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ww2.dk%2Fnew%2Farmy%2Fcorps%2F18sk.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANorthern+Group+of+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-22">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHolm" class="citation web cs1">Holm, Michael. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ww2.dk/new/air%20force/army/4vavgk.htm">"4th Red Banner Air Army VGK ON"</a>. <i>ww2.dk</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">17 March</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=ww2.dk&rft.atitle=4th+Red+Banner+Air+Army+VGK+ON&rft.aulast=Holm&rft.aufirst=Michael&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ww2.dk%2Fnew%2Fair%2520force%2Farmy%2F4vavgk.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANorthern+Group+of+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-kprm-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-kprm_23-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.kprm.gov.pl/1937_3535.htm">Komunikat po Radzie Ministrow - 24.01.1995</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20041016100344/http://www.kprm.gov.pl/1937_3535.htm">Archived</a> 2004-10-16 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a> (official Polish government estimate from 1995)</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-24">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/boden-und-altlasten/altlast/web1/berichte/mooreeng/dmeng15.htm">International Experience and Expertise in Registration Investigation, Assessment, and Clean-Up of Contaminated Military Sites: Poland</a> by Karl Wolfram Schäfer a.o. Retrieved on 15 June 2008</span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Northern_Group_of_Forces&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/gsfp.htm">Group of Soviet Forces in Poland Northern Group of Forces (NGF)</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070927221805/http://aux.ciar.org/ttk/mbt/tanknet/tanknet-general.2004-11-28.005362.Soviet_Group_of_Forces_in_Eastern_Europe_OOBs.html">Partial order of battle in 1989</a></li> <li><span class="languageicon">(in Polish)</span> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080731211154/http://szprotawa.org.pl/poradzieckie/informacje_ogolne.html">Informacje ogólne związane z pobytem PGWAR w Polsce</a></li> <li><span class="languageicon">(in Polish)</span> Mirosław Golon, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160303223411/http://historicus.umk.pl/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=12">Północna Grupa Wojsk Armii Radzieckiej w Polsce w latach 1945-1956. Okupant w roli sojusznika</a>, 2004, Historicus - Portal Historyczny</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Further_reading">Further reading</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Northern_Group_of_Forces&action=edit&section=15" title="Edit section: Further reading"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><i>Północna Grupa Wojsk Armii Radzieckiej w Polsce w latach 1945-1956. Okupant w roli sojusznika</i>, Czasy Nowożytne, t. VI, Wyd. Fundacja "Pomerania" i Fundacja Uniwersytecka KUL, Toruń 1999, p. 37-115</li> <li>Mariusz Lesław Krogulski, <i>Okupacja w imię sojuszu</i>, VON BOROWIECKY, 2001, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/83-87689-40-8" title="Special:BookSources/83-87689-40-8">83-87689-40-8</a></li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output 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Forces</a> (<a href="/wiki/Allied-occupied_Austria" title="Allied-occupied Austria">Austria</a>, <a href="/wiki/Czechoslovak_Socialist_Republic" title="Czechoslovak Socialist Republic">Czechoslovakia</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Southern_Group_of_Forces" title="Southern Group of Forces">Southern Group of Forces</a> (<a href="/wiki/Hungarian_People%27s_Republic" title="Hungarian People's Republic">Hungary</a>)</li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Northern_Group_of_Forces&oldid=1258570414#Post_War">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Northern_Group_of_Forces&oldid=1258570414#Post_War</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div 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