Generalmajor Dipl.-Mil. Lothar Engelhardt

by Shawn Bohannon

5 July 1939: Born in Wangenheim/Kreis Gotha.

21 July 1958: Entered the Nationale Volksarmee (NVA).

1958-1959: Soldier in the Wachregiment of the Ministry for National Defense.

1959-1961: Officer Student at the Panzer School in Großenhain.

1961-1962: Platoon Leader in Panzer Regiment 15 of the 7th Panzer Division.

1962: Joined the German Socialist Unity Party (SED).

1962-1964: Officer Higher Special School/Ministry for National Defense.

1964-1966: Officer in the Reconnaissance Administration/Ministry for National Defense.

1966: Platoon Leader in Panzer Regiment 16 of the 7th Panzer Division.

1966-1970: Company Chief in Reconnaissance Battalion 7 of the 7th Panzer Division.

1970-1973: Attended a military academy in the USSR.

1973-1976: Senior Officer for Reconnaissance/Military District Command III (Leipzig).

1976-1978: Leader of the Reconnaissance Working Group of the Chief of Reconnaissance/Military District Command III (Leipzig).

1978-1980: Leader of the Troop Reconnaissance Section of the Reconnaissance Department/Ground Forces Command.

1980-1982: Chief of Reconnaissance/Military District Command V (Neubrandenburg).

1982-1984: Attended the Voroshilov General Staff Academy in the USSR.

1984-1987: Chief of Reconnaissance/Ground Forces Command.

1987-1989: Deputy Chief of Staff for Operative Work/Ground Forces Command (promoted to Generalmajor on 1 Mar 1988).

1 Jan 1990-15 Sep 1990: Deputy Chief of the Ground Forces and Chief of Staff/Ground Forces Command.

15 Sep 1990-2 Oct 1990: Chief of the NVA/Ministry for Disarmament and Defense.

2 Oct 1990: Retired. Upon the unification of Germany on 3 Oct 1990, Engelhardt was selected to serve as a civilian advisor with the Bundeswehr-Kommando Ost commanded by Generalleutnant Jörg Schönbohm. He was appointed advisor to the Bundeswehr liaison group headed by Generalmajor Hartmut Foertsch to the Western Group of Soviet Forces (General Boris Snetkov; replaced by Colonel General Matvei Burlakov on 13 Dec 1990). Additionally, Engelhardt was responsible for all general questions relating to the former NVA.

Major Decorations:

Order of Struggle “for Merit to the People and Fatherland” in Silver.

Sources:

Froh, Klaus & Wenzke, Rüdiger. Die Generale und Admirale der NVA: Ein biographisches Handbuch. Ch. Links Verlag, Berlin, Germany, 2000.

Schönbohm, Jörg. Two Armies and One Fatherland. Peter and Elfi Johnson, translators. Berghahn Books, Providence, Rhode Island, 1996 (originally published in 1992 in Germany as Zwei Armeen und ein Vaterland)