The body of knowledge in the English language concerning the Soviet/Russian Western Group of Forces which occupied Germany from 1945 until the fall of 1994 is virtually non-existent. This thesis is an attempt to begin adding to this limited knowledge. Having relied primarily on German and Russian sources, as well as previously untapped recollections of two former soldiers who served in the Western Group of Forces during the late 1980s/early 1990s, the results of my research show that there are significant discrepancies and gaps between the official Soviet/Russian history and unofficial accounts including the recollections of the two veterans interviewed. In many cases the unofficial sources contradict each other as well. Now that many of these discrepancies and gaps have been identified opportunities await a historian eager to write the first comprehensive history of the Soviet/Russian Western Group of Forces. / text