Military counterintelligence of the Soviet Army
Military counterintelligence within the Soviet Armed Forces was controlled by the nonmilitary Soviet secret police throughout the history of the USSR.
Military counterintelligence departments of the Soviet Armed Forces existed in all larger military formations, usually called a Special Department or third department/section. The members of the Special Department were colloquially called osobists.
TGU functionaries were responsible for protection of the military units and of important servicemen against activities of foreign military attaché offices/diplomats.
Timeline
Source:- Initially there was no common counterintelligence directorate. Various armies and fronts had their "Special Departments".
- Vecheka, ВЧК, founded on 20 December 1917
- Military Department of Vecheka, Военный отдел ВЧК, established on 27 July 1918
- Special Department of Vecheka, Особый отдел ВЧК, established on 19 December 1918
- Special Department of Secret Operative Directorate of GPU NKVD RSFSR, Особый отдел СОУ ГПУ, July 1922
- Special Department of OGPU, Особый отдел ОГПУ, September 1930
- 4th Division of the OGPU Special Department, 4 отделение Особого отдела ОГПУ
- Special Department of the GUGB NKVD USSR, Особый отдел ГУГБ НКВД СССР
- 5th Dept. of GUGB, 5-й отдел ГУГБ December 1936 –
- 2nd Directorate of NKVD, 2-е Управление НКВД СССР June 1938 –
- 4th Dept. of GUGB, 4-й отдел ГУГБ September 1938 – February 1941
- 3rd Directorate of People's Commissariat of Defense, Третье Управление НКО February 1941 – July 1941
- 3rd Directorate of People's Commissariat of the Navy, Третье Управление НКВМФ February 1941 – January 1942
- 3rd Dept. of NKVD, Третий отдел НКВД February 1941 – July 1941
- Directorate of Special Departments of NKVD, Управление особых отделов НКВД СССР July 1941 – April 1943
- SMERSH 1943–1946
- Third Chief Directorate of Ministry for [State Security (Soviet Union)|MGB] of the USSR, Третье Главное Управление МГБ СССР, May 1946 – 1953
- Third Directorate of Ministry of [Internal Affairs (Soviet Union)|Ministry of Internal Affairs], Третье управление МВД СССР, March 1953 – 1954
- Third Chief Directorate of KGB by the Council of Ministers of the USSR, Третье главное управление КГБ при СМ СССР, March 1954 – 1960
- Third Directorate of KGB of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, Третье управление КГБ при СМ СССР, 1960–1978
- Third Directorate of KGB of the USSR, Третье управление КГБ СССР, 1978–1982
- Third Chief Directorate of KGB of the USSR, Третье главное управление КГБ СССР, 1982–1991