Figure 1.--This is a typical rural Belarus scene. The photograph was taken in 2012. In this village, like mnany others, there are still no shops and it is common that children go barefoot. In Soviet times, individuals were not permitted to set up shops and merchants were seen as social parasites, taking away from the value of what workers produced.

Belarus was part of the Tsarist Empire, much of it acquired during the Polish Partitions (19th century). Ir was a backward and underdeveloped territory even by Eastern European standards. It was largely agricultural and over populated. 【Ioffe】 Some growth and industrial development began with the construction of railways (late-19th century). Minsk, Vitsebsk, Hrodna, Pinsk and Homel began to become significant industrial centers. 【Kovalevsky,, pp. 85-88] Soviet propaganda sought to hide the rapid industrial development during the later years of the Tsarist era in an effort to make Stalinist industrial development more impressive. The Germans moved into what is now Belarus during World War I (1914-18). The War set off the Revolution (1917). Eastern Belarus was lost to Poland in the Russo-Polish War (1919-21). Lenin had promised the peasantry 'Peace, Land, and Bread'. The peasantry in the Tsarist Empire had begun to seize land in the Tsarists estates. This included Belarus. This the peasantry in the new Soviet had achieved their long cherished dream--possession of the land. Tragically they did not hold it very long. Stalin launched his Collectivization Program (1931). The result in Ukraine was mass famine, it part because part of his goal was to destroy the Ukrainian peasantry. The NKVD and mobilized KOMOSOL seized the land from the peasantry in Russia and Belarus as well, but this did not approach genocide as it did in Ukraine. As in Ukraine, the agricultural productivity of the collectives would fall. Agriculture would be a weak point of the Soviet economy throughout the Soviet era. Stalin would acquire western Belarus when as a NAZI ally, he invaded Poland launching World War II (September 1939). Belarus would be part of what one author calls the Bloodlands of Eastern Europe as The Soviets and NAZIs would fight over it with the NAZI Barbarossa invasion (June 1941). The NAZI-Soviet battles and the horrific NAZI anti-partisan campaign would leave Belarus a virtual wasteland. The Soviets would drive out the Germans with Operation Bagration (June 1944), but Belarus would be left a virtual wasteland. The Baltics and the rest of the Belarus would be annexed during World War II era. The country like moist of the western Soviet Union and Poland was devastated by the War. The country was traditionally agricultural with an industrial sector developed during the Soviet era. The industrial base was developed during the Soviet era. The Soviet enterprises were, however, extremely inefficient. The inefficiencies of Soviet agriculture and industry are why the Soviet Union lost the Cold War and eventually imploded. And the industrial enterprises in Belarus were not competitive after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of subsidies and low-priced raw materials. Thus the country was left with an industrial base that was outdated as well as energy and raw material input inefficient. The Belarusian industry was highly dependent on subsidized Russian energy and preferential access to Russian markets. The Soviet education system, however, created an educated labor force that was potentially capable of operating at European levels. Belarus is the only European country with a higher education system that did not move to accept he Bologna Process promoting common European standards. While areas of the country have potentially rich agricultural land, the agricultural sector is also inefficient thanks to Soviet era policies. Despite the obvious failure of Soviet era economic policies, the post-Soviet Belarus Government has shown little inclination in moving toward a free-market economic policies, largely because the state would then relinquish a major level of social control. As a result, living standards in Belarus are far below European standards, even the other areas of Soviet controlled Eastern Europe.

Tsarist Era ( -1917)

Belarus was part of the Tsarist Empire, much of it acquired during the Polish Partitions (19th century). Ir was a backward and underdeveloped country, even by Eastern European standards. It was largely agricultural and over populated. 【Ioffe】 Some growth and industrial development began with the construction of railways (late-19th century). Minsk, Vitsebsk, Hrodna, Pinsk and Homel began to become significant industrial centers. 【Kovalevsky, pp. 85-88】 Soviet propaganda sought go hide the rapid industrial development during the later years of the Tsarist era in an effort to make Stalinist industrial development more impressive.

World War I (1914-18)

The Germans moved into what is now Belarus during World War I (1914-18).

Soviet Era (1917-91)

The German World War successes set off the Revolution (1917). Eastern Belarus was lost to Poland in the Russo-Polish War (1919-21). Lenin had promised the peasantry 'Peace, Land, and Bread'. The peasantry in the Tsarist Empire had begun to seize land in the Tsairst estates. This included Belarus. This the peasantry in the new Soviet had achieved their long cherished dream--possession of the land. Tragically they did not hold it very long. Stalin launched his Collectivization Program (1931). The result in Ukraine was mass famine, it part because part of his goal was to destroy the Ukrainian peasantry. The NKVD and mobilized KOMOSOL seized the land from the peasantry in Russia and Belarus as well, but this did not approach genocide as it did in Ukraine. As in Ukraine, the agricultural productive of the collectives would fall. Agriculture would be a weak point of the Soviet economy throughout the Soviet era. Stalin would acquire western Belarus when as a NAZI ally, he invaded Poland (September 1939). Belarus would be part of what one author calls the Bloodlands of Eastern Europe as The Soviets and NAZIs would fight over it with the NAZI Barbarossa invasion (June 1941). Some 2.2 million people perished in the War, including nearly all of the pre-War Jewish population. The NAZI-Soviet battles, the Holocaust, and the horrific NAZI anti-partisan campaign would leave Belarus a virtual wasteland. The Soviets would drive out the Germans with Operation Bagration (June 1944), but Belarus would be left a virtual wasteland. The Baltics and the rest of the Belarus would be annexed during World War II era. The country like moist of the western Soviet Union and Poland was devastated by the War. The country was traditionally agricultural with an industrial sector developed during the Soviet era. The industrial base was developed during the Soviet era. The Soviet enterprises were, however, extremely inefficient. Actually, after World War II, was one of the better performing Soviet Republics. The inefficiencies of overall Soviet agriculture and industry was why the Soviet Union lost the Cold War and eventually imploded.

Independence (1992)

Soviet apparatchik President Alexander Lukashenko seized control of Belarus after independence (1994). Lukashenko prevented the democratic reforms initiated in Russia and several other independent Soviet republics. Those supporting democratic reforms were Beverly suppressed by Lukashenko's security forces. Protests were broken up and the participants arrested. The United States listed Belarus Europe's only remaining 'outpost of tyranny' (2005). At the time President Vladimir Putin was not yet perceived as a threat to democracy. The creatively good performance of the Belarus economy in the final Soviet years (1980s). Independence resulted in economic decline. Part of the problem ws that Lukashenko resolutely opposed the privatization of state enterprises that was going on most of the post-Soviet republics. The primary problem was that Soviet enterprises were subsidized and had access to raw materials. Now they actually had to pay for raw materials, especially energy. The industrial enterprises in Belraus were not competitive after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of subsidies and low-priced raw materials. Thus the country was left with an industrial base that was outdated as well as energy and raw material input inefficient. The Belorussian industry was highly dependent on subsidized Russian energy and preferential access to Russian markets. The Soviet education system, however, had created an educated labor force that was potentially capable of operating at European levels. Belarus is the only European country with a higher education system that did not move to accept he Bologna Process promoting common European standards. While areas of the country have potentially rich agricultural land, the agricultural sector is also inefficient thanks to Soviet era policies. Despite the obvious failure of Soviet era economic policies, the post-Soviet Belarus Government has shown little inclination in moving toward a free-market economic policies, largely because the state would then relinquish a major level of social control. As a result, living standards in Belarus are far below European standards, even the other areas of Soviet controlled Eastern Europe.

Sources

Ioffe, Grigory. "Understanding Belarus: economy and political landscape". Europe-Asia Studies. (2010) Vol. 56, Mo. 1. pp. 85–118.

Kovalevsky, G. Economy of Belarus in the Epoch of Imperialism, 1900-1917 (1963).

Created: 3:39 AM 5/14/2023
Last updated: 3:39 AM 5/14/2023