Figure 1.--Modern readers will look at this Belarussian family and see poverty. In fact the poeasntry in the 1920s had what vthey had akways dreamed about for centruies--possession of the land. Lenin had promised them, 'Peace, land, and bread'. And now they had the land. The family here is located in Polesua. a large forested area in the southwestern part of the Eastern-European Lowland. Tragicakly it was not be 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.

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.

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