World War II Country Trends: Belarus--German Occupation (1941-44)
Figure 1.--Wehave been unable to identify where this photograph was taken, it appears to be either occupied Belarus or Ukraine. We note it mostly being referred to as Belarus. Given the way the children are dressed, Minsk is thekikely location. We think the caption of the poster is 'Hitler Libertator'. The Germans after the War claimed that the reason they lost the War is that they were outnumbers by the Soviets. Actially large numbers of Soviet citizenn would have fought with the Gernans. Here wouldn't here of it. It goal was to eraficate the population of Wastern Eurppe so he coukd popukate it with German agricuktural colonists.
Although not a country, the level of military activiies and barbarous activities, including the Holcaust and anti-partisan actions, necesitate attention to Belarus in any World War II history. The German Barbarossa campaign quickly reached Belarus, The population of Belarus met the Germans with mixed feelings. The Soviet attrocities assocuatd with colectuvization had caused much animosity. The same kind of brutal actions as in the Ukraine. Our general impression was that the NKVD was not as brutal as in Ukraine. The Belarus peasantry was not connected with the more anti-Soviet Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. thus the Belarus population was more ambivalent to the arrival of the Germans. Some of the population attempted to retreat east deeper into the Soviet Union. Others met the Germans with flowers dressed in their best clothes, naively hoping for liberation from Soviet tyranny. A collaboration movement developed in Belarus. Some estimate that some 120,000 Belarusians collaborated in various ways with the Germans, but this includes many who did so unwillingly. No one at this time outside of SS circles knew of Generaplan Ost, the NAZI plan to murder much of the Slavic population of Eastern Europe. The Germans instead of attempting to gain the sympathy of the local population, committed even more terrible attrocities making for anti-Germn feeling. Hitler appointed Wilhelm Kube Generalkommissar to oversee the Minsk German administration (August 31, 1941). And Kube's brutal rule also generated resistabve and a potent partisan movement. The underground resistance killed Kube (1943). In retaliation the Germans killed 1,000 hostages in Minsk. Normally the Germans used Jews as hotages to execute, but by 1943 most of the Jews in Belarus had already been murdered. The Germans launched a barbarous anti-patisan campaign. In addition to the fighting with the Germans, there was also fighting between ethnic groups, especially the Poles and Ukranians. Belarus and the surrounding area has been called the Bloodlands. Much of modern Belarus has been eastern Poland. Large areas of Belarus were left largely unpopulated by the end of the War.
Soviet Repression
Stalin as he seized power over the Soviet state intensified persecution of nationalist sentiment. Anything except foik cisr=tune and dancing was alabeled 'bourgeois' justifying the most severe legalmpenalties. The most famous single act of Stalinist repression was the murder of Polisg officers found in a mass grave located in the Katyn Forrest. TheSovits tried to blme it on the Germans. Kurapaty is anoher NKVD mass grave. The Siviet also tried to blane it on the Grmns. It is located near Minsk. The bodies of some 30,000 Blarus civilins killed by the NKVD (937-41) were found there.
Belarus Reception
Unlike the West, the German Oanzers did not entere Belaus to a despondent popuation. The population of Belarus met the Germans with mixed feelings. The Soviet attrocities assocuatd with colectuvization had caused much animosity. The same kind of brutal actions as in the Ukraine. Our general impression was that the NKVD was not as brutal as in Ukraine. The Belarus peasantry was not connected with the more anti-Soviet Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. thus the Belarus population was more ambivalent to the arrival of the Germans. Some of the population attempted to retreat east deeper into the Soviet Union. Others met the Germans with flowers dressed in their best clothes, naively hoping for liberation from Soviet tyranny.
Coaboration
A collaboration movement developed in Belarus. Some estimate that some 120,000 Belarusians collaborated in various ways with the Germans, but this includes many who did so unwillingly. Sirviving in a German occupied countr, especially the occupied East, required almost by definition some degree of colaboration.
Belarusian Nationals
Surveing Belarusian nationals optimisticall saw the German invasion as an opportunity to establisha a Belarusian nation. They were thinking about the World War I Germans. The First All-Belarusian Congress had proclaimed the first Belarusian nation -- the Belarusian Democratic Republic (BDR) at the end of German occupation during World War I (1918). Ithad been supressed by the Red Army. They knew nothing about the NAZIs. A "Second All-Belarusian Congress was proclaimed wihout German approval (1944). Radaslau Astrouski led Belarusian national movement during World War II. He had bee part of BDR Government in 1918. Many of the World War II were anti-Semitic because of their convictin that the Bolsheviks were mostly Jewish. Even these natiinalists were appaled by the NAZI masacres of Belarusian Jews, nurder of Red Army POWs, and barabrity of the NAZI antipartian camapign.
NAZI Repression
No one at this time outside of SS circles knew of Generaplan Ost, the NAZI plan to murder much of the Slavic population of Eastern Europe. The Germans instead of attempting to gain the sympathy of the local population, committed even more terrible attrocities than he Sovirts, making for anti-German feeling.
Wilhelm Kube
Hitler appointed Wilhelm Kube Generalkommissar to oversee the Minsk German administration (August 31, 1941). And Kube's brutal rule also generated resistabve and a potent partisan movement. The underground resistance killed Kube (1943). In retaliation the Germans killed 1,000 hostages in Minsk. Normally the Germans used Jews as hotages to execute, but by 1943 most of the Jews in Belarus had already been murdered. Belarus lay across the suppl linescfor Army Group Center. Aftervthe Brbarossa, parysan activirt steadily increased. The Germans launched a barbarous anti-patisan campaign.
Generalplan Ost was was the NAZI plan to alter the demography of Eastern Europe. It basicallyvwas a pln to murder or enslave the Slavic abd other non-German population. The olan for Bekarus was to murder 75 percent of the Belarusian population which the Germns described as 'eradication. The light-complexioned portion of the popultion (blond hair ans blue eyes) was to be ould be allowed to serve Germans as agricultural slaves. There were mass executions of entire villages, justified s nti-partisan actions.
Ethnic Conflict
In addition to the fighting with the Germans, there was also fighting between ethnic groups, especially the Poles and Ukranians. Belarus and the surrounding area has been called the Bloodlands. Much of modern Belarus has been eastern Poland with a mixed population.
Depopulation
Few countries were so deeply scarred as Belarus--located in what one historian calls with considerable accuracy 'The Bloodlands'. Large areas of Belarus were left largely nunpopulated by the end of the War.
