Belarusian resistance during World War II

Belarusian resistance during World War II was focused towards Nazi Germany from 1941 until 1944. Belarus was one of the Soviet republics occupied during Operation Barbarossa. However, segments of the Belarusian population cooperated with the Nazi occupation government and continued until the end of the war.

Resistance

Upon Wehrmacht victories against the Red Army, Belarus was one of the Soviet republics that became under control of Nazi Germany. The official government of the occupation forces was established on August 231, 1941 under the direction of Wilhelm Kube. While the resistance movement first comprised of cut-off Soviet soldiers, the population joined them around the summer of 1942. [http://www.belarusguide.com/history1/WWII_partisan_resistance_in_Belarus.htm] From that time until the end of the year, the Central Committee of the Communist Party (of Bolsheviks) of Byelorussia formed courses and offices helping those wishing to fight the Nazi Government. In 1943, Kube was assassinated by a bomb; the bomb was placed by a Belarusian woman who was Kube's maid at his Minsk home. [http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/media_cm.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005187&MediaId=1592] Actually, the first partisan detachments, comprising mostly the Red Army personnel, but also the local people, and commanded by the Red Army officers or local Soviet or Communist activists, began to be created since the first days of war: detachment "Starasyel'ski" of major Dorodnykh in Zhabinka district (June 23 1941) [(HistBel-5) Гісторыя Беларусі: У 6 т. Т. 5. Беларусь у 1917—1945. — Мн.: Экаперспектыва, 2006. — 613 с.; іл. ISBN 985-469-149-7. p.492.] , detachment of Vasily Korzh in Pinsk on June 26 1941ru icon cite web | author=Nik | title=ПИНСК В ГОДЫ ВЕЛИКОЙ ОТЕЧЕСТВЕННОЙ... (Pinsk during the Great Patriotic...) | publisher= | year=2002 | work=Istoria Pinska (History of Pinsk) | url=http://pinskhistory.by.ru/Book/42.html | accessdate=2006-08-24 ] and others. First awards of the partisans with order of Hero of the Soviet Union occurred on August 6 1941 (detachment commanders Pavlovskiy and Bumazhkov). During the 1941, the core of the social base of the partisan movement in that period were the straggling remains of the Red Army units destroyed in the Operation Barbarossa, the personnel of the destruction battalions, and the local Communist, Komsomol and Soviet activists. The commonest unit of the period was the detachment. The "seed" partisan detachments, diversionist and organisational groups were actively formed and inserted into German-occupied territories since the summer of 1941. The urban underground groups were formed as a force complementing the activities of partisan units, operating in the rural terrains. As a controlling body, the network of underground Communist structures was being actively developed on German-occupied territories, and it received the influx of the specially picked Communist activists. By the end of the 1941, more than 2 thousand partisan detachments (with more than 90 thousand personnel) operated on the German-occupied territories.Літвіноўскі І. А. (Litvinowski) Партызанскі рух у Вялікую Айчынную вайну 1941—1945 // Беларуская энцыклапедыя: У 18 т. Т. 12. — Мінск: БелЭн, 2001. — 560 с. p. 134. ISBN 985-11-0198-2 (т.12).] However, the activities of the partisan forces weren't centrally coordinated and logistically provided for until spring of 1942. In order to coordinate the partisan operations the Headquarters of the Partisan Movement, headed by Ponomarenko, was organised on May 30 1942. The Staff had its liaisons in the Military Councils of the fronts and armies. The territorial Staffs were subsequently created, dealing with the partisan movement in the respective Soviet Republics and in the occupied provinces of the Soviet Russia. While in Ukraine and Belarus some of the local population was initially supportive to the German occupation that they hoped would end the harsh Stalinist rule, they soon found that the Nazi regime was far more brutal. The occupants mass transferred the working age population to Reich to serve as slave laborers, looted, and arbitrary applied punishments for any infraction, up to burning the entire villages with their population (e.g. see Khatyn). Naturally, under these circumstances, many locals joined the anti-Nazi resistance, and the majority became passive supporters to partisans. Later NKVD, SMERSH and GRU began training special groups of future partisans (effectively, special forces units) in the rear and dropping them in the occupied territories. The candidates for these groups were chosen among volunteers from regular Red Army, NKVD's Internal Troops, and also among Soviet sportsmen. When dropped behind Axis lines, the groups were to organize and guide the local self-established partisan units. Radio operators and intelligence gathering officers were the essential members of each group since amateur fighters could not be trusted with these tasks. Some commanders of these special units (like Dmitry Medvedev) later became well-known partisan leaders. The Soviet authorities considered Belarus to be of the utmost importance to the development of the Soviet partisan war from the very beginning. The main factors were its geography, with lots of dense forests and swamps, and its strategical position on the communications going from West to Moscow. In fact, Belarusian Communist bodies in the Eastern provinces of Belarus began to organise and facilitate organisation of the partisan units on the day after the first directive issuing (directives No.1 of 1941-07-30 and No.2 of 1941-07-01). By the Soviet estimates, in August 1941 about 231 detachments were operating already. The «seed» units, formed and inserted into Belarus, totalled 437 by the end of the 1941, comprising more than 7.2 thousand personnel. [(All-people struggle in Belarus against the German-fascist invaders) Всенародная борьба в Белоруссии против немецко-фашистских захватчиков. Т. 1. С. 84, 112., as cited in (HistB5) Гісторыя Беларусі: У 6 т. Т. 5. Беларусь у 1917—1945. — Мн.: Экаперспектыва, 2006. — 613 с.; іл. ISBN 985-469-149-7. p.491.] However, as the frontline moved further away, the logistical conditions steadily worsened for the partisan units, as the resources ran out, and there was no wide-scale support from over the frontline until March 1942. One outstanding difficulty was the lack of radio communication, which wasn't addressed until April 1942. The support of the local people was also insufficient. [Turonek, P.76.] So, for several months, partisan units in Belarus were virtually left to themselves. Especially difficult for the partisans was the winter of 1941-1942, with severe shortages in ammunition, medicine and supplies. The actions of partisans were prevailingly uncoordinated. In the circumstances, the German pacification operations in Summer and Fall 1941 were able to curb the partisan activity significantly. Many units went underground, and generally, in the late Fall 1941—early 1942, the partisan units weren't undertaking the significant military operations, limiting themselves to sorting out the organisational problems, building up the logistics support and gaining influence with the local people. [Turonek, P.76.] By the incomplete data, in the end of the 1941, 99 partisan detachments and about 100 partisan groups operated in Belarus. [(All-people struggle...) V.1. p.107., as cited in (HistB5) p.493.] In Winter 1941—1942, 50 partisan detachments and about 50 underground organisations and groups operated in Belarus. [(HistB5) p.493.] [To the end of 1941 only in Minsk area there were at least 50 partisan groups having more than 2,000 fighters.] In the period (1941-12-01), the German guard forces in the Army Group «Center» rear comprised 4 security divisions, 2 SS brigades, 260 companies of different branches of service. [Turonek, P.78.] The Moscow Battle turned the tide in the morale of the partisans and of the local people in general. However, the real turning point in the development of the partisan movement in Belarus, and, in fact, on the German-occupied terrritories in general, came in the course of the Soviet Winter 1942 offensive.

1942, Vitsyebsk Gate

The turning point in the development of the Soviet partisan movement came with the opening of the Vitsyebsk gate in February 1942. The partisan units were included in the overall Soviet strategical developments shortly after that, and the centralised organisational and logistical support had been organised, with Gate's existence being the very important facilitating factor.

"See also": Central Headquarters of Partisan Movement, Special Belarusian courses.

The Germans treated the local population abysmally (with the notable exception of the fraction of the civil administration headed by Wilhelm Kube), maintained kolkhozes in East and restored land possessions in West, collecting heavy food taxes, rounded up and sent young people to work in the Germany. [Belarus was the republic hardest hit by the war that took from 25 to 40% of the republic's population. [http://www.open.by/belarus-now/cont/1998/0630/politics/bg2-pol.html] According to the Himmler's plan, 3/4 of the Belarusian population was to be eradicated and the remainder was to be used as a slave labour force. By Summer 1942 all the illusions some Belarusians might have had about the Nazi rule, even compared to the brutal Stalinist regime, were lost and the anti-fascist resistance rose dramatically.] Overwhelmingly, Jews and even small-scale Soviet activists would feel more secure in the partisan ranks. The direct boost to the partisan numbers were the Red Army POWs of the local origin, who were let out "to the homes" in Fall 1941, but ordered by Germans to "return to the concentration camps" in March 1942. [Turonek, p.78.]

In the Spring 1942, the aggregation of the smaller partisan units into brigades began, prompted by the experience of the first year of war. The coordination, numerical buildup, structural rework and now established logistical feed all translated to the greatly increased partisan units military capability, which showed, e.g., in the increased number of diversions on the railroads, reaching hundreds of engines and thousands of cars destroyed by the end of the year. [ By the German sources. Turonek, p.79. Also noted is that this result, while in itself spectacular, was of lesser relevance than expected, as the German offensive in 1942 came out in South.]

In 1942, the terror campaign against the territorial administration, which was manned by the local people ("collaborants and traitors") was additionally emphasised. [Mentioned as primary in the report of the HQ of partisan movement on 1942-11-09. Turonek, p.79.] This resulted, however, in the definite split of the local people's sympathies, resulting in the beginning of the organisation of the Anti-Partisan units with native personnel in 1942.

By the November 1942, Soviet partisan units in Belarus numbered about 47.3 thousand personnel. [Turonek, p.78.]

1942, West Belarus

In January 1943, of 56,7 thousand Partisan personnel, 11,1 thousand were operating in the West Belarus, which was 3,5 less per 10 thousand local people than in the East, and even more so (up to 5—6 factor) if accounting for the much more efficient evacuation measures in the East in 1941. [Turonek, pp.83,86.]

This discrepancy wouldn't be sufficiently explained by the German treatment of local people, nor by the quick German advance in 1941, nor by the social circumstances then existing in these regions. [Turonek, p.83.] [In fact, small land-owners in West showed "surprising" sympathies to the Partisans. Turonek, p.83.] There is strong evidence, that this was decision of the central Soviet authorities, who abstained from the greater buildup of the Partisan forces in West Belarus, and let Polish underground military structures to grow unopposed in these lands in 1941—1942, in the context of relations with the Polish government in exile of Sikorsky. [Turonek, p.84.] Certain level of military cooperation, imposed by the respective commands, was noted between Soviet partisans and Armia Krajowa (AK), the people of Polish nationality were, to a degree, exempled from the terror campaign in 1942. [To a certain surprise of Germans, Turonek, p.84.]

After the break of diplomatic relations between USSR and Polish government in exile in April 1943, the situation changed radically. From this moment on, AK was treated as hostile military force.

1943

The buildup of the Soviet partisan force in the West Belarus was ordered and implemented during 1943, with 9 brigades, 10 detachments and 15 operational groups transferred from the Eastern to Western lands, effectively tripling the Partisan force there (to 36,8 thousand in December 1943). It is estimated that ~10-12 thousand personnel were transferred, and about same number came from the local volunteers. The buildup of the military force was complemented by the ensuing buildup of the underground Communist Party structures and propaganda activity. [Turonek, pp.84,85.]

The Stalingrad victory, certain curbing of the terror campaign (actually since December 1942, formally in February 1943) and amnesty promised to repenting collaborants were a significant factors in the 1943 growth of the Soviet partisan forces. Desertions from the ranks of the German-controlled police and military formations strengthened, with sometimes whole units coming over to Soviet partisan side — Volga Tartars battalion (900 personnel, February 1943), Gil-Rodionov 1st Russian People's brigade of the SS (2500 personnel, August 1943). Summarily, about 7 thousand people of miscellaneous anti-Soviet formations joined the Soviet partisan force. About 1,9 thousand specialists and commanders were inserted in the Belarusian lands in 1943. However, the local people comprised the core of the personnel influx in the Soviet partisan force.

In the Fall 1943, the partisan force in BSSR totalled about 153,700, and by the end 1943 about 122,000, with about 30,800 put behind the frontline in the course of liberation of eastern parts of BSSR (end 1943). After the liberation of BSSR, about 180,000 partisans joined the Soviet Army in 1944.

During the 1941—1944 period, the turnaround in the Soviet partisan force in Belarus was about 374,000, about 70,000 in urban underground, and about 400,000 in the reserve of the partisan force.

Among Soviet partisans in Belarus were people of 45 different ethnic backgrounds and 4,000 foreigners (including 3,000 Poles, 400 Czechs and Slovaks, 300 Yugoslavians, etc.). Around 65% of Belarusian partisans were local people.

The partisan movement was so strong that by 1943-44 there were entire regions in occupied Belarus, where Soviet authority was re-established deep inside the German held territories. There were even partisan kolkhozes that were raising crops and livestock to produce food for the partisans. [http://www.belarusguide.com/history1/WWII_partisan_resistance_in_Belarus.htm] . During the battles for liberation of Belarus, partisans considered the fourth Belarusian front. As early as the spring of 1942 the Soviet partisans were able to effectively harass German troops and significantly hamper their operations in the region.

The resistance movement in Byelorussia was depicted accurately in the movie Come and See.

Jewish forces

During the same period, Jewish residents of Belarus also took part in partisan activities. The units, based on family camps, was devised by Anatoly Bielsky with his brothers in Western Belarus. Based from the forests near the Neman River, the family units was home to mostly women, children and elderly. The men who were able to carry weapons either guarded the camps or took part in partisan activities. While the main purpose of the camps was to shelter Belarusian Jews and create villages to survive, there were some camps that were set up to militarily combat the occupation government. One group, from 1941 until 1944, attacked or destroyed bridges, factories, railroad tracks and killed police and Nazi officials. The family camps also prevented the deportation of residents to either labor or concentration camps. [http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/belarus/bel119.html]

Relations with Poles

Polish underground acted on whole pre-war territory of Poland, so there existed conflict between Polish partizans and the Soviet and Jewish ones. Polish units killed many Belarusians, Soviets and Jews killed Poles, eg. in Naliboki (128 killed). See also Koniuchy massacre (38 killed) in Lithuania.

June 22, 1943 Central Comittee of the Belarusian Comunist Party decided in Moscow to destroy Armia Krajowa in Belarus. One Polish unit was arrested Decemebr 1, 1943, some Polish officers were executed, the commander major Wacław Pełka transported to Moscow [http://www.iwieniec.plewako.pl/AK/Iwieniecka%20AK.pdf] .

See also

*Anti-fascism
*Armia Krajowa
*Bialowieza Forest
*Occupation of Belarus by Nazi Germany
*Resistance during World War II
*Lithuanian resistance during World War II

External links

* [http://www.belarusguide.com/history1/WWII_partisan_resistance_in_Belarus.htm Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II]
* [http://www.jewishpartisans.net "Interviews from the Underground:" Eyewitness accounts of Russia's Jewish resistance during World War II'] documentary film and website