Byelorussian SSR
Encyclopedia
The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (abbreviated as Byelorussian SSR or BSSR) ( Belaruskaya Savetskaya Satsyyalistychnaya Respublika [BSSR]; Belorusskaya Sovetskaya Sotsalisticheskaya Respublika [BSSR]) was one of fifteen constituent republics
of the Soviet Union
. It was one of the four original founding members of the Soviet Union in 1922, together with the Ukrainian SSR, the Transcaucasian SFSR
and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
(RSFSR). The BSSR, along with the Ukrainian SSR and the Soviet Union, were founder members of the United Nations Organization in 1945.
The Soviet republic, Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia
(SSRB), in the lands of Belarus was declared on 1 January 1919, but it took a few years to define its status. Byelorussia was also one of several Soviet republics occupied by Nazi Germany
during World War II
. The end of the Soviet Republic occurred in 1991 and the country was later renamed the Republic of Belarus. In earlier time periods Byelorussian territory was commonly referred to in Western Europe as White Russia
, and therefore the republic was sometimes known during its early existence as the White Russian Soviet Socialist Republic.
, which it gained from the Partitions of Poland
more than a century earlier. During the War, the Russian Western Front
's Great Retreat
in August/September 1915 ended with the lands of Grodno
and most of Vilno guberniya
s occupied by Germany, and a front at 100 kilometres to the west of Minsk.
After the Russian February Revolution
in March of 1917, the All-Russian council of Soviets created the Western Oblast which consisted of the Vilno, Vitebsk, Mogilev
and Minsk
guberniyas (or parts unoccupied by German troops) to administer the Belarusian lands in the pre-front zone. On 25 October (7 November), the Minsk Soviet
of workers and soldiers deputies took over the administration of the city. A month later, on 26 November (6 December) the executive committee of workers, peasants and soldiers deputies for the Western Oblast was merged with the Western front's executive committee, creating a single Obliskomzap. During the autumn/winter of 1918, the Western Oblast was headed by Aleksandr Myasnikyan
as head of the Western Oblast's Military Revolutionary Committee
, who passed this duty on to Karl Lander, instead taking over the role as chair of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party
's (RSDRP(b)) committee for Western Oblast and Moisey Kalmanovich as chair of the Obliskomzap.
However, due to the failure of Soviet side to negotiate a deal at the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
, the Germans renewed their offensive and seized most of the Western Oblast
in February 1918. This forced the Obliskomzap to evacuate to Smolensk
, and the Smolensk guberniya
was now passed to the Western Oblast. Four days after the German occupation of Minsk, the Belarus National Republic was proclaimed as a nominally independent state. De facto it was a puppet government to the German Empire.
After the German defeat in the First World War, it announced its evacuation from the occupied territories of Belarus and Ukraine, leaving the puppet national republics to their fate. As the Germans were preparing to depart, the Bolsheviks were keen to follow them and re-claim Byelorussia, the Ukraine, and the Baltics to realize Soviet premier Vladimir Lenin
's desire to continue into Central Europe and create the World revolution
. On 11 September 1918 the Revolutionary Military Council
ordered the creation of the Western Defence region in the Western Oblast out of Curtain troop garrisons stationed there. Simultaneously the Western Oblast was re-arranged into a Western Commune. Then, on 13 November, Moscow annulled the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
, and two days later the Defence region was transformed into a Western army
, which began an initially bloodless advance westward on the 17th. The Belarusian National Republic barely put up any resistance and evacuated Minsk on 3 December. The Soviets maintained a distance of about 10–15 km (6.2–9.3 ) between the two armies, and took Minsk on the 10th.
Encouraged by their success, back in Smolensk on 30/31 December 1918, the Sixth Western Oblast Party conference met and announced its split from the RSDRP(b), proclaiming itself as the first congress of the Communist Party of Byelorussia (CPB(b)). The next day, the Soviet Socialist Republic of Byelorussia was proclaimed in Smolensk, terminating the Western Commune, and on 7 January was moved to Minsk, with Aleksandr Myasnikyan
as head of the All-Byelorussian Central Executive Committee and Zmicier Zhylunovich
as head of the provisional government. The new Soviet republic initially consisted of seven districts: Baranovichi
, Vitebsk
, Gomel, Grodno, Mogilev
and Smolensk
. On 30 January, the republic announced its separation from the Russian SFSR and is thus renamed from the Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia to the Soviet Socialist Republic of Byelorussia. This was conferred by the First congress of workers, soldiers and red army-men deputees on the which met on the 2-3 February 1919, adopting a new Socialist constitution. At the same time the Red Army continued its westward advance, the city of Grodno was captured on New Year's day in 1919, Pinsk
on 21 January, Baranovichi on 6 February 1919, thereby enlarging the republic.
The western winter offensive described above was not limited to only Byelorussia, moving parallel to the north was the Soviet advance into Lithuania
. On 16 December the Lithuanian Socialist Soviet Republic
was proclaimed in Vilnius
.
However, it became soon apparent that both the Lithuanian operation
and continuing the conquest of Byelorussia would be under threat, for the German withdrawal of Ober-Ost, put a new power on the rise in Central Europe - the Second Polish Republic
. However the conflict with Poland did not break out and the Soviet High Command's 12 January directive was to cease advance on the Neman
-Bug
rivers. However, the region to the east of those lines was historically mixed between the Belarusians, the Poles and the Lithuanians, and had a sizeable Jewish minority. The local communities of each respective group wanted to be part of the respective states that were establishing themselves.
Fighting broke out between the self-organized Polish militias in the Kresy
("Borderland") areas of Lithuania, Belarus and western Ukraine (the Samoobrona Litwy i Białorusi numbering approximately 2,000 soldiers under General Wejtko) clashed with local communist and advancing Bolshevik forces, each trying to secure the territories for its own incipient government. The newly formed Polish Army began sending its organised units to reinforce the militias. On 14 February, the first clash
between regular armies took place and a constant front emerged.
Eager to win support, the Bolshevik government turned to history and decided to restore the Great Duchy of Lithuania by merging the Lithuanian and Byelorussian republics into the Lithuanian–Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, or Litbel on 28 February 1919. Its capital was proclaimed as Vilnius
, with five guberniyas: Vilno, Grodno
, Kovno
, Suwalki
and Minsk
. The Vitebsk and Mogilev guberniyas were transferred to the Russian SFSR, and were soon joined by the Gomel Governorate
which was created on 26 April.
However by the start of spring 1918, the Russian Civil War
began to ignite around the rest of the country, and the Soviet government had much more urgent areas where it needed men desperately: Aleksandr Kolchak
on the Volga and Anton Denikin in the south. Moreover the operations in Lithuania brought the front close the East Prussia
, and the German units who withdrew there, soon found themselves assisting the Lithuanian forces, and the offensive against Kaunus in February 1919 was repelled.
In March 1919, Polish units opened an offensive and forces under general Stanisław Szeptycki captured the city of Slonim
(2 March) and crossed the Neman, whilst Lithuanian advances forced the Soviets out of Panevėžys
. One final Soviet counter-offensive retook Panevėžys
and [Grodno in early April, but the Western Army was too thinly spread to fight both Polish, Lithuanian, and the German units assisting them. The Polish offensive quickly gained momentum, and Vilna offensive
in April 1919, forced Litbel to evacuate the capital first to Dvinsk (28 April), then to Minsk (28 April), then to Bobruysk (19 May). As the Litbel lost territory, its powers were quickly stripped by Moscow, for example on 1 June Vtsik
's decree put all of Litbel's armed forces under the command of the Red Army. On 17 July, the Defence Soviet was liquidated, and its function was passed to Minsk's Milrevcom. However, on 8 August Polish forces captured Minsk
, that same day the capital was once again evacuated to Smolensk
, and on 28 August Lithuanian forces took Zarasai
(the last Lithuanian town held by Litbel) and the same day Bobruysk fell to the Poles.
However by late summer of 1919 the Polish advance was also exhausted. The banishment of the Red Army opened another historic disagreement between Poland and Lithuania, whose disagreements over the city of Vilnius soon erupted into a military conflict
, with Poland winning. Soviet Russia, facing Denikin and Kolchak was unable to spare men to the western front, and a stalemate resulted in only localised skirmishes.
. In autumn of 1919, Nikolai Yudenich's advance on Petrograd was checked, whilst in the far north the Evgeny Miller's army was pushed into the Arctic. On the diplomatic front, on 11 September 1919, the People's Commissar of Foreign Affairs of Soviet Russia, Georgy Chicherin
, sent a note to Lithuania with a proposal for a peace treaty
. It was a de facto recognition of the Lithuanian state. Similar negotiations with Estonia
and Latvia
, gave way for a peace treaty with the former on 2 February 1920 and a cease-fire agreement with the latter a day earlier.
Having secured several frontiers and breaking the "Ring of Fronts" the Soviet government began building up its forces for the massive offensive westwards, bringing the World Revolution
to Europe. However the Polish role of preventing this and creating a "buffer zone" at the expense of Belarus was not its sole goal. The new leader Józef Piłsudski rallied the Poles under a nationalist rhetoric to re-create the historic Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
, the Międzymorze
, which would include Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus and push the eastern border as far as possible into Russia.
and Orsha
were thrown back in May.
In June, the RSFSR was finally ready to open its major Western advance. To preserve the neutrality of Lithuania (though the peace treaty was still being negotiated) on 6 June, the exiled government of Litbel was disbanded. Within a few days, the 3rd Cavalry Corps under command of Hayk Bzhishkyan broke the Polish front, causing a collapse and a retreat. On 11 July Minsk was re-taken, and on 31 July 1920 once again the Soviet Socialist Republic of Belorussia was re-established in Minsk.
As the front moved west, and more and more of Belarusian lands were adjoined to the new republic the first administrative decrees were issued. The entity was divided into seven uyezd
s: Bobruysk, Borisov
, Igumen, Minsk, Mozyr and Slutsk
. (Vitebsk, Gomel and Mogilev remained part of the RSFSR.) This time the leaders were Aleksandr Chervyakov
(head of Minsk's milrevcom) and Wilhelm Knorin (as chairmen of the Central Comitee of the Belarusian Communist Party). The SSRB sought to join further territories, as the Red Army crossed into Poland, but the decisive Polish victory at the Battle of Warsaw
in August ended these ambitions. Once again, the Red Army found itself on the defensive in Belorussia. The Poles were able to successfully break the Russian lines at the Battle of the Niemen River
in September 1920. As a result the Soviets were not only forced to abandon their World Revolution
targets, but Western Belarus too. However early autumn rains halted the Polish advance, which exhausted itself by October. A cease-fire agreed on 12 October, came into effect on 18 October.
ideals disregarded the potential of an alliance with the Belarusian National Republic
, though allowing them to establish a nominal government first in Minsk in September 1919. However as the armistice came into effect, one of the clauses was that the division of Belarus would see the region of Slutsk
passed to the Soviet side.
In September 1939, the Soviet Union annexed the Polish-held West Belarus during the 1939 invasion of Poland
and incorporated it into the BSSR. Part of it, including the city of Vilno, was later transferred to the Lithuanian SSR. During World War II, the territory was governed by the Belarusian Central Rada
.
After World War II, the Byelorussian SSR was given a seat in the United Nations General Assembly together with the Soviet Union and Ukrainian SSR, becoming one of the founding members of the UN. This was part of a deal with the United States to ensure a degree of balance in the General Assembly
, which, the USSR opined, was unbalanced in favor of the Western Bloc. A Byelorussian, G.G. Tchernouchtchenko, served as President of the United Nations Security Council
from January–February 1975.
Following the August Coup, the Supreme Soviet of Belarus declared independence from the Soviet Union on 25 August 1991. The republic was renamed the Republic of Belarus on 19 September 1991. On 8 December 1991 it was a signatory, along with Russia and Ukraine
, of the Belavezha Accords
, which replaced the Soviet Union with the Commonwealth of Independent States
. Belarus received independence on 25 December 1991. A day later the Soviet Union ceased to exist.
Nationalities (1959):
Other ethnic/religious groups (1959):
The largest cities were:
Republics of the Soviet Union
The Republics of the Soviet Union or the Union Republics of the Soviet Union were ethnically-based administrative units that were subordinated directly to the Government of the Soviet Union...
of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. It was one of the four original founding members of the Soviet Union in 1922, together with the Ukrainian SSR, the Transcaucasian SFSR
Transcaucasian SFSR
The Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic , also known as the Transcaucasian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, the Transcaucasian SFSR and the TSFSR for short, was a short-lived republic of the Soviet Union, lasting from 1922 to 1936...
and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , commonly referred to as Soviet Russia, Bolshevik Russia, or simply Russia, was the largest, most populous and economically developed republic in the former Soviet Union....
(RSFSR). The BSSR, along with the Ukrainian SSR and the Soviet Union, were founder members of the United Nations Organization in 1945.
The Soviet republic, Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia
Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia
The Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia or Soviet Socialist Republic of Belarus was an early republic in the historical territory of Belarus after the collapse of the Russian Empire as a result of the October Revolution....
(SSRB), in the lands of Belarus was declared on 1 January 1919, but it took a few years to define its status. Byelorussia was also one of several Soviet republics occupied by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The end of the Soviet Republic occurred in 1991 and the country was later renamed the Republic of Belarus. In earlier time periods Byelorussian territory was commonly referred to in Western Europe as White Russia
White Russia
White Russia or White Ruthenia is a name that has historically been applied to a part of the wider region of Ruthenia or Rus', most often to that which roughly corresponds to the eastern part of present-day Belarus including the cities of Polatsk, Vitsyebsk and Mahiliou. In English, the use of the...
, and therefore the republic was sometimes known during its early existence as the White Russian Soviet Socialist Republic.
Beginning
Prior to the First World War, Belarussian lands were part of the Russian EmpireRussian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, which it gained from the Partitions of Poland
Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...
more than a century earlier. During the War, the Russian Western Front
Western Front (Russian Empire)
The Western Front was a major unit of the Imperial Russian Army during the First World War. It was formed on the base of the Northwestern Front and disbanded in 1918.-Composition:Field Office * 1st Army...
's Great Retreat
Great Retreat (Russian)
The Great Retreat was a Russian retreat from Galicia and Poland during World War I.-Background:During this period, the buildup of forces generally favored the Central Powers. Four new German armies, the Eleventh, Twelfth, Army of the Niemen and Army Bug, were being formed up, dramatically shifting...
in August/September 1915 ended with the lands of Grodno
Grodno Governorate
The Grodno Governorate, was a governorate of the Russian Empire.-Overview:Grodno: a western province or government of Europe lying between 52 and 54 N lat 23 and E long and bounded N by Vilna E by Minsk S Volhynia and W by the former kingdom of Poland The country was a wide plain in parts very...
and most of Vilno guberniya
Guberniya
A guberniya was a major administrative subdivision of the Russian Empire usually translated as government, governorate, or province. Such administrative division was preserved for sometime upon the collapse of the empire in 1917. A guberniya was ruled by a governor , a word borrowed from Latin ,...
s occupied by Germany, and a front at 100 kilometres to the west of Minsk.
After the Russian February Revolution
February Revolution
The February Revolution of 1917 was the first of two revolutions in Russia in 1917. Centered around the then capital Petrograd in March . Its immediate result was the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov dynasty, and the end of the Russian Empire...
in March of 1917, the All-Russian council of Soviets created the Western Oblast which consisted of the Vilno, Vitebsk, Mogilev
Mogilev Governorate
The Mogilev Governorate or Government of Mogilev was a governorate of the Russian Empire in the territory of the present day Belarus. Its capital was in Mogilev....
and Minsk
Minsk Governorate
The Minsk Governorate or Government of Minsk was a governorate of the Russian Empire. The seat was in Minsk. It was created in 1793 from the land acquired in the partitions of Poland, and lasted until 1921.- Administrative structure :...
guberniyas (or parts unoccupied by German troops) to administer the Belarusian lands in the pre-front zone. On 25 October (7 November), the Minsk Soviet
Soviet (council)
Soviet was a name used for several Russian political organizations. Examples include the Czar's Council of Ministers, which was called the “Soviet of Ministers”; a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia; and the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union....
of workers and soldiers deputies took over the administration of the city. A month later, on 26 November (6 December) the executive committee of workers, peasants and soldiers deputies for the Western Oblast was merged with the Western front's executive committee, creating a single Obliskomzap. During the autumn/winter of 1918, the Western Oblast was headed by Aleksandr Myasnikyan
Aleksandr Myasnikyan
Aleksandr Teodorosi Myasnikyan a.k.a. Aleksandr Fyodorovich Myasnikov was a prominent Bolshevik of Armenian descent....
as head of the Western Oblast's Military Revolutionary Committee
Military Revolutionary Committee
The Military Revolutionary Committee also known as the Milrevcom was the name for military organs under the soviets during the period of the Russian Revolution and Russian Civil War. The most notable ones were those of the Petrograd Soviet, the Moscow Soviet, and at Stavka.These committees were...
, who passed this duty on to Karl Lander, instead taking over the role as chair of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party
Russian Social Democratic Labour Party
The Russian Social Democratic Labour Party , also known as Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party or Russian Social Democratic Party, was a revolutionary socialist Russian political party formed in 1898 in Minsk to unite the various revolutionary organizations into one party...
's (RSDRP(b)) committee for Western Oblast and Moisey Kalmanovich as chair of the Obliskomzap.
However, due to the failure of Soviet side to negotiate a deal at the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, mediated by South African Andrik Fuller, at Brest-Litovsk between Russia and the Central Powers, headed by Germany, marking Russia's exit from World War I.While the treaty was practically obsolete before the end of the year,...
, the Germans renewed their offensive and seized most of the Western Oblast
Western Oblast
Western Oblast was an early oblast of Russian SFSR. It was established by VTsIK on October 1, 1929..By the 1937 All-Union Census, its population was 4,693,495 persons.It was dissolved on September 27, 1937....
in February 1918. This forced the Obliskomzap to evacuate to Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
, and the Smolensk guberniya
Smolensk Governorate
Smolensk Governorate , or Government of Smolensk, was an administrative division of the Russian Empire, which existed, with interruptions, between 1708 and 1929....
was now passed to the Western Oblast. Four days after the German occupation of Minsk, the Belarus National Republic was proclaimed as a nominally independent state. De facto it was a puppet government to the German Empire.
Creation
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
's desire to continue into Central Europe and create the World revolution
World revolution
World revolution is the Marxist concept of overthrowing capitalism in all countries through the conscious revolutionary action of the organized working class...
. On 11 September 1918 the Revolutionary Military Council
Revolutionary Military Council
Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic or Revvoyensoviet Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic or Revvoyensoviet Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic or Revvoyensoviet (Революционный Военный Совет, Revolyutsionny Voyenny Sovyet; Реввоенсовет, Revvoyensovyet; also...
ordered the creation of the Western Defence region in the Western Oblast out of Curtain troop garrisons stationed there. Simultaneously the Western Oblast was re-arranged into a Western Commune. Then, on 13 November, Moscow annulled the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, mediated by South African Andrik Fuller, at Brest-Litovsk between Russia and the Central Powers, headed by Germany, marking Russia's exit from World War I.While the treaty was practically obsolete before the end of the year,...
, and two days later the Defence region was transformed into a Western army
Western Army (Russia)
The Western Army or 16th Army was created on November 15, 1918, by the Russian SFSR for the purpose of recovering territories lost by the Russian Empire during the First World War and establishing Soviet republics in those territories...
, which began an initially bloodless advance westward on the 17th. The Belarusian National Republic barely put up any resistance and evacuated Minsk on 3 December. The Soviets maintained a distance of about 10–15 km (6.2–9.3 ) between the two armies, and took Minsk on the 10th.
Encouraged by their success, back in Smolensk on 30/31 December 1918, the Sixth Western Oblast Party conference met and announced its split from the RSDRP(b), proclaiming itself as the first congress of the Communist Party of Byelorussia (CPB(b)). The next day, the Soviet Socialist Republic of Byelorussia was proclaimed in Smolensk, terminating the Western Commune, and on 7 January was moved to Minsk, with Aleksandr Myasnikyan
Aleksandr Myasnikyan
Aleksandr Teodorosi Myasnikyan a.k.a. Aleksandr Fyodorovich Myasnikov was a prominent Bolshevik of Armenian descent....
as head of the All-Byelorussian Central Executive Committee and Zmicier Zhylunovich
Zmicier Zhylunovich
Zmicier Zhylunovich was Belarusian poet, writer and journalist known under pen name Tsishka Hartny , and a political leader...
as head of the provisional government. The new Soviet republic initially consisted of seven districts: Baranovichi
Baranovichi
Baranovichi , is a city in the Brest Province of western Belarus with a population of 173,000. It is a significant railway junction and home to a state university.-Overview:...
, Vitebsk
Vitebsk
Vitebsk, also known as Viciebsk or Vitsyebsk , is a city in Belarus, near the border with Russia. The capital of the Vitebsk Oblast, in 2004 it had 342,381 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth largest city...
, Gomel, Grodno, Mogilev
Mogilev
Mogilev is a city in eastern Belarus, about 76 km from the border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and 105 km from the border with Russia's Bryansk Oblast. It has more than 367,788 inhabitants...
and Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
. On 30 January, the republic announced its separation from the Russian SFSR and is thus renamed from the Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia to the Soviet Socialist Republic of Byelorussia. This was conferred by the First congress of workers, soldiers and red army-men deputees on the which met on the 2-3 February 1919, adopting a new Socialist constitution. At the same time the Red Army continued its westward advance, the city of Grodno was captured on New Year's day in 1919, Pinsk
Pinsk
Pinsk , a town in Belarus, in the Polesia region, traversed by the river Pripyat, at the confluence of the Strumen and Pina rivers. The region was known as the Marsh of Pinsk. It is a fertile agricultural center. It lies south-west of Minsk. The population is about 130,000...
on 21 January, Baranovichi on 6 February 1919, thereby enlarging the republic.
Litbel
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
. On 16 December the Lithuanian Socialist Soviet Republic
Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (1918–1919)
The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic was an early short-lived Soviet republic declared on December 16, 1918 by the provisional revolutionary government, led by Vincas Mickevičius-Kapsukas...
was proclaimed in Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
.
However, it became soon apparent that both the Lithuanian operation
Lithuanian–Soviet War
The Lithuanian–Soviet War or Lithuanian–Bolshevik War was fought between newly independent Lithuania and the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic in the aftermath of World War I. It was part of the larger Soviet westward offensive of 1918–1919...
and continuing the conquest of Byelorussia would be under threat, for the German withdrawal of Ober-Ost, put a new power on the rise in Central Europe - the Second Polish Republic
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
. However the conflict with Poland did not break out and the Soviet High Command's 12 January directive was to cease advance on the Neman
Neman River
Neman or Niemen or Nemunas, is a major Eastern European river rising in Belarus and flowing through Lithuania before draining into the Curonian Lagoon and then into the Baltic Sea at Klaipėda. It is the northern border between Lithuania and Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast in its lower reaches...
-Bug
Bug River
The Bug River is a left tributary of the Narew river flows from central Ukraine to the west, passing along the Ukraine-Polish and Polish-Belarusian border and into Poland, where it empties into the Narew river near Serock. The part between the lake and the Vistula River is sometimes referred to as...
rivers. However, the region to the east of those lines was historically mixed between the Belarusians, the Poles and the Lithuanians, and had a sizeable Jewish minority. The local communities of each respective group wanted to be part of the respective states that were establishing themselves.
Fighting broke out between the self-organized Polish militias in the Kresy
Kresy
The Polish term Kresy refers to a land considered by Poles as historical eastern provinces of their country. Today, it makes western Ukraine, western Belarus, as well as eastern Lithuania, with such major cities, as Lviv, Vilnius, and Hrodna. This territory belonged to the Polish-Lithuanian...
("Borderland") areas of Lithuania, Belarus and western Ukraine (the Samoobrona Litwy i Białorusi numbering approximately 2,000 soldiers under General Wejtko) clashed with local communist and advancing Bolshevik forces, each trying to secure the territories for its own incipient government. The newly formed Polish Army began sending its organised units to reinforce the militias. On 14 February, the first clash
Battle of Bereza Kartuska (1919)
Battle of Bereza Kartuska was one of the first clashes between the organised forces of the Second Polish Republic and Soviet Russia and considered by some historians the first battle of the Polish-Soviet War....
between regular armies took place and a constant front emerged.
Eager to win support, the Bolshevik government turned to history and decided to restore the Great Duchy of Lithuania by merging the Lithuanian and Byelorussian republics into the Lithuanian–Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, or Litbel on 28 February 1919. Its capital was proclaimed as Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
, with five guberniyas: Vilno, Grodno
Grodno Governorate
The Grodno Governorate, was a governorate of the Russian Empire.-Overview:Grodno: a western province or government of Europe lying between 52 and 54 N lat 23 and E long and bounded N by Vilna E by Minsk S Volhynia and W by the former kingdom of Poland The country was a wide plain in parts very...
, Kovno
Kovno Governorate
The Kovno Governorate or Government of Kovno was a governorate of the Russian Empire. Its capital was Kovno . It was formed on 18 December 1842 by tsar Nicholas I from the western part of the Vilna Governorate, and the order was carried out on 1 July 1843. It used to be a part of Northwestern Krai...
, Suwalki
Suwalki Governorate
Suwałki Governorate was an administrative unit of the Congress Poland with seat in Suwałki. It covered a territory of about 12,300 km².-History:...
and Minsk
Minsk Governorate
The Minsk Governorate or Government of Minsk was a governorate of the Russian Empire. The seat was in Minsk. It was created in 1793 from the land acquired in the partitions of Poland, and lasted until 1921.- Administrative structure :...
. The Vitebsk and Mogilev guberniyas were transferred to the Russian SFSR, and were soon joined by the Gomel Governorate
Gomel Governorate
Gomel Governorate was a governorate of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1919 to 1926....
which was created on 26 April.
However by the start of spring 1918, the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
began to ignite around the rest of the country, and the Soviet government had much more urgent areas where it needed men desperately: Aleksandr Kolchak
Aleksandr Kolchak
Aleksandr Vasiliyevich Kolchak was a Russian naval commander, polar explorer and later - Supreme ruler . Supreme ruler of Russia , was recognized in this position by all the heads of the White movement, "De jure" - Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, "De facto" - Entente States...
on the Volga and Anton Denikin in the south. Moreover the operations in Lithuania brought the front close the East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
, and the German units who withdrew there, soon found themselves assisting the Lithuanian forces, and the offensive against Kaunus in February 1919 was repelled.
In March 1919, Polish units opened an offensive and forces under general Stanisław Szeptycki captured the city of Slonim
Slonim
Slonim is a city in Hrodna Voblast, Belarus, capital of the Slonim District. It is located at the junction of the Shchara and Isa rivers, 143 km southeast of Hrodna. The population in 2008 was 50,800.-Etymology and historical names:...
(2 March) and crossed the Neman, whilst Lithuanian advances forced the Soviets out of Panevėžys
Panevežys
Panevėžys see also other names, is the fifth largest city in Lithuania. As of 2008, it occupied 50 square kilometers with 113,653 inhabitants. The largest multifunctional arena in Panevėžys is the Cido Arena...
. One final Soviet counter-offensive retook Panevėžys
Panevežys
Panevėžys see also other names, is the fifth largest city in Lithuania. As of 2008, it occupied 50 square kilometers with 113,653 inhabitants. The largest multifunctional arena in Panevėžys is the Cido Arena...
and [Grodno in early April, but the Western Army was too thinly spread to fight both Polish, Lithuanian, and the German units assisting them. The Polish offensive quickly gained momentum, and Vilna offensive
Vilna offensive
The Vilna offensive was a campaign of the Polish–Soviet War of 1919–1921. The Polish army launched an offensive on April 16, 1919, to take Vilnius from the Red Army. After three days of street fighting from April 19–21, the city was captured by Polish forces, causing the Red Army to...
in April 1919, forced Litbel to evacuate the capital first to Dvinsk (28 April), then to Minsk (28 April), then to Bobruysk (19 May). As the Litbel lost territory, its powers were quickly stripped by Moscow, for example on 1 June Vtsik
All-Russian Central Executive Committee
All-Russian Central Executive Committee , was the highest legislative, administrative, and revising body of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Although the All-Russian Congress of Soviets had supreme authority, in periods between its sessions its powers were passed to VTsIK...
's decree put all of Litbel's armed forces under the command of the Red Army. On 17 July, the Defence Soviet was liquidated, and its function was passed to Minsk's Milrevcom. However, on 8 August Polish forces captured Minsk
Operation Minsk
Operation Minsk refers to the Polish offensive and capture of Minsk from the Bolshevik control in early August 1919.In the summer of 1919 after the Polish successes in several Polish-Russian skirmishes, the two combatants have been near the limits of their capabiity to wage warfare with each...
, that same day the capital was once again evacuated to Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
, and on 28 August Lithuanian forces took Zarasai
Zarasai
Zarasai is a city in northeastern Lithuania, surrounded by many lakes and rivers: to the southwest of the city is Zarasas, north – Zarasaitis, southeast – Baltas, and east – Griežtas. Zarasaitis and Griežtas are connected by Laukesa rivulet....
(the last Lithuanian town held by Litbel) and the same day Bobruysk fell to the Poles.
However by late summer of 1919 the Polish advance was also exhausted. The banishment of the Red Army opened another historic disagreement between Poland and Lithuania, whose disagreements over the city of Vilnius soon erupted into a military conflict
Polish–Lithuanian War
The Polish–Lithuanian War was an armed conflict between newly independent Lithuania and Poland in the aftermath of World War I. The conflict primarily concerned territorial control of the Vilnius Region, including Vilnius , and the Suwałki Region, including the towns of Suwałki, Augustów, and Sejny...
, with Poland winning. Soviet Russia, facing Denikin and Kolchak was unable to spare men to the western front, and a stalemate resulted in only localised skirmishes.
The pawn on a chessboard
The stalemate and the occasional (though fruitless) negotiations gave the RSFSR a much needed pause to concentrate on other regions. During the latter half of 1919 the Red Army successfully defeated Denikin in the South, taking over the Don, North Caucasus and Eastern Ukraine, pushed Kolchak from the Volga, beyond the Ural mountains into SiberiaSiberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. In autumn of 1919, Nikolai Yudenich's advance on Petrograd was checked, whilst in the far north the Evgeny Miller's army was pushed into the Arctic. On the diplomatic front, on 11 September 1919, the People's Commissar of Foreign Affairs of Soviet Russia, Georgy Chicherin
Georgy Chicherin
Georgy Vasilyevich Chicherin was a Marxist revolutionary and a Soviet politician. He served as People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs in the Soviet government from March 1918 to 1930.-Childhood and early career:...
, sent a note to Lithuania with a proposal for a peace treaty
Peace treaty
A peace treaty is an agreement between two or more hostile parties, usually countries or governments, that formally ends a state of war between the parties...
. It was a de facto recognition of the Lithuanian state. Similar negotiations with Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
and Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, gave way for a peace treaty with the former on 2 February 1920 and a cease-fire agreement with the latter a day earlier.
Having secured several frontiers and breaking the "Ring of Fronts" the Soviet government began building up its forces for the massive offensive westwards, bringing the World Revolution
World revolution
World revolution is the Marxist concept of overthrowing capitalism in all countries through the conscious revolutionary action of the organized working class...
to Europe. However the Polish role of preventing this and creating a "buffer zone" at the expense of Belarus was not its sole goal. The new leader Józef Piłsudski rallied the Poles under a nationalist rhetoric to re-create the historic Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
, the Międzymorze
Miedzymorze
Międzymorze was a plan, pursued after World War I by Polish leader Józef Piłsudski, for a federation, under Poland's aegis, of Central and Eastern European countries...
, which would include Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus and push the eastern border as far as possible into Russia.
War continues
in April 1920 the Kiev offensive began. However the Soviet Red Army was much more organised then it was a year earlier, and whilst it made several gains in Ukraine, in Byelorussia, both of its offensives towards ZhlobinZhlobin
Zhlobin is a city in the Homiel Voblast of Belarus, on the Dnieper river. As of 2005, the population is 75.866. The town was first mentioned in writing in 1492....
and Orsha
Orsha
Orsha is a city in Belarus in Vitebsk voblast on the fork of the Dnieper and Arshytsa rivers.-Facts:*Location: *Population: 125,000 *Phone code: +375 216*Postal codes: 211030, 211381–211394, 211396–211398-History:...
were thrown back in May.
In June, the RSFSR was finally ready to open its major Western advance. To preserve the neutrality of Lithuania (though the peace treaty was still being negotiated) on 6 June, the exiled government of Litbel was disbanded. Within a few days, the 3rd Cavalry Corps under command of Hayk Bzhishkyan broke the Polish front, causing a collapse and a retreat. On 11 July Minsk was re-taken, and on 31 July 1920 once again the Soviet Socialist Republic of Belorussia was re-established in Minsk.
As the front moved west, and more and more of Belarusian lands were adjoined to the new republic the first administrative decrees were issued. The entity was divided into seven uyezd
Uyezd
Uyezd or uezd was an administrative subdivision of Rus', Muscovy, Russian Empire, and the early Russian SFSR which was in use from the 13th century. Uyezds for most of the history in Russia were a secondary-level of administrative division...
s: Bobruysk, Borisov
Borisov
Borisov , or Borisova is a common Russian and Bulgarian last name and may refer to:-Borisov:*Alexander Alexeyevich Borisov , Russian painter*Alexander Fyodorovich Borisov , Soviet actor...
, Igumen, Minsk, Mozyr and Slutsk
Slutsk
Slutsk is a town in Belarus, located on the Sluch River south of Minsk. As of 2010 its population is of 61,400).-Geography:The town is situated in the south-west of its Voblast, not too far from from the city of Soligorsk.-History:...
. (Vitebsk, Gomel and Mogilev remained part of the RSFSR.) This time the leaders were Aleksandr Chervyakov
Aleksandr Chervyakov
Aleksandr Grigoryevich Chervyakov was one of the founders and eventually became the leader of the Communist Party of Belorussia.He joined the Bolshevik Party in May 1917, and began to gain power quickly...
(head of Minsk's milrevcom) and Wilhelm Knorin (as chairmen of the Central Comitee of the Belarusian Communist Party). The SSRB sought to join further territories, as the Red Army crossed into Poland, but the decisive Polish victory at the Battle of Warsaw
Battle of Warsaw
Battle of Warsaw can refer to:* Siege of Warsaw , Warsaw retaken by Poles from Swedes on June 30, 1656, during The Deluge* Battle of Warsaw , battle outside the city on July 18-July 20, 1656, during The Deluge, following which Warsaw is captured by Swedes for the second time* Battle of Warsaw ,...
in August ended these ambitions. Once again, the Red Army found itself on the defensive in Belorussia. The Poles were able to successfully break the Russian lines at the Battle of the Niemen River
Battle of the Niemen River
The Battle of the Niemen River was the second-greatest battle of the Polish-Soviet War. It took place near the middle Neman River between the cities of Suwałki, Grodno and Białystok...
in September 1920. As a result the Soviets were not only forced to abandon their World Revolution
World revolution
World revolution is the Marxist concept of overthrowing capitalism in all countries through the conscious revolutionary action of the organized working class...
targets, but Western Belarus too. However early autumn rains halted the Polish advance, which exhausted itself by October. A cease-fire agreed on 12 October, came into effect on 18 October.
The Slutsk uprising
The military conflict, over, and finalised by the Treaty of Riga (1921) left Belarusian lands divided. Almost half (Western Belarus) now belonged to Poland, Eastern Belarus (Gomel, Vitebsk and parts of Smolensk guberniyas) were administered by the RSFSR. The rest was the SSRB, a republic with 52,400 square kilometres and a population of a mere 1,544 million people. Six years of war have left the land neglected and looted, and the endless change of occupying regimes, each worse than the previous have left their mark on the Belarusian people. The Polish, blinded by their MiędzymorzeMiedzymorze
Międzymorze was a plan, pursued after World War I by Polish leader Józef Piłsudski, for a federation, under Poland's aegis, of Central and Eastern European countries...
ideals disregarded the potential of an alliance with the Belarusian National Republic
Belarusian National Republic
The Belarusian People's Republic was a self-declared independent Belarusian state, which declared independence in 1918. It is also called the Belarusian Democratic Republic or the Belarusian National Republic, in order to distinguish it from Communist People's Republics...
, though allowing them to establish a nominal government first in Minsk in September 1919. However as the armistice came into effect, one of the clauses was that the division of Belarus would see the region of Slutsk
Slutsk
Slutsk is a town in Belarus, located on the Sluch River south of Minsk. As of 2010 its population is of 61,400).-Geography:The town is situated in the south-west of its Voblast, not too far from from the city of Soligorsk.-History:...
passed to the Soviet side.
Early Soviet years
which became a founding member of the Soviet Union in 1922 and became known as BSSR.In September 1939, the Soviet Union annexed the Polish-held West Belarus during the 1939 invasion of Poland
Soviet invasion of Poland (1939)
The 1939 Soviet invasion of Poland was a Soviet military operation that started without a formal declaration of war on 17 September 1939, during the early stages of World War II. Sixteen days after Nazi Germany invaded Poland from the west, the Soviet Union did so from the east...
and incorporated it into the BSSR. Part of it, including the city of Vilno, was later transferred to the Lithuanian SSR. During World War II, the territory was governed by the Belarusian Central Rada
Belarusian Central Rada
The Belarusian Central Rada was nominally the government of Belarus from 1943–44. It was a collaborationist government established by Nazi Germany within the occupation and colonial administration of Reichskommissariat Ostland.- Timeline :...
.
After World War II, the Byelorussian SSR was given a seat in the United Nations General Assembly together with the Soviet Union and Ukrainian SSR, becoming one of the founding members of the UN. This was part of a deal with the United States to ensure a degree of balance in the General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
, which, the USSR opined, was unbalanced in favor of the Western Bloc. A Byelorussian, G.G. Tchernouchtchenko, served as President of the United Nations Security Council
President of the United Nations Security Council
The President of the United Nations Security Council is the presiding officer of that body. The president is the head of the delegation from the Security Council member state that holds the rotating presidency.-Selection:...
from January–February 1975.
Following the August Coup, the Supreme Soviet of Belarus declared independence from the Soviet Union on 25 August 1991. The republic was renamed the Republic of Belarus on 19 September 1991. On 8 December 1991 it was a signatory, along with Russia and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, of the Belavezha Accords
Belavezha Accords
The Belavezha Accords is the agreement which declared the Soviet Union effectively dissolved and established the Commonwealth of Independent States in its place...
, which replaced the Soviet Union with the Commonwealth of Independent States
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union....
. Belarus received independence on 25 December 1991. A day later the Soviet Union ceased to exist.
Demographics
According to the 1959 Soviet Census, the population of the republic were made up as follows:Nationalities (1959):
- BelarusiansBelarusiansBelarusians ; are an East Slavic ethnic group who populate the majority of the Republic of Belarus. Introduced to the world as a new state in the early 1990s, the Republic of Belarus brought with it the notion of a re-emerging Belarusian ethnicity, drawn upon the lines of the Old Belarusian...
- 81% - PolesPolesthumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
- 16% - LithuaniansLithuaniansLithuanians are the Baltic ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number around 2,765,600 people. Another million or more make up the Lithuanian diaspora, largely found in countries such as the United States, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland. Their native language...
- 5% - UkrainiansUkrainiansUkrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
- about 1% - RussiansRussiansThe Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
- <1%
Other ethnic/religious groups (1959):
- Jews - about 1%
The largest cities were:
- MinskMinsk- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
- BrestBrest, BelarusBrest , formerly also Brest-on-the-Bug and Brest-Litovsk , is a city in Belarus at the border with Poland opposite the city of Terespol, where the Bug River and Mukhavets rivers meet...
- Homel
- HrodnaHrodnaGrodno or Hrodna , is a city in Belarus. It is located on the Neman River , close to the borders of Poland and Lithuania . It has 327,540 inhabitants...
- Mahilyow
- Vitsebsk
- Babruisk
External links
- Byelorussia : speeding towards abundance by Tikhon Kiselev