Belarus: A Fascist State?

Belarus has a long and complex history, dating back to the Stone Age, with ancient settlements discovered across the country. In the 20th century, Belarus faced turbulent times, with the country caught between powers during World War II. During this period, some Belarusians collaborated with the invading Axis powers, hoping for an independent nation. After the war, Belarus became part of the Soviet Union and experienced further political upheaval, eventually gaining independence in 1991. Today, the country is facing protests and accusations of human rights abuses, with opposition groups drawing parallels between the current regime and the fascist invaders of World War II.

Belarusian collaboration with Nazi Germany during World War II

During World War II, some Belarusians collaborated with the invading Axis powers. At the time, Belarus was under the control of the Soviet Union, as the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. However, many Belarusians wanted an independent nation and hoped that Nazi Germany would grant them independence after the war.

Before the war, the Belarusian National Socialist Party was formed by a group of Belarusian nationalists in Polish-controlled Western Belorussia. The party was banned by Polish authorities in 1937, and its leaders went to Berlin, becoming advisers to the Germans when they invaded the Soviet Union in 1941.

The Belarusian Central Rada, a limited national government, was established by the Nazis in 1943 to gain sympathy from the Belarusian population and use them against the Soviet army. Radasłaŭ Astroŭski, a Belarusian collaborator and president of the Belarusian Central Rada, helped create Belarusian administrations in several cities and supported the annihilation of Jews. However, he had minimal involvement in carrying out the mass murders that took place during the Nazi occupation, which resulted in the deaths of around a quarter of Belarus's population, including 500,000 to 550,000 Jews.

Belarusian organisations never had full control over the territory of Belarus during the war. Real power was held by German civil and military administrations, who appointed Poles to positions of authority, such as mayors, policemen, and managers of larger farms, rather than Belarusians. Despite this, by April 1944, the Belarusian Regional Defense Corps under Nazi Germany had over 20,000 members, and the German-organised Union of Belarusian Youths had about 90,000 members.

Partisan tactics used against the Nazis

During World War II, some Belarusians collaborated with the invading Axis powers. The Belarusian National Socialist Party was formed by a small group of Belarusian nationalists in Polish-controlled Western Belorussia in 1933. The group was far less influential than other Belarusian political parties in interwar Poland. The Belarusian Central Council, presenting itself as a Belarusian governmental body, was formed in Minsk a few months before Belarus was retaken by the Soviet Army.

During the war, partisan tactics were used against the Nazis in Belarus. The local partisan movement, which fought against the Nazi occupiers and local collaborators, was strong and is still remembered today. Partisan tactics have even been used in recent protests against Alexander Lukashenko's brutally repressive regime.

• Hiding in forests and urban areas to carry out operations
• Carrying out surprise attacks and open battles against German forces
• Using propaganda and psychological warfare to gain support and spread fear
• Relying on the local populace for support and supplies
• Using guerilla warfare and unconventional tactics to exploit German weaknesses
• Forming alliances and coordinating with other resistance groups
• Using sabotage and intelligence gathering to disrupt German operations
• Conducting raids and ambushes against German targets
• Employing hit-and-run tactics to maximise damage and minimise casualties

Alexander Lukashenko's neo-Soviet, Belarusian identity

Alexander Lukashenko has been the president of Belarus since 1994, making him the longest-serving head of state in Europe. His rule has been marked by the preservation of Soviet-era symbolism, including the Russian language, coat of arms, and national flag. This has been accompanied by an authoritarian style of leadership, censorship, and tight control of the media.

Lukashenko has used the memory of the partisan resistance against the Nazi occupation of Belarus during World War II as the basis for a neo-Soviet, Belarusian identity. The years of partisan resistance and the eventual victory by the Red Army are central to this narrative. Monuments, street names, and museums venerate the memory of the war years from 1941 to 1945. The country's independence day is celebrated on the day Minsk was liberated from the Nazis in 1944, rather than the day Belarus gained independence from the Soviet Union.

Lukashenko has also emphasised the need to preserve the economic practices of the Soviet era, maintaining state ownership of key industries and preventing the rise of oligarchy. This has resulted in Belarus being isolated from parts of the West and increasingly dependent on Russia.

The war narrative promoted by Lukashenko's regime has taken an interesting turn in recent years, as he faces angry and sustained protests against his continued rule. The authorities are now being referred to as "`fascists and `occupiers' by the opposition, drawing parallels between the uniforms, styles, and methods used by the current authorities and those of the Nazis. The partisan tactics used during the war against the Nazis have been adopted by the opposition in their struggle against Lukashenko's brutally repressive regime.

The Belarusian Central Council

The BCC only had a limited role in governing, with key decisions being made by the German administration of the Generalbezirk Weißruthenien district. The Council mostly managed social affairs, culture, and education. It had twelve departments, including education, science and culture, propaganda and press, social security, finance, youth affairs, religion, and control. The BCC oversaw the activities of Belarusian civic organisations established earlier with German permission, including the Union of Belarusian Youth, the Belarusian Scientific Society, and the Belarusian Cultural Association.

One of the BCC's notable actions was organising a universal military conscription among young Belarusians in March 1944, leading to the formation of the Belarusian Home Defence (BKA) with 28,000 troops ready for training. The BCC also worked on widening the usage of the Belarusian language in schools and public life and attempted to gain legitimacy through a congress in Minsk in 1944, titled the Second All-Belarusian Congress, which gathered 1,039 delegates from various regions of Belarus and Belarusian emigre organisations. The congress confirmed the declaration of independence of Belarus and declared the BCC as the only legitimate representative body of the Belarusian people.

After the evacuation in 1944 due to the advance of the Red Army, the BCC continued to operate in exile and was one of the main umbrella organisations of the Belarusian emigre community in the West until its dissolution in April 1995.

The Belarusian National Socialist Party

Party leaders left for Berlin and became among the first advisers to the Germans at the onset of Operation Barbarossa. During World War II, some Belarusians collaborated with the invading Axis powers, hoping that Nazi Germany would allow them to have their own independent state after the war ended.

The Belarusian Central Council, a puppet Belarusian administration under German hegemony, was formed in Minsk a few months before Belarus was retaken by the Soviet Army. Radasłaŭ Astroŭski, a Byelorussian collaborator with Nazi Germany, served as president of the Belarusian Central Council from 1943-1944 and in exile from 1948-1976. Astroŭski and his cohorts supported the annihilation of Jews but had relatively minimal involvement in carrying out the mass murders.

In recent years, there have been protests in Belarus against the continued rule of President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994. Lukashenko has used the years of partisan resistance against the Nazi occupation of the country and the eventual victory by the Red Army as the basis for a neo-Soviet, Belarusian identity. However, in a strange twist, his authorities have now become the "fascists" and "occupiers" in the eyes of the protesters, who claim that they remain in power only due to their military and police might.

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