Belarusian Central Council
Weißruthenischer Zentralrat Беларуская цэнтральная рада | |
Generalbezirk Weißruthenien (part of Reichskommissariat Ostland) | |
Headquarters | Minsk |
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Council executives |
|
Parent Council | Reich Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories Nazi Germany |
The Belarusian Central Council (Belarusian: Беларуская цэнтральная рада, romanized: Biełaruskaja centralnaja rada; German: Weißruthenischer Zentralrat) was a puppet administrative body in German-occupied Belarus during World War II.[2] It was established by Nazi Germany within Reichskommissariat Ostland in 1943–44,[3] following requests by collaborationist Belarusian politicians hoping to create a Belarusian state with German support.[3]
Background
Immediately after the 1941
The
A Nazi politician
In order to drum up fresh troops for the front inside Reichskommissariat Ostland and to stimulate support from the Belarusian population and elites,[8] General Reinhard Gehlen suggested to the German High Command that some concessions be made to the Belarusian collaborators in the form of a puppet state.[9] The "semi-autonomous" local government was established by Nazi Germany in December 1943, and named the Belarusian Central Council. Radasłaŭ Astroŭski, the mayor of Smolensk at that time, was appointed its president.[3] SS-Gruppenführer Kurt von Gottberg who replaced Kube named the Belarusian politician Ivan Yermachenka, arriving from Prague, the "Advisor on Belarusian affairs".[9]
Functions and work
The Belarusian Central Council only had a limited role in governing, with the key decisions being taken by the German administration of the Generalbezirk Weißruthenien. The Council mostly managed social affairs as well as culture and education.[8] The Council had twelve departments including: Education, science and culture; Propaganda and press; Social security; Finance; Youth affairs; Religion; Control; Administrative issues; Economy; National minorities; and Home Defence.[8]
The Belarusian Central Council oversaw the activities of Belarusian civic organisations established earlier with German permission including: Union of Belarusian Youth; Belarusian Scientific Society; Belarusian Cultural Association; Belarusian Self-Help; and labour unions.[8] The Council managed to widen the usage of the Belarusian language in schools and in public life, worked on the opening of a university.[8]
Policy on religion
The Germans authorised the reformation of the
Belarusian Home Defence
In March 1944, the Belarusian Central Council organized a universal military conscription among the young Belarusians. The Belarusian Home Defence (Bielaruskaja Krajovaja Abarona, BKA) was formed, with 28,000 troops ready for training, aided by a few thousand members of the Belarusian Auxiliary Police battalions.[11]
After the retreat of Germans from Belarus, the Belarusian Home Defence was absorbed into the
Other members of BKA and the Belarusian Auxiliary Police were recruited by SS-
Exile
In 1944, with the advance of the Red Army towards the west, the Belarusian Central Council evacuated with the retreating Germans to East Prussian and Polish lands still under the control of Nazi Germany.
On June 27, 1944, a few days before the evacuation, the BCR held a congress in Minsk, titled the Second All-Belarusian Congress, sanctioned by Gottberg. The meeting gathered 1,039 delegates from various regions of Belarus and from Belarusian emigre organizations, with German officials among them. Representatives of the SS observed the proceedings from a balcony.
After evacuation, the leadership of the BCR formed the base for Belarusian self-organization in the post-war camps for
On March 25, 1948, the Belarusian Central Council renewed its activity in exile.[22] It was one of the main umbrella organizations of the Belarusian emigre community in the West until its dissolution in April 1995 with the death of its last members.
Presidents
- Radasłaŭ Astroŭski (1943 — 1945 and 1948 — 1976)
- Nikandar Miadziejka (1977 — 1987)
- Michas Zuj (1988 — 1995)
- Vital Ciarpicki (1995)
See also
- German occupation of Belarus during World War II
- Belarusian collaboration with Nazi Germany
- Belarus in World War II
- Lokot Republic– native Russian state under indirect German control
Notes
- ISBN 9780300134353.
- ^ (German) Dallin, Alexander (1958). Deutsche Herrschaft in Russland, 1941-1945: Eine Studie über Besatzungspolitik, pp. 234-236. Droste Verlag GmbH, Düsseldorf.
- ^ ISBN 978-0300134353. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
- ISBN 978-0803203921. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ISBN 978-1580464079. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
- ^ Lance Ackerfeld (20 Sep 2007). "From materials of the Extraordinary Commission (Ch.G.K. USSR)". Yizkor Book Project. Holocaust in Belorussia. JewishGen. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
- ^ "Shoah in Belarus". Death Squads, Massacres, Ghettos. Geni.com. 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Hardzijenka, Aleh (January 2004). "ДА ЎГОДКАЎ БЕЛАРУСКАЙ ЦЭНТРАЛЬНАЙ РАДЫ - Развагі маладога гісторыка" [The anniversary of the Belarusian Central Council - ideas from a young historian]. Bielarus.org (in Belarusian). Bielarus Newspaper. Archived from the original on 2006-09-28. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
- ^ a b c Andrew Wilson (2011). "The Traumatic Twentieth Century" (PDF). Belarus: the last European dictatorship. Yale University Press. pp. 109–110. Archived from the original (PDF file, direct download 16.4 MB) on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
- ^ "100(0) Schlüsseldokumente" (facsimile). DE. Retrieved 17 September 2009..
- ISBN 0786403713. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
- ^ Dawid Wowra (January 22, 2014). "Belarusian Resistance, documentary by PartyzanFilm 2008 (transcript)". Based on Bialoruski ruch oporu by Siarhiej Jorsz. Scribd.com. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
- ^ Wilson 2011, p. 109. Operation Black Cat.
- ISBN 0743217780. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
Black Cat.
- ISBN 9781412847865. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
- ISBN 0-394-52292-3. Archived from the originalon October 25, 2009. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
- ^ Mark Alexander: Nazi Collaborators, American Intelligence, and the Cold War. The Case of the Byelorussian Central Council. University of Vermont Graduate College Dissertations and Theses, Nr. 424, 2015
- ^ a b c "60 ГАДОЎ ДРУГОМУ ЎСЕБЕЛАРУСКАМУ КАНГРЭСУ: 1944 - 2004 (60 YEARS OF THE SECOND ALL-BELARUSIAN CONGRESS: 1944 - 2004)" (in Belarusian).
- ^ Dallin, Alexander. German Rule in Russia: 1941–1945. Octagon Books: 1990.
- ^ Туронак Ю. Беларусь пад нямецкай акупацыяй. — Мн.: Беларусь, 1993. — С. 192.
- ^ Гардзіенка А. Беларускі кангрэсавы камітэт Амэрыкі (БККА). — Смаленск, 2009. — 428 с., [12] с. іл. — С.18
- ISBN 978-0-7656-1027-0, p. 39-40.
References
- Arnold Toynbee, Veronica Toynbee, et al., La Europa de Hitler (Spanish tr. of Hitler's Europe), Ed Vergara, Barcelona, Esp, 1958 reprinted in 1986 by Madrid Sarpe D.L., Section VI: "Occupied lands and Satellite Countries in East Europe", Chapter II: Ostland, P.253-259. OCLC 434840263
- Ostland Footnotes: P.253-259.