History 27/02/20 How the Germans destroyed the inhabitants of Belarus during the occupation
With the first months of the occupation, the German administration pursued in Belarus is the policy of the plan “OST”. $ 8-million population of the Republic was given in the administration, introduced compulsory tax on agricultural products were held constant repression and ethnic cleansing.
According to the Belarusian historian, Emmanuel Ioffe, in the occupied territories, the Nazis staged 299 Jewish ghetto. The Germans supported the Belarusian collaborators, and flirted with the Church. In October 1941 they were assigned to Metropolitan Panteleimon, the title “Minsk and all Belarus” and the Metropolitan Department moved to Minsk.
guerrilla war
a strict policy of the invaders aroused the active opposition of the local population and it became actively involved in the guerrilla movement. In the book “the Great Patriotic war of the Soviet people (in the context of the Second world war)” was written by a group of Russian and Belarusian historians says that by December 1941 on the territory of the Republic there were more than 200 groups, which fought 12 thousand fighters.
About the national character of the resistance to the invaders said that at the time of liberation of Belarus partisan movement was attended by 370 thousand people! Resistance was facilitated by the nature of Belarus with its many forests, lakes and swamps, and in the summer of 1941 was a shelter for thousands of soldiers of the red Army, joined the local folk Avengers. The Germans lacked the troops and resources to effectively fight the guerrillas and their main weapon they chose terror.
the Order of Keitel
Arranging in Belarus “the new order” the German administration and the local collaborators were guided by two documents, signed by the chief command of the Wehrmacht, General-field Marshal Keitel.
16 Sep yourate the order “About the shooting of hostages in the East”, which said: “…human life in the countries concerned, in most cases, have no value…” and that deterrent actions can only be achieved through an exceptionally severe measures. Atonement for the life of each German soldier in such cases should serve the death penalty is 50 to 100 Communists. The methods of these executions needs to increase the degree of deterrent effect. Reinforcing the powers of the punitive order of Keitel, 16 December 1941, No 004870/42 on combating partisans by any means. From this day for the murder and cruel treatment of the locals, women and children, with soldiers filmed any liability.
the invaders against Partizan
During the whole period of the occupation of Belorussia, the Germans had over 140 punitive actions, which in addition to SS, SD, Baltic, Ukrainian and Belarusian collaborators participated military personnel of the Wehrmacht.
the First action was taken in July 1941. The most famous were operations, “eagle”, “harvest Festival”, “the Magic flute”, “Swamp fever”, “Winter magic.” Most often the victims of the executioners was not the guerrillas and the residents of the Belarusian villages. All action was accompanied by mass executions of the population, theft of youth to work in Germany, burning of houses, confiscation of products and livestock.
In August 1942 Hermann Goering demanded that reichkommissariat: “it is necessary to take all possible. While I do not care if you tell me that the people of the occupied areas starving. Let them die, just to be alive by the Germans.”
in the autumn of 1942, the partisans took the offensive and by the winter of 1943 controlled more than half of the territory of the Republic, some areas were completely cleared of the invaders. In 1944, the people’s Avengers were full of battles with German troops, and took an active part in the preparation of the operation “Bagration”. They destroyed the rear of the enemy’s infrastructure, built for the upcoming KrasNoah Army more than 300 bridges and crossings, and the guerrilla brigade of iron ore before the arrival of Soviet tank brigade was held on the river Berezina 17-kilometer-long bridgehead.
How many people died
According to doctor of historical Sciences, Alexander Kovalenya, three years of occupation of Byelorussia were destroyed 628 settlements together with inhabitants. All were burned 5295 towns and villages that are also part of the population was killed. Russian historian alter Litvin believes that killed up to 2 million people, including civilians, and military personnel.
the Geographer and demographer, Paul fields, and based on the report “extraordinary Commission” says about 1,360 million dead in the punitive actions that were 22.4% of the then population of Belarus. An Israeli researcher, Leonid Smilovitsky, in his work devoted to the Jewish question in the context of guerrilla warfare in Belarus, writes about the 2 million civilians killed, among whom there were from 250 thousand to 1 million Jews.
Alexander Brazhnik
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© Russian Seven
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