Russian version
During many centuries Belarus was an integral part of Central Europe. Current regime of Alexander Lukashenko uses draconian methods to prevent the return of the country to the European community. Nonetheless, this process is conditioned by the long-lasting historical factors. Lukashenko, therefore, can only suspend it, but he is unable to bring it to a full stop…
Together With Warsaw, Versus Moscow
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| The report of the Soviet intelligence |
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At the end December 1943, the Soviet intelligence reported to the Kremlin about activity of the Polish guerilla troops, acting in the territory of Belarus occupied by the Germans: "As of lately, Polish nationalists actively create their underground organizations and armed legions in the territory of Western Byelorussia. Such legions are created in the following localities: Belovejskaya Pusha, Novogrudok, Lida, and Slonim. Polish Government gave them a task to train the armed forces in order to restore, with England's help, the Polish State within the borders of 1939. Polish nationalist newspaper Niepodleglosc (Independence) openly calls the local Poles for battle against the Bolsheviks".
This passage from the Soviet intelligence's report, from the period of the World War II, reflects correctly Poles' traditional attitude towards the territory between Poland and Russia, which is called Belarus. During many centuries this territory was viewed as part of "historical Poland", connected to it politically, economically, culturally, religiously, and ethnically, sawn-off by Moscow. Polish political elite holds this point of view till today, claiming its responsibility for Belarus' destiny and aspiration to attain democratic reforms in this country. The goal of such policy is clear: return of Minsk into the orbit of the European, and primarily of the Polish, influence.
Such position of Poland has the historical grounds. Before Russia's emergence as a state, in the 13th century the territory of modern Belarus was included into the Lithuanian Grand Duchy. Already then, the boundaries between regions where the Byelorussians and the Poles lived were blurred, and there existed a mixed settlement of the two peoples in the most part of Modern Belarus. In any case, this territory was categorically not in the influence zone of the Russians, who were then under the Mongolian yoke. In 1514, the Byelorussians together with the Lithuanians defeated the Muscovites' army near the town of Orsha. Revealingly, in the Communist period the authorities strictly prohibited to mention the fact of this battle. Already after he USSR collapse, in September 1994 the Belarusian People's Front declared the day of the Orsha battle as a day of Belarusian military glory. This fact then provoked the Kremlin's open anger. Russian Ambassador in Minsk announced that "Making usage of this insignificant episode foments the anti-Russian moods in Belarus public".
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Service report from Russian ambassador in Minsk to Moscow about Orsha events, November 1993 |
Few decades after the Orsha battle, when Lithuania and Poland formally united in the framework of the Union of Lublin (1569), gradual "polanization" of the local Belarusian nobility, who had a significant influence at the Polish court, began.
Moreover, in 1596, in Brest-Litovsk, a historical compromise was attained between the Belarusian and Ukrainian Orthodox Church on the one hand, and the Catholic Church on the other (the Union of Brest-Litovsk). As a result, the Uniat Church came into life, subordinate to the Pope, but preserving the traditions of the Orthodox Church. Practically, that meant a break-off with Moscow Patriarchate, and unification with Catholic Europe. It was not by chance that at the beginning of 17th century, the runaway Russian monk Gregory Otrepiev found asylum in the territory of Belarus. With the support of the Polish Commonwealth he then became the Russian Tsar (1605-1606). Half a century later, in 1654-1667, the Byelorussians together with the Poles struggled against the Russian intervention.
Genocide of the Byelorussian People
In his fundamental oeuvre 100 Questions and Answers from History of Byelorussia (1993), contemporary Belarusian historian Sergey Tarasov mentions that as a result of the thirteen years long war of the second half of the 17th century, "out of 2.9 million locals, only 1.4 million survived. In the eastern and northern areas of Belarus, less than a third part of population was left". Only after a few decades, in the course of the Russian-Swedish war (1700-1721), the Russian troops appeared once again on the Belarusian soil. Following the personal order of Peter the Great, many Belarusian towns were set on fire, including such big cities as Vitebsk and Mogilev. As a consequence of the occupation army activity, some 800 thousand Byelorussians were killed.
However, despite all attempts of the Russian Tsar, the Belarusian lands continued to be an integral part of the Central European space till the end of the 18th century. They passed to Russia only as part of the so-called "Partitions of Poland". Moscow exploited the Belarusian soil without any remorse, carrying out the policy of its russification. If in the Polish Commonwealth the Byelorussians were allowed to occupy high posts at the royal court, in Tsar's Russia they were relegated to the status of slaves. Even the Russian historians and publicists of 19th – 20th centuries were compelled to admit that "the annexation of the Byelorussian lands was carried out rudely, disloyally towards the local population, not taking into account the latter's customs and traditions".
By the beginning of the 20th century, the situation in which the Belarusian peasants found themselves was most unbearable. Contrary to other regions of the Empire, more than eighty per cent of the land here belonged to the Russian noblemen. Average annual revenue of the Belarusian peasant was 69.8% of peasants' revenue in the other regions of country's European part. Industry in the region was very poorly developed, and the urban population suffered the unemployment. It resulted in a permanent famine, and gradual extinction of the population.
Practically, from the 17th century, the authorities of the Russian Empire committed genocide of the Belarusian people, using both military and economic methods. At the same time, the Uniat Church was subject to persecution.
Second Occupation
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The Red Army in Minsk, July 1920 |
After the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, and the World War I, Poland that regained its independence tried to return the Belarusian territory which was seized by the Russians. In August 1919, the Polish troops took hold of Minsk and a number of Belarusian regions. Warsaw got the support of the local national leaders who opposed the Bolsheviks. In spring 1920, after talks in Warsaw and in Minsk, an agreement was signed placing on record their accord to integrate the Belarusian lands in Poland. This document, signed by the Belarusian leadership, restored the situation of the late 18th century, connecting Belarus' destiny once again with Poland and Europe, and not with Bolshevik Russia. However, already in summer 1920, during the Russian-Polish war, Belarus was repeatedly occupied by the Russians. According to conditions of the signed armistice, Poland got only Belarus' western part. Belarusian territory to the East of Brest was left under the Bolshevik reign, in the forthcoming two decades suffering all the atrocities of the Stalinist regime. The unrest was felt in Western Belarus as well. At the beginning of the 1920s, the Soviet secret services sent small diversionist groups there, to carry out what was called "active intelligence", and in the other words – murders of representatives of the local Polish administration and civil population.
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| Lavrenty Zanava, head of the Soviet secret police in Belarus before and after WW II |
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At the end of the day, Western Belarus was also conquered by the Soviet Union. It happened in September 1939, when, conspiring with the German Nazis, Moscow delivered a treacherous blow at the back of struggling Poland. Few years later, during the German occupation of Belarus, the Soviet intelligence gathered information about the Belarusian nationalist underground. This allowed the Soviets to destroy it shortly after the Germans were driven out. Later and not at such ease, but still following the same scenario, the nationalist underground in neighboring Lithuania was liquidated (active anti-Soviet underground existed here till 1954). As a consequence, all the lands of the former Lithuanian Grand Duchy for decades became detached from Europe, of which they were an integral part during many a centuries.
Long Way to Europe
A hope to embower Belarus back in European civilization emerged on the eve of the USSR collapse. Quite remarkably, Minsk itself was one of the initiators of this process, and the Relevant agreement was signed in Belovejskaya Pusha,
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Belarusian police disperses a meeting of opposition protestors demanding Lukashenko's resignation |
i.e. – in the Belarusian territory, in the lands of the former Lithuanian Grand Duchy and the Polish Commonwealth.
However, the dream of resurrection of Polish-Lithuanian-Belarusian geopolitical center in Europe was yet not to become true. In 1994, Alexander Lukashenko came into power in Minsk, who became known as political adventurist with dictator's habits. Since then, for more than a decade now, this "soviet leader" of the post-Soviet space followed his personal motives, hindering Belarus' return into Europe, and forcing it to stay in Moscow's embrace. To do that, he is constrained to use the secret police and the army. For example today, the day of yet another farce under the guise of presidential elections, a powerful apparatus of the Belarusian security bodies is brought into play. The opposition and the independent press are ferociously oppressed. The uncontrolled foreign observers are being expelled from the country. Activists of the Polish minority are being persecuted.
And yet, the study of Belarus' history is a convincing evidence to the fact that Lukashenko's regime, like the Soviet power and even the Tsar administration, is a perishable phenomenon. Much more stable are the centuries-long political, economic, and cultural links between Belarus and Central Europe. And that means that Belarus will necessarily return to the European community.
Related items:
Visegrad Group - Polish Geopolitical Axis (27.02.06)
100 Days of Marcinkiewicz: Closer to Washington, Opposing Moscow (15.02.06)
Documents of Soviet Intelligence Testify: Abrene is Latvian Territory (05.11.05)
Belarus' "Para Bellum" Cocked to Fire (30.10.05)
Lukashenko's War on Poles (04.08.05)
Belarus Weapons Versus American Army (16.07.05)
Europe's Black Hole (03.07.05)
The Great Game for Poland (15.05.05)
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