Belarus

History

Between the 6th and 8th centuries, what is now known as Belarus was settled by the Slavs, who still dominate the country. The Early East Slavs gradually came into contact with the Varangians and were organized under the state of Rus', mainly in the area around modern-day Polatsk in the northern part of the country. In the 13th century, the state was badly affected by a Mongol invasion, and eventually parts of Rus' and Samogitia were swallowed up by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The core lands of the duchy comprised the Belarusian territories that included the modern-day city of Navahradak as the first capital. During this time, the country was largely at peace. By the 15th century, the Grand Duchy stretched across much of Eastern Europe, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea.

Related Topics:
6th - 8th - Slavs - Early East Slavs - Varangians - Rus' - Polatsk - 13th century - Mongol - Samogitia - Grand Duchy of Lithuania - Navahradak - 15th century - Eastern Europe - Baltic Sea - Black Sea

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On February 2, 1386, the recently-crowned King of Poland Grand Duke Yahaila, joined the Grand Duchy with Poland in a personal union under one monarch. This personal union eventually resulted in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, a new state created in 1569. The union was transformed by the May Constitution of 1791, Europe's first modern codified national constitution, which abolished all state subdivisions and merged everything into the Kingdom of Poland. However, by 1795, the state was divided and annexed by Imperial Russia, Prussia and Austria in the course of the Partitions of Poland. Belarus remained part of the Russian Empire until being occupied by Germany during World War I. Belarus first declared independence on 25 March 1918, forming the Belarus National Republic. The Republic was, however, short-lived, and the regime was overthrown soon after the German withdrawal. In 1919 Belarus became the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR), and merged into the Lithuanian-Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. After the Polish-Soviet War ended in 1921, Byelorussian lands were split between Poland and the BSSR, which became a founding member of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1922. In September 1939, the Soviet Union annexed the Polish-held Byelorussian land, as a result of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.

Related Topics:
February 2 - 1386 - King of Poland - Yahaila - Poland - Personal union - Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - 1569 - May Constitution of 1791 - Kingdom of Poland - Imperial Russia - Prussia - Austria - Partitions of Poland - Germany - World War I - 25 March - 1918 - Belarus National Republic - 1919 - Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic - Lithuanian-Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic - Polish-Soviet War - 1921 - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics - 1922 - September - 1939 - Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact

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In 1941, Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, invading the Soviet Union. Byelorussia was captured soon afterwards, and remained in Nazi hands until 1945. Much the country was destroyed and much of its population was killed in the German invasion. The Jewish population of Belarus was also devastated during the Holocaust. It took until 1971 for the population of Belarus to reach the pre-war level. The Jewish population, however, never recovered. {{ref|warpop}} After the war ended, Byelorussia was among the 51 signatories to the founding of the United Nations, in 1945. The reconstruction that took place in Belarus after the war brought comparative prosperity to the Soviet Republic. During this time, Belarus became a major center of manufacturing in the western region of the USSR. The increase in jobs, brought in a huge immigrant population from the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic. {{ref|Soviet-era}} During Joseph Stalin's era, a policy of Russification was started to "protect" Byelorussia SSR from influences by the West. This policy involved sending Russians from various parts of the Soviet Union and placing them in key positions in the Byelorussian SSR government. The official use of the Belarusian language and other cultural aspects were also limited by Moscow. After Stalin died in 1953, his successor Nikita Khrushchev continued the Russification program, stating in the Byelorussian SSR capital of Minsk that "The sooner we all start speaking Russian, the faster we shall build communism." {{ref|russification}}

Related Topics:
1941 - Nazi Germany - Operation Barbarossa - 1945 - Holocaust - United Nations - Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic - Joseph Stalin - Russification - Belarusian language - Moscow - 1953 - Nikita Khrushchev - Minsk - Russian - Communism

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In 1986, a section of Belarus was affected by the fallout from the Chernobyl power plant accident in neighboring Ukraine. When Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev began pushing through his Perestroika plan, the Belarusian people delivered a petition to him in December of 1986 explaining the loss of their culture. This event has been coined by historians as the "cultural Chernobyl." {{ref|Gorby}} In June of 1988, mass graves were discovered at the city of Kurapaty. The graves allegedly contained about 250,000 of Stalin's victims. Some contend that this discovery was proof that the Soviet government was trying to erase the Belarusian people and caused some to seek independence.{{ref|massgraves}} Belarus declared independence from the Soviet Union on 27 July 1990, and the BSSR formally became the Republic of Belarus on 25 August 1991. Around that time, Stanislav Shushkevich became Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Belarus, the top leadership position in Belarus. Shushkevich, along with Boris Yeltsin of Russia and Leonid Kravchuk of Ukraine met on December 8, 1991 in Belavezhskaya Pushcha to formally declare the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Since 1994, the country has been led by Alexander Lukashenko, who has been cited by Human Rights Watch for various violations of human rights and is generally regarded as a dictator by Western standards.

Related Topics:
1986 - Chernobyl - Accident - Ukraine - Mikhail Gorbachev - Perestroika - Mass graves - Kurapaty - 27 July - 1990 - 25 August - 1991 - Stanislav Shushkevich - Supreme Soviet - Boris Yeltsin - Russia - Leonid Kravchuk - Ukraine - December 8 - Belavezhskaya Pushcha - Commonwealth of Independent States - Alexander Lukashenko - Human Rights Watch

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