Belarusian resistance during World War II
The Belarusian resistance during World War II opposed Nazi Germany from 1941 until 1944. Belarus was one of the Soviet republics occupied during Operation Barbarossa. The term Belarusian partisans may refer to Soviet-formed irregular military groups fighting Germany, but has also been used to refer to the disparate independent groups who also fought as guerrillas at the time, including Jewish groups (such as the Bielski partisans and Fareynikte Partizaner Organisatsye), Polish groups (such as the Home Army), and nationalist Belarusian forces opposed to Germany.
Belarusian resistance | |||||||
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Part of Eastern Front (World War II) | |||||||
Soviet partisans in Belarus, 1943 | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Soviet Union Nationalist underground in Western Belarus (mostly before 1943): Polessye Sich (1942—1943) Belarusian nationalists • Belarusian SD (1941) • BPPM 1941—1944} |
Nazi Germany Nationalist underground in Western Belarus (mostly from 1943): Polessye Sich (1941—1942, 1943) Belarusian nationalists • Belarusian SD (1941) • BPPM (1941—1944) | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Strength | |||||||
: 12,000 (end of 1941) 374,000 (1944) | unknown | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
: 45,000 | : 500,000 servicemen of the occupation troops, collaborators, officials of the occupation administration, armed colonists and collaborators, including 125,000 persons. - irrecoverable |