Belarus and Belarusians in the Anti-Polish Strategy of Germany, 1915–1939

Abstract

The article discusses the role of the Belarusians and the Belarussian ethnic territory in the German strategy against Poland until 1939. The “Polish question” has traditionally been one of the most painful for the German state since the partitions of Poland. The First World War and the German occupation of most of ethnographic Poland put his decision it on the agenda. Recognizing the probable existence of Polish statehood, the German leadership were simultaneously looking for an effective counterbalance to it. This issue became urgent after the revival of Poland in 1918. Until the beginning of World War II, the Germans closely followed the development of the national minorities on the territory controlled by Poles. The Belarusian national movement, contrary to popular belief, was perceived positively by the Germans and was considered as one of the ways to undermine the internal situation in the Polish state. The situation changed drastically after the defeat of Poland in September 1939. The transition of the Belarusian lands under Soviet control and the urgent tasks of consolidating the German nation took the Belarusian problem out of consideration. Despite the appearance of supporters of the German-Belarusian rapprochement in the Reich, political and military leaders did not determine the place of the Belarusians in the future German strategy.