Trade, Jews, and the Soviet Economy in Western Belorussia, 1939–1941

Abstract

Abstract An analysis of Soviet economic and social policy in Western Belorussia between 1939 and 1941 illustrates the changing social status of one-time Jewish merchants—thus shedding light on how Sovietization influenced interethnic relations prior to, and during, the Holocaust. The author observes that Soviet economic transformation was self-defeating in nature, causing an artificial economic crisis that exacerbated interethnic tensions. The socio-economic situation that emerged in 1939–1941 thus contributed to the outbreak of anti-Jewish violence after the German invasion.