During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, some Belarusians collaborated with the invading

Axis powers The Axis powers, originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis and also Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis, was the military coalition which initiated World War II and fought against the Allies of World War II, Allies. Its principal members were Nazi Ge ...

. Until the beginning of

Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along ...

in 1941, the territory of

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

was under control of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, as the

Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, Byelorussian SSR or Byelorussia; ; ), also known as Soviet Belarus or simply Belarus, was a Republics of the Soviet Union, republic of the Soviet Union (USSR). It existed between 1920 and 19 ...

. However, memories of

Soviet repressions in Belarus Soviet repression in Belarus () refers to cases of persecution of people in Belarus under Soviet rule. Number of victims According to researchers, the exact number of people who became victims of Soviet repression in Belarus is hard to determin ...

and

collectivization Collective farming and communal farming are various types of "agricultural production in which multiple farmers run their holdings as a joint enterprise". There are two broad types of communal farms: agricultural cooperatives, in which member- ...

, as well as of the

polonization Polonization or Polonisation ()In Polish historiography, particularly pre-WWII (e.g., L. Wasilewski. As noted in Смалянчук А. Ф. (Smalyanchuk 2001) Паміж краёвасцю і нацыянальнай ідэяй. Польскі ...

and discrimination against Belarusians under the

Second Polish Republic The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 7 October 1918 and 6 October 1939. The state was established in the final stage of World War I ...

were still fresh. Many Belarusians wanted an

independent nation Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of a ...

and co-operated with the invaders in hopes that

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

would allow them to have their own independent state after the war ended. Belarusian organizations never had administrative control over the territory of Belarus. The real power was held by the German civil and military administrations. The collaborationist

Belarusian Central Council The Belarusian Central Council (; ) was a puppet administrative body in German-occupied Belarus during World War II. It was established by Nazi Germany within ''Reichskommissariat Ostland'' in 1943–44, following requests by collaborationist Be ...

, presenting itself as a Belarusian governmental body, was formed in

Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...

a few months before Belarus was retaken by the

Soviet Army The Soviet Ground Forces () was the land warfare service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces from 1946 to 1992. It was preceded by the Red Army. After the Soviet Union ceased to exist in December 1991, the Ground Forces remained under th ...

. Before the war, the was formed by a small group of Belarusian nationalists in

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

-controlled

Western Belorussia Western Belorussia or Western Belarus (; ; ) is a historical region of modern-day Belarus which belonged to the Second Polish Republic during the interwar period. For twenty years before the 1939 invasion of Poland, it was the northern part of th ...

in 1933. The group was far less influential than other Belarusian political parties in interwar Poland such as the

Belarusian Peasants' and Workers' Union The Belarusian Peasants' and Workers' Union or the Hramada (, ) was a socialist agrarian political party created in 1925 by a group of Belarusian deputies to the Sejm#Sejm of the Second Polish Republic, Sejm of the Second Polish Republic that inc ...

and the

Belarusian Christian Democracy The Belarusian Christian Democracy (; ; BCD or BKhD) is a Christian-democratic political party in Belarus, established in 2005, which claims to be the continuation of a identically named movement, which existed at the beginning of the 20th cent ...

. The Belarusian National Socialist Party was banned by the Polish authorities in 1937. Party leaders left for

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

and became among the first advisers to the Germans at the onset of

.Jury Turonak.
/ref>Rein 2013, ''The Kings and the Pawns'', page 135.

Administration

Reichskommissariat Ostland The (RKO; ) was an Administrative division, administrative entity of the Reich Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories of Nazi Germany from 1941 to 1945. It served as the German Civil authority, civilian occupation regime in Lithuania, La ...

** Zuyev Republic

Belarusian military and paramilitary units in the German army

*Belarusian Abwehr/Brandenburg Sabouteur agents *Vorkommando Einsatzgruppe B, also Vorkommando Moskau *

Byelorussian Auxiliary Police The Belarusian Auxiliary Police () was a German force established in July 1941 in occupied Belarus, staffed by local collaborators. In western Belarus, auxiliary police were created in the form of Schutzmannschaften units, while in the east th ...

Byelorussian Home Defence The Belarusian Home Defence, or Belarusian Home Guard (, BKA; ) were collaborationist volunteer battalions formed by the Belarusian Central Council (1943–1944), a pro-Nazi Belarusian self-government within ''Reichskommissariat Ostland'' during ...

(Belarusian Interior Guard – BKA) * 29. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS RONA (russische Nr. 1) * 30. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (weißruthenische Nr. 1) *weissruthenische Waffen-Grenadier-Regiment der SS 75 *I./weissruthenische Waffen-Grenadier-Regiment der SS 75 *II./weissruthenische Waffen-Grenadier-Regiment der SS 75 *III./weissruthenische Waffen-Grenadier-Regiment der SS 75 * 13th weissruthenische battalion of SD *weissruthenische Artillerie-Abteilung *weissruthenische Panzerjäger-Abteilung *weissruthenische Reiter-Schwadron * Waffen Sturmbrigade Belarus * "Čorny Kot" ("Black Cat") Special undercover unit

German commanders and officers associated with Belarus

*SS Officer Dr. Franz Six *General

Reinhard Gehlen Reinhard Gehlen (3 April 1902 – 8 June 1979) was a German military and intelligence officer, later dubbed "Hitler's Super Spy," who served the Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany, and West Germany, and also worked for the United States during the e ...

, Chief of German East-Front Intelligence, with offices in

Smolensk Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest cities in Russia. It has been a regional capital for most of ...

*Generalkommissar

Wilhelm Kube Wilhelm Kube (13 November 1887 – 22 September 1943) was a German Nazi politician and official who served as the '' Generalkommissar'' of '' Generalbezirk Weißruthenien'' in the ''Reichskommissariat Ostland'' from 1941 to 1943. Kube was invol ...

*SS General Curt von Gottberg *SS Colonel

Otto Skorzeny Otto Johann Anton Skorzeny (12 June 1908 – 5 July 1975) was an Austrian-born German SS-''Standartenführer'' in the ''Waffen-SS'' during World War II. During the war, he was involved in a number of operations, including the removal from power ...

*SS-Standartenführer Hans Siegling

Political leaders

Radasłaŭ Astroŭski Radasłaŭ Kazimiravič Astroŭski (25 October 1887 – 17 October 1976) was a Belarusian collaboration with Nazi Germany, Belarusian collaborator with Nazi Germany who served as president of the Belarusian Central Council, a puppet Belarusian ...

- Mayor of

and later president of the Belarusian Central Rada *

Jury Sabaleŭski A jury is a sworn body of people (jurors) convened to hear evidence, make findings of fact, and render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Most trial juries are "petit juries", and c ...

- Major of

Baranavičy Baranavichy or Baranovichi is a city in the Brest Region of western Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Baranavichy District, though it is administratively separated from the district. As of 2025, it has a population of 170,817. ...

and vice-president of the

* Mikałaj Łapicki - Orthodox priest and editor-in-chief of the ''Ranica'' newspaper *

Vacłaŭ Ivanoŭski Vacłaŭ Leanardavič Ivanoŭski (, also known as Vatslaw Ivanowski or Wacław Iwanowski; 25 May 1880 – 7 December 1943) was a Belarusian political and public figure of the first half of the 20th century. Early years Ivanoŭski was born ...

- Mayor of

Ivan Yermachenka Ivan Abramavich Yermachenka (; ; May 13, 1894 - February 25, 1970), name sometimes translated to John Ermachenko, was a Russian military officer as well as a Belarusian politician, diplomat and writer. Early life Ivan Yermachenka was born into ...

- local political advisor * Stanisłaŭ Stankievič - Mayor of

Barysaŭ Barysaw or Borisov (, ; , ) is a city in Minsk Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Barysaw District. It is located on the Berezina River and north-east from the capital Minsk. As of 2025, it has a population of 134,732. ...

* Emmanuel Jasiuk - Mayor of

Klecak Klyetsk or Kletsk is a town in Minsk Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Klyetsk District. Klyetsk is located on the Lan River. As of 2025, it has a population of 11,169. History The town was founded in the 11th centu ...

* Jaŭchim Kipel - president of the Second All-Belarusian Rada Congress * Ivan Kasiak - Belarusian provincial governor *

Jury Bartyševič A jury is a sworn body of people (jurors) convened to hear evidence, make findings of fact, and render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Most trial juries are "petit juries", and co ...

- Minister of Administration of occupation Astroŭski government * Anton Adamovič - member of self-help Belarusian organization * Mikola Abramchyk - editor of ''Ranica'' newspaper * Stanisłaŭ Hrynkievič * Piotra Orsa - Minister of Economics and Agriculture

Military commanders

* Źmicier Kasmovič, the police chief of

* Francišak Kušal, Commander of local BKA police forces *

Michał Vituška Michal Apanasavič Vituška (; , ''Mikhail Afanasyevich Vitushko''; ; 5 November 1907 – 7 January 1945) was a Belarusian leader of the ''Black Cats'', a unit of the ''SS-Jagdverbände'', during World War II.Perry Biddiscombe: The SS Hunter Batt ...

, Commander of "Black Cat" special unit *Colonel

Alexander Buglaj Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are A ...

Political organizations

* Belarusian Independence Party * Belarusian National Socialist Party * Self-help Belarusian Groups * Belarusian affairs office * Belarusian "Ventruensausschuss" administrative-political organization * First Zentralrat political organization

Media

*''

Ranica Ranica (Bergamasque: or or or ; Medieval ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about northeast of Bergamo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a populat ...

'', a Berlin-based Belarusian newspaper *'' Belaruskaya Gazeta''

Notes

References

* * * {{Collaboration with Axis Powers by country *