Provision of food of Soviet partisans in Belarus during the Great Patriotic War

  • Andrey N. Maksimchik Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliežnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33581/2520-6338-2019-3-26-37

Abstract

The article is devoted to one of the main problem in the organization and development of the guerrilla movement in the territory of Belarus during the Great Patriotic War. This is a problem provision of food. On the basis of published and archival documents, sources of supply of partisans with food are analyzed, aspects of relations between the civilians and partisans, the role of the Belarusian headquarters of the guerrilla movement and Soviet party authorities in the organization and supply of partisans are considered. The main role in providing partisans with food belonged to civilians. In addition to mutually beneficial cooperation between partisans and the local population, there were frequent cases of confrontation, which did not contribute to the formation of trusting relations, often led to violence and killings. Prevention and suppression of looting, robbery and coercion by partisans was an intractable problem for guiding the partisan movement throughout the entire period of occupation.

Author Biography

Andrey N. Maksimchik, Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliežnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus

PhD (history); associate professor at the department of modern and contemporary history of Belarus, faculty of history

References

  1. Nordman EB. Ne strelyaite v partizan… [Don’t shoot the partisans…]. Minsk: Belarus; 2007. 198 p. Russian.
  2. Zalesskii AI. Geroicheskii podvig millionov v tylu vraga: pomoshch’ naseleniya partizanskikh zon narodnym mstitelyam [The heroic feat of millions behind enemy lines: helping the partisan zones to popular avengers]. Minsk: Belarus; 1970. 183 p. Russian.
  3. Vsenarodnoe partizanskoe dvizhenie v Belorussii v gody Velikoi Otechestvennoi voiny (iyun’ 1941 – iyul’ 1944). Tom 1. Zarozhdenie i razvitie partizanskogo dvizheniya v pervyi period voiny (iyun’ 1941 – noyabr’ 1942) [The nationwide partisan movement in Belarus during the Great Patriotic War (June 1941 – July 1944). Volume 1. The origin and development of the partisan movement in the first period of the war (June 1941 – November 1942)]. Minsk: Belarus; 1967. 743 p. Russian.
  4. Vsenarodnoe partizanskoe dvizhenie v Belorussii v gody Velikoi Otechestvennoi voiny (iyun’ 1941 – iyul’ 1944). Tom 2, kniga 1. Razvitie vsenarodnogo partizanskogo dvizheniya vo vtoroi period voiny (noyabr’ 1942 – iyun’ 1943) [The nationwide partisan movement in Belarus during the Great Patriotic War (June 1941 – July 1944). Volume 2, book 1. The development of the popular partisan movement in the second period of the war (November 1942 – June 1943)]. Minsk: Belarus; 1973. 679 p. Russian.
  5. Vsenarodnoe partizanskoe dvizhenie v Belorussii v gody Velikoi Otechestvennoi voiny (iyun’ 1941 – iyul’ 1944). Tom 2, kniga 2. Razvitie vsenarodnogo partizanskogo dvizheniya vo vtoroi period voiny (iyul’ – dekabr’ 1943) [The nationwide partisan movement in Belarus during the Great Patriotic War (June 1941 – July 1944). Volume 2, book 2. The development of the popular partisan movement in the second period of the war (June – December 1943)]. Minsk: Belarus; 1978. 813 p. Russian.
  6. Vsenarodnoe partizanskoe dvizhenie v Belorussii v gody Velikoi Otechestvennoi voiny (iyun’ 1941 – iyul’ 1944). Tom 3. Vsenarodnoe partizanskoe dvizhenie v Belorussii na zavershayushchem etape (yanvar’ – iyul’ 1944) [The nationwide partisan movement in Belarus during the Great Patriotic War (June 1941 – July 1944). Volume 3. The nationwide partisan movement in Belarus at the final stage (January – July 1944)]. Minsk: Belarus; 1982. 791 p. Russian.
  7. Sokolova EA. [The role of the civilians in assisting the Belarusian partisans and underground workers in assisting the front during the Great Patriotic War]. In: Koshelev VS, editor. Obshchestvo, gosudarstvo i religii v sovremennom mire: materialy kruglogo stola kafedry istorii novogo i noveishego vremeni BGU [Society, state and religions in the modern world: materials of the conference of the department of Modern and Contemporary history of Belarusian State University]. Minsk: National Institute for Higher Education; 2014. p. 108–114. Russian.
  8. Ivitskii AM. Material’no-tekhnicheskoe i prodovol’stvennoe obespechenie partizan Belarusi v gody Velikoi Otechestvennoi voiny [Мaterial and technical and food supply of Belarus partisans in the Great Patriotic War] [dissertation]. Vitebsk: Vitebsk State University named after P. M. Masherov; 2016. 185 p. Russian.
  9. Gomel’shchina partizanskaya. Vypusk 1. Nachalo. Iyun’ 1941 g. – mai 1942 g. [Gomel region partisan region. Part 1. Start. June 1941 – May 1942]. Minsk: The National Archives of the Republic of Belarus; 2010. 260 p. Russian.
  10. Gomel’shchina partizanskaya. Vypusk 2. Razvitie. Iyun’ 1942 g. – avgust 1943 g. [Gomel region partisan region. Part 2. Development. June 1942 – august 1943]. Мinsk: The National Archives of the Republic of Belarus; 2015. 424 p. Russian.
  11. Selemenev VD, Skomoroshchenko MN, Tumash ME, compilers. Belorusskii shtab partizanskogo dvizheniya. Sentyabr’ – dekabr’ 1942 goda [Belarusian partisan movement headquarters. September – December 1942]. Andrievich VV, Kurash VI, Selemenev VD, Skomoroshchenko MN, Sorokin AK, Shepelev VN, et al., editors. Minsk: Belaruskaja Jencyklapedyja imja Petrusja Browki; 2017. 460 p. Russian.
  12. Bartushka М. Partyzanskaja vajna w Belarusі w 1941–1944 gg. [Guerrilla war in Belarus in 1941–1944]. Vilnius: Instytut belarusistyki; 2011. 187 p. Belarusian. Co-published by the Belaruskae gistarychnae tavarystva.
  13. Gaberjer Je. [German gendarmerie and Belarusian partisans in 1941–1944]. Arche. Pachatak. 2013;1:202–233. Belarusian.
  14. Brakel’ А. [Relations between Soviet partisans and the civilian population of Belarus under the German occupation]. Arche. Pachatak. 2013;1:303–337. Belarusian.
  15. Baradzin Z. Njoman – raka njazgody. Pol’ska-saveckaja partyzanskaja vajna na Navagradchyne (1943–1944 gg.) [Neman – the river of disagreement: the Novogrudok region in the Polish-Soviet guerrilla war (1943–1944)]. Saint Petersburg: Nevskii prostor; 2018. 332 p. Belarusian.
  16. Musjal B. Saveckija partyzany w 1941–1944 gg. Mify i rjechaisnasc’ [Soviet partisans in 1941–1944: myths and reality]. Smolensk: Inbelkul’t; 2018. 584 p. Belarusian.
  17. Pavlova EYa. [The versatility of a popular war. Partisan relations with the local population]. Belaruskaja dumka. 2014;2:82–91. Russian.
  18. Pavlova EYa. [Mutual relations of partisans and local residents of Vitebsk region: mutual assistance and problems]. In: Kryvarot AA, Grjeben’ JaA, Pivavar MV, Salawjanaw AP, Shyshanaw VA, Jurchak DV, compilers. Vicebshchyna w gady Vjalikaj Ajchynnaj vajny [Vitebsk region during the Great Patriotic War]. Kavalenja AA, editor. Mіnsk: Belaruskaja navuka; 2015. p. 163–172. Russian.
  19. Pavlova EYa. [Archival documents as a source of studying the interaction of partisans with the local population]. In: Krivorot AA, Solov’yanov AP, Garanin SL, Tret’yak SA, compilers. Etot den’ my priblizhali, kak mogli… Materialy Mezhdunarodnoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii, posvyashchennoi 70-letiyu Pobedy v Velikoi Otechestvennoi voine i okonchaniya Vtoroi mirovoi voiny; 7–8 maya 2015 g.; Minsk, Belarus’. Chast’ 1 [We brought this day closer as we could... Materials of the International scientific and practical conference dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War and the end of Second World War; 2015 May 7–8; Minsk, Belarus. Part 1]. Minsk: Belaruskaja navuka; 2016. p. 137–144. Russian.
  20. Zharikov AD. [«The Big land» supplies Belarusian partisans]. Voprosy istorii. 1973;4:121–129. Russian.
  21. Kravchenko IS, editor. Iz istorii partizanskogo dvizheniya v Belorussii (1941–1944 gg.). Sbornik vospominanii [From the history of the partisan movement in Belarus (1941–1944). A collection of memoirs]. Minsk: Gosizdat BSSR; 1961. 506 p. Russian.
  22. Vaupshasov SA. Partizanskaya khronika [Guerrilla chronicle]. Moscow: Voenizdat; 1959. 470 p. Russian.
  23. Gutaraw IV, Grynblat MJa, Kabashnikaw KP, Scjapunin IR, Cishchanka IK, compilers. Belaruski fal’klor Vjalikaj Ajchynnaj vajny. [Belarusian folklore of the Great Patriotic War]. Glebka PF, Gutaraw IV, Majhrovich SK, editors. Minsk: Vydavectva Akadjemii navuk BSSR; 1961. 617 p. Belarusian.
  24. Titkov IF. Brigada «Zheleznyak» [The Brigade «Zheleznyak»]. 2nd edition. Minsk: Belarus’; 1982. 268 p. Russian.
  25. Papko AM, compiler. Pamjac’. Uzdzenski rajon: gistoryka-dakumental’nyja hroniki garadow i rajonaw Belarusi [The book of Memory. Uzdzenski region: historical and documentary chronicles of cities and regions of Belarus]. Kisjaljow GN, editor. Minsk: BELTA; 2003. 654 p. Belarusian.
Published
2019-07-25
Keywords: guerrilla movement, civilians, food supply, foodstuffs, food bases, trophy food, packages from rearward
How to Cite
Maksimchik A. N. Provision of food of Soviet partisans in Belarus during the Great Patriotic War // Journal of the Belarusian State University. History. 2019. 3. PP. 26-37.
Issue
No 3 (2019): Journal of the Belarusian State University. History
Section
Special Topic Section

Copyright (c) 2019 Journal of the Belarusian State University. History

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

The authors who are published in this journal agree to the following:

  1. The authors retain copyright on the work and provide the journal with the right of first publication of the work on condition of license Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial. 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).
  2. The authors retain the right to enter into certain contractual agreements relating to the non-exclusive distribution of the published version of the work (e.g. post it on the institutional repository, publication in the book), with the reference to its original publication in this journal.
  3. The authors have the right to post their work on the Internet (e.g. on the institutional store or personal website) prior to and during the review process, conducted by the journal, as this may lead to a productive discussion and a large number of references to this work. (See The Effect of Open Access.)