The Belarusian People’s Republic was the first attempt to create their own statehood among the people of the East Slavic branch - Belarusians. How successful was this experience, and what caused the short-lived existence of this education? Let’s follow the stages of the emergence, development and death of the Belarusian People’s Republic.
Background to the creation of BNR
After the overthrow of the autocracy in the Russian Empire in February 1917, the political struggle intensified noticeably not only in the capital, Petrograd, but also on the outskirts of the state, where national forces awoke. This fate also did not bypass the Belarusian provinces, the situation in which was complicated by the proximity of the Russian-German front. After the Bolshevik revolution in October of that year, the situation escalated even more.
In November, congresses of workers 'and soldiers' deputies were held in the largest city ​​of Belarus - Minsk. At the same time, a meeting of Belarusian national organizations was held, which formed the goal of creating autonomy within the Russian state. Then the Great Belarusian Council was formed. In December 1917, under the auspices of this organization, the First All-Belarusian Congress was held. But the Bolsheviks not only did not take part in it, but dispersed this assembly by force.
The situation changed dramatically after the signing of the peace treaty in Brest in March 1918 between Soviet Russia and the German Empire. This agreement provided for the occupation of most of the Belarusian lands by German troops. This event prepared the proclamation of the Belarusian People’s Republic.
BNR proclamation
On March 9, the proclamation of the state of the Belarusian People’s Republic took place. This was done by the Executive Committee of the All-Belarusian Congress. At the same time, it was pointed out that the BNR extends its sovereignty to all historical Belarusian lands and regions inhabited by ethnic Belarusians. But the clear boundaries of the territory claimed by the Belarusian People’s Republic were not indicated. Also, the status of the new entity was not determined - a completely independent state or autonomy within Russia.
On the same day, the head of the Presidium of the Great Belarusian Rada was elected. It turned out to be the representative of the Belarusian socialist community Janka Sereda.
On March 25, the final point was set, which completed the stage of the proclamation of state formation of the Belarusian People’s Republic. The definition of her status was clearly formulated. The charter of the Belarusian Rada proclaimed BNR an independent state. At the same time, the borders of the territory to which the young republic had claims were established.
BNR - a state without statehood
But for a number of reasons, the Belarusian People’s Republic (1918) was not able to get real statehood. Not the least role was played in this by the ambivalent attitude of the German authorities, who actually controlled the territory of the country then. On the one hand, they did not prohibit the activities of the BNR, but on the other, they did not officially recognize the republic, as this would contradict the Brest-Litovsk treaty with Soviet Russia. Other countries were in no hurry to recognize the young state.
In fact, the Belarusian People’s Republic did not control the territory it claimed, since it was under German occupation, did not have fiscal instruments in the form of tax collection, did not have a police apparatus, and did not manage to adopt a constitution. Most of the decrees and decisions of the BNR authorities were purely declarative. Thus, Belarusian was recognized as the state language, and the city of Minsk was the capital.
At the same time, BNR had a number of state attributes. There was its own seal depicting the historical emblem of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania - “Pursuit”, a flag in the form of a red-white bicolor, there were institutes of citizenship, legislative and executive power. Even an attempt was made to form their own armed forces, however, unsuccessful.
BNR fall
Problems in building their own statehood caused a split in the leading party of the BNR - the Belarusian socialist community. But the beginning of the end of the republic, which did not have enough time to form, can be considered the surrender of the German army in World War I and the withdrawal of troops from the country according to the peace treaty in Versailles. After that, the fate of the BNR was predetermined, so the government decided to move from Minsk to Grodno.
In January 1919 , on the territory of the Smolensk region , Soviet Russia created a puppet state - the Soviet Socialist Republic of Belarus, which was recognized by the Bolsheviks as the only legitimate one. With the help of the Red Army, it was quickly able to spread its influence over all Belarusian lands, with the exception of the city of Grodno, which the Poles captured.
However, with the help of the Poles who occupied Minsk during the Soviet-Polish war, in August 1919 the BNR government was able to return to its capital, but in December the Red Army was able to restore the power of the Bolsheviks on Belarusian lands.
The Belarusian Rada was finally forced to emigrate from the country, first to Poland, and then to Lithuania, Czechoslovakia, Germany, and the USA.
Further fate
Never again did the BNR government return to the territory of Belarus. Moreover, even in exile, this organization was subjected to numerous splits due to the divergence of the views of its leaders. So, one part of the Belarusian Rada in 1925 even committed the transfer of its powers to the Belarusian Socialist Soviet Republic. True, the second part sharply condemned her for this.
The BNR government in exile still exists today, and it does not recognize the Republic of Belarus formed after the collapse of the USSR as legitimate, although initially it had such an intention. But after President Alexander Lukashenko came to power in Belarus, Rada abandoned the original plan.
BNR attributes are still a symbol of the Belarusian opposition.
The reasons for the collapse of the BNR
Why didn’t the Belarusian People’s Republic happen as a state? The emergence and fate of this short-lived formation is very reminiscent of the history of other similar republics that arose on the fragments of the Russian Empire. The main reasons for the collapse of Belarusian statehood at that time were:
- split in the national movement ;
- poor support among the local population;
- non-recognition of BNR by other countries of the world;
- intervention of the Bolsheviks.
The combination of these factors predetermined the fate of the Belarusian People’s Republic.