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The Soviet partisans were members of the anti-fascist resistance movement which fought against the Axis occupation of the Soviet Union during World War II.

At the end of June 1941, immediately after German forces crossed the Soviet border, the Central Committee of the Communist Party ordered Party members to organize an underground resistance in the occupied territories (pre-war plans for such operation existed). Although formal creation was ordered in 1941, it was only in 1942-43 that underground cells sprang up throughout Ukraine, Belarus, and western Russian regions such as Bryansk occupied by the invaders. Partisans waged guerrilla warfare against the occupiers, and enjoyed increasing support from the local population which was antagonized by German brutality.

The local population was initially enthusiastic that the brutal Stalinist regime was overthrown. The Germans failed to take advantage of this fact. Partisans consisted of people left behind the German lines, including escapees from German prisoner of war camps, and refugees from the German terror. No formal recruitment procedures existed.

Belarus had the largest number of Soviet partisans, numbering over 300,000 fighters under the leadership of Panteleymon Ponomarenko, Petr Masherov and others. As early as the spring of 1942 they were able to effectively harass German troops and significantly hamper their operations in the region.

Their activities included disrupting the railroad communications and intelligence gathering. In the second half of the war, major partisan operations were coordinated with Soviet offensives. Partisans were often supported by airlifts. Upon liberation of parts of the Soviet territory the corresponding partisan detachments usually joined the regular Army.

The first Ukrainian partisan detachments appeared in Chernihiv and Sumy regions. They developed out of Mykola Popudrenko's and Sydir Kovpak's underground groups, but only became a formidable force in 1943, by which stage they were operating throughout occupied Ukraine and numbered over 150,000 fighters.

In Bryansk region Soviet partisans controlled vast areas behind the German rear. In the summer of 1942 they effectively held territory of more than 14 000 square kilometers with population of over 200,000 people. Soviet partisans in the region were led by Alexei Fyodorov, Alexander Saburov and others and numbered over 60,000 men.

Belgorod, Kursk, Novgorod, Pskov and Smolensk regions also had significant partisan activity during the occupation period.

Soviet Partisans operated also in the Baltic States. In Estonia, under the leadership of Nikolay Karotamm. In Latvia they were first subordinated to the Russian and Belarussian command, and from January 1943, directed subordinated to the Central Staff in Moscow, under the leadership of Arturs Sprongis (a prominent commander was also the historian Vilis Samsons, head of a unit strong of 3000 men he is responsible for destroying about 130 German military trains). In Lithuania the partisans had a separate command since November 1942 under Antanas Sniečkus. In the Vilnius Ghetto a resistance organisation called FPO-Fareinikte Partisaner Organizatzie was established by Communist and Zionist partisans-their first leader was Yitzhak Witenberg (member of the Communist Party),then the writer Abba Kovner.

Soviet partisans inflicted hundreds of thousands of casualties on Axis forces and contributed significantly to the Soviet victory in the Great Patriotic War.

Among the targets of Soviet partizans were not only Axis military but also civilians accused to be Nazi collaborators or sometimes even those who did not supported partisans strong enough. According to the modern standards some of these attacks might be classified as war crimes, the most infamous one been the Koniuchy massacre. Today, in Latvia some former Soviet partisans are prosecuted for the alleged war crimes. Polish author Franciszek Sielicki provides quite a grafic description of some of these attacks.

According to modern Polish sources the partisan formation consisted mostly from former Soviet Army soldiers, Russians, Belarusians, and Jews, but has much lesser supported by the local Polish population, which had seen them as representing former occupiers. Sometimes the local formations of Polish Armia Krajowa , , , ) were collaborating with Nazi in their effort to wipe out the areas from Soviet Partisans as well as helping them to destroy Jewish, Ukrainian and Belorussian villages.

A big help to the Russian cause during their intense Battles with Germany during WWII that is seldom talked about is the role of Russian Guerrilla units. As German forces advanced deeper into the heart of Russia they failed to predict the small fighting forces that would develop behind their lines especially in the Ukraine region. These forces would take part in guerrilla tactics often attacking German supply "trains" and engaging in small hit and run operations. With the German supply lines already over extended these small Forces were able to strike severe blows to the German Army.

See also

• Young Guard (Soviet resistance)

References

1. Template:Pl icon Sielicki, Franciszek (1997). Forms of constraint applied by the Soviet authorities in relation to the people of Wilejka region. Wrocław: Wschodnie. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

External links

• Biography of Braiko
• Account of Partisan activity in Western Ukraine
• Template:Ru icon People with clear conscience — Memoires of Pyotr Petrovich Vershigora
• Template:Ru icon It happened by Rovno — Memoires of Dmitry Nikolaevich Medvedev

• World War II resistance movements
• Soviet Army
• National liberation movements