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

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.