Short History Of Belarus and Culture

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Short History Of Belarus and Culture
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Belarus was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania during the 13th and 14th centuries. The Grand Duchy was united with Poland in the 1500s. Belarus then became part of the Russian Empire, following the dismemberment of Poland at the end of the 18th century.

The Republic became part of the Soviet Union, after the Russo-German treaty of Brest-Litovsk in 1918, which ended World War I in Eastern Europe.

Between 1941 and 1944, Belarus was occupied by German forces invading Russia, and an estimated two million people were murdered during this period.

Post-war, Belarus returned to its former status as a Soviet republic, but was granted membership of the United Nations in its own right as a concession to Soviet requests for greater voting power at the assembly.

Lacking the specific grievances that affected other Soviet areas, such as the Baltic republics, there was less pressure for reform during the Gorbachev era. The principal opposition formation, the Belarusian Popular Front, was formed in 1988, achieving some success at the elections to the Congress of People's Deputies in Moscow.

As the USSR disintegrated in 1991, the Republic's Communist Party (CPB) moved quickly to reassert itself as the dominant political force. The post-independence leadership was keen to maintain links with Moscow, and was a leading proponent of the creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States - a loose alliance of ex-Soviet republics that came into being shortly afterwards.

Alexander Lukashenka came to power in 1994, promising to end corruption. But Lukashenka's rule became characterised by ever greater corruption, nepotism, censorship and arbitrary decision-making; it has since deteriorated further, with restrictions on religious and political assembly and, in the worst cases, the disappearance and death of prominent critics.

In 1996, a dubious referendum had endorsed Lukashenka's intention to extend both his powers and his term of office to 2001. The former trade union leader, Vladimir Goncharik, stood against Lukashenka at the September 2001 presidential poll. However, despite extensive support from the USA, Goncharik suffered a heavy defeat.

In early 2005, Belarus was listed by the US as Europe's only remaining outpost of tyranny.