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Vlad fedorov (talk | contribs)
Well Halibutt, your Polish history describing that event is not reliable and POV
I hope you can back up your POV with sources if you insist on it. Peer-reviewed publications preferred.
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Being Socialist they were in opposition to Communist party, although there were some common points regarding general social policy.
Being Socialist they were in opposition to Communist party{{fact}}, although there were some common points regarding general social policy.


Fearing its attempts to establish Belarusian independent state and to promote Belarusian self-awareness, and under the false claim that BPWU cooperates with Soviet Russia, the [[Sanacja|Sanation Polish authorities]] started to opress the activities of the BPWU already in late 1926 by arrests, seizures and searches. Finally by February 1927 the party has been unconstitutionaly banned and most of its members were arrested (some of them being held at [[Bereza Kartuska prison]] until late 1930-ies. Some of them were later exchanged for Polish, prisoners, spies, saboteurs and bandits imprisoned in Soviet camps. Polish governement cooperated with [[NKVD]] in accordance with their policy of extermination of Belarusian intellectuals and politics to further [[Polonization]] of [[Western Belarus]]. Polish authorities were well aware that those Belarusian prisoners exchanged would be repressed by Soviet authorities. Soviet authorities also viewed these exchanges as possibility to crack down on Belarusian nationalists and to lessen their competition with Communist party of Western Belarus.<ref name="Kastiuk2">History of Belarus, "Ekoperspektiva", Minsk, (2006), ISBN 985-6598-12-2, ISBN 985-469-149-7 for Volume V, v.V.</ref>
Fearing its attempts to establish Belarusian independent state{{fact}} and to promote Belarusian self-awareness{{fact}}, and under the false{{fact}} claim that BPWU cooperates with Soviet Russia, the [[Sanacja|Sanation Polish authorities]] started to suppress the activities of the BPWU already in late 1926 by arrests, seizures and searches. Finally by February 1927 the party has been unconstitutionaly{{fact}} banned and most{{fact}} of its members were arrested (some of them being held at [[Bereza Kartuska prison]] until late 1930-ies). Some of them were later exchanged for Polish, prisoners, spies{{fact}}, saboteurs{{fact}} and bandits{{fact}} imprisoned in Soviet camps. Polish government cooperated with [[NKVD]] in accordance with their policy of extermination{{fact}} of Belarusian intellectuals and politics to further [[Polonization]] of [[Western Belarus]]{{fact}}. Polish authorities were well aware{{fact}} that those Belarusian prisoners exchanged would be repressed by Soviet authorities. Soviet authorities also viewed these exchanges as possibility to crack down on Belarusian nationalists and to lessen their competition with Communist party of Western Belarus.<ref name="Kastiuk2">History of Belarus, "Ekoperspektiva", Minsk, (2006), ISBN 985-6598-12-2, ISBN 985-469-149-7 for Volume V, v.V.</ref>


In the aftermath of the party's de-legalisation, on [[February 3]], [[1927]] a riot erupted in [[Kosava, Belarus|Kosava]]. [[Polish police]] responded with fire, killing 6 people and wounding several dozens.<ref name="Kuferak"/>.
In the aftermath of the party's de-legalisation, on [[February 3]], [[1927]] a riot erupted in [[Kosava, Belarus|Kosava]]. [[Polish police]] responded with fire, killing 6 people and wounding several dozens.<ref name="Kuferak"/>.

Revision as of 12:05, 25 February 2010

The Belarusian Peasants' and Workers' Union (Belarusian: Беларуская Сялянска-Работніцкая Грамада, Lacinka: Biełaruskaja Sialanska-Rabotnickaja Hramada) was a socialist political party in Poland-controlled West Belarus that demanded independence of Belarus and social rights for the discriminated Belarusian minority in mid-war Poland. The BPWU was created in 1925 by a group of Belarusian deputies of the Polish Sejm. The group included Branislaw Tarashkyevich, Symon Rak-Mikhailouski, Piotra Miatla, Paviel Valoshyn.


Being Socialist they were in opposition to Communist party[citation needed], although there were some common points regarding general social policy.

Fearing its attempts to establish Belarusian independent state[citation needed] and to promote Belarusian self-awareness[citation needed], and under the false[citation needed] claim that BPWU cooperates with Soviet Russia, the Sanation Polish authorities started to suppress the activities of the BPWU already in late 1926 by arrests, seizures and searches. Finally by February 1927 the party has been unconstitutionaly[citation needed] banned and most[citation needed] of its members were arrested (some of them being held at Bereza Kartuska prison until late 1930-ies). Some of them were later exchanged for Polish, prisoners, spies[citation needed], saboteurs[citation needed] and bandits[citation needed] imprisoned in Soviet camps. Polish government cooperated with NKVD in accordance with their policy of extermination[citation needed] of Belarusian intellectuals and politics to further Polonization of Western Belarus[citation needed]. Polish authorities were well aware[citation needed] that those Belarusian prisoners exchanged would be repressed by Soviet authorities. Soviet authorities also viewed these exchanges as possibility to crack down on Belarusian nationalists and to lessen their competition with Communist party of Western Belarus.[1]

In the aftermath of the party's de-legalisation, on February 3, 1927 a riot erupted in Kosava. Polish police responded with fire, killing 6 people and wounding several dozens.[2].

Having more than 120,000 members by late 1926, BPWU is currently the largest political party in Belarusian history. At its' height, the party had 5 MPs in the Polish Sejm (out of 11 members of the "Belarusian club").

Programme

The main points of BPWU's program were:

  • Cancellation of Osadnik-colonization of Belarus
  • Confiscation of land owned by landlords and its free distribution to peasants

Despite that, a semi-official goal was to unite all Belarus (West Belarus and East Belarus) within one state.

The BPWU expressed certain sympathy to the Soviet Union and its support for the Belarusian national revival in early 1920s that was later brutally ended in the 1930s. The Soviets also tried to gain control over the Belarusian Peasants' and Workers' Union and to give the Belarusian national liberation movement in Poland a communist context.

Structure

The Belarusian Peasants' and Workers' Union became active and established several periodicals. By November 1926 the party had more than 120,000 members.

The party had its units in the following powiats[2]:

Liquidation

After introduction of the Sanacja, the Polish authorities managed to liquidate the party before it could become a real political player. In January 1927 the leaders of the Belarusian Peasants' and Workers' Union were arrested and set to prisons. Some of them were later exchanged for Polish prisoners held in Soviet concentration camps. Soon after that they were mostly killed by the Soviet authorities as "Polish spies".

On February 3, 1927 the Polish police shot at a demonstration in Kosava that protested against arrest of the leaders of the BPWU. 6 people were killed, several dozens were wounded[2].

References

  1. ^ History of Belarus, "Ekoperspektiva", Minsk, (2006), ISBN 985-6598-12-2, ISBN 985-469-149-7 for Volume V, v.V.
  2. ^ a b c Васіль Гарбачэўскі ЗНІТАВАНЫЯ ЛЁСАМ