Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin

Chapter 7 details the experiences of Belarus during World War II, caught between the brutal occupations of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. The chapter begins with the German invasion in June 1941, transforming Belarus into a battleground of escalating violence, where cities became war zones, towns were erased by the Holocaust, and the countryside hosted horrific prisoner-of-war camps and partisan warfare. Minsk, the capital, epitomizes Nazi destructiveness, becoming a site for ghettos, concentration camps, and mass executions, including a macabre parade designed to equate communism with Judaism.

The narrative contrasts the actions and ideologies of Hitler and Stalin, portraying a struggle not only for territorial dominance but also for ideological supremacy, each employing genocidal tactics against Jews and perceived enemies. Stalin’s response, while attempting to rally the Soviet people, falls short of acknowledging the full scale of Jewish suffering, instead focusing on a broader narrative of Soviet resistance and resilience.

As the chapter progresses, it highlights the complex dynamics of occupation, resistance, and collaboration. The German policy of associating Jews with communism served as a pretext for mass murder, attempting to undermine Soviet solidarity by portraying it as a Jewish conspiracy. In contrast, Stalin prepared for both ideological and military defense, emphasizing the Soviet Union’s multi-ethnic composition while strategically downplaying the Jewish genocide.