Chronological list of main events
1917
March
– 12 March (27 February Old Style) – the February Bourgeois Revolution in Russia
– 15 March – Emperor Nicholas II of Russia abdicated, the Provisional Government
was created in Petersburg
-15 March – 2 April – the local bodies of the Provisional Government
of the Russian Republic were established in Belarus (in Minsk – the Provisional Civil
Committee, from
20 March – the City Committee of Public Order; in Vitebsk – the City Public
Committee; in Mogilev – the Executive Committee on the Protection of Public
Order; in Gomel – the Committee on Public Security
– 17 March – the Minsk Soviet of Workers Deputies and the Minsk
Soviet of Soldiers Deputies were established, and on 23 March they were united into the Minsk Soviet of Workers
and Soldiers Deputies
– March – the Western Region was established in the former area of the North-Western Region of the
Russian Empire, including the provinces of Mogilev and Minsk and
unoccupied part of Vilnius Province, with the center in Minsk. From late
1917 the Region included the provinces of Vilnius, Vitebsk, Minsk and Mogilev. In February 1918
the center moved to Smolensk, from April 1918 the Region included Smolensk
Province. In September 1918 the Western Region was renamed as Western Commune
– March – the Belarusian Socialist Gromada Party (a left-populist national party)
resumed its work and set the objective of the autonomy of Belarus as part of the Russian
Democratic Republic. At that time this view was also supported by
representatives of other Belarusian parties irrespective of their social and
political aims
April
– 7–9 April – the Congress of Belarusian National Organizations (in Minsk), creation
of a coordination center of the Belarusian national movement – election of the
Belarusian National Committee (BNK) consisting of 18 members headed by R. Skirmunt. The delegation was sent to the Provisional Government to discuss
issues of future development in Belarus, but the Provisional Government did not
support the idea of Belarusian autonomy
– early April – the Regional Peasants Congress was convened by the initiative of
the BNK
– 20–30 April – the Congress of Soldiers and Workers Deputies of Western Front
Armies and Rear supported the Provisional Government and its policy
June
– 4–7 June – the Congress of Soviets of Workers and Soldiers Deputies of Western
Region (in Minsk) supported the Provisional Government and opposed the transfer
of power to the Soviets
July
– 21–23 July – the Second Congress of Belarusian National Organizations and Parties
(in Minsk) supported the political autonomy as part of the Russian Federative
Democratic Republic; the Central Council (Rada) of Belarusian Organizations was
created instead of the Belarusian National
Committee, with the executive committee functioning between its sessions
September
– 21–28 September – the Congress of the Peoples of Russia (in Kiev)
October
– 31 October – 6 November – the Congress of Belarusian Soldiers of Western Front
with the participation of representatives from other fronts and the Baltic
Fleet supported the autonomy of Belarus and recognized necessity to
create the Belarusian army. The Central Belarusian Military Council was elected
to organize the national army
November
– 6 November – the Central Council of Belarusian Organizations was reorganized as the
Great Belarusian Council, which also included the executive committee of the Central
Belarusian Military Council
– 7 November (25 October Old Style) – the October Socialist Revolution in Petrograd
– 7–9 November – the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers and
Soldiers Deputies announced the transfer of all power to the Soviets;
establishment of the Council of People’s Commissars (SNK); adoption of Decrees on Peace and Land
– 7 November – the Minsk Soviet of Workers and Soldiers Deputies seized power in the
city
– 8 November – the Military-Revolutionary Committee of Western Front was created
at the Minsk Soviet – a temporary revolutionary body for establishment of
Soviet power in German-unoccupied area of Belarus and on Russia’s Western Front
– 9 November – appeal to the Belarusian people from the Great Belarusian Council
and the Central Belarusian Military Council, announcing the October armed
revolt in Petrograd as a manifestation of anarchy
– 20 November – proclamation of independence of the Ukrainian National Republic
(UNR), with the Ukrainian side making claims on Mozyr, Pinsk and Rechitsa districts
in Minsk Province
– late November – the Belarusian Regional Committee was founded in Petrograd at the
All-Russian Soviet of Peasants Deputies
December
– 1–3 December – the Congress of Soviets of Peasants Deputies of Minsk and Vilnius
Provinces
– 2–4 December – the Congress of Soviets of Workers and Soldiers Deputies of Western
Region
– 4 December – the first armistice was signed between Soviet Russia and the
German army in Soly, Oshmyany district
– 9 December – the Regional Executive Committee of Soviets of Workers,
Soldiers and Peasants Deputies of Western Region and Front (Obliskomzap,
functioned until 2 January 1919) and the Council of People’s Commissars of
Western Region and Front were created in Minsk.
The Obliskomzap assumed power on the whole area of Western Region unoccupied by
the German troops
– 15 December – Soviet Russia and the states of the German
block concluded in Brest-Litovsk an agreement on preliminary armistice
– 15 December – the Council of People’s Commissars headed by V. Lenin passed a decision to
provide financial aid to the Belarusian Regional Committee
– 18 December – the First All-Belarusian Congress started in Minsk by the
initiative of the Great Belarusian Council and the Belarusian Regional Committee (continued
with intervals until 31 December), passed a resolution on the right of the
Belarusian people for self-determination and democratic government and worked
out the concept of Belarusian statehood
– 31 December – the First All-Belarusian Congress was disbanded by order of the
Council of People’s Commissars of Western Region and Front
1918
January
– 3 January – an illegal meeting of some of the deputies of the First All-Belarusian Congress elected a leading center of the national movement in Belarus –
the Council (Rada) of the All-Belarusian Congress and its Executive Committee
– 25 January (until late February) – an anti-Soviet revolt in Eastern Belarus by
the First Polish Corps (of the Russian army) led by General Yu. Dovbor-Musnitsky
(the Corps was disbanded by German occupation authorities in May 1918)
– 25–28 January – Conference of Belarusian National Organizations in
Vilnius, whose delegates supported the idea of the Belarusian-Lithuanian State.
The Conference elected the Belarusian Council of Vilnius headed by A. Lutskevich –
a coordination center of Belarusian political and social organizations on the
occupied territory of Belarus. Existed until June 1919
February
– 2 February – a declaration-protest of the Belarusian mission at the
conference in Brest demanding their participation in peace negotiations
– 13 February – Decree of the Council of People’s Commissars of the RSFSR on the establishment of the Belarusian
National Commissariat (Belnatskom) – a division of the People’s Commissariat of
Nationalities of the RSFSR, from March 1918 functioned in Moscow, had divisions
in Vitebsk, Smolensk and Petrograd. Carried out political, cultural and
educational work among the Belarusians in the area of Soviet Russia, helped
refugees, organized the All-Russian Congress of Refugees from Belarus, opened
Belarusian schools, clubs and educational organizations. Worked in close contact
with the Belarusians sections of the RKP(b). Belnatskom had polemics with members
of the RKP(b) North-Western regional committee and Obliskomzap who opposed the
idea of Belarusian statehood. Existed until March 1919
– 18 February – the German troops began an offensive and
occupied Central and Eastern Belarus, stopping on the line of Rossony–Polotsk–Senno–Orsha–Mogilev–Rogachev–Zhlobin–Gomel.
The Soviet power remained only in some eastern districts of Vitebsk and Mogilev
provinces unoccupied by the Germans
– 19 February – the Council of People’s Commissars of Western
Region and Front left for Smolensk in view of the German offensive. The transition of
power, after the Bolsheviks left Minsk, to the Executive Committee of the
Council (Rada) of the First All-Belarusian Congress
– 21 February – the First Constituent Charter to the Peoples of Belarus from the
Executive Committee of the Council of the First All-Belarusian Congress
announced the Committee a temporary governmental body in Belarus and called upon the
Belarusian people to execute its right for full self-determination. The creation
of the government – the National Secretariat of Belarus headed by I. Voronko
– 21 February (until 10 December) – occupation of Minsk by German troops
– 25 February – occupation of Polotsk and Mozyr by German troops
March
– 1 March (until 15 January 1919) – occupation of Gomel by German troops
– 3 March – the conclusion of the Brest Peace Treaty between the RSFSR and
Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria, which signified the exit of
Russia from the war and established the area of Belarus on the line of Dvinsk–Sventsyany–Lida–Pruzhany–Brest.
The plan of the German administration was to create the Lithuanian state,
including the area of Vilnius and Grodno regions. The rest of the
German-occupied Belarusian lands was intended for removal of
material resources under contribution. Belarusian representatives were not allowed to
participate in the talks and Belarusian interests were not taken into
account by either side
– 9 March – the Second Constituent Charter from the Executive Committee of the
Council of the First All-Belarusian Congress
announced the creation of the Belarusian National Republic (BNR) in the ethnic
borders of Belarus and the democratic liberties for its citizens
– 12 March – occupation of Mogilev by the Polish Corps of Yu. Dovbor-Musnitsky,
from May to 31 October – by German troops
– 19 March – the Council of the All-Belarusian Congress proclaimed itself the
Council of the BNR, with functions of the parliament
– 25 March – the Council of the BNR, at a session with the participation of the delegation
of the Belarusian Council of Vilnius, adopted the Third Constituent Charter of
the BNR, which denied the legitimacy of the Brest Treaty, announced BNR an independent and free state, and
voiced the separation from Soviet Russia
– March – November – Republic of Rudobelka – an area in the south of Bobruisk
District where the Soviet government bodies remained active in the conditions
of German occupation
– Belarusian National Republic (BNR) was recognized by the Ukrainian
National Republic (UNR), Lithuania, Bulgaria and other states
April
– 1 April (until December) – the People’s Secretariat of Education of
Belarus opened free Courses of Belarusian Studies in Minsk
– 10–14 April – the Second Congress of Soviets of Western Region (in
Smolensk) decided to include Smolensk Province into Western Region; passed the
Declaration «To the Belarusian workers and peasants» which called the
proclamation of the BNR as a counter-revolutionary action executed by the
enemies of Soviet power
– 19–20 April – the first session of government representatives of the BNR and
the UNR on the establishment of borders between the republics
– 25 April – creation of the Belarusian Trade Chamber in the UNR headed by M.
Dovnor-Zapolsky
– 26 April – the Council of the BNR passed a resolution to send a telegram to Kaiser
Wilhelm II of Germany thanking for the liberation from Russian rule and asking
to support the BNR. The telegram was signed by Council Chairman I. Sereda,
Chairman of the National Secretariat I. Voronko and several council members.
Because of different views about which side to support in matters of building
the Belarusian state, the Belarusian Socialist Gromada Party (BSG) broke into
the Belarusian Party of Socialist-Revolutionaries (supported the full
self-determination of the Belarusian people), the Belarusian Party of
Socialist-Federalists (supported the declaration of independence of the BNR and
simultaneously the concept of worldwide federation – integration on
a world scale) and the Belarusian Social-Democratic Party (stood for the
independence of Belarus as a democratic republic)
– a political crisis inside the Council of the First All-Belarusian Congress,
when Socialist-Revolutionaries, Mensheviks and Jewish Socialists abandoned the
Council
May
– 7 May – the National Secretariat of the BNR created a commission for working out the
strategic map of Belarus
June
– 1–4 June – the Peace Treaty of Brest was approved by the Fourth RKP(b)
North-Western Conference (in Smolensk)
July
– 12 July – the National Secretariat of the BNR cancelled all decrees issued by
the VTsIK
and SNK of the RSFSR
– 17–21 July – the All-Russian Congress of Refugees from Belarus (in Moscow)
supported
the creation of the Belarusian state with autonomous rights in the RSFSR. The
congress delegation was accepted by V. Lenin
August
– 8–11 August – the First Conference of Communist Organizations of Belarus and
Lithuania (in Smolensk) elected the Regional Committee for preparing an armed revolt in the rear of German troops
– 28 August – Germany and the RSFSR concluded an additional agreement, by which the
German troops were obliged to abandon the area of Belarus to the river Berezina
– 29 August – the Soviet Government issued a decree cancelling all agreements of the
Russian Empire on the partitioning of the Polish Commonwealth
September
– 13 September – the Western Region of the RSFSR was renamed as Western Commune with
the center in Smolensk
October
– 1-3 October – the Communist Party of Lithuania and Western Belarus was founded
(existed until early 1919)
– 11 October – the Council of the BNR passed the Provisional Constitution of the Belarusian
National Republic; the National Secretariat was renamed the Council of
National Ministers headed by А. Lutskevich
November
– 13 November – RSFSR VTsIK annulled all provisions of the Brest Treaty in view
of the revolution in Germany
– 13 November – the Red army began its advance into Belarus
– 15 November – the Western army was formed in the Red Army (from 13 March
1919, the Belarusian-Lithuanian army), which conducted combat operations in the
area of Belarus
– 22 November – the fourth government was created in the BNR – Council of
Ministers headed by А. Lutskevich
– November – German troops abandoned eastern territories of Belarus
– 27 November – the Ministry of Belarusian Affairs was created in Lithuania by the agreement between the Belarusian Council of Vilnius and the
presidium of the Lithuanian Council (Tariba) (existed until March 1923)
December
– 3 December – the Council of the BNR moved from Minsk to Vilnius in view of the advancing
Red Army
– 10 December – German troops left Minsk. The Military-Revolutionary Committee was
created – the highest extraordinary organ of Soviet power in Minsk Province (was liquidated
following the establishment of the SSRB and transfer of the Belarusian Soviet
government to Minsk)
– 12 December – the leaders of the RSFSR spoke at a meeting in the Minsk City Theatre
– 14 December – the Council of Ministers of the BNR sent a protest note to the Foreign Minister
of the Polish Republic in view of the inclusion of Belarusian ethnographic
territories (Bialystok and Belsk regions) into Poland
– 23 December – RSFSR VTsIK passed a resolution on retention of Western
Commune (as the Western Region was called from September 1918) including the
provinces of Grodno, Vitebsk, Minsk, Mogilev and Smolensk
– 24 December – TsK RKP(b) plenary session declared the Socialist Soviet
Republic of Belarus (SSRB) as a sovereign state
– 25 December – J. Stalin informed A. Myasnikov about the TsK RKP(b) consent to the
establishment of the Belarusian Soviet Republic
– 25 December – an extraordinary session of Belnatskom, the central bureau of
RKP(b) Belarusian sections and the Moscow committee of RKP(b) Belarusian section defined a list of candidates to members of the Preliminary Government of
the Belarusian Soviet Republic headed by its chairman D. Zhilunovich
– 25 December – German troops left Vilnius
– from 27 December – the Council of the BNR stayed in Grodno during the German occupation
– 27 December – a meeting at the People’s
Commissariat of Nationalities of RSFSR between J. Stalin and A. Myasnikov defined the territory of the
Belarusian Republic to include five provinces: Grodno, Minsk, Mogilev,
Vitebsk and Smolensk
– 27 December – the People’s Commissariat of Nationalities of RSFSR issued a
directive on basic principles for the party and state building in
Belarus
– 30–31 December – the Sixth North-Western RKP(b) Regional Conference (in
Smolensk) was announced as the First Congress of the Communist Party (Bolshevik)
of Belarus; resolution «On the declaration of Western Commune as the Belarusian Soviet
Republic», formation of the first government, establishment of the borders of
the Republic
– 30 December – a special resolution on Belarus defined its basic area consisting
of Minsk, Smolensk, Mogilev, Vitebsk and Grodno provinces and adjacent districts
in neighboring provinces populated predominantly by the Belarusians
– December – German troops abandoned central territories of Belarus
1919
January
– 1 January – the Manifesto of the Provisional Workers-Peasants Soviet Government of
Belarus, adopted in Smolensk, proclaimed the foundation of the Socialist Soviet
Republic of Belarus (SSRB, later renamed the Belarusian Soviet Socialist
Republic BSSR), which included Vitebsk, Grodno, Mogilev and Minsk provinces,
Belarusian districts of Vilnius and Kaunas provinces, and western districts of
Smolensk Province
– 3 January – the Regional Executive Committee of Western Region of RSFSR passed
a resolution on voluntary dissolution and transition of power to the Provisional
Workers-Peasants Soviet Government of Belarus headed by D. Zhilunovich (Tishka
Gartny)
– 5 January – a resolution declaring Minsk as the capital
– 7 January – the Provisional Workers-Peasants Soviet Government of Belarus moved
from Smolensk to Minsk
– 16 January – TsK RKP(b) adopted a decision on the inclusion of Vitebsk and
Mogilev provinces and the Belarusian part of Smolensk Province to the RSFSR
– 21 January – the Military-Revolutionary Council of the SSRB – an extraordinary
governmental body in Belarus was created
– 31 January – Presidium of VTsIK RSFSR passed a resolution recognizing the
independence of the SSRB
– January – German troops abandoned western and southern territories of Belarus
February
– 2–3 February – the First All-Belarusian Congress of Soviets (in Minsk),
adoption of
the first Constitution of the SSRB (effective until 1927) and resolution on the
beginning of talks with the RSFSR on the establishment of federative relations, an
appeal to all peoples for recognition of Belarusian independence and
establishment of diplomatic relations with Belarus, election of TsIK SSRB,
approval of VTsIK’s
resolution on uniting Belarus and Lithuania into the Lithuanian-Belarusian
Soviet Socialist Republic (LitBel)
– mid-February – the Soviet power was established in most part of modern-day
Belarus (except Brest, Kobrin, Volkovysk, Grodno)
– 27 February (until early September) – consolidation of the SSRB and the
Lithuanian Republic into the united Lithuanian-Belarusian SSR consisting of
Vilnius, Grodno, Minsk, Kaunas and part of Suwalki provinces with the capital in
Vilnius; the formation of the government – the Council of People’s Commissars
(SNK) headed by V. Mitskyavichus-Kapsukas
March
– 2 March – the Council of People’s Commissars of the LitBel adopted the
official name of the new state: the Socialist Soviet Republic of Lithuania and
Belarus (SSLiB, LitBel)
– 4–6 March – the United Congress of the KP(b)B and KPLiZB in Vilnius
– 24–29 March – an anti-Soviet rebel in Grodno led by Socialist-Revolutionary M. Strekopytov
April
– 19 April – the Council of People’s Commissars of the LitBel passed a resolution on the transition of all power to
the Council of Defense of the LitBel
– 21 April – Polish troops occupied the capital of the LitBel – Vilnius
– 24 April – after the withdrawal of German troops, the city of Grodno came
under the governance of Poland
– 27 April (until September) – the leadership of the BNR stayed in Grodno during
the Polish occupation
– 28 April (until 17 July) – the government of the LitBel worked in Minsk
– 1 June – Decree by VTsIK RSFSR «On the Union of Soviet Republics»,
conclusion of the military union of Soviet republics
– 9–10 June – the Belarusian Congress of Vilnius and Grodno Regions (in Vilnius)
declared the idea of independent and indivisible Belarus, condemned the union
with Poland, supported the creation of the Belarusian-Lithuanian state
within the borders of the former Great Duchy of Lithuania
– 28 June – conclusion of the Versailles Peace Treaty, which officially ended
the First World War
July
– 1 July (until 8 August) – defense of Minsk against the Polish troops
August
– August – Polish troops occupied the Belarusian area to the rivers Western
Dvina and Dnieper
– August – September – the Council of the BNR stayed in Minsk under the Polish occupation
December
-13 December – the Council of the BNR split into the Highest Council and the National Council – respectively the supporters of
cooperation with the Polish authorities (Ya. Lyosik, A. Lutskevich) and those
who supported the full independence of Belarus (P. Krechevsky, V. Lastovsky)
1920
January
– 5 January – TsK RKP(b) passed a resolution “On the relations of Belarus with
the Russian SFSR”
– 19 January – TsK KP(b)LiB adopted detailed theses for
preparation of a universal armed revolt against Polish troops
– January – during the talks with Polish leaders the Soviet representatives
confirmed their proposal for possible recognition of the Polish frontier on the line of the
Soviet-Polish front, but the Polish government refused
March
– 5–6 March – Polish troops occupied Mozyr and Kalinkovichi
– 8 March – Polish troops occupied Rechitsa
May
– 14 May – the troops of the Red Army Western Front began an offensive,
assuming it as the main attack through the area of Belarus towards Warsaw,
but the
Polish troops managed to stop the Soviet advance
July
– July (from 4 July) – the Red Army launched an offensive against the Polish
occupation troops in Belarus
– 6 July – TsK KP(b)LiB supported the restoration of Belarusian statehood and
recognized it possible to admit to this process the national-democratic parties standing on
Soviet platform
– 11 July – end of the Polish occupation of Minsk, transfer of power to
the Minsk Province Military-Revolutionary Committee (VRK) headed by A. Chervyakov
– 12 July – the Russian SFSR and Lithuania concluded a peace treaty in Moscow,
which recognized the right of Lithuania for Vilnius City and Region; the
Belarusian ethnic territories with the cities of Grodno, Shchuchin, Oshmyany,
Smorgon and Lida were recognized as part of Lithuania
– 14 July – end of the Polish occupation of Vilnius
– 19 July – end of the Polish occupation of Grodno
– 31 July – the Minsk Province Military-Revolutionary Committee and representatives
of party and soviet bodies adopted the Declaration of Independence of the
Soviet Socialist Republic of Belarus (the second proclamation of the SSRB)
– 31 July – the SSRB was restored within the borders of six districts of Minsk Province
August
– 1 August – end of the Polish occupation
– 1 August – creation of the Military-Revolutionary Committee of SSRB headed by
A. Chervyakov (existed until 13
December)
– 11 August – a peace treaty was concluded between the Russian SFSR and Latvia, by which
Latvia received Rezhitsa and Lyutsin districts and two volosts in Drissa
District earlier included in Vitebsk Province
– 17 August – the Red Army began withdrawal after the
counterattack by Polish troops at Warsaw
– 17 August – negotiations between the Russian SFSR, Ukrainian SSR and
Poland in Minsk (later the talks continued in Riga); neither SSRB nor BNR
representatives participated in the talks, because Poland and the Entente as
well as
the Russian SFSR were not interested in this
– 19 August – Polish counteroffensive and reoccupation of Brest
September
– September – reoccupation of western and southern districts of Belarus
– 21 September – peace talks between the Russian SFSR, Ukrainian SSR and Poland
continued in Riga; the head of the Belarusian delegation A. Chervyakov put a
question about the delegation’s admission to the talks before the head of the
Russian delegation A. Ioffe but received refusal
October
– 8 October 1920 – inspired by the Chief of the Polish State J. Pilsudsky,
interested in the inclusion of Vilnius into Poland, the First
Lithuanian-Belarusian Division of the Polish Army led by General L. Zheligovsky
rose in revolt and seized Vilnius Region (the region came to Lithuania by agreement between
Poland and Lithuania); the creation in this area of the Polish puppet state
of Middle Lithuania with the center in Vilnius (existed until
February 1922)
– 12 October – signing of armistice in Riga – a preliminary peace agreement
between the Russian SFSR and Ukrainian SSR on the one hand and Poland on the other
– 15 October – reoccupation of Minsk by Polish troops for three days
– 21 October – Conference of Socialist-Revolutionaries, Social-Democrats and
Socialist-Federalists, whose delegates demanded the review of the preliminary
peace agreement to establish the border between Poland and Russia on
ethnographic principle, the withdrawal of Polish and Russian troops from
Belarusian ethnographic territory and appealed to Socialists of Poland, Russia
and the whole world to support their demands
November
– 6 November – the army of General S. Bulak-Balakhovich (around 20,000 men)
began an offensive in the south of Belarus along the river Pripyat, during which
they captured Petrikov, Mozyr and Kalinkovichi. In Mozyr, Bulak-Balakhovich
proclaimed himself Chief of the Belarusian State and Commander-in-Chief of all
Armed Forces of Belarus and proclaimed the independence of Belarus
– 14 November (until 31 December) – an anti-Soviet rebellion in Slutsk District led
by Socialist-Revolutionaries under the slogan of restoration of the BNR
– 16 November – Red Army troops began counteroffensive against Bulak-Balakhovich’s
troops,
who withdrew to the Polish side of the demarcation line
– November – the Council of the BNR moved to Kaunas
December
– 13–17 December – the Second All-Belarusian Congress of Workers, Peasants and
Red Army Soldiers Deputies ratified the Riga Preliminary Agreement of 12
October 1920 and confirmed the mandate delegated by the Belarusian SSR to the Russian SFSR to
conclude peace on behalf of the BSSR
– 18 December – TsIK SSRB passed a resolution on the formation of the Republic’s
government – the Council of People’s Commissars
1921
February
– February – the second session of TsIK SSRB passed a resolution on the
equality of four languages in the Belarusian Republic: Belarusian, Russian,
Polish and Yiddish
March
– 18 March – the Peace Treaty of Riga between the Russian SFSR (the preamble
stated that the Russian government signed itself and on behalf of the
Belarusian SSR) and the Ukrainian SSR on the one hand and Poland on the other, by which Poland received Western Belarus. The area of the Belarusian
Republic was limited to six districts in Minsk Province: Bobruisk, Borisov,
Igumen (from 1923 – Cherven), Mozyr, and part of Minsk and Slutsk districts
September
– 25–28 September – the First All-Belarusian Conference in Prague – an assembly
of representatives of Belarusian organizations and parties in Western Belarus,
Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Czechoslovakia – approved the principle
of independence and indivisibility of Belarus
1922
February
– 20 February – inclusion of Middle Lithuania in the Polish State
December
– 30 December – the Belarusian Republic (SSRB) entered the Soviet Union
1923
March
– 15 March – the Conference of Ambassadors of the League of Nations recognized the
eastern borders of Poland with Soviet Russia and Lithuania
November
– the Council of the BNR moved to Prague
1924
March
– the first enlargement of the Belarusian Republic; returning of Vitebsk, Gomel
and Smolensk provinces with Belarusian majority, the total area – 110, 500
sq km, population – around 4, 2 million people
1925
November
– 12–16 November – the Second All-Belarusian Conference in Berlin – a conference
of Belarusian political figures in exile – recognized Minsk as the only center
of the nation-state revival in Belarus
1927
Апрель
– 11 April – the Eighth All-Belarusian Congress of Soviets of Workers, Peasants
and Red Army Soldiers Deputies renamed the Socialist Soviet Republic of Belarus
(SSRB) as the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR)
December
– the second enlargement of the Belarusian Republic; returning of Rechitsa and
Gomel districts, the total area – 125, 900 sq km, population – around 5
million people
1939
September
– 17 September – the Red Army crossed the Soviet-Polish border and occupied the
area of Western Belarus, Vilnius City and Region
October
– 10 October – the Lithuanian Republic and the USSR signed an agreement
transferring Vilnius City and Region to the Lithuanian Republic, by which
Lithuania received 6, 900 sq km of the area of the Belarusian SSR, and in August
and November 1940 over 2, 600 sq km
– 28–30 October – the People’s Assembly of Western Belarus in Bialystok adopted the
Declaration on Soviet Power and Reunification of Western Belarus with the
Belarusian SSR
November
– Western Belarus joined the Belarusian SSR; the establishment of five
administrative regions
(oblasts) with 101 districts (raions): Baranovichi – 26, Bialystok – 24, Brest – 18,
Vileika – 22, Pinsk – 11, the total area – 225, 000 sq km, population –
about 11 million people