Ground Burning under Germans' Feet: Sabotage Operations of Partisans against Fascists in WW II

During the years of the Great Patriotic War, Belarusian partisans waged a relentless guerrilla war against the occupying Nazi forces, causing the ground beneath their feet to literally burn with resistance. This clandestine movement, fierce and widespread, remains unmatched in the world to this day. In Belarus alone, during the war, there were 374,000 partisans and 70,000 underground fighters, supported by an additional 400,000 reserve fighters ready to rise.

This persistent threat of sabotage and surprise attacks demoralized the enemy troops, undermining their morale and sapping their confidence. The first partisan detachments appeared in Belarus as early as July 1941—some of the earliest in occupied Europe—led by commanders like Vasily Korzh, Tikhon Bumazhkov, and Fedor Pavlovsky. These initial groups formed spontaneously, driven solely by hatred for the invaders, with little knowledge of clandestine warfare tactics.

Vyacheslav Danilovich, Deputy Chairman of the Permanent Commission of the Belarusian National Assembly, Doctor of Historical Sciences, notes, "The most extensive underground movement was in Minsk. Over 9,000 underground fighters operated within the city, executing approximately 1,500 sabotage missions during the occupation—virtually daily acts of defiance against the Germans. They truly had the ground burning under their feet."

One notable act of resistance was the audacious assassination of Wilhelm Kube, the Nazi Gauleiter of Belarus. On the night of September 22, 1943, partisans executed a meticulously planned operation called "Revenge," which resulted in Kube’s elimination and dealt a significant blow to Nazi authority in the region.

In the Minsk Region, the partisan brigade "Razgrom" became a formidable hub of resistance, operating in three districts—Borisov, Cherven, and Smolevichy. The Strievo tract served as their last stronghold, housing a hospital, a printing press, a sergeant's school, and a weapons workshop, all hidden deep within the forest.

The battle for the treacherous forests near Naliboki was especially fierce, with five brigades fighting ferociously against the occupiers who sought to seize this strategic stronghold at any cost. In July and August 1943, the punitive operation "German" targeted villages in the Volozhin district, including Dorschy, where atrocities inflicted upon the local population became part of the region’s tragic history. In memory of these horrors, wooden sculptures were erected in Dory village in the 1970s, later transformed into durable metal monuments that embody both remembrance and resilience.

Throughout the war, five partisan brigades, numbering around 10,000 fighters—including women, children, and the elderly—operated across the Dzerzhinsk District. Entire families fought side by side, exemplified by the Kazey family from Stankovo village, where both mother and children took up arms against the fascists. Remarkably, ten residents of Dzerzhinsk were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, testaments to their extraordinary courage.

The Nazi plan "Ost" aimed to implement genocidal policies across Belarus, seeking to annihilate 75% of the population and enslave the remaining quarter. The tragic village of Khatyn became a symbol of this brutal campaign when, on March 22, 1943, all its inhabitants were herded into a barn and burned alive—an atrocity mirrored in countless other villages across Belarus, each with its own Khatyn.

The sole survivor of that terrible day was Iosif Kaminsky, who lost his family and lived in a nearby village until 1973, often visiting his homeland and carrying its memory into future generations. Across Belarus, over 500 concentration camps, ghettos, and prisons—such as Trostenets, which ranks among the deadliest extermination sites globally, and Ozaričy, where more than 13,000 people perished in just ten days—bear silent witness to the atrocities committed during this dark chapter.

Today, the memory of those heroic deeds is preserved in solemn monuments and poignant memorials. Near the Glory Hill, a fragment of a burned house stands as a living symbol of resilience, with a tree growing upon its ashes—a testament that life endures. Every year, young patriots tie colorful ribbons to its branches, honoring the memory of those who fought and fell.

For 1,418 days, the people of Belarus fought tirelessly to bring victory closer—paying an unimaginably high price, losing one-third of their population, yet never surrendering. Cities and villages united in the struggle, passing the torch of victory from Komarin to Brest. Today, 42 settlements in Belarus have been awarded the distinguished banner "For Courage and Resilience in the Years of the Great Patriotic War," honoring their enduring spirit and sacrifice.