Features of the creation of the Belarusian collaborationist formations at the final stage of the Great Patriotic War (winter-summer of 1944)

The article deals with the features of the process of organization and use of the Belarusian collaborationist formations, which were created by the Nazi military and political leadership at the final stages of the Great Patriotic War. It is noted that this aspect of the problem did not practically find the reflection in the historiography. Based on a wide complex of archival sources, the system of organization, training and combat use of such formation, as Belarusian regional defense, is analyzed. The reasons and the aims which were pursued by the German occupants and the Belarusian nationalists at creation of this military formation are established. The author investigates the key events of history of the Belarusian regional defense, its mobilization course, the quality of staff, and the training level of soldiers and officers. The quantitative characteristics of mobilization on a chronological and territorial basis are given. The main difficulties which led to the actual failure of mobilization in the Belarusian regional defense are shown. As a result, the conducted research substantiated conclusion that, despite all efforts of occupants and members of the Belarusian national movement, the process of the organization and use of the Belarusian collaborationist formations in this stage, from the military point of view, completely failed. The political effect was minimal but more essential, however it did not affect the further course of events.