Biełaruskaja Krajovaja Abarona

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Biełaruskaja Krajovaja Abarona
Active February 23, 1944 – April 28, 1945
Country Belarusian Central Rada
Patron Radasłaŭ Astroŭski
March Goose-Step
Anniversaries February 23
Engagements Battle of Monte Cassino, Aftermath of World War II
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Major (SS-Sturmbannführer) Franciszek Kuszal (Franz Kushal, Францішак Кушаль), Barys Rahula
Insignia
Identification
symbol		 Flag of Belarus#White-red-white flag

Biełaruskaja Krajovaja Abarona (Belarusian Land Defence; BKA) was the name of the armed forces of The Belarusian Central Rada from February 23, 1944 to April 28, 1945. The Belarusian Land Defence was formed under the control of Governor-General Curt von Gottberg with the help of German special services. In indispensable cases, the help of administrative governments and public organizations like SBM was used.

On March 6, 1944, after preliminary preparation, the general mobilization of all healthy men born between 1908 and 1924 into the BKA started. About 500 to 600 men from each region (Uezd) were recruited.

On March 26, all personnel belonging to the BKA gave their oath: "I swore, that sleeve to sleeve with German soldier, I will not drop my weapon until there is peace and security in our farms and cities, until in our Motherland the last enemy of the Belarusian people will be destroyed." That day in Minsk, at 8:30 AM, in Freedom Square, Minsk, in the presence of SS and Police Leader Curt von Gottberg, the President of BCR and BKA General staff accepted this oath from cadets of the First Minsk Officer School BKA. Analyzing the mobilization, the president of Belarusian Rada Radasłaŭ Astroŭski noted, that: "Germans invoke commissions and for different payments/bribes, free people of mobilization, and because of that, accepted the solution to preserve former mistakes, not to suppose Germans". He also noted that partisans can dive in BKA, and all personal structure with Sicherheitsdienst needed inspection.

On March 31, BKA battalions received their personal numbers. All officers from Russian, Polish, and Red armies not older than 57 years and Unteroffiziers not older than 55 years except serving in government, police, were drafted into BKA. Invoking was controlled by Police and SD commandants. The main assignment of BKA was antipartizan operations, and later at front with Red Army. Belarusian Central Government (Rada) BCR sent the BKA throughout Belarus except Pripyat river region and town Lida area; Brasław, Wołożyn, Miadzioł, Volost center Kozłowszczyzna and in Minsk region Uzda and Iwenec weren't patrolled by the BKA.

After evacuating Rada to Königsberg, and soon to Berlin in November 1944 for updating and tutoring officers for BKA, the 1st personnel battalion BKA was formed. Battalions of BKA, on Belarusian territory, mainly were used in anti-partisan operations and later on the front with Red Army, but the BKA didn't exist after Soviets entered Belarus. The BKA retreated with the Germans to the West.

The BCR formed under occupation of Belarus by Nazi Germany exists today in the US and president Radasłaŭ Astroŭski worked till 1960. Most of its members, as members of other organizations, received political asylum as immigrants. In April and May 1945, most of the BKA and SBM submitted to Russian Liberation Army surrendered to the Allies, knowing that in their motherland a long and difficult death by NKVD awaited them. Later propagandists hold that the Belarusian Liberation Armies 1st personnel battalion in Berlin in fact was a reserve for the 30th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Russian). Eleven its officers, including B. D. Rahula and others entered the 1st Grenadier Sturm Brigade SS "Belarus", formed in Nazi Germany; it was sent to the Battle of Monte Cassino, and acted against the II Corps (Poland) of General Władysław Anders (Anders Army). BKA soldiers were not trusted by the Germans, which explains why Russian Liberation Army formations weren't sent to the Eastern Front, and combat at Western Front.

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