WESTERN SPECIAL MILITARY DISTRICT

ˈWestern ˈSpecial ˈMilitary ˈDistrict

Name of the Belarusian Military District from July 11, 1940 to June 22, 1941.

The military district included armies, i.e. the 3rd one (with the headquarters in Grodna; commander was lieutenant general V. I. Kuznetsov), 4th one (with the headquarters in Kobryn; commander was major general A. A. Korobkov), 10th one (with the headquarters in Białystok; commander was major general K. D. Golubev), 13th one (it was begun to be formed in May 1941; headquarters in Magiliow; commander was lieutenant general P. M. Filatov).

As a result of the reunion of Western Belarus with the BSSR (1939), a new border line which required the construction and equipment of appropriate fortifications was formed. New airfields were built in the territory of the military district, new defensive structures and fortified areas were raised along the border. The military district troops that covered the new western state border of the USSR were engaged in rearmament and organisational restructuring.

The military district’s headquarters was located in Minsk. The military district newspaper Krasnoarmejskaja Pravda («Красноармейская правда», lit. ‘red army’s truth’) was published. On the first day of the Great Patriotic War, the district was transformed into the Western Front.

Simultaneously with the establishment of the Western Front, the leadership of the Western Military District which was subordinated to the command of the Western Front troops from July 25, 1941, was formed. To ensure mobilising, forming, and staffing of troops in the territory of the district was the main task of the administration.

On September 20, 1941, the administration was disbanded due to complete withdrawal of Soviet troops from the territory of the military district.

Commanding officer was army general D. G. Pavlov, member of the military council corps was commissar A. Ja. Fominykh, headquarters chief was major general V. E. Klimovskikh.