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122-611: The celebrations begin as the parade commander (usually the Deputy Defense Minister) arrives to take command of the parade formations from a commander of the first company participating in the parade. At 10am, the President of Belarus arrives on Victors Avenue and gets on the central grandstand to await the start of the parade. The parade commander gives the order to begin the review of the Minsk Garrison by

244-525: A state of emergency in the following cases: natural disasters, a catastrophe, or unrest involving violence or the threat of violence. Regardless if the declaration affects the entire country or sections of it, the Council of the Republic must be notified by the president and must seek their approval within three days of notification. The same rules applies if the president issues a state of martial law in

366-632: A 5-year precedent, the military did not invite paratroopers from the Russian 76th Guards Air Assault Division to participate in the parade. Although no official reason was given, many have speculated that the division's involvement in the 2014 Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and the ongoing involvement in the War in Donbass may have been a factor. Russia was instead represented by

488-635: A Belarusian citizen by birth that is over thirty-five years old. The candidate must also reside within the republic for ten years and able to cast a ballot legally. The provisions are set down in Article 80 of the Constitution. Elections for president occur every five years by a national vote. To be registered as a candidate for the presidency the prospective candidate is first required to have an initiative group of citizens containing no fewer than 100 persons. The initiative group must be registered with

610-633: A Soviet offensive breaks out the Army will either have to go over to a mobile defence or see its front smashed". Because the initial offensive in Belarus was thought to be a feint, the Feste Plätze spanned the entire length of the Eastern Front. Army Group Centre had Feste Plätze at Vitebsk , Orsha , Mogilev , Baranovichi , Minsk , Babruysk , Slutsk , and Vilnius . Operation Bagration

732-482: A cadet at the Military Academy who marched in the parade barefooted . Celebrated the 28th anniversary of independence as well as the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus. Unlike previous parades which may have included 1 or 2 foreign contingents, this parade included the color guards and full formations from 8 different countries, including China and Azerbaijan . An elite armoured division from

854-673: A significant disruptive effect. The partisans were also used to mop up encircled German forces once the breakthrough and exploitation phases of the operation were completed. The Stavka had committed approximately 1,670,300 combat and support personnel, approximately 32,718 artillery pieces and mortars, 5,818 tanks and assault guns and 7,799 aircraft. Army Group Centre's strength was 486,000 combat personnel (849,000 total, including support personnel). The army group had 3,236 field guns and other artillery pieces (not including mortars) but only 495 operational tanks and assault guns and 920 available aircraft, of which 602 were operational. Army Group Centre

976-480: A two-thirds majority must be reached in the House of Representatives and the Council of the Republic on the resolution to remove the president. An ad hoc committee is formed and must make the determination about the state of health before any motion can begin. If the president has committed a grave crime, such as treason , one-third of the House must bring charges against the president formally. The investigation of

1098-601: Is the head of state and head of government of Belarus . The office was created in 1994 with the passing of the Constitution of Belarus by the Supreme Council . This replaced the office of Chairman of the Supreme Council as the head of state. The tasks of the president include executing foreign and domestic policy , defending the rights and general welfare of citizens and residents, and upholding

1220-572: Is the main authority for the granting of Belarusian citizen and can present state decorations to honored individuals. The president also has the ability to determine the status of asylum seekers and grant pardons to convicted citizens. As the supreme commander-in-chief of the Belarusian Armed Forces , the president has the duty to protect the Belarusian territory from internal and external forces. The president can call for

1342-461: Is the only person to have served as President of Belarus. Article 79 of the Constitution of Belarus gives the status of head of state to the president of the Republic of Belarus. They are also considered the guardian of the Constitution and the rights and freedoms of those who claim Belarusian citizenship or residency. The president is the personification of unification of the Belarusian state when conducting foreign or internal affairs and shall be

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1464-548: Is the only person to serve as president since the 1994 elections. The presidential office is located in the Palace of the Republic in the capital Minsk , while the presidential residence is located in Zaslawye , near the capital. Lukashenko heads an authoritarian government and has often been referred to as "Europe's last dictator ". Elections are not considered to be free and fair by international monitors , opponents of

1586-401: Is the president's duty to conduct negotiations and sign international treaties, and to appoint and recall diplomatic representatives of the Republic. Not only is the president the head of government, they are the social leader of Belarus. The president delivers messages to the citizens several times a year and can issue decrees to establish red letter days and national holidays. The president

1708-473: Is valid only if more than 50 % of registered voters cast a ballot. During the first round of voting, if a candidate earns fifty percent plus one of the votes, they are declared the President-elect. If no one has achieved that number during the first round, then a run-off election will occur between two candidates who won the most votes. The person who wins the most votes in the run-off is declared

1830-453: The 11th Guards Army , 5th Army and 31st Army then attacked the German positions, breaking through the first defensive belt on the same day. The German deployment of its only reserve division was met the next day with the insertion of the massed Soviet tank brigades, which achieved the operational breakthrough. By 25 June, Soviet forces began to advance into the German rear. Völckers' position

1952-457: The 3rd Panzer Army under the command of Georg-Hans Reinhardt ; the lines ran through marshy terrain in the north, through a salient round the city of Vitebsk, to a sector north of the main Moscow –Minsk road, held by the 4th Army . It was opposed by the 1st Baltic Front of Hovhannes Bagramyan , and Ivan Chernyakhovsky 's 3rd Belorussian Front , which were given the task of breaking through

2074-668: The Coordination Council , recognised by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus as an extremist organisation). Liberation of Belarus Zaloga: 300,000–375,000 overall Frieser: 399,102 Glantz and House: ~450,000 combat casualties Isayev: ~500,000 combat casualties Soviet sources: 539,480 total casualties Glantz and House: 770,888 (including ~550,000 combat casualties) Operation Bagration ( Russian : Операция Багратион , romanized :  Operatsiya Bagration )

2196-648: The Courland Pocket . On 22 June 1944, the Red Army attacked Army Group Centre in Byelorussia, with the objective of encircling and destroying its main component armies. By 28 June, the German 4th Army had been destroyed, along with most of the Third Panzer and Ninth Armies. The Red Army exploited the collapse of the German front line to encircle German formations in the vicinity of Minsk in

2318-671: The Defence Minister of Belarus , the parade presenting arms at this juncture. The Deputy Defense Minister of Belarus then reports to the Defense Minister on the status of the parade. Following the report, to the tune of the Central Band of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus playing inspection tunes, both the parade commander and the Defense Minister then review the parade mounted in their vehicles and

2440-528: The Government of the Republic of Belarus . The president signs bills, and has the right to veto and return it, fully or in parts, with objections to the House of Representatives. They also appoint – and can dismiss – the deputy Prime ministers, the ministers and the other members of the Government, and they decide in cases of resignation of the Government, or any of its members. The president appoints

2562-554: The Lithuanian Security Police . The relatively static lines in Byelorussia had enabled the Germans to construct extensive field fortifications, with multiple trench lines to a depth of several kilometres and heavily mined defensive belts. Besides the pro-German and pro-Soviet forces, some third-party factions were also involved in the fighting during Operation Bagration, most notably several resistance groups of

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2684-781: The Lublin – Brest and Lvov – Sandomierz areas to the central sectors, enabling the Soviets to undertake the Lvov–Sandomierz Offensive and Lublin–Brest Offensive . This allowed the Red Army to reach the Vistula River and Warsaw , which in turn put Soviet forces within striking distance of Berlin , conforming to the concept of Soviet deep operations—striking into the enemy's strategic depths . Germany's Army Group Centre had previously proven difficult to counter, as

2806-623: The Lublin–Brest Offensive as well as engage in offensive operations in that area. The bulk of tactical resources, in particular anti-tank artillery , was allocated to the 1st Ukrainian Front , the spearhead of the Vistula, L'vov-Premyshl operation. Thirty-eight of the 54 anti-tank regiments allocated to the Byelorussian-Baltic-Ukrainian operations were given to the 1st Ukrainian Front. This demonstrates that

2928-593: The Minsk Offensive and destroy them, with Minsk liberated on 4 July. With the end of effective German resistance in Byelorussia, the Soviet offensive continued on to Lithuania , Poland and Romania over the course of July and August. The Red Army successfully used the strategies of Soviet deep battle and maskirovka (deception) to their full extent for the first time, albeit with continuing heavy losses. Operation Bagration diverted German mobile reserves from

3050-653: The Russian Ground Forces represented the Russian Armed Forces in the parade instead of the usual contingent from the airborne troops . In attendance was Azerbaijani defense minister Zakir Hasanov , Commander of the Russian Western Military District Viktor Astapov , and Uzbek army chief Pavel Ergashev . Keeping in tradition with the last jubilee parade in 2014, this parade took place in

3172-523: The VI Corps , pushing it so far to the south that it came under the command of the 4th Army. The LIII Corps had received permission to retreat on 24 June with three divisions, while leaving one division behind in the fester Platz Vitebsk . However, by the time the order arrived, the city was already encircled. General Friedrich Gollwitzer , the commander of the Vitebsk "strongpoint", decided to disobey

3294-560: The Warsaw Uprising against the German occupation forces. The battle has been described as the triumph of the Soviet theory of the " operational art " because of the complete coordination of all the strategic front movements and signals traffic to fool the enemy about the target of the offensive. The military tactical operations of the Red Army successfully avoided the mobile reserves of the Wehrmacht and continually "wrong-footed"

3416-411: The "deep battle", envisaged breaking through the tactical zones and forward German defences. Once these tactical offensives had been successful, fresh operational reserves were to exploit the breakthrough and the operational depths of the enemy front using powerful mechanized and armoured formations to encircle enemy concentrations on an Army Group scale. Army Group Centre's northern flank was defended by

3538-477: The 11th anniversary of independence. It was the first parade that took place on October Square since 1984. It was also the first time the Honor Guard of the Armed Forces of Belarus performed an exhibition drill at an independence day parade. It celebrated the 13th anniversary of independence and the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus . It was held at its current venue for the first time. It saw

3660-486: The 1st Mechanised Corps swept hastily across the edge of the Pripyet Marshes , subduing the German 9th Army troops defending fester platz Slutsk, cutting through the fortress, effectively hindering the bulk of the 9th Army's ability to flee through the south and ultimately sealing the fate of the battle-hardened unit on the lands of Belorussia. It was the ability of KMG Pliev to seize Slutsk and swing south against

3782-458: The 22nd anniversary of independence. More than 20 military aircraft roared overhead, as well a 3,000 servicemen took part in the parade. Attending the parade were the Presidents of Venezuela and Laos , Nicolas Maduro and Choummaly Sayasone , respectively. Celebrated the 23rd anniversary of independence and the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus . For the first time the parade

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3904-611: The 26th anniversary of independence. The mechanized column included T-72B combat tanks, BMP-2 infantry combat vehicles, BTR-80 armoured personnel carriers, and the Polonez Rocket Systems. On June 26, a tank that took part in that day's dress rehearsal crashed into a tree and knocked down a lamppost in Independence Avenue in Minsk. Belarusian tractors performed a ballet after the official parade. Breaking with

4026-561: The 4th Army's XXVII Corps holding Orsha and the main Moscow-Minsk highway. Despite a tenacious German defense, Orsha was liberated by 26 June, and the 3rd Belorussian Front's mechanized forces were able to penetrate far into the German rear, reaching the Berezina River by 28 June. The central sector of Soviet operations was against the long front of 4th Army, under the command of Kurt von Tippelskirch . Soviet plans envisaged

4148-504: The 9th Army that truly showed the effectiveness of the combination of the anachronistic horse-mounted Soviet cavalrymen and the fleet of mechanised beasts of the Soviet armoured formations in the form of the Cavalry-Mechanised Group in striking deep into the operational depth of the opponent as envisaged by Marshal Mikhail Tukhachevsky 's Deep Battle doctrine. With the flanks secured by the Cavalry-Mechanised Group and

4270-406: The Army and war veteran Ivan Herasymov as well as a representative delegation of French Normandie-Niemen Fighter Regiment veterans. Celebrated the 18th anniversary of independence and the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus . Nine UAZ-469 vehicles carrying war veterans took part in the parade. The parade included more than 40 military aircraft and 160 military vehicles. Celebrated

4392-665: The Belarusian Law on Press. The Presidential Palace ( Belarusian : Рэзідэнцыя Прэзідэнта , Russian : Резиденция президента ) is a Stalinist Empire style building located on October Square in Minsk surrounded by the streets of Marx , Engels , Kirov and Komsomol . Like the American White House , the streets close to the official residence are closed off to vehicular traffic and are patrolled by police forces. Having been used since 1994, it formerly housed

4514-616: The Berezina River on 28 June. The centre of the 4th Army was holding the tip of the Byelorussian bulge, with the bulk of its forces on a shallow bridgehead east of the Dnieper River . The Mogilev Offensive opened with an intense artillery barrage against the German defensive lines on the morning of 22 June. The goal of the 2nd Belorussian Front (Colonel-General Gyorgy Zakharov ) was to pin the 4th Army near Mogilev while

4636-658: The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Byelorussia . The president also has use of the Independence Palace in Minsk. Officially, the only symbol denoting the presence of the president is the flag of the president of Belarus (Штандар Прэзідэнта Рэспублікі Беларусь). The standard, which has been in use since March 27, 1997, was adopted by a decree called "Concerning the Standard of

4758-617: The Central Elections Commission no later than 85 days before the election. If successfully registered, the nominated candidate is tasked with collecting at least 100,000 valid signatures from eligible voters. If the Central Elections Commissions find that this threshold has been reached, the candidate is officially certified to run for the presidency. In the voting, the secret ballots are collected directly from eligible voters. The election

4880-758: The Commander of the Russian Airborne Forces , Colonel General Andrey Serdyukov . Celebrated the 27th anniversary of independence as well as the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Belarusian Army. The parade included female cadets for the first time. Troops from the Chinese PLA Honour Guard took part in the parade for the first time with Russian troops making a return appearance. Belarus's Bogomol and Centaur unmanned ground systems also made their debut appearance at

5002-466: The Constitution deal with how the presidency can change hands in-between election cycles. The president has the ability to resign from office at any time under Article 87. The letter of resignation is sent to the House of Representatives and is accepted by them. The president has the ability to be removed from office if their physical or mental health is impaired under Article 88. In order for this to happen,

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5124-399: The Constitution, the president is immune from arrest, with exception to the treason/grave crimes clauses listed in Article 88 in the same document. Also under Article 79, the honor and dignity of the president will be protected by national law. Information, either printed in the news or reported on television , that is considered defamation against the president is illegal under Article 5 of

5246-468: The Constitution. The president is mandated by the Constitution to serve as a leader in the social affairs of the country and to act as its main representative abroad. The duties, responsibilities and other transitional clauses dealing with the presidency are listed in Chapter Three, Articles 79 through 89, of the Constitution. The term for the president is five years, but due to a 1996 referendum ,

5368-649: The Dnieper crossings on the evening of 27 June and fought its way into the city during the night, while mobile units enveloped the garrison from the northwest. During the day both the German XII Corps and XXXIX Panzer Corps began falling back towards the Berezina crossings. Travel was nearly impossible by day, due to the omnipresence of the Soviet air force, while Soviet tank columns and roadblocks provided constant obstacles. The main body of 4th Army arrived at

5490-480: The Dnieper; this was countermanded by the Army Group commander, Busch, who instructed Tippelskirch to order the units to return to their positions. This was however impossible as a cohesive frontline no longer existed. With the front collapsing, Busch met with Hitler on 26 June and received the authorisation to pull the army back to the Berezina River, 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of Mogilev. The 49th Army forced

5612-470: The German forces. Despite the massive forces involved, Soviet front commanders left their adversaries completely confused about the main axis of attack until it was too late. The Russian maskirovka is roughly equivalent to the English camouflage , but it has broader application in military use. During World War II the term was used by Soviet commanders to describe measures to create deception with

5734-592: The Germans to move their powerful armoured forces, fresh from their victory in the First Jassy–Kishinev Offensive in April–June 1944, to the central front to support Army Group Centre. This was the primary purpose of Bagration. In order to maximize the chances of success, the maskirovka was a double bluff. The Soviets left four tank armies in the L'vov-Peremyshl area and allowed the Germans to know it. The attack into Romania in April–June further convinced

5856-701: The Ilyushin-2 Shturmovik "Flying Tank" ground-attack aircraft strafed and bombed the German columns as the Red Air Force firmly controlled the skies of the Belorussian balcony. Following the colossal bombardment which was supposed to shatter the forward defences of the 9th Army, troops of the Soviet 3rd Army launched their assault from Rogachev, but were met with obstinate resistance from the Germans in that sector and sustained heavy casualties, while not many advancements were attained. Meanwhile,

5978-410: The L'vov operation. This totaled twelve tank and five mechanized corps. In contrast, Operation Bagration ' s Baltic and Byelorussian Fronts were allocated just eight tank and two mechanized corps. The 1st Byelorussian Front (an important part of the L'vov-Premyshl operation) is not mentioned on the Soviet battle order for the offensive. It contained a further six armies and was to protect the flank of

6100-537: The Lvov–Sandomierz Offensive allowed the Red Army to reach the outskirts of Warsaw after gaining control of Poland east of the Vistula river. The campaign enabled the next operation, the Vistula–Oder Offensive , to come within sight of the German capital. The Soviets were initially surprised at the success of the Byelorussian operation which had nearly reached Warsaw. The Soviet advance encouraged

6222-510: The Minister, once the vehicles stop upon each company of troops assembled, then congratulates them on the holiday. After this, the defense minister's car heads to the central tribune to the tune of Motherland My Dear ( Радзіма мая дарагая ) so that the minister can report to the president on the readiness of the parade once his limousine stops in front of the presidential grandstand, following which he disembarks and arrives there, following which

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6344-649: The Polish Home Army . The latter mostly fought both the German as well as the Soviet-led troops. Some Home Army partisan factions regarded the Soviet Union as the greater threat, however, and negotiated ceasefires or even ad-hoc alliances with the German occupation forces. Such deals were condemned by the Home Army's leadership, and several partisan officers who cooperated with the Germans against

6466-399: The President of Republic of Belarus." signed into law by President Lukashenko. The standard's design is an exact copy of the national flag , with the addition of the Belarusian national emblem in gold. The standard's ratio of 5:6 differs from that of the national flag, making the standard almost square. The standard is bordered by a golden fringe . There are several copies of the standard;

6588-406: The Rada still exists, now led by President Ivonka Survilla . Under Soviet rule, the de facto leader of the Byelorussian SSR was the first secretary of the Communist Party of Byelorussia , the only legal party in Soviet Belarus. The Republic of Belarus was formed in 1991 shortly after declaring itself independent of the Soviet Union . From independence until passage of the Constitution in 1994,

6710-435: The Soviet defeat in Operation Mars had shown. However, by June 1944, despite shortening its front line, it was exposed following the defeats of Army Group South in the Battle of Kursk , the Battle of Kiev , the Dnieper–Carpathian offensive and the Crimean offensive in the late summer, autumn, and winter of 1943–44. In the north, Army Group North was also pushed back, leaving Army Group Center's lines protruding towards

6832-434: The Soviet plans for the L'vov operation were a major consideration and whoever planned the offensive was determined to hold the recently captured territory. The target for this operation was the Vistula bridgehead and the enormous anti-tank artillery forces helped repulse big counter-attacks by German armoured formations in August–October 1944. One American author suggests that these Soviet innovations were enabled, in part, by

6954-407: The Soviet strategic fronts. Instead they suggested four options: an offensive into Romania and through the Carpathian Mountains , an offensive into the western Ukrainian SSR aimed at the Baltic coast , an attack into the Baltic, and an offensive in the Byelorussian SSR . The first two options were rejected as being too ambitious and open to flank attack. The third option was rejected on the grounds

7076-418: The Soviet-controlled Polish People's Army , murdered, imprisoned or deported. Two special representatives to Stavka were appointed to coordinate the operations of the Fronts involved: Aleksandr Vasilevsky and Georgy Zhukov . The 1st Belorussian Front was particularly large and included further units which were only committed during the follow-on Lublin-Brest Offensive . 2nd Army was not involved in

7198-444: The Soviets that the Axis forces in Romania needed removing and kept the Germans concerned about their defences there and in southern Poland, while drawing German forces to the L'vov sector. Once the offensive against Army Group Centre, which lacked mobile reserves and support, had been initiated, it would create a crisis in the central sector that would force the German armoured forces north to Byelorussia from Poland and Romania, despite

7320-622: The Soviets were subsequently court-martialed. However, many times Polish Home Army fought Soviet troops in self-defence. Most often, Polish Home Army supported approaching Soviet forces and attacked German troops according to a plan of Operation Tempest . The plan was to cooperate with the advancing Red Army on a tactical level, while Polish civil authorities came out from underground and took power in Allied-controlled Polish territory. The plan failed, as Soviet troops would attack Polish Home Army groups after cooperation against German troops. Many Polish Home Army soldiers were killed in action, enlisted to

7442-503: The USSR and the Victory Banner , which were not present in the parade procession, apart from new military equipment such as the S-400 missile systems were displayed. The parade was led by Major General Andrey Zhuk. President of Belarus The president of the Republic of Belarus ( Belarusian : Прэзідэнт Рэспублікі Беларусь , romanized :  Prezident Respubliki Bielaruś ; Russian : Президент Республики Беларусь , romanized :  Prezident Respubliki Belarus' )

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7564-462: The bulk of it, the XXXIX Panzer Corps and XII Corps , being encircled while pinned down by attacks from the 2nd Belorussian Front in the parallel Mogilev Offensive Operation . By far the most important Soviet objective, however, was the main Moscow–Minsk road and the town of Orsha, which the southern wing of Chernyakhovsky's 3rd Belorussian Front was ordered to take. A breakthrough in this area, against General Paul Völckers ' XXVII Corps, would form

7686-429: The chairman of the Supreme Soviet was the head of state and the prime minister as the head of government. When the office of the presidency was created, the role of the prime minister was reduced to assisting the president and resulted in the dissolution of the Supreme Soviet, along with its chairman, in 1996. In the first set of elections for the office of president, the prime minister of Belarus, Vyacheslav Kebich ,

7808-428: The chairperson of the Supreme Court , and can dismiss this chairperson and other judges. The president is supposed to deliver annual messages to the Parliament, and has the right to participate in the sessions of Parliament and its bodies. In instances of strike, the president has the right, in instances specified in the law, to defer or suspend a strike for a period not exceeding three months. In international affairs, it

7930-400: The charges will be conducted by the Council of the Republic. In order to evict the president from office, a two-thirds majority is needed to vote in favor of conviction. The criminal case is further sent to the Supreme Court for review. The actions of either option must occur one month after the resolution is passed or the action will be considered void by the Constitution. Under Article 79 of

8052-421: The column on this tank. Around 300 units are presented at the parade. Celebrated the 6th anniversary of independence. It was the first independence day parade in the Republic of Belarus. Nearly 4,000 soldiers and officers marched through Independence Square, accompanied by 100 combat vehicles. The parade in 2001 celebrated a decade of independence. It was the last to be held on Independence Square . Celebrated

8174-465: The crossing on 30 June. It largely completed the crossing by 2 July, under heavy Soviet bombardment, but was retreating into a trap. The Mogilev Offensive fulfilled all its immediate objectives; not only was the city itself taken, but the 4th Army was successfully prevented from disengaging in time to escape encirclement in the Minsk Offensive , which commenced immediately afterwards. To capture Bobruysk , General Konstantin Rokossovsky proposed during

8296-433: The defences to the north and south of Vitebsk and cutting off the salient. In the north, the 1st Baltic Front pushed the German IX Corps over the Dvina, while encircling the LIII Corps in the city of Vitebsk by 24 June, opening a gash in the frontline of 40 kilometres (25 miles) wide. The Soviet command inserted its mobile forces to begin exploitation in operational depth. To the south, the 3rd Belorussian Front attacked

8418-439: The developing Vitebsk–Orsha and Bobruysk Offensives encircled it. East of Mogilev, General Robert Martinek 's XXXIX Panzer Corps attempted to hold its lines in the face of an assault by the 49th Army during which the latter suffered heavy casualties. The 4th Army commander, Tippelskirch, requested that the army be allowed to withdraw on 25 June. When the permission was not forthcoming, he authorised his units to withdraw to

8540-407: The distance of the troops marching past. The order now concluded, the parade then marches off in quick time with the drummers of the Corps of Drums of the Minsk Suvorov Military School setting the pace. As the Corps' bandmaster orders the halt, the massed bands start playing a military march (usually Letter from the 45th by Igor Luchenko as the first song) as he salutes while the drummers swing on

8662-438: The east and at risk of losing contact with neighbouring army groups. The German High Command expected the next Soviet offensive to fall against Army Group North Ukraine (Field Marshal Walter Model ), and it lacked the necessary intelligence capabilities to discover the Soviets' true intentions. The Wehrmacht had redeployed one-third of Army Group Centre's artillery, half of its tank destroyers , and 88 per cent of tanks to

8784-482: The election that was supposed to occur in 1999 was pushed back to 2001. Under the 1994 constitution, the president could only serve for two terms as president, but due to a change in the constitution , term limits were eliminated. In the 2022 constitutional referendum , a limit of two terms was reimposed, though only on "newly elected presidents". During the course of the office, elections were held in 1994 , 2001 , 2006 , 2010 , 2015 and 2020 . Alexander Lukashenko

8906-402: The end of the parade, performed by the Honor Guard of the Armed Forces of Belarus has been held annually since 2002 and shows off the military drill of the armed forces. Following the drill routine, the massed bands sing Our Fatherland's Flag (Айчыны нашай сцяг) before marching off the avenue, officially closing the parade. The Honor Guard of the Armed Forces of Belarus also participates in

9028-406: The enemy situation: When it is still to be considered that the attack against Army Group Centre will be a secondary operation in the framework of the global Soviet offensive operations, it must be taken into account that the enemy will also be capable in front of Army Group Centre to build concentrations of which the force of penetration cannot be underestimated in view of the ratio of forces between

9150-420: The enemy was too well prepared. The only safe option was an offensive into Byelorussia which would enable subsequent offensives from Ukraine into Poland and Romania. The Soviet and German High Commands recognised western Ukraine as a staging area for an offensive into Poland. The Soviets, aware that the enemy would anticipate this, sought to deceive the Germans by creating a crisis in Byelorussia that would force

9272-426: The escape routes of the 9th Army severed, the Soviet 65th Army swung north and soon entered the fortress city of Bobruysk. Heavy hand-to-hand fighting and ferocious urban warfare ensued, but the 65th Army was able to ultimately overcome the German 9th Army, capturing the stronghold by the 29th of June. The 9th Army was destroyed on 28 June after heavy fighting against the 65th Army, while they were unable to escape due to

9394-501: The evening time. For the first time, policewomen of the Ministry of Internal Affairs took part in the parade. New and/or upgraded military hardware comprised about 70 percent of mechanized vehicles in the parade. Russian hardware including the 9K720 Iskander were on display. During his annual speech, President Lukashenko underscored his military policy by saying that the armed forces will find "new ways and methods of establishing relationships between various geopolitical forces". For

9516-539: The event of a possible military action against Belarus. The president has to form and head the Security Council of the Republic of Belarus, and can appoint and dismiss the state secretary of the Security Council and the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces. Before any person can assume the office officially, an oath must be sworn within two months of the election results being finalized. The text of

9638-444: The eyes right position. The drummers are just the first of the large ground column of an estimated 2,900 service personnel that marches past the presidential grandstand. There are generally 10 officers and around 140 conscripts in each formation. At the end of the ground columns, the massed bands play Den Pobedy by David Tukhmanov before sounding off to The Sacred War as the mobile column passes through. The exhibition drill at

9760-480: The fact that they had been cut off by the prior Soviet manoeuvres. Due to the failures of the commander of Army Group Centre, Generalfeldmarschall Ernst Busch was forced to commit the 20th Panzer Division as a relief force to the 9th Army. Busch was sacked on the 28th by Adolf Hitler and replaced with the experienced master of defensive warfare, Walther Model . The success of the Bobruysk Offensive

9882-423: The first or second phases of the German defense, being positioned south of the main axis of Soviet operations. The Wehrmacht's forces were based on logistic lines of communications and centres, which on Hitler's orders were declared Feste Plätze (fortified towns to be held at all costs) by OKH. General Jordan of 9th Army was very worried at how vulnerable this immobility made the army, correctly predicting that "if

10004-459: The first time in 22 years, there was no military parade on July 3. Celebrated the 33rd anniversary of independence as well as the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus. The parade included units from Azerbaijan , China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikstan and Uzbekistan. For the first time, the procession of the flag of Belarus was held before the inspection of troops without the Flag of

10126-525: The goal of inflicting surprise on the Wehrmacht forces. The OKH expected the Soviets to launch a major offensive in the summer of 1944. The Stavka (Soviet High Command) considered a number of options. The timetable of operations between June and August had been decided on by 28 April 1944. The Stavka rejected an offensive in either the L'vov sector or the Yassy-Kishinev sectors owing to the presence of powerful enemy mobile forces equal in strength to

10248-585: The group of forces in Parichi would be commanded by Konstantin Rokossovsky himself. A rivalry formed between the two most competent commanders of the Soviet Red Army as the two raced against each other towards Bobruysk. On 24 June 1944, 7000 guns, mortars and BM-13 Katyusha rocket launchers of the 1st Belorussian Front unleashed their fury of projectiles upon the troops of the German 9th Army, while

10370-533: The inauguration ceremony, members of both houses of the National Assembly , government ministers, officials and judges from the Constitutional , Supreme and Economic Court must be present. Upon reading of the oath, any powers held by a previous president will be transferred to the president-elect. The text of the oath can be found in Article 83 of the Constitution. Articles 87 through 89 of

10492-655: The main operation would be against Army Group North Ukraine. On 14 June, the Chief of Staff of Army Group Centre told General Kurt Zeitzler , the Chief of the Army General Staff, that "...the Russian concentration here [in front of 9th Army] and at the Autobahn clearly indicates that the enemy attack will be aimed at the wings of the Army Group". On 10 June the OKH adopted the opinion of Army Group Centre in its estimate of

10614-415: The main representative when dealing with other nations or international organizations. The president is also entrusted with the safety, prosperity and stability of the country and acts as an intermediary between the bodies of the national government. During their tenure in office, the president is barred from formal membership in a political party. In order to be able to run for office, a candidate must be

10736-507: The northern pincer of the encirclement. The Minsk highway was protected by extensive defensive works manned by the 78th Assault Division , a specially reinforced unit with extra artillery and assault gun support. Orsha itself had been designated a Fester Platz (stronghold) under the 78th Division's commander. The Soviet assault on this sector opened on 22 June with a massive artillery barrage that destroyed defensive positions, flattened bunkers, and detonated ammunition stores. Infantry from

10858-407: The oath is as follows: Assuming the office of President of the Republic of Belarus, I solemnly swear to faithfully serve the people of the Republic of Belarus, to respect and safeguard the rights and liberties of man and citizen, to abide by and protect the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, and to discharge strictly and conscientiously the lofty duties that have been bestowed upon me. During

10980-564: The operation would be a success. According to Rokossovsky's plan, the 1st Belorussian Front would be divided into two sectors - the Soviet 3rd Army under the command of General Alexander Gorbatov striking from Rogachev and the sector comprising the Soviet 10th, 28th and 65th Armies as well as the Cavalry-Mechanised Group(KMG) under the command of Lieutenant General Issa Pliyev mounting its assault from Parichi. The Rogachev sector would be supervised by Zhukov, while

11102-405: The order and have all units of his corps break out at the same time. Abandoning its heavy equipment, the corps began a breakout attempt in the morning of 26 June but quickly ran into Soviet roadblocks outside the city. Vitebsk was taken by 29 June, with the entire LIII Corps of 28,000 men eliminated from the German order of battle. The 3rd Belorussian Front simultaneously opened operations against

11224-418: The original is kept in the office of the president while other copies are used on buildings, residences and vehicles to denote their presence. The next Belarusian presidential election will be held in 2025; the last election was held in 2020 in which Lukashenko was re-elected for a sixth term with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya as the opposition candidate and the runner-up (Tsikhanouskaya would go on to create

11346-478: The parade and the end as part of a finale, instead of the ground column. The legendary T-34 tank generally leads the procession of military vehicles and technologies. It is also responsible for setting the pace for the mechanized column at the parade. Its symbolism lies in the fact that it was the first vehicle to take part in the Liberation of Minsk. Since 2016, Dmitry Frolikov has been responsible for leading

11468-492: The parade is ordered at ease. The president then delivers an address to the nation and congratulates the citizens on the holiday. At the end of the speech, My Belarusy is played by the Central Band of the Armed Forces, with a 21-gun salute being fired in the background. The commander of the parade then gives the order for the Minsk Garrison to commence the parade while at the same time the linemen take their places to mark

11590-604: The parade. In commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Minsk Suvorov Military School , a section of cadets from the school took part in the parade alongside the school's Corps of Drums as part of a full contingent of junior cadets from specialized lyceums of the Emergencies Ministry, the MVD and the armed forces. 175 female cadets took part in the procession for the first time, including

11712-415: The participation of some 3,000 troops, an air show involving more than 40 civilian and military helicopters and aircraft (including a recently leased Boeing 737 ) as well as tractors and trucks carrying household appliances, refrigerators and television sets. President Lukashenko gave his first appearance in a military uniform , which drew comparisons to Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev , whose military uniform

11834-526: The places where the main Soviet attacks would take place, with the exception of 6th Guards Army near Vitebsk. The Soviet strategic reserves were not detected. The start of Operation Bagration involved many Soviet partisan formations in the Byelorussian SSR, which were instructed to resume their attacks on railways and communications . From 19 June large numbers of explosive charges were placed on rail tracks and though many were cleared, they had

11956-632: The planes such as the MI-24, Yak-130 combat aircraft, and MIG-29 in the flyover. According to the Interior Ministry, over 350,000 residents of the city either took part in the military parade, the artistic show that followed or observed the parade. It was the first independence day parade to use the Chinese made Hongqi L5 as the inspection vehicle since the car's introduction in May 2015. Celebrated

12078-478: The planning of Operation Bagration a multi-pronged approach by seizing both Bobruysk and Slutsk and ultimately destroying the German 9th Army under Generalfeldmarschall Hans Jordan by attacking both fortress cities with equal priority and strength, with which the Soviet General Staff and Joseph Stalin himself had initially disagreed. However, Rokossovsky stubbornly insisted and promised Stalin that

12200-465: The prerogative of the president is the right to call referendums , and to call regular and extraordinary elections to the House of Representatives, the Council of the Republic and local representative bodies. They can also dissolve both chambers of the Parliament, as the Constitution permits. It is their duty to appoint the prime minister of the Republic of Belarus , and to decide the structure of

12322-539: The presence of powerful Soviet concentrations threatening German-occupied Poland. The intent of the Soviets to strike their main blow towards the Vistula can be seen in the Red Army's (albeit fragmented) order of battle. The Soviet general staff studies of both the Byelorussian and L'vov-Sandomierz operations reveal that the L'vov- Przemyśl operation received the overwhelming number of tank and mechanized corps. Six guards tank corps and six tank corps along with three guards mechanized and two mechanized corps were committed to

12444-480: The president-elect. In the event the office is vacant, the election to replace the president must occur between thirty and seventy days after the vacancy occurred. During normal election cycles, the elections must occur before the last two months of the current president. In either situation, the government body that calls for elections is the House of Representatives . The last round of presidential elections occurred in 2020 . President Lukashenko, when addressing

12566-471: The press in February 2007, stated his health will determine if he will run in 2011 or step down at that time. Articles 84 and 85 states the official political, social and national defense duties that are rested with the president. Other than the enumerated powers, Number 30 allows the president to use other powers granted to them either from national law or from other sections of the Constitution. Part of

12688-485: The provision of over 220,000 Dodge and Studebaker trucks by the United States to motorize the Soviet infantry. Most of the aviation units, fighter aircraft and assault aviation ( strike aircraft ) were given to the L'vov operation and the protection of the 1st Ukrainian Front. Of the 78 fighter and assault aviation divisions committed to Bagration, 32 were allocated to the L'vov operation and contained more than

12810-784: The regime are repressed , and the media is not free . [REDACTED] CIS Member State Parliamentary elections Belarus first declared independence in early 1918 as the Belarusian Democratic Republic . Its head of state was the president of a provisional supreme governing body, the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic . In 1919, the Soviet Red Army forced the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic into exile where

12932-479: The sector under Konstantin Rokossovsky met much less retaliation, as the lines around Parichi were not heavily guarded by the German troops. In a magnificent demonstration of the Soviet Red Army's mastery over the deployment of mobile troops in accordance with the Deep Battle doctrine, the Cavalry-Mechanised Group(KMG) under the command of Lieutenant General Issa Pliev consisting of the 4th Guards Cavalry Corps and

13054-519: The south. The entire operational reserve on the Eastern front (18 Panzer and mechanised divisions, stripped from Army Groups North and Centre) was deployed to Model's sector, leaving Army Group Centre with a total of only 580 tanks, tank destroyers, and assault guns. German lines were thinly held; for example, the 9th Army sector had 143 soldiers per km of the front. A key factor in the subsequent collapse of Army Group Center during Operation Bagration

13176-424: The spring of 1944, aimed at the city of Kovel , Army Group Center was significantly weakened by being forced to transfer nine divisions and numerous independent armored formations from its main front to its far right flank, located deep in the rear at the junction with Army Group South. These forces would then be attached to Army Group North Ukraine, the successor to Army Group South. This meant that Army Group Center

13298-410: The two sides. On 19 June, Army Group Centre noted in its estimate of the enemy situation that the concentration of enemy air forces had become greater (4,500 out of 11,000) and that this left new doubts regarding OKH's estimate. OKH saw no grounds for this supposition. Shortly before the beginning of the Soviet offensive, the army commands had detected some enemy forces near the front and had identified

13420-434: The west. It was during this operation that Nazi Germany was forced to fight simultaneously on two major fronts for the first time since the war began. The Soviet Union destroyed 28 of 34 divisions of Army Group Centre and completely shattered the German front line. The overall engagement is the largest defeat in German military history, with around 450,000 German casualties, while 300,000 other German soldiers were cut off in

13542-475: Was committed to the Byelorussian operation. This concentration of aviation was to protect the Vistula bridgeheads against air attack and to assault German counteroffensives from the air. Towards the beginning of June 1944, the German High Command, Army Group Center and the army commands had identified a large part of the concentration against Army Group Centre, although they still considered that

13664-468: Was defeated in a runoff vote by Alexander Lukashenko, resulting in Lukashenko becoming the first president. In elections of 2001 and 2006, which were contested by international observers, Western powers and internal opposition parties due for failing to meet democratic and fair standards, the incumbent Lukashenko defeated the other candidates within the first ballot. As of 22 March 2024 , he

13786-475: Was effectively deprived of well over 100,000 personnel and 552 tanks, assault guns and self-propelled guns at the start of Operation Bagration. Operation Bagration, in combination with the neighbouring Lvov–Sandomierz offensive , launched a few weeks later in Ukraine , allowed the Soviet Union to recapture Byelorussia and Ukraine within its 1941 borders, advance into German East Prussia , but more importantly,

13908-400: Was further threatened by the near-collapse of the 3rd Panzer Army's VI Corps, immediately to the north. By midnight on 25 June, the 11th Guards Army had shattered the remains of VI Corps, and 26 June saw the German forces in retreat. Soviet tank forces of the 2nd Guards Tank Corps were able to push up the road towards Minsk at speed, with a subsidiary force breaking off to encircle Orsha, which

14030-425: Was held in the evening at nine o'clock in the evening. It was also the first to conduct the aviation portion the parade first before the infantry or mobile column passes through. Belarusian Soldiers dressed up as Soviet Partisans marched down the avenue during the parade. Celebrated the 25th anniversary of independence. It was commanded by Sergei Potapenko and included about 6,000 people and 500 vehicles, featuring

14152-518: Was launched on a staggered schedule, with partisan attacks behind German lines beginning on 19–20 June. On the night of 21–22 June, the Red Army launched probing attacks on German frontline positions, combined with bombing raids on Wehrmacht's lines of communication. The main offensive began in the early morning of 22 June, with an artillery bombardment of unprecedented scale against the defensive works. The initial assault achieved breakthroughs almost everywhere. The first phase of Soviet deep operations,

14274-434: Was liberated on the evening of 26 June. The main exploitation force, Pavel Rotmistrov 's 5th Guards Tank Army , was then committed through the gap in the German lines. VI Corps finally crumbled completely; its commander, General Georg Pfeiffer , was killed on 28 June after losing contact with his divisions. Achieving complete success, the operation effectively ceased with the arrival of 5th Guards Tank Army's forward units at

14396-546: Was one that was so stupendous and respectable that Joseph Stalin began addressing Rokossovsky as Konstantin Konstantinovich as a sign of respect, a privilege that was only bestowed upon one other military officer, Boris Shaposhnikov . The vital victory at the crucial railway junction of Bobruysk had also earned Konstantin Rokossovsky the title of the Marshal of the Soviet Red Army, bringing the position and reputation of

14518-502: Was seriously short of mobile reserves: the demotorized 14th Infantry Division was the only substantial reserve formation, though the 20th Panzer Division , with 56 tanks, was positioned in the south near Bobruisk and the Panzergrenadier Division Feldherrnhalle , still in the process of forming, was also held in reserve. Furthermore, the Germans were supported by collaborationist troops such as

14640-796: Was that of a Marshal of the Soviet Union . Among the dignitaries in attendance was Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov , Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Nikolai Bordyuzha , State Secretary of the Union State Pavel Borodin, Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee Vladimir Rushailo , Nobel laureate Zhores Alferov , cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova . Kazakh Army General and former Defence Minister of Kazakhstan Sagadat Nurmagambetov , Ukrainian General of

14762-549: Was the codename for the 1944 Soviet Byelorussian strategic offensive operation ( Russian : Белорусская наступательная операция «Багратион» , romanized :  Belorusskaya nastupatelnaya operatsiya "Bagration" ), a military campaign fought between 22 June and 19 August 1944 in Soviet Byelorussia in the Eastern Front of World War II , just over two weeks after the start of Operation Overlord in

14884-633: Was the Soviet Dnieper–Carpathian offensive in Ukraine. The success of this Soviet offensive had convinced the Oberkommando des Heeres (Army High Command, OKH) that the southern sector of the Eastern Front would be the staging area for the main Soviet summer offensive of 1944. As a result, German forces stationed in the south, panzer divisions in particular, received priority in reinforcements. Furthermore, during this Soviet offensive in

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