ABSTRACT
Whilst a significant minority of the civilian population on the territory of Army Group North either energetically collaborated with the Germans or actively supported the partisans, the majority seem to have attempted to continue their lives after the German invasion without openly committing themselves to either side. That is not to suggest that a majority did not tacitly support the partisans as defenders of the motherland (Rodina) against foreign invaders, but that the translation of this tacit support into action was not typical during the first years of the war. Even for the pro-Soviet, insufficient partisan resources, in particular weapons, had practically limited the number of local civilians who could join the partisans in the period up to the autumn of 1943. However, there is little evidence in partisan reports that prior to this period large numbers of civilians wanted to join them anyway. Despite the continuation of a situation where insufficient arms were available, circumstances were however to change significantly from the autumn of 1943. From that time a significant number of peasants, who had outwardly previously remained as neutral as possible in the sense of neither joining the partisans nor enthusiastically collaborating with the Germans beyond a level necessary to survive, sought to join the partisans. Whereas the likelihood of German victory and German economic inactivity in many rural areas had previously given few reason to take the risk of supporting the Soviet partisans, now that risk was more likely to be taken as it became increasingly clear that the Red Army would return.
