
Minsk is the capital and largest city in Belarus, situated on the Svislach and Niamiha rivers.
In its history, Minsk has been a provincial city within the principality of Polotsk, a part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, a city in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and a Russian city. From 1919–1991, Minsk was the capital of the Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic within the Soviet Union.
Minsk in The Hot War[]
Minsk was one of several cities in the Soviet sphere of influence the United States bombed with ordinary explosives on the night of 24 February 1951, during World War III.[1] In early March, it suffered significant damage from an atomic bomb.[2] Even after the war ended, Minsk remained a wreck.[3]
In late April, Boris Gribkov flew his Tu-4 over Minsk as part of an indirect route to A-bomb Bordeaux. He was concerned that MiG-15s might attack him, confusing his aircraft for an American B-29 on another bombing run, but he passed over the city without harm or challenge.[4]
Minsk in Southern Victory[]
Minsk was an industrial center of the Russian Empire. In 1943, during the Second Great War, Minsk suffered heavy aerial bombardment by the German Empire.[5]
Minsk in The War That Came Early[]
Minsk was the capital of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic within the Soviet Union. Given its location, it was a frequent target of aerial attacks early in the Second World War. In 1939, the Soviet government reported Polish bombers launched a successful raid on Minsk.[6] It also claimed that German planes were observed during the attack.[7] (Privately, Soviet pilot Sergei Yaroslavsky doubted that, as he and his squad were socked in due to the overcast conditions not far from Minsk; it would be impossible for observers on the ground to see much of anything. His train of thought continued until he wondered whether the attack had happened at all.[8])
By 1940, however, combined Polish and German forces had advanced to, and occupied, Minsk.[9]
References[]
- ↑ Bombs Away, pg. 121, ebook.
- ↑ Ibid., pg. 310.
- ↑ Armistice, pg. 178, ebook.
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ The Grapple, pg. 566.
- ↑ Hitler's War, pg. 237.
- ↑ Ibid., pg. 238.
- ↑ Ibid., pg. 237-238.
- ↑ The Big Switch, pg. 287.
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