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In June 1944, the Soviet Army battled the Germans (Wehrmacht) to take back Vitebsk, Belarus [Belorussia]. This World War II Battle of Vitebsk took place as part of the summer of 1944 Operation Bagration, which was carried out to free the territory of Belarus from German occupation. Note: From time codes 7:23-7:44 in the video there are some dead German soldiers on the battlefield. Lieutenant General Lyudnikov interrogates the commander of the 53rd German Army Corps, General of Infantry Gollwitzer, and Colonel Schmidt, Chief of Staff of the Corps, who were taken prisoner. According to Wikipedia, Friedrich Gollwitzer surrendered to the Soviet troops in June 1944 during the Vitebsk–Orsha Offensive. Convicted as a war criminal in the Soviet Union, he was held until October 1955. In West Germany, Gollwitzer was investigated for war crimes allegedly committed under his command during the 1939 invasion of Poland. According to the HistoryNet site, in an article written by Jonathan W. Jordan which originally appeared in the July/August 2006 issue of World War II magazine: “The irreplaceable German losses in Belorussia, in conjunction with the Normandy landings and the July 20 attempt on Hitler’s life, spread demoralization throughout the upper ranks of the Wehrmacht’s command structure, and made certain that the Red Army would never after move west. Operation Bagration also ensured that the former Soviet republics, from the Baltic Sea to Crimea, would return to the Communist fold. In so doing, it set the stage for Soviet domination of much of Eastern Europe for the next 40 years.“ For availability and licensing inquiries, please contact: Ref: S020
