Историография и источники военноинженерной подготовки Западного Особого Военного Округа в 1939–1941

Abstract

The history of fortifications in modern times has been the subject of detailed historical studies neither in Belarus nor post-Soviet states until recent time. The literature concerning Soviet long-term fortifications in Belarus may be divided into two groups. The first one includes books and articles about various aspects of the history of USSR in the interwar period, which discuss the issues of military and technical preparation of USSR’s borders to a greater or smaller extent, and the second one, which includes specialist works on fortification construction in Belarus and a role of fortifications in the fights in the initial period of the Great Patriotic War. Polish authors’ research is worth noticing among foreign publications. The main object of these authors’ research was a system of Soviet fortifications along a new Soviet-German border (so called “Molotov Line”) in 1939–1941). No wonder, as the greater part of long-term fortification objects (Zambrow and Osowiec wholly Fortified Region, Przemysk, Raworusk, Brest and Hrodna region – in major part) became a part of the territory of contemporary Poland after the War. Polish historians pay attention to general methodological problems of research on prewar Soviet fortifications and individual historical-fortification complexes, including Brest and Hrodna Fortified Region). Belorussian historiography practically lacks publications on tactical and technical-constructive characteristics of individual complexes and long-term fortification buildings as well as their weapons and interior equipment. Despite some success of Belorussian and foreign researchers (first of all the Polish ones), a great part of the 20th century Belarus fortification heritage remains insufficiently explored, and in many cases – not embraced by scientific research at all.