Western Byelorussia

... There was a rumor that the Nazis would not long remain in power in Bialystok. In fact, the German sol- diers of the Wehrmacht themselves spread the word that they would soon be gone, to be replaced by the Rus- sians. Adding to this widespread belief were official Soviet radio reports that on September 17 the Russian Army would occupy all of the areas of Poland that once belonged to the western Ukraine and western Byelorus- sia. Such announcements were soothing to the Jews, although no one could predict how the Soviet authori- ties would treat them. Everyone felt it was better to get rid of Hilter’s murderers, who displayed their brutality from the very beginning. It did not take long until the rumor became reality. ...