Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia

The origins of the KONR lay in earlier attempts by Soviet prisoners of war, defectors, émigrés, and anti-Soviet activists to formulate an alternative to Stalin’s rule under German patronage. After the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, a number of Russian collaborationist and anti-Bolshevik initiatives emerged, though most remained fragmented and received only limited support from the German leadership. At the same time, other collaborationist political projects were also being developed. These included the activities of Konstantin Voskoboinik, Bronislav Kaminski, Ivan Bessonov, and the “Political Centre for the Struggle against Bolshevism”. These efforts reflected a broader search for a Russian anti-Soviet political platform, but none achieved decisive institutional form before late 1944. == Smolensk Declaration ==

A major precursor to the KONR was the Smolensk Declaration (also known as the Smolensk Appeal), issued on 27 December 1942 in the name of the Russian Committee. Addressed to Soviet soldiers, officers, civilians, and “all the Russian people and other peoples”, it was the first major political declaration associated with Vlasov’s movement. The declaration portrayed Bolshevism as the principal enemy of the Russian people and denounced Stalin’s government for repression, forced labour, military defeat, and the destruction of towns and villages. It also attacked the Soviet Union’s Western allies as “Anglo-American capitalists” and called for a political and military struggle against Stalin in cooperation with Germany. Its program included the overthrow of Stalin, the destruction of Bolshevism, an “honourable peace” with Germany, the liquidation of collective farms, transfer of land into private peasant ownership, restoration of trade and private initiative, guarantees of civil and religious freedoms, release of political prisoners, reconstruction of the country, and state support for war invalids and their families. Many of these themes later reappeared in the Prague Manifesto. At the same time, the Smolensk Declaration was more overtly propagandistic and more explicitly pro-German in tone. It marked an important political milestone, but at the time it did not yet correspond to a fully developed organization or army. == Formation ==

Throughout 1942 and 1943, Vlasov and his associates sought German approval for a formally recognized Russian political centre and army. These efforts were repeatedly frustrated by divisions within the German leadership and by Adolf Hitler’s reluctance to permit the formation of an autonomous Russian movement. == Prague Manifesto ==

The Prague Manifesto was the principal political statement of the KONR and the document that gave the movement its clearest ideological form. It was drafted in November 1944 by a commission chaired by Georgy Zhilenkov, with participation from figures including Vasily Malyshkin, Fyodor Trukhin, Dmitry Zakutny, and Nikolai Troitsky. Before publication, the text was submitted to Himmler. According to Russian-language accounts, he attempted to insert language concerning struggle against the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as a more explicit anti-Jewish plank. The latter was reportedly rejected, while anti-Western language was retained in the preamble. The proclamation ceremony took place in the Spanish Hall of Prague Castle before several hundred attendees. German dignitaries reportedly included Karl Hermann Frank and Emil Hácha, and greetings were sent by Himmler and other Axis-aligned figures. Contents The Prague Manifesto consisted of fourteen points outlining the KONR’s political, social, and economic program. It declared that the movement’s goals were the overthrow of Stalinist rule, the liberation of the peoples of Russia from Bolshevism, the end of the war through an “honourable peace” with Germany, and the creation of a new state free from both Bolshevik dictatorship and exploitation. Its principles included: • equality of the peoples of Russia and recognition of their right to national development and self-determination; • abolition of forced labour; • abolition of collective farms and transfer of land to peasants as private property; • restoration of trade, crafts, cottage industry, and private initiative; • civil liberties, including freedom of religion, conscience, speech, assembly, and press; • equality before the law and an independent judiciary; • liberation of political prisoners and amnesty for those who ceased fighting for Stalin; • social guarantees including education, medical care, rest, and provision for old age; • reconstruction of the country at state expense and support for war invalids and their families. The manifesto attempted to combine anti-Bolshevik politics with a socially interventionist program, presenting the movement as an alternative to both Stalinism and capitalism. == Ideology ==

The ideology of the KONR was internally diverse and has been described by historians as politically eclectic. In this sense, the KONR opposed both Stalinist centralization and laissez-faire capitalism. The movement also attempted to frame the war in ideological terms distinct from those of Nazi Germany. Its rhetoric often portrayed the conflict as a struggle against both Stalinist internationalism and Western imperialism, while leaving its relationship to German war aims deliberately ambiguous. == Relations with Nazi Germany ==

The KONR’s relationship with Nazi Germany was marked by both dependence and distrust. The movement could not function without German military and political support, yet many German officials regarded it with suspicion and considered it ideologically unreliable. Some evidence also suggests that draft proposals associated with the movement contemplated major concessions to Germany, including possible territorial arrangements involving Crimea and promises of autonomy to Cossack and other groups. The extent to which such proposals reflected settled KONR policy remains unclear. The movement was also internally divided. Tensions frequently emerged between former Soviet citizens and White émigrés, whose political experiences, social backgrounds, and historical memories often differed sharply, especially in relation to the legacy of the Russian Civil War. Although the KONR was formally recognized by the Third Reich late in the war, German support remained inconsistent and largely subordinate to immediate military necessity. == Organization ==

The KONR developed a formal organizational structure, though many of its institutions remained only partially developed due to the rapid collapse of Germany in 1945. Its central departments reportedly included: • Central Administration • Military Section • Civilian Department • Propaganda Section • Security Section • Financial Department • Foreign Department • Central Cossack Office • Cultural Department • Academic Committee • Red Cross. The committee also attempted to establish financial and administrative autonomy. Its financial department, for example, obtained a loan from the German government in January 1945. == Armed forces ==

The military arm of the KONR was the Armed Forces of the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia (VS KONR). In theory, these forces included several formations already in German service that were brought under the committee’s nominal political authority. The military background of the KONR extended beyond the formal structures created in late 1944. Earlier and parallel anti-Soviet formations in German service included auxiliary units (Hiwis), local security battalions, the Russian Corps in Yugoslavia, RONA, and various Cossack formations. Many of these units had distinct local, political, or ethnic origins and were only loosely connected, if at all, to the later institutional framework of the KONR. Among the principal formations associated with the KONR were: • the 1st Division of the Russian Liberation Army, commanded by Sergei Bunyachenko; • the 2nd Division, commanded by Grigory Zverev; • the planned 3rd Division, associated with Mikhail Shapovalov; • the air force of the KONR, commanded by Viktor Maltsev; • the Russian Corps in Yugoslavia, commanded by Boris Shteifon; • the XV SS Cossack Cavalry Corps and related Cossack formations. In practice, these units were only imperfectly integrated into a single military structure. The 1st Division began forming at Münsingen in late 1944 under Bunyachenko, and the 2nd Division began organization in January 1945 under Zverev. On 28 January 1945, Hitler formally confirmed Vlasov as commander-in-chief of the KONR’s forces. On 10 February, the first two divisions were ceremonially transferred to his command at Münsingen, where the Russian white-blue-red tricolour was raised alongside the Reich flag. Other formations, particularly Cossack and émigré units, were often only nominally subordinated to KONR authority. Their incorporation reflected the movement’s late and incomplete institutionalization rather than a fully unified command structure. == Reception ==

The proclamation of the Prague Manifesto reportedly generated a significant response among former Soviet citizens living in the Reich. The KONR received letters and petitions from prisoners of war, displaced persons, and civilians expressing support, requesting release from camps, or asking for admission to the liberation army. The movement also received support from some émigré and religious circles outside the formal military structures, including clergy and anti-Soviet Russian émigré networks, though the extent and political significance of that support varied. == Final months of the war ==

In the final months of the war, the KONR attempted to consolidate its armed forces in western Czechoslovakia and Austria. These units briefly fought the Red Army during the last phase of the German retreat, while additional collaborationist formations were formally attached to KONR authority in April 1945. The KONR ceased to function as an organization with the collapse of Nazi Germany in May 1945. == Postwar legacy ==

Although the KONR itself was short-lived, its political legacy survived among some émigré and anti-communist circles after the war. == Gallery ==

Image:Vlasov A.A. Listovka 1942.jpg|Leaflet of the Russian Liberation Army leaders in 1942 Image:Dedovshchina in Russian Liberation Army.jpg|General Vlasov's order against dedovshchina in forces related to KONR Image:Praga. Zebranie inauguracyjne komitetu dla spraw oswobodzenia narodów Rosji (2-1988).jpg|KONR's first session, Prague, 14 November 1944 Image:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1976-114-32, Dabendorf, Generale Trochin und Wlassow.jpg|Camp Dabendorf: General Vlasov and General Trukhin among German and ROA officers, 1944 Image:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-N0301-503, General Wlassow mit Soldaten der ROA.jpg|Vlasov inspects soldiers of the ROA, 1944 Image:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-297-1704-10, Nordfrankreich, Angehörige der Wlassow-Armee.jpg|ROA soldiers in Belgium or France, 1944 Image:КОНР РОА. Брошюра (1944).jpg|Brochure of the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia == See also ==