More than one million people are killed during the occupation, including many Jews. The capital, Minsk, is severely damaged. 1944 - The Soviet Red Army drives the Germans out of Belarus. Hundreds of thousands of people receive high radiation doses. 1988 - Belarusian Popular Front formed as part of nationalist revival prompted by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's policy of 'openness'.
Details emerge of the full extent of the executions during the Stalin period.
1990 - Belarusian becomes the official state language. 1991 - Belarus declares its independence as the Soviet Union breaks up. Minsk becomes the headquarters of the successor to the Soviet Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States. The Lukashenko era 1994 - Alexander Lukashenko becomes president. He introduces policies designed to strengthen ties with Russia.