The Belarusian People's Republic (Belarusian: Белару́ская Наро́дная Рэспу́бліка, transliterated as Bielaruskaja Narodnaja Respublika, BNR), historically referred to as the White Ruthenian Democratic Republic (German: Weißruthenische Volksrepublik; French: République Démocratique de la Ruthénie Blanche) was the first Belarusian state that declared independence in 1918.