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Occupation of Baltic Republics



         


This term is generally used for the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) in the first phases of World War II.

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History of the Occupation

Before the beginning of World War II Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression pact known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. In the secret appendixes of the pact Germany and the Soviet Union divided up Eastern Europe into spheres of influence. According to the appendixes, in northern Europe, Finland, Estonia, Latvia (and, at a later date, Lithuania) were designated as falling in the Soviet zone. Poland was to be partitioned in the event of its "political rearrangement."

After the occupation and partition of Poland, the Soviet Union started pressuring Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland to accept Soviet bases on their soil. Eventually all states except Finland signed pacts of defence and mutual assistance, which permitted the Soviet Union to station troops on their soil. After moving Red Army units into the Baltic states, the Soviet Union tried to occupy Finland by force in the Winter War of 1940, but had to settle for annexing Karelia and renting an isolated base in Hanko.

The spring of 1940 saw the German occupation of Denmark and Norway as well as a blitz through the Low Countries to France. These actions activated Soviet foreign policy towards Baltic states, this time demanding political concessions: the removal of anti-Soviet elements from governments and free transition rights for Red Army personnel. The pressure culminated in demands for new elections. The elections were conducted by local communists loyal to Soviet Union and all non-communist candidates were disqualified. Outright fraud was also used in some voting places, to hide the fact that part of population was boycotting the rigged elections. The result was that all three Baltic states had communist majorities in their parliaments, and in August they were annexed to Soviet Union.

Germany had pressured Sweden to grant access rights for material and personnel transportation between Norway and ports of southern Sweden in July, 1940. The Soviet Union started pressuring Finland for transfer rights between Hanko base and the Soviet border and for military control of strategic Petsamo nickel mine. Finland finally granted transfer rights to the Soviets, but a few weeks later also granted them to German troops travelling between Northern Norway and ports of Gulf of Bothnia to counter Soviet pressure. Finland also increased political contacts with Germany, which was seen as the only hope against Soviet occupation, and when Soviet foreign minister Molotov demanded right to finish Finland in November 1940, Hitler declined as he saw Finland as potential ally in upcoming invasion of Soviet Union. The negotiations for Petsamo mines were stalled several months by Finns, until German support allowed Finns to let those negotiations to lapse.

Germany occupied the Baltic Republics after the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 (See: Operation Barbarossa). In the one year of Soviet occupation, from June 1940 to June 1941, approximately 50,000 people were imprisoned or executed. German occupation policy in the area was also harsh. German authorities collaborated with some nationalist elements in the area who helped the Germans because they saw them as a chance to avoid domination by the USSR and communists. Other nationalists turned against the Germans as their occupation became increasingly brutal. In 1944 and 1945, the Red Army reoccupied the Baltic states and they became republics within the Soviet Union. The Soviet occupation remained fairly brutal until Stalin's death in 1953.

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Historical Considerations

The fate of small countries in Northern Europe varied a lot. Denmark and Norway were occupied by Germany, Sweden had to make some concessions but with skillful foreign policy and a credible military it was able to stay out of the war.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were occupied and annexed by the Soviet Union and it was 50 years before they regained their independence. The United States and a number of other Western countries never formally recognized the annexation, but did not interfere.

Finland was geographically much worse placed than Sweden, and had to suffer two wars (Winter War and Continuation War) with territorial losses, and had to bend its foreign policy for the Soviet Union after the war (Finlandization), but it remained independent, capitalist and had a democratic political system after World War II.

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Timeline of Occupation of Baltic Republics in World War II







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