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.

History of the occupation

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

Related Topics:
World War II - Nazi Germany - Soviet Union - Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact - Spheres of influence - Northern Europe - Finland - Estonia - Latvia - Lithuania - Poland

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After the occupation and partition of Poland, the Soviet Union started pressuring Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to accept territorial adaptions and 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 Finnish Karelia and renting an isolated base in Hanko at the southwestern cape of Mainland Finland.

Related Topics:
Red Army - Winter War - Finnish Karelia - Hanko

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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 the Baltic states, this time demanding political concessions: the removal of anti-Soviet elements from governments and free transition (transit?) rights for Red Army personnel. The pressure culminated in demands for new elections. The elections were conducted by local communists loyal to the Soviet Union and all non-communist candidates were disqualified. Outright fraud was also used in some voting places, to hide the fact that parts of the population were boycotting the rigged elections. The result was that all three Baltic states had communist majorities in their parliaments, and in August these three parliaments appealed to the Soviet government to become parts of the Soviet Union. These appeals were satisfied - these republics were annexed to the Soviet Union.

Related Topics:
1940 - Occupation of Denmark and Norway - Blitz - Low Countries - France - Annexed

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The events in the Baltic Republics were not isolated. Also in Finland and the Scandinavian peninsula the great powers demanded adjustments of neutrality and sovereignty: Germany had pressured Sweden to grant transit rights for material and personnel transportation between Norway and ports of southern Sweden during the fighting in Norway, and achieved this after Norway's defeat. Immediately thereafter, the Soviet Union began to pressure Finland for transfer rights over land between the Hanko naval base and the Soviet border, established as a Finnish concession in the Moscow Peace Treaty, as well as for control of the Petsamo nickel mine. In August, Finland granted transfer rights to German troops travelling between Northern Norway and ports of Gulf of Bothnia in a diplomatic effort to improve relations with Nazi Germany that had been chilly since the mid-1930s, due to ideological differences, which was clearly demonstrated when the Third Reich sided with the Soviet Union during the Winter War. Finland now managed to increase the political contacts with Germany, which was seen as the only hope against Soviet occupation. In September, Finland and the Soviet Union came to an agreement on Hanko transitations. When the Soviet foreign minister, Molotov, in November 1940, requested German acceptance, and passive support, for finishing the invasion of Finland, Hitler declined as he saw Finland as a potential ally in the upcoming invasion of the Soviet Union. The negotiations for Petsamo mines stalled for several months, until indirect German support allowed the Finns to let those negotiations lapse.

Related Topics:
Finland - Scandinavia - Adjustments of neutrality and sovereignty - Sweden - Moscow Peace Treaty - Petsamo - Gulf of Bothnia

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Germany occupied the Baltic Republics after Operation Barbarossa commencing the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. In the one year of Soviet occupation, from June 1940 to June 1941, approximately 50,000 people were imprisoned or executed.

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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.

Related Topics:
Stalin - 1953

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