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.

Timeline of the occupation

• December, 1938 Elections of local council in Memel bring absolute majority to Nazis (26 of 29 seats).
• March 23, 1939 Germany occupies Memel region from Lithuania.
• August 23, 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact signed. Pact gave Soviet Union free hand in Estonia, Latvia and Finland.
• September 24, 1939 Soviet Union demands rights to establish bases in Estonia.
• September 28, 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop pact modified so that most of Lithuania was moved to the Soviet sphere.
• September 28, 1939 Estonia gives in to Soviet demands of bases.
• October 2, 1939 Soviet Union demands mutual assistance pact with Latvia.
• October 5, 1939 Latvia gives in to Soviet bases.
• October 5, 1939 Soviet Union starts negotiations with Finland for bases and territory exchanges.
• October 10, 1939 Lithuania gives in to Soviet bases.
• October 11, 1939 NKVD issues basic order (No 001223) for deportations of anti-Soviet elements from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to Russia.
• October 18, 1939 First Red Army units enter Estonia.
• November 13, 1939 Finland rejects Soviet demands.
• November 30, 1939 Winter War against Finland starts.
• December 1, 1939 Terijoki Government, Soviet puppet government of Finland is created in occupied Terijoki border county near Leningrad.
• January 29, 1940 Sovie Union "forget" Terijoki government.
• March 13, 1940 Winter War ends with Moscow Peace Treaty.
• April 9, 1940 Germany invades Denmark and Norway.
• June 10, 1940 Germany occupies Norway.
• June 14, 1940 Paris falls to Germans.
• June 14, 1940 Soviet air force shoot down Finnish passenger plane "Kaleva" flying from Tallinn to Helsinki.
• June 14, 1940 Soviet air and naval blockade of Estonia starts.
• June 14, 1940 Soviet Union gives ultimatum to Lithuania to form a new government and allow free access for Red Army. The president of Lithuania, Antanas Smetona, proposes armed resistance but as he doesn't get support from government or armed forces, he resigns. Prime minister Antanas Merkys assumes presidential duties.
• June 15, 1940 Soviet Union occupies Lithuania. President Smetona flees through Germany first to Switzerland then to USA, 1941, where he dies on January 9, 1944, in Cleveland.
• June 15, 1940 at 03:00 Soviet troops storm and capture Latvian border posts Mas?enkos (Maslenkis) and Smai?i.
• June 16, 1940 Similar ultimatums were given to Estonia and Latvia.
• June 17, 1940 Estonia and Latvia gave in to the Soviet demands and are occupied.
• June 18, 1940 Sweden and Germany sign treaty allowing transfer of German soldiers from Norway using Swedish territory.
• June 20, 1940 New Latvian government of Moscow-approved ministers is formed.
• June 21, 1940 New Estonian government containing only left-wing activists is formed. Soviet Union arrange a number of Red Army backed demonstrations in several cities.
• June 22, 1940 France surrenders.
• July 8, 1940 Sweden and Germany sign treaty allowing transfer of German war material between Norway and ports in Southern Sweden.
• July 14-July 15, 1940 Elections in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, where non-communist candidates were disqualified, harassed and beaten.
• July 17, 1940 The acting president of Lithuania, Antanas Merkys, is imprisoned and deported to Saratov, Soviet Union. He dies March 5, 1955.
• July 21-July 23, 1940 New Estonian assembly transforms Estonia according to Soviet style.
• July 21, 1940 New Latvian Saeima accepts wide nationalisation and Sovietization decrees.
• July 22, 1940 The president of Latvia, K?rlis Ulmanis, is arrested and deported to Russia, never returning. He died in a prison in Krasnovodsk on September 20, 1942.
• July 30, 1940 The president of Estonia, Konstantin Päts, is imprisoned by NKVD and deported to Russia where he dies in the mental hospital of Kalinin on January 18, 1956.
• August 3, 1940 Soviet Union annexes Lithuania.
• August 5, 1940 Soviet Union annexes Latvia.
• August 6, 1940 Soviet Union annexes Estonia.
• September 6, 1940 Soviet Union gets troop and material transfer rights from Finland between Hanko and Soviet border.
• September 22, 1940 Germany gets troop and material transfer rights from Finland between northern Norway and ports of Gulf of Bothnia.
• November 12, 1940 Germany refuses Soviet Union demands for right to handle Finland as they will in negotiations in Berlin.
• June 14, 1941 First mass deportations from Estonia (10 000), Latvia (15 000) and Lithuania (18 000) to Siberia.
• June 22, 1941 Operation Barbarossa, Germany invades Soviet Union.
• June 25, 1941 Continuation War starts between Finland and Soviet Union.