- Occupation and annexation of the Baltic states by the Soviet Union (1940)
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Soviet occupation and annexation of the Baltic States Part of World War II Date June 15, 1940 - June 21, 1940 Location Baltic states Territorial
changesOccupation and annexation of the Baltic States Belligerents Lithuania
Estonia
LatviaSoviet Union Strength unknown 500,000 Part of a series of articles on the Occupation and annexation
of the Baltic statesBaltic states · Nazi Germany · Soviet Union BackgroundBaltic–Soviet relations
Soviet–Estonian Non-Aggression Pact
Soviet–Latvian Non-Aggression Pact
Soviet–Lithuanian Non-Aggression Pact
German–Estonian Non-Aggression Pact
German–Latvian Non-Aggression Pact
Molotov–Ribbentrop PactSoviet occupation and annexationSoviet–Estonian Mutual Assistance Treaty
Soviet–Latvian Mutual Assistance Treaty
Soviet–Lithuanian Mutual Assistance Treaty
Orzeł incident · Ultimatum to Estonia
Ultimatum to Latvia · Ultimatum to Lithuania
People's Parliament
Sovietization · June deportationNazi occupationEstonia: Occupation · Resistance · Holocaust
Latvia: Occupation · Resistance · Holocaust
Lithuania: Occupation · Resistance · HolocaustUnder Soviet ruleGuerilla war in the Baltic states
Operation Priboi · Operation Jungle
Estonian SSR · Latvian SSR
Lithuanian SSR · Territorial changes
Baltic Way · Singing Revolution · Sąjūdis ·
Rahvarinne · Congress of EstoniaState continuityAftermathEstonia–Russia relations
Latvia–Russia relations
Lithuania–Russia relations
Russians in Estonia
Russians in Latvia
Russians in LithuaniaThe occupation and annexation of the Baltic states by the Soviet Union covers the period from the Soviet–Baltic mutual assistance pacts in 1939, to the illegal annexation in 1940, to the mass deportations of 1941. In September and October 1939 the Soviet government compelled the much smaller Baltic states to conclude mutual assistance pacts which gave the Soviets the right to establish military bases there. In the summer of 1940, through intimidation and the presence of the Red Army, the Baltic governments were compelled to resign. Under Soviet surveillance, new governments of Communists and fellow travelers arranged rigged elections. Soon the new puppet governments requested admission into the Soviet Union. The presidents of Estonia and Latvia were imprisoned and later died in Siberia. In June 1941 the new Soviet governments carried out mass deportations of "enemies of the people". Consequently, at first many Balts greeted the Germans as liberators when they occupied the area.[1]
Contents
Background
Main article: Background of the occupation and annexation of the Baltic statesAfter the Soviet invasion of Poland on 6 October, the Soviets pressured Finland and the Baltic states to conclude mutual assistance treaties. The Soviets questioned the neutrality of Estonia following the escape of a Polish submarine from Tallinn on 18 September. A week after on 24 September, the Estonian foreign minister was given an ultimatum in Moscow. The Soviets demanded the conclusion of a treaty of mutual assistance to establish military bases in Estonia.[2][3] The Estonians had no choice but to accept naval, air and army bases on two Estonian islands and at the port of Paldiski.[2] The corresponding agreement was signed on 28 September 1939. Latvia followed on 5 October 1939 and Lithuania shortly thereafter, on 10 October 1939. The agreements permitted the Soviet Union to establish military bases on the Baltic states' territory for the duration of the European war[3] and station 25,000 Soviet soldiers in Estonia, 30,000 in Latvia and 20,000 in Lithuania from October 1939.
New Soviet ultimatums
In 1939 Finland had rejected similar Soviet demands for military bases on Finnish territory. Consequently, the Soviet Union attacked Finland, starting the Winter War in November. The war ended in March 1940 with Finnish territorial losses, but Finland kept its sovereignty. The Baltic states were neutral in the Winter War and the Soviets praised their relations with the USSR as exemplary.[4]
Soviet occupation
Soviet military plans
The Soviet troops allocated for possible military actions against the Baltic states numbered 435,000 troops, around 8,000 guns and mortars, over 3,000 tanks, and over 500 armoured cars.[5] On June 3, 1940 all Soviet military forces based in Baltic states were concentrated under the command of Aleksandr Loktionov.[6] On June 9 the directive 02622ss/ov was given to the Red Army's Leningrad Military District by Semyon Timoshenko to be ready by 12 June to a) capture the vessels of the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian navies in their bases or at sea; b) capture the Estonian and Latvian commercial fleets and all other vessels; c) prepare for an invasion and landing in Tallinn and Paldiski; d) close the Gulf of Riga and blockade the coasts of Estonia and Latvia in the Gulf of Finland and Baltic Sea; e) prevent an evacuation of the Estonian and Latvian governments, military forces and assets; f) provide naval support for an invasion towards Rakvere; and g) prevent Estonian and Latvian airplanes from flying either to Finland or Sweden.[7]
On June 12, 1940, according to the director of the Russian State Archive of the Naval Department Pavel Petrov (C.Phil.) referring to the records in the archive,[8][9] the Soviet Baltic Fleet was ordered to implement a total military blockade of Estonia. On June 13 at 10:40 AM Soviet forces started to move to their positions and were ready by June 14 at 10 PM: Four submarines and a number of light navy units were positioned in the Baltic Sea, in the Gulfs of Riga and Finland to isolate the Baltic states by the sea; a navy squadron including three destroyer divisions was positioned to the west of Naissaar in order to support the invasion; the 1st marine brigade's four battalions were positioned on the transport ships Sibir, 2nd Pjatiletka and Elton for landings on the islands Naissaare and Aegna; the transport ship Dnester and destroyers Storozevoi and Silnoi were positioned with troops for the invasion of the capital Tallinn; the 50th battalion was positioned on ships for an invasion near Kunda. 120 Soviet vessels participated in the naval blockade, including one cruiser, seven destroyers, and seventeen submarines, along with 219 airplanes including the 8th air-brigade with 84 DB-3 and Tupolev SB bombers and the 10th brigade with 62 airplanes.[10]
On June 14, 1940, the Soviets issued an ultimatum to Lithuania. The Soviet military blockade of Estonia went into effect while the world's attention was focused on the fall of Paris to Nazi Germany. Two Soviet bombers downed the Finnish passenger airplane "Kaleva" flying from Tallinn to Helsinki carrying three diplomatic pouches from the U.S. legations in Tallinn, Riga and Helsinki. The US Foreign Service employee Henry W. Antheil, Jr. was killed in the crash.[11]
Red Army invades
On June 15, the USSR invaded Lithuania[12] and Soviet troops attacked the Latvian border guards at Masļenki.[13] On June 16, 1940, the USSR invaded Estonia and Latvia.[12] According to a Time magazine article published at the time of the invasions, in a matter of days around 500,000 Soviet Red Army troops occupied the three Baltic nations—just one week before the Fall of France to Nazi Germany.[14]
Molotov accused the Baltic states of conspiracy against the Soviet Union and delivered an ultimatum to all Baltic countries for the establishment of Soviet-approved governments. Threatening invasion and accusing the three states of violating the original pacts as well as forming a conspiracy against the Soviet Union, Moscow presented ultimatums, demanding new concessions, which included the replacement of their governments and allowing an unlimited number of troops to enter the three countries.[15][16][17][18] Hundreds of thousands Soviet troops entered Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania.[19] These additional Soviet military forces far outnumbered the armies of each country.[20]
The Baltic governments had decided that, given their international isolation and the overwhelming Soviet forces on their borders and already on their territories, it was futile to actively resist and better to avoid bloodshed in an unwinnable war.[21] The occupation of the Baltic states coincided with a communist coup d'état in each country, supported by the Soviet troops.[22]
Most of the Estonian Defence Forces and the Estonian Defence League surrendered according to the orders of the Estonian Government and were disarmed by the Red Army.[23][24] Only the Estonian Independent Signal Battalion stationed in Tallinn at Raua Street showed resistance to the Red Army and "People's Self-Defence" Communist militia,[25] fighting the invading troops on 21 June 1940.[26] As the Red Army brought in additional reinforcements supported by six armoured fighting vehicles, the battle lasted several hours until sundown. Finally the military resistance was ended with negotiations and the Independent Signal Battalion surrendered and was disarmed.[27] There were two dead Estonian servicemen, Aleksei Männikus and Johannes Mandre, and several wounded on the Estonian side and about ten killed and more wounded on the Soviet side.[28][29] The Soviet militia that participated in the battle was led by Nikolai Stepulov.[30]
Sovietization of the Baltic states
Main article: Sovietization of the Baltic statesPolitical repressions followed with mass deportations carried out by the Soviets. The Serov Instructions, "On the Procedure for carrying out the Deportation of Anti-Soviet Elements from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia", contained detailed procedures and protocols to observe in the deportation of Baltic nationals.
The Soviets began a constitutional metamorphosis of the Baltic states by first forming transitional "People's Governments."[31] Led by Stalin’s close associates,[32] and local communist supporters as well as official brought in from the Soviet Union, they forced the presidents and governments of all three countries to resign, replacing them with the provisional People's Governments.
On July 14–15, following illegal amendments to the electoral laws of the respective states, rigged parliamentary elections for the "People's Parliaments"[33] were conducted by local Communists loyal to the Soviet Union. Because of new election restrictions in the amended electoral laws, only the Communists and their allies were effectively allowed to run.[33][34] The election results were completely fabricated: the Soviet press service released them early, with the result that they had already appeared in print in a London newspaper a full 24 hours before the polls closed.[35][36]
The new Soviet-installed governments in the Baltic states began to align their policies with current Soviet practices.[37] According to the prevailing doctrine in the process, the old "bourgeois" societies were destroyed so that new socialist societies, run by loyal Soviet citizens, could be constructed in their place.[37]
See also
- Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940
- Occupation and annexation of the Baltic states by the Soviet Union (1944)
References
Citations
- ^ Gerner & Hedlund (1993). p. 59.
- ^ a b Hiden & Salmon (1994). p. 110.
- ^ a b The Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania by David J. Smith, Page 24, ISBN 0415285801
- ^ Mälksoo (2003). p. 83.
- ^ Mikhail Meltyukhov Stalin's Missed Chance p. 198, available at [1]
- ^ Pavel Petrov, p. 153
- ^ Pavel Petrov, p. 154
- ^ (Finnish) Pavel Petrov at Finnish Defence Forces home page
- ^ (Russian) documents published from the State Archive of the Russian Navy
- ^ Pavel Petrov, p. 164
- ^ The Last Flight from Tallinn at American Foreign Service Association
- ^ a b Five Years of Dates at Time magazine on Monday, Jun. 24, 1940
- ^ The Occupation of Latvia at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia
- ^ Germany Over All, TIME Magazine, June 24, 1940
- ^ The World Book Encyclopedia ISBN 0716601036
- ^ For Lithuania see, for instance, Thomas Remeikis (1975). "The decision of the Lithuanian government to accept the Soviet ultimatum of June 14, 1940". LITUANUS, Lithuanian Quarterly journal of Arts and Sciences 21 (4 – Winter 1975). http://www.lituanus.org/1975/75_4_02.htm. Retrieved 2007-03-03.
- ^ see report of Latvian Chargé d'affaires, Fricis Kociņš, regarding the talks with Soviet Foreign Commissar Molotov in I.Grava-Kreituse, I.Feldmanis, J.Goldmanis, A.Stranga. (1995) (in latvian). Latvijas okupācija un aneksija 1939–1940: Dokumenti un materiāli. (The Occupation and Annexation of Latvia: 1939–1940. Documents and Materials.). pp. 348–350. http://www.historia.lv/alfabets/L/la/okupac/dokumenti/kocins/1940.21.06..htm.
- ^ for Estonia see, for instance, Tanel Kerikmäe, Hannes Vallikivi (2000). "State Continuity in the Light of Estonian Treaties Concluded before World War II". Juridica International (I 2000): 30–39. http://www.juridica.ee/international_en.php?document=en/international/2000/1/22575.ART.0.pub.php. Retrieved 2007-03-03.
- ^ nearly 650,000 according to Kenneth Christie, Robert Cribb (2002). Historical Injustice and Democratic Transition in Eastern Asia and Northern Europe: Ghosts at the Table of Democracy. RoutledgeCurzon. pp. 83. ISBN 0700715991. http://books.google.com/books?visbn=0700715991&id=liV7upFWBb8C&pg=PA83&lpg=PA83&sig=EEeRpxGm9rGcZCT3B5dxPHpQiPQ#PPA79,M1.
- ^ Stephane Courtois; Werth, Nicolas; Panne, Jean-Louis; Paczkowski, Andrzej; Bartosek, Karel; Margolin, Jean-Louis & Kramer, Mark (1999). The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression. Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-07608-7.
- ^ The Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania p.19 ISBN 0415285801
- ^ Estonia: Identity and Independence by Jean-Jacques Subrenat, David Cousins, Alexander Harding, Richard C. Waterhouse ISBN 9042008903
- ^ June 14 the Estonian government surrendered without offering any military resistance; The occupation authorities began...by disarming the Estonian Army and removing the higher military command from power Ertl, Alan (2008). Toward an Understanding of Europe. Universal-Publishers. p. 394. ISBN 1599429837. http://books.google.com/books?id=X9PGRaZt-zcC&pg=PA394&dq.
- ^ the Estonian armed forces were disarmed by the Soviet occupation in June 1940 Miljan, Toivo (2004). Historical Dictionary of Estonia. Scarecrow Press. p. 111. ISBN 0810849046. http://books.google.com/books?id=XKWRct15XfkC&pg=PA111&vq.
- ^ Baltic States: A Study of Their Origin and National Development, Their Seizure and Incorporation Into the U.S.S.R. W. S. Hein. p. 280. http://books.google.com/books?id=_LRAAAAAIAAJ&q=Rahva+Omakaitse&dq=Rahva+Omakaitse&lr=&ei=dKhdSbqmFIvuMoea6OcM&client=firefox-a&pgis=1.
- ^ "The President of the Republic acquainted himself with the Estonian Defence Forces". Press Service of the Office of the President. December 19, 2001. http://vp2001-2006.vpk.ee/en/duties/press_releases.php?gid=12614. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
- ^ (Estonian)51 years from the Raua Street Battle at Estonian Defence Forces Home Page
- ^ 784 AE. "Riigikogu avaldus kommunistliku režiimi kuritegudest Eestis" (in Estonian). Riigikogu. http://web.riigikogu.ee/ems/saros/0115/011510004.html. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
- ^ Lohmus, Alo (10 November 2007). "Kaitseväelastest said kurja saatuse sunnil korpusepoisid" (in Estonian). http://www.postimees.ee/161107/esileht/ak/294586.php. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
- ^ "Põlva maakonna 2005.a. lahtised meistrivõistlused mälumängus" (in Estonian). kilb.ee. 22 February 2005. http://www.kilb.ee/polva05_1.htm. Retrieved 2 January 2009.[dead link]
- ^ Misiunas & Taagepera 1993, p. 20
- ^ in addition to the envoys accredited in Baltic countries, Soviet government sent the following special emissaries: to Lithuania: Deputy Commissar of Foreign Affairs Dekanozov; to Latvia: Vishinski, the representative of the Council of Ministers; to Estonia: Regional Party Leader of Leningrad Zhdanov. "Analytical list of documents, V. Friction in the Baltic States and Balkans, June 4, 1940 – September 21, 1940". Telegram of German Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Schulenburg) to the German Foreign Office. http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/nsr/nsr-05.html#14. Retrieved 2007-03-03.
- ^ a b Misiunas & Taagepera 1993, pp. 26–7
- ^ Attitudes of the Major Soviet Nationalities, Center for International Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1973
- ^ Mangulis, Visvaldis (1983). "VIII. September 1939 to June 1941". Latvia in the Wars of the 20th century. Princeton Junction: Cognition Books. ISBN 0912881003. http://www.historia.lv/publikacijas/gramat/mangulis/08.nod.htm.
- ^ Švābe, Arvīds. The Story of Latvia. Latvian National Foundation. Stockholm. 1949.
- ^ a b O'Connor 2003, p. 117
Bibliography
- Brecher, Michael; Jonathan Wilkenfeld (1997). A Study of Crisis. University of Michigan Press. pp. 596. ISBN 9780472108060. http://books.google.com/books?id=GjY7aV_6FPwC&pg=PA596.
- Gerner, Kristian; Hedlund, Stefan (1993). The Baltic States and the end of the Soviet Empire. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-07570-X.
- Hiden, Johan; Salmon, Patrick (1994) [1991]. The Baltic Nations and Europe (Revised ed.). Harlow, England: Longman. ISBN 0-582-25650-X.
- Mälksoo, Lauri (2003). Illegal Annexation and State Continuity: The Case of the Incorporation of the Baltic States by the USSR. The Netherlands: Martinus Niljhoff Publishers. ISBN 978-9041121776.
- O'Connor, Kevin (2003). The History of the Baltic States. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 113–145. ISBN 9780313323553. http://books.google.com/books?id=b3b5nU4bnw4C&pg=PA113.
- Rislakki, Jukka (2008). The Case for Latvia. Disinformation Campaigns Against a Small Nation. Rodopi. ISBN 9789042024243. http://books.google.com/books?id=yXANj6Y_7goC&dq.
- Plakans, Andrejs (2007). Experiencing Totalitarianism: The Invasion and Occupation of Latvia by the USSR and Nazi Germany 1939–1991. AuthorHouse. pp. 596. ISBN 9781434315731. http://books.google.com/books?id=p2nanp_wpnkC&dq.
- Wyman, David; Charles H. Rosenzveig (1996). The World Reacts to the Holocaust. JHU Press. pp. 365–381. ISBN 9780801849695. http://books.google.com/books?id=U6KVOsjpP0MC&pg.
- Frucht, Richard (2005). Eastern Europe: An Introduction to the People, Lands, and Culture. ABC-CLIO. pp. 132. ISBN 9781576078006. http://books.google.com/books?id=lVBB1a0rC70C&pg=.
- Misiunas, Romuald J.; Taagepera, Rein (1993), The Baltic States, years of dependence, 1940–1990, University of California Press, ISBN 0520082281
- O'Connor, Kevin (2003), The history of the Baltic States, Greenwood Publishing Group, ISBN 0313323550
- Petrov, Pavel (2008) (in Estonian, translated from Russian). Punalipuline Balti Laevastik ja Eesti 1939–1941. Tänapäev. ISBN 978-9985-62-631-3. http://www.tnp.ee/raamat?id=717.
- Hiden, John; Vahur Made, David J. Smith (2008). The Baltic question during the Cold War. Routledge. ISBN 0415371007. http://books.google.com/books?id=jx4JQycHtnkC&client.
- Talmon, Stefan (1998). Recognition of governments in international law. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198265733. http://books.google.com/books?id=scc8EboiJX8C.
- McHugh, James; James S. Pacy (2001). Diplomats without a country: Baltic diplomacy, international law, and the Cold War. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0313318786. http://books.google.com/books?id=wRbdAwtxVIAC&client.
Further reading
- Žiemele, Ineta, ed (2002). Baltic Yearbook of International Law (2001). 1. ISBN 9789041117366. ISSN 1569-6456. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=iGLp7QEelbIC&lpg=PA111&ots=63gKYP3exm&dq=Baltic%20Yearbook%20of%20International%20Law%20volume%201&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false.
- Dawisha, K.; Parrott, B., eds (June 1997). The Consolidation of Democracy in East-Central Europe. ISBN 9780521599382. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=NRkpNovMd_cC&lpg=PA29&ots=L_JPc--nbS&dq=Consolidation%20of%20Democracy%20in%20East-Central%20Europe&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false.
Categories:- Occupation of the Baltic states
- Military history of Estonia
- Military history of Latvia
- Military history of Lithuania
- Military history of the Soviet Union
- Soviet occupations
- 1939 in Estonia
- 1939 in Latvia
- 1939 in Lithuania
- 1939 in the Soviet Union
- 1940 in Estonia
- 1940 in Latvia
- 1940 in Lithuania
- 1940 in the Soviet Union
- 1941 in Estonia
- 1941 in Latvia
- 1941 in Lithuania
- 1941 in the Soviet Union
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