Occupation of the Baltic states

Three small lands were in trouble.

These lands are Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Big groups took control of them. A large group called the Soviet Union took over first. Then, Germany took control for a few years.

Many people were treated very unfairly. People were forced to leave their homes. They were not allowed to use their own ways of talking.

Things changed after a long time. The three lands became free again in 1991.

It was a hard time for the people. Now, these lands are their own again.

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are three small lands. They are called the Baltic states.

In 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union made a secret deal. This deal divided parts of Europe between them. In 1940, the Soviet Union took over the Baltic states. They forced the lands to join their group. Many Western countries said this was illegal.

In 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union. Germany then took control of the Baltic states. During this time, many Jewish people were killed by German units.

This was a very sad and dark time. In 1944, the Soviet Union fought to take the lands back. They won control again. For many years, the Soviet Union ruled the area. They did not let people use their own languages or customs.

In 1991, the Soviet Union broke apart. The Baltic states finally became free and independent again.

The Baltic states are three countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. For many years, these lands were not free to rule themselves. Instead, they were controlled by much larger powers. This period of history is often called the occupation of the Baltic states. It began with a secret deal between two strong nations. This deal changed the map of Europe forever.

In August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union signed a pact. This was called the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. It included a secret part that divided Northern and Eastern Europe. The Soviet Union was assigned Estonia, Latvia, and Finland. Lithuania was also mostly assigned to the Soviet sphere. In June 1940, the Soviet Union moved into the Baltic states. They forced the countries to join the Soviet Union in August 1940.

Control of the region changed again during World War II. In June 1941, Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union. This meant the German armies moved into the Baltic states. They included these lands in a group called Reichskommissariat Ostland. This was a very dark time for many people. German units killed hundreds of thousands of Jewish people in these lands.

Many Baltic citizens initially hoped the Germans would bring back their independence. However, that hope did not come true.

The Soviet Union fought to take the lands back in 1944. This was part of the Red Army's Baltic Offensive. By 1945, the Soviet Union had regained control of most of the area. For the next several decades, the Soviet Union ruled the Baltic states. They suppressed local languages, religions, and customs. They also moved many people from Russia into the Baltic lands. This was a very difficult and traumatic time for the local people.

Finally, the Soviet Union began to break apart in 1991. This allowed the Baltic states to become independent nations once again. The process of removing Soviet troops took several years. Russia began to pull troops out of Lithuania in August 1993. The very last Russian soldier left Baltic soil in October 1999. Today, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are sovereign countries. They have their own governments and their own traditions.

The Baltic states consist of three nations: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Between 1940 and 1991, these countries experienced long periods of occupation and annexation. This means they lost their independence and were controlled by larger powers. The Soviet Union controlled them for most of this time. However, Nazi Germany also occupied the region for several years during World War II. This history is defined by shifting borders, political pressure, and intense conflict.

The process began with a secret agreement in August 1939. This was the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. The pact included a secret protocol to divide Northern and Eastern Europe into spheres of influence. In the north, the Soviet Union was assigned Estonia, Latvia, and Finland. Lithuania was initially assigned to the German sphere. However, a second secret protocol in September 1939 changed this. It assigned the majority of Lithuanian territory to the Soviet Union.

In June 1940, the Soviet Union began its occupation of the Baltic states. The Soviets used pressure and ultimatums to force the Baltic governments to accept military bases. For example, Estonia was forced to accept bases on two islands and at the port of Paldiski. By June 16, 1940, Latvia and Estonia also received ultimatums. The Red Army then occupied the remaining states. The Soviets organized rigged elections to create new "people's assemblies." These assemblies then voted to join the Soviet Union. Consequently, Lithuania joined on August 3, Latvia on August 5, and Estonia on August 6, 1940.

The occupation was extremely violent and traumatic for the local people. The Soviet administration carried out mass executions, deportations, and repression. In June 1941, Estonia lost an estimated 60,000 citizens due to these actions. Many Baltic citizens initially welcomed the German invasion in June 1941. They hoped the Germans would act as liberators and restore independence. Instead, Nazi Germany incorporated the territories into the Reichskommissariat Ostland. This was an administrative area governed by Hinrich Lohse.

During the German occupation, racial policies targeted the Jewish populations in the region. German mobile killing units, known as Einsatzgruppen, operated in the Baltic area. Einsatzgruppe A was noted as being particularly effective. These units forced Jews into ghettos and later liquidated them. In Lithuania, some local conscripts collaborated in these killings. The survival rates for Jewish populations were very low. For instance, only about 10 percent of Latvian and Lithuanian Jews survived the war.

In 1944, the Soviet Union launched the Baltic Offensive. The Red Army recaptured most of the Baltic states. German forces were trapped in the Courland Pocket until they surrendered in May 1945. From 1944 until 1991, the Soviet Union maintained control. During this long period, the Soviets suppressed local languages, religions, and customs. They also settled many people from Russia and other parts of the USSR in the Baltic countries. This was part of a broader colonization process.

The Baltic states finally regained de facto independence in 1991. This happened during the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The withdrawal of Russian troops was a difficult and sometimes violent process. Russia began withdrawing from Lithuania in August 1993. The full withdrawal of all troops ended in August 1994. The military presence officially ended in August 1998 when the Skrunda-1 radar station in Latvia was decommissioned. The very last Russian soldier left Baltic soil in October 1999.

Today, the legal status of the 1940 annexation remains a point of historical debate. Most Western countries never recognized the Soviet annexation as legal. They continued to recognize the Baltic states as sovereign entities through governments in exile. However, the post-Soviet government of Russia maintains that the incorporation followed international law. They claim the states joined the Soviet Union through popular socialist revolutions. This disagreement highlights how different nations interpret the same historical events.