Occupation of the Baltic states

Quick Facts: Who was Occupation of the Baltic states?

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Occupation of the Baltic states

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The Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) endured Soviet and Nazi German occupation from 1940 to 1991.

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Origins & Early Life

The Baltic states—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—were occupied and annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940 and remained under its control until its dissolution in 1991. For a period of several years during World War II, Nazi Germany occupied the Baltic states after it invaded the Soviet Union in 1941. The initial Soviet invasion and occupation of the Baltic states began in June 1940 under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, made between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany in August 1939, before the outbreak of World War II. The three independent Baltic countries were annexed as constituent Republics of the Soviet Union in August 1940. Most Western countries did not recognise this annexation, and considered it illegal.

Career & Major Achievements

In July 1941, the occupation of the Baltic states by Nazi Germany took place, just weeks after its invasion of the Soviet Union. The Third Reich incorporated them into its Reichskommissariat Ostland. In 1944, the Soviet Union recaptured most of the Baltic states as a result of the Red Army's Baltic Offensive, trapping the remaining German forces in the Courland Pocket until their formal surrender in May 1945. During the 1944–1991 Soviet occupation, many people from Russia and other parts of the former USSR were settled in the three Baltic countries, while the local languages, religion, and customs were suppressed in an "extremely violent and traumatic" occupation. Colonization of the three Baltic countries included mass executions, deportations, and repression of the native population.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

While there has been a broad international consensus that the Baltic states were illegally occupied and annexed, the Soviet Union never acknowledged that they were forcefully taken over. The post-Soviet government of Russia maintains the claim that the incorporations of Baltic states was in accordance with international law, and Russian school textbooks state that the Baltic states voluntarily joined the Soviet Union after grassroots popular socialist revolutions. As most Western governments maintained that Baltic sovereignty had not been legitimately overridden, they thus continued to recognise the Baltic states as sovereign political entities represented by the Baltic Legations, which functioned in Washington and elsewhere as governments in exile. The Baltic states regained de facto independence in 1991 during the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Russia started to withdraw its troops from the Baltics starting with Lithuania in August 1993.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1940: 1940 Milestone — The Baltic states—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—were occupied and annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940 and remained under its control until its dissolution in 1991.
2. 1941: 1941 Milestone — For a period of several years during World War II, Nazi Germany occupied the Baltic states after it invaded the Soviet Union in 1941.
3. 1944: 1944 Milestone — In 1944, the Soviet Union recaptured most of the Baltic states as a result of the Red Army's Baltic Offensive, trapping the remaining German forces in the Courland Pocket until their formal surrender in May 1945.
4. 1991: 1991 Milestone — The Baltic states regained de facto independence in 1991 during the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
5. 1993: 1993 Milestone — Russia started to withdraw its troops from the Baltics starting with Lithuania in August 1993.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Occupation of the Baltic states

True or False: “The Baltic states were never annexed by the Soviet Union; their incorporation was always voluntary.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Historical records indicate that the annexation in 1940 was achieved through coercion and under duress from the Soviet Union.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abbas Kiarostami — Historical peer (Born in 1940) (1940): Master Iranian filmmaker known for blending fiction and documentary styles.
• Abdurrahman Wahid — Historical peer (Born in 1940) (1940): Influential Indonesian politician, Islamic leader, and fourth President known for pluralism.
• Abby Stein — Historical peer (Born in 1991) (1991): Israeli-American author, rabbi, and activist who speaks on faith and gender identity.
• Abhay Jodhpurkar — Historical peer (Born in 1991) (1991): Indian singer known for songs in multiple South Indian languages and Bollywood hits.
• Adam Kuper — Historical peer (Born in 1941) (1941): Influential British social anthropologist known for research in Southern Africa.
• Adnan Khayr Allah — Historical peer (Born in 1941) (1941): Iraqi military officer and Minister of Defense, closely associated with the Ba'ath regime.
• Ada Yonath — Historical peer (Born in 1939) (1939): Pioneering crystallographer known for elucidating the structure and function of the ribosome.
• Alan Ayckbourn — Historical peer (Born in 1939) (1939): Prolific British playwright and director known for domestic farce and ensemble pieces.
• Abdülmecid II — Historical peer (Died in 1944) (1944): Last Ottoman Caliph and prominent Turkish aesthete, head of the Osmanoğlu family.
• Agustín Barrios — Historical peer (Died in 1944) (1944): Paraguayan virtuoso classical guitarist and composer, celebrated for his prolific works.

Frequently Asked Questions about Occupation of the Baltic states