July 21-22 marks the next 72nd anniversary of the founding of the Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian SSR. And the fact of this kind of education, as you know, causes a huge amount of controversy. From the moment Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn turned out to be the capitals of independent states in the early 90s, disputes about what actually happened in the Baltic States in 1939-40 have not ceased on the territory of these states: a peaceful and voluntary entry into the USSR, or was it Soviet aggression, which resulted in a 50-year occupation.
Riga. Soviet Army enters Latvia
The words that the Soviet authorities in 1939 agreed with the authorities of fascist Germany (the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact) that the Baltic States should become Soviet territory have been circulated in the Baltic states for a single year and often allow certain forces to celebrate victory in elections. The Soviet "occupation" theme, it seems, is worn out to holes, however, referring to historical documents, one can understand that the theme of occupation is a big soap bubble, which by certain forces is being brought to enormous proportions. But, as you know, any, even the most beautiful soap bubble will burst sooner or later, sprinkling the person who inflates it with small cold drops.
So, the Baltic political scientists, who adhere to the views according to which the annexation of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to the USSR in 1940 is considered an occupation, declare that if it were not for the Soviet troops that entered the Baltic states, these states would have remained not only independent, but also declaring their neutrality. It is difficult to call such an opinion otherwise than a deep delusion. Neither Lithuania, nor Latvia, nor Estonia simply could not afford to declare neutrality during the Second World War as, for example, Switzerland did, because the Baltic states clearly did not have such financial instruments as Swiss banks did. Moreover, the economic indicators of the Baltic states in 1938-1939 show that their authorities had no opportunity to dispose of their sovereignty as they please. Here are some examples.
Welcoming Soviet ships in Riga
The volume of industrial production in Latvia in 1938 was no more than 56.5% of the production volume in 1913, when Latvia was part of the Russian Empire. The percentage of illiterate population of the Baltic states by 1940 is shocking. This percentage was about 31% of the population. More than 30% of children aged 6-11 did not attend school, and instead were forced to work in agricultural work in order to participate, let's say, in the economic support of the family. During the period from 1930 to 1940, in Latvia alone, over 4,700 peasant farms were closed due to colossal debts, into which their "independent" owners were driven. Another eloquent figure of the "development" of the Baltic states during the period of independence (1918-1940) is the number of workers employed in the construction of factories and, as it would be said now, of the housing stock. By 1930, this number in Latvia amounted to 815 people … Dozens of multi-storey buildings and plants and factories, which were erected by these tireless 815 builders, stand in front of your eyes …
And this with such and such economic indicators of the Baltic states by 1940, someone sincerely believes that these countries could dictate their terms to Hitlerite Germany, declaring that she would leave them alone because of their declared neutrality.
If we consider the aspect that Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were going to remain independent after July 1940, then we can cite the data of the document, which is not uninteresting for the supporters of the “Soviet occupation” idea. On July 16, 1941, Adolf Hitler holds a meeting on the future of the three Baltic republics. As a result, a decision was made: instead of 3 independent states (which the Baltic nationalists are trying to trumpet today), create a territorial entity that is part of Nazi Germany, called Ostland. Riga was chosen as the administrative center of this entity. At the same time, a document was approved on the official language of Ostland - German (this is to the question that the German "liberators" would allow the three republics to develop along the path of independence and authenticity). Higher educational institutions were to be closed on the territory of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and only vocational schools were allowed to remain. German policy towards the population of Ostland is described in an eloquent memorandum by the Minister of the Eastern Territories of the Third Reich. This memorandum, which is remarkable, was adopted on April 2, 1941 - before the creation of Ostland itself. The memorandum says that most of the population of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia is not suitable for Germanization, therefore, is subject to resettlement to Eastern Siberia. In June 1943, when Hitler still harbored illusions about the successful end of the war against the Soviet Union, a directive was adopted stating that the Ostland lands should become the fiefdoms of those military personnel who distinguished themselves especially on the Eastern Front. At the same time, the owners of these lands from among the Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians should either be resettled to other regions, or used as cheap labor for their new masters. A principle that was used back in the Middle Ages, when the knights received lands in the conquered territories together with the former owners of these lands.
After reading such documents, one can only guess where the current Baltic ultra-rightists got the idea that Hitler's Germany would give their countries independence.
The next argument of the supporters of the idea of "Soviet occupation" of the Baltic states is that, they say, the entry of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia into the Soviet Union threw these countries back for several decades in their socio-economic development. And these words can hardly be called a delusion. During the period from 1940 to 1960, more than two dozen large industrial enterprises were built in Latvia alone, which has not been here in its entire history. By 1965, the volume of industrial production in the Baltic republics on average increased by more than 15 times in comparison with the level of 1939. According to Western economic studies, the level of Soviet investment in Latvia by the beginning of the 1980s amounted to about 35 billion US dollars. If we translate all this into the language of interest, then it turns out that direct investments from Moscow amounted to almost 900% of the amount of goods produced by Latvia itself for the needs of both its domestic economy and the needs of the Union economy. This is how the occupation is, when the "occupiers" themselves distribute huge amounts of money to those who are "occupied". Perhaps, even today, many countries could only dream of such an occupation. Greece would love to see Mrs. Merkel with her billions of dollars in "occupying" her, as they say, until the second coming of the Savior to Earth.
Seim of Latvia welcomes demonstrators
Another "occupation" argument: the referendums on the entry of the Baltic states into the USSR were illegitimate. They say that the communists specially put forward only their own lists, so the people of the Baltic states voted for them almost unanimously under pressure. However, if so, then it becomes completely incomprehensible why tens of thousands of people on the streets of the Baltic cities greeted with joy the news that their republics were becoming part of the Soviet Union. The stormy joy of the Estonian parliamentarians is completely incomprehensible when, in July 1940, they learned that Estonia had become the new Soviet Republic. And if the Balts really did not want to enter the protectorate of Moscow, it is also unclear why the authorities of the three countries did not follow the Finnish example and did not show Moscow a real Baltic fig.
In general, the epic with the "Soviet occupation" of the Baltic states, which the interested persons continue to write, is very similar to one of the sections of the book entitled "False Tales of the Nations of the World."
Soldiers at a demonstration dedicated to the Soviet annexation of Latvia
Riga. Workers celebrate the Soviet annexation of Latvia
Welcoming delegates of the Estonian Duma to Tallinn after the annexation of Estonia by the Soviet Union
Rally in Tallinn
Rally in honor of the Soviet annexation of Estonia
