A history of the baltic states palgrave essential histories. Background of the occupation of the baltic states wikipedia. Kasekamps book is an innovative, comprehensive and balanced treatment of. After leaving the army, he has worked as a gp, first near bristol and now in abingdon. It includes contributions from the fields of diplomacy, strategy, military operations, intelligence and propaganda. And when you travel with us, rest reassured that we have put numerous new measures in place. A used soft cover ww2 germanys eastern front allies 2 baltic forces 363 osprey reference book. Occupation of the baltic states chronology of world war ii politics of world.
After regaining independence in the early 1990s, the baltic countries. The battle for the baltics in world war ii by prit buttar. What if russia invaded the balticsand donald trump was. He ended up in the united states after the second world war. The battle for the baltics in world war ii reprint by prit buttar isbn. The baltic states gained their independence during and after the russian. Russia claims baltic states never turned democratic. The outcome was, in any case, very tragic for the baltic states, and only in 2005 the american president, george w. The film was the true story of an estonian young man returning to estonia after serving in the german army during ww2. Italys entry into the war and the french armistice.
You can also find between shades of gray on this ya world war 2 reading list. The book is published with financial support of the epp group in the european parliament and. The soviet empire was associated with having control of the baltic states. Few events have ever shaken a country in the way that the japanese attack on pearl harbor affected the united states. Petersburg, all of lithuania and most of latvia were under german. Lithuanian jewry played a profound role in many jewish ideologies, including the jewish workers movement, zionism, and rational religious thought. Undoubtedly, the most difficult period for latvia, estonia, and lithuania began with 1939 and the consummation of the hitlerstalin pact, part of which assigned the baltic states to a soviet sphere of influence, a move that would lead to the outright soviet. The baltic question and the cold war john hiden, vahur made and david j smith the baltic states and europe, 19181940 vahur made the us, soviet russia and the baltic states. As the german army rapidly advanced into the baltic states, one baltic port after another was lost to the soviets. In october and november of 1940, the soviet russia ordered that antisoviet elements should be listed and reported on. This is an essential textbook for undergraduate students taking modules on eastern. In a comprehensive way and in depth, with firsthand accounts woven through, both the military and political landscapes in the baltics preceding, during and after ww2 are laid out in this book.
The year 1942 saw, according to the dean of american sovietologues, roosevelt and churchill, slipping still further into a position of acquiescence in stalins territorial demands in europe. The occupation of the baltic states by nazi germany occurred during operation barbarossa from 1941 to 1944. Even just visiting the baltic states during their years of soviet rule. The origin of us nonrecognition of the soviet annexation of the baltic states jonathan lhommedieu the politics. Because according to wikipedia, there are only three baltic states. In the molotovribbentrop pact, it was agreed that the baltic states would fall under the soviet sphere of influence. The baltic question during the cold war 1st edition.
More than 10,000 women, children, sick, and elderly pack aboard the wilhelm gustloff, a former cruise ship. The german naval campaign in the baltic sea was one of germanys most successful military efforts of the entire second world war. During world war ii hostilities in the baltic sea commenced on 1 september 1939 when. So early in 1940, the soviets started a massive propaganda campaign against the baltic states. Buy a history of the baltic states palgrave essential histories series 2010 by a. For world war 2 destruction, generally, the front line passed the baltic states twice 1941 and 1944, but the. During the occupation the germans carried out discrimination. This volume brings together a group of international specialists on the international history of northern europe. With 292,611 tons of fuel sold in latvia in januarymarch 2020, fuel sales dropped by 20,765 tons, or 6.
The baltic states in world war 1 i the great war special. The red army occupied the independent baltic states in 19401941 and, after a period of german occupation, again in 19441945. Following wwii, the soviet union absorbed estonia back into its embrace and began a reign of terror. Tell him that this 2010 may it is 65 years since the soviet union and the western world defeated hitlers nazi regime, and that lithuania since then has been a free, happy country in line with what other european countries experienced after they. Anyone interested in this area during even just one of these periods will presumably find this book an interesting addition to his or her library. In november 1917, at the time of the bolshevik revolution in petrograd now st. How the children of baltic refugees to britain are. The occupation of the baltic states involved the military occupation of the three baltic statesestonia, latvia and lithuaniaby the soviet union under the auspices of the 1939 molotovribbentrop pact in june 1940.
Bush came here to apologise on behalf of the united states. More than 25 years have passed since the three baltic states estonia. Books and films about the baltic countries rick steves. Immediately after the end of the first world war, the british were in action to defend the. For further information about alex mazers family history journey, see her guest posts on emily gilberts blog. If russia started world war iii, heres how it would go down. This volume places the history of the second world war and the baltic states into a multidisciplinary and international perspective. It is better to explain immediately that this book tells you much more than the battle for the baltics in ww2, indeed it tells you a complete history of the baltic states since the russian revolution until the end of ww2, including also the history of the persecutions against the jews there, during ww2, and the history of the baltic partisans that fought against the soviet union after the end.
The soviet occupation of the baltic states covers the period from the sovietbaltic mutual assistance pacts in 1939, to their invasion and 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. I was super thrilled to have two estonian bookstagrammers chip in with their book recs too. Europe, after what we call the ending of the war, was a continent in complete. Prosperous times on february 16, 1918, 20 representatives of the lithuanian nation signed the act of independence of lithuania after fighting for their independence from bolshevik and.
The battle for the baltics in world war ii prit buttar. An older baltic book about latvia, written in the 1990s. The expansionist settlement policy under the nazi regime had claimed countless victims. I rarely had a chance to learn baltic states history at the school. The book outlines as to the inhumane treatment of citizens and many easter european countires of german decent during the latter part of wwii, and for 2 or more years afater the war, had been treated, abused physically, sexually, deprived of their posessions, and loaded on cattle cars trains after spending a few months or years in concentration camps, and ferried westward. Asked in ussr in ww2, cold war, history of russia, soviet. Soviet occupation of the baltic states 1940 wikipedia. The jews of lithuania had their own distinct and highly developed jewish culture, including a special dialect of the yiddish language. Baltic war of liberation european history britannica. Since the end of the cold war there has been an increased interest in the baltics. The baltic states and the russofinnish war, 193940. The battle for the baltics in world war ii general. With the advent of war between russia and germany in 1941, significant political changes took place in the baltic area. Damage caused by the soviet union to georgia teimuraz papaskiri 43 6.
For various reasons, after some time spent in leningrad where she was working, she is. Estonia, latvia, and lithuania had been part of the russian empire since the end of the 18th century, but after the russian revolution of 1917 they became independent states. Baltic dp archive currently in development, the baltic dp archive is a permanent online repository of images pertaining to the history of wwii refugees from latvia, estonia, and lithuania. For most of the second world war, the baltic sea was a virtual german lake. An interesting read of the tragic history of the baltic states up to and during wwii. It combines countrybased chapters with more thematic approaches, highlighting above all the. Attempts to reform history all the same that attempts to erase memory of the obtained lessons, such activities can lead to again passed faults. I think the baltic states role in ww2 was largely left out of mainstream books, which is part of the problem, too. World war ii the baltic states and the russofinnish war. In shirreffs book, the russian president, emboldened by weak european defenses and a desire to distract from economic woes at home, embarks on a military adventure in the baltic states.
Proportionately, the number of baltic prisoners would have been equal to a loss of 20 million people in the united states or 5 million in great britain. Lending support to baltic states fearing russia the. Baltic states independence and the 20th century britannica. Once abroad, i hungrily perused the shelves of an estonian bookstore since more. Berlin plans an eleventhhour exodus for the german civilians trapped in the red armys way. Find books set in the baltics, including lithuania, latvia, and estonia. The book ends with an examination of how this cold war legacy continues to shape relations between russia and the west. Emily gilbert did her phd about latvian, lithuanian and estonian european volunteer workers in britain in the mid 1990s at the university of sheffield, and after a nearly twenty year gap decided to publish it a a book. Nazi ideology and policy in the baltic states julius. Lithuania is the southernmost of the baltic states. As stalinist repression intensified over the following years, 50,000 residents of these countries used the heavily forested countryside as a natural refuge and base for armed antisoviet resistance. This edited volume presents a comprehensive analysis of the baltic question, which arose within the context of the cold war, and which has previously received little attention. Between giants is the story of the baltic states, latvia, estonia and lithuania.
They were then annexed into the soviet union as constituent republics in august 1940, though most western powers and nations never recognised their incorporation. Prit buttar, the author, starts the book by giving some background on the three countries beginning with world war i. After that struggle, the three nations attempted to assert their independence. Russian territory, in hungary, romania transylvania, banat, croatia slavonia, serbia vojvodina, slovenia and the baltic states. Engaging and accessible, this is also an ideal introduction to the baltic states for. Some german families have history in the baltic states as nobility, landowners, and businessmen since the.
On the eve of the 80 th anniversary of the outbreak of the second world war on september 1, 1939, russias foreign ministry tweeted out an extract from a joint report titled the heritage of wwii in the baltic states that extract read. The book, after a brief history of the states from wwi to 1939, provides a very. Memel and the surrounding countryside became part of lithuania. The baltic states brings together three titles, estonia, latvia and lithuania, to provide a comprehensive and analytical guide integrating history, political science, economic development and contemporary events into one account. In the early 90s the baltic nations gained their national independence. What other items do customers buy after viewing this item. As that empire fought and fell, so to fought the soldiers of the baltic states, first. After the swift retreat of the russian troops, the germans placed lithuania, its two baltic neighbors, and white russia within the network of greater europe, the primary concern of which was to fight russian bolshevism. By the end of the war, death and deportation had cost the baltic states over 20 percent of their total. Damage caused by the soviet union in the baltic states international conference materials, riga, 1718 june 2011. The balts hoped for the restoration of independence, but instead the germans established a provisional government. Before the first world war, what are today lithuania, latvia, and estonia were part of the russian empire.
Several answers already cover the atrocities commited during stalins time, which are still strongly in collective memory. It was a critical success not just in latvia, but across the baltic states. Ww2 germanys eastern front allies 2 baltic forces 363. Baltic states baltic states independence and the 20th century. Misiunas, soviet historiography on world war ii and the baltic states, 19441974, the baltic states in peace and war the pennsylvania state university press, 1978. How soviet union take advantage of the location of the. After world war ii, latvian legionnaires in pow camps identified arajs as a war.
Gst of 5% is applicable on all sales within canada. The background of the occupation of the baltic states covers the period before the first soviet occupation on 14 june 1940, stretching from independence in 1918 to the soviet ultimatums in 19391940. Russias president, vladimir putin, was also asked to apologise for the atrocities against the baltic states in the years after yalta. The best books on the aftermath of world war ii five books expert. We will watch the singing revolution that was mentioned in a recent post to a question about tallinn. After world war i ended, however, soviet russia, hoping to advance. Like the other baltic states, estonia, a nato member with a population of 1. A history of the baltic states palgrave essential histories series. After the devastating attack, japanese forces continued to overwhelm the allies, attacking. Collected in preparation for the no home to go to exhibition, well over a 1,000 photographs and documents, videos, publications, artifacts, and other.
The best baltic literature of 2018 five books expert. German occupation of the baltic states during world war ii. Since gaining their independence, each country has developed at its own pace with. Initially, many estonians, latvians, and lithuanians considered the germans as liberators from the soviet union. Was the soviet union really that bad to the baltic people. Total of 48 pages, with lots of information and pictures. A history of the baltic states andres kasekamp macmillan. The fall and rise and fall again of the baltic states foreign policy.
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