The Military Situation in the Baltic States1
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The military situation in the Baltic States1 By Edgars Andersons n literature, the Baltic States are usu- nia and Latvia. The forests in the Baltic the Baltic States. Although the Baltic Sea ally called small although their total States, especially in Latvia, can be regarded gives access to the Atlantic Ocean, one area is not that unimportant at all. It is as one of their great natural riches. Moreo- should pay attention to the fact that it roughly as large as two thirds of North- ver, the Baltic States are not as poor in belongs to the so-called border seas, which ern Germany or the UK, it comprises mineral resources as commonly assumed. creates certain military difficulties. The about half of Japan or California and it An important factor in the Baltic States Baltic States are also a natural basis for is about one and a half times larger than was the development of an industry that international traffic routes in the air, on the area of the BeNeLux states (Belgium, was based on local starting substances, but railroads and roads. The lands surface is the Netherlands and Luxembourg). Re- that later turned into a specialization in mostly very suitable for the creation of garding transport and commerce, the electrical engineering, precision instru- large-scale traffic connections.2 Baltic States are perfectly situated between ments, chemistry and similar branches. This However, the military situation of the Eastern and Western Europe. They are industry, especially in Latvia, could more Baltic States must be regarded as highly agriculturally self-sufficient. Slate in Esto- easily compete with the great powers on dangerous. They are in the northern sec- nia and waterpower in Lithuania and es- the world market. The long coast of the tion of a long and narrow line of smaller pecially Latvia create optimal conditions Baltic Sea with its great ports, especially states that are an obstacle for the access for the industrial development and elec- Riga, Ventspils (Windau), Liepâja (Liebau), from the Russian territory to the Atlan- trification of these states. After World War Tallinn (Reval) and Klaipeda (Memel), is tic Ocean, the Baltic Sea, and the Medi- II, even oil fields were found in Lithua- of considerable economic importance for terranean Sea. One should always be aware 113 of the fact that the Russian empire, known The German Empire adjoined the Bal- for the areas of Petseri, Wilna, and Memel) today as the Union of Soviet Socialist tic States in the Southwest. Just like in were nationally quite uniform, whereas Republics (USSR), makes up one sixth the Middle Ages, it has been a serious threat Latvias situation in this respect was threat- of the earths total surface area. The situ- to the independence of the Baltic States ened. In the recent years, as much as 25% ation of the Baltic States was aggravated in modern times. But centuries-old expe- of Latvias population has been non- by the fact that the access to the Baltic rience has taught the Germans that the Latvians.6 Sea was most comfortable just in their Baltic horn situated far in the North- Another negative factor was the centu- territory. This fact poses a serious threat east and under German rule has always ries-old alienation between the Baltic peo- to the independence of the Baltic peo- been extremely difficult to defend and, ple and the lacking sense of community. ple as long as the Russian empire exists thus, constantly endangered in military Even while the Baltic States were independ- and the non-Russian peoples that are terms.4 Therefore, the opinion has devel- ent, little was done to remedy this situa- under Russian influence (about one half oped that a support of the bastion of the tion. Only when the threatening clouds of the general population) do not gain independent Baltic States and an encour- of World War II started gathering, the sovereignty. In the rear of the Baltic peo- agement of the right of self-determination Baltic people realized that they shared a ple in the West is the open sea. The of the Baltic people against the presump- common destiny. But then it was too late Scandinavian people on the other side, tions and the pressure of the non-Baltic to combine their powers on a large scale.7 remembering their sad experiences in the people (especially those of the Russians), In international literature one can find past, have always tried to stay away from would be the best solution for the Ger- the view that the independence of the the problems of the European continent man interests.5 Unfortunately, this under- Baltic States was just a short incident in and especially of the Baltics and to re- standing came to late. world history and that the Baltic people main in relative isolation on the An extremely unfavourable factor is did not play a part in political, economic Scandinavian Peninsula. However, the the small Baltic population. Only 6 mil- and military terms in the past. This opin- Baltic and Finno-Ugrian people have lion people live in that area, among them ion is completely wrong. In the course of been able to stay at the coast of the Bal- an unusually high number of descendants history, the fact went unnoticed that the tic Sea for more than 4.000 years although of late immigrants such as Russians, Poles, Baltic and Finno-Ugrian people have been they have lost wide areas in Northern and Germans, Jews, White Russians, Swedish able to stay in their present areas of settle- Central Russia.3 and others. Estonia and Lithuania (except ment for 4.000 to 5.000 years, that about 114 2.000 B.C. the Baltic people inhabited an also enlarged the area under their control rights.15 This mistake cost the Poles as well area that extended from the Ural to the several times until it stretched from the as the unfortunate peoples who were Oder and from Estonia to Central Po- Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, becoming the linked to them dear. land and that from the birth of Christ largest state in medieval Europe.12 The Although the German conquerors up to the sixth century the Baltic tribes, combined powers of the Poles and the saved the Latvians and Estonians from had reached a cultural peak that was quite Lithuanians stopped the advance of the becoming assimilated by the masses of the unusual compared to their neighbours.8 Tartars and the Mongols towards Europe, Slavs, connected them with Western cul- For several centuries, the Latvian and Es- saved several Russian areas from the Mon- ture and did not try to Germanise them, tonian tribes not only resisted the simul- golian yoke, slowed down the Germans they committed a crucial mistake in ex- taneous pressure of the Scandinavian and drive towards the East by beating the ploiting these peoples in the interest of Slavic tribes, but also started counterat- German Order in 1410, and absorbed the German squires and merchants ever more tacks into the areas of the Swedes, Danes Ottomans advance towards the Holy mercilessly. A deep rift opened up between and Slavs.9 The Baltic people showed unu- Roman Empire.13 Unfortunately, the the German immigrants and the native sual persistence and bravery and were Lithuanians lost their political and even people, a rift that weakened the bastion militarily successful against enemies that cultural independence to a considerable of Livonia and was hard to overcome. often were technically better equipped extent during the union with Poland, al- Although Latvian and Estonian units during the crusades. The Estonians fight though kings from the Lithuanian fought bravely under their own com- for freedom against the Swedes, Danes and Jagellons-Dynasty governed both states for manders, together with the German troops Germans lasted from 1191 to 122710 and several centuries.14 The Poles on their part of the Livonian League against the Rus- the resistance of Latvia against the com- made a historic mistake when they tried sian intruders in several battles, the bined German powers lasted even consid- to subjugate not only the people of the Livonian League fell apart. The conflict erably longer from 1186 to 1290. The states they had conquered White Rus- between the leading groups was to blame Order of the Brothers of the Sword was sians, Ukrainians and Latvians but also for this. In the following centuries the destroyed and the Livonian Order was the Lithuanians, who were their allies and leading German social classes mainly tried severely beaten.11 much larger in number. The Poles were to defend their own interests and privi- The Lithuanians not only managed to not interested in a confederation in which leges and failed to unite the native people hold their ground against intruders, but these peoples would have had equal against the supremacy of foreign states.16 115 Although the local landowners sub- sian control, soldiers of these people were the Latvians and Estonians, in 1905, when jected the majority of Latvians, Estoni- in Russias army and fleet, where they these countries were more or less under ans, and Lithuanians to serfdom, these gained ranks at the end of the 19th and control by their own people.29 Lithua- people did not lose their national and the beginning of the 20th century.23 Dur- nian and, in smaller numbers, also Latvian military spirit even under the most se- ing Napoleons invasion and during the emigrants took part in the American Civil vere conditions. The great Estonian re- Crimean War, there were purely Latvian War. The first victim of this war was the volt of 1343 against the Danish and Ger- navy and army units in fight against the Latvian Martiò¿ Buciò¿.30 During the man supremacy, which liberated the whole invaders.24 When the Lithuanians got Spanish-American War, Lithuanian emi- of Northern Estonia for a short period, under Russian control, the opposite hap- grants even sent their own military proved this.17 In 1372, the Lithuanians pened.