The Military Situation in the Baltic States1 by Mr
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The Military situation in the Baltic States1 By Mr. Edgars Andersons n literature, the Baltic States are usu- Lithuania and Latvia. The forests in the the Baltic Sea gives access to the Atlantic ally called small although their total Baltic States, especially in Latvia, can be Ocean, one should pay attention to the area is not that unimportant at all. It is regarded as one of their great natural riches. fact that it belongs to the so-called bor- roughly as large as two thirds of North- Moreover, the Baltic States are not as poor der seas, which creates certain military ern Germany or the UK, it comprises in mineral resources as commonly assumed. difficulties. The Baltic States are also a about half of Japan or California and it An important factor in the Baltic States natural focal point for international traf- is about one and a half times larger than was the development of industry based on fic routes in the air, on railroads and the area of the BeNeLux states (Belgium, local materials, but that later turned into a roads. The lands surface is mostly very the Netherlands and Luxembourg). Re- specialization in electrical engineering, pre- suitable for the building of transport garding transport and commerce, the cision instruments, chemistry and similar infrastrucure.2 Baltic States are perfectly situated between branches. This industry, especially in Latvia, However, the military situation of the Eastern and Western Europe. They are could more easily compete with the great Baltic States must be regarded as highly agriculturally self-sufficient. Shale in Es- powers on the world market. The long coast dangerous. They are in the northern sec- tonia and waterpower in Lithuania and of the Baltic Sea with its great ports, espe- tion of a long and narrow line of smaller especially Latvia create optimal conditions cially Riga, Ventspils (Windau), Liepâja states that are an obstacle for access from for power generation and the industrial (Liebau), Tallinn (Reval) and Klaipeda Russian territory to the Atlantic Ocean, development of these states. After World (Memel), is of considerable economic the Baltic Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea. War II, oil fields even were found in importance for the Baltic States. Although One should always be aware of the fact 113 that the Russian empire, known today as the Middle Ages, it has been a serious threat whereas Latvias situation in this respect the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to the independence of the Baltic States was threatened. In recent years, as much (USSR), makes up one sixth of the earths in modern times. But centuries-old expe- as 25% of Latvias population has been total surface area. The situation of the rience has taught the Germans that the non-Latvian.6 Baltic States was aggravated by the fact Baltic horn situated far in the North- Another negative factor was the centu- that access to the Baltic Sea was easiest pre- east and under German rule has always ries-old alienation between the Baltic peo- cisely in their territory. This fact poses a been extremely difficult to defend and, ple and lack of a sense of community. serious threat to the independence of the thus, constantly endangered in military Even while the Baltic States were independ- Baltic peoples as long as the Russian em- terms.4 Therefore, the opinion has devel- ent, little was done to remedy this situa- pire exists and the non-Russian peoples that oped that support for the bastion of the tion. Only when the threatening clouds are under Russian influence (about one half independent Baltic States and an encour- of World War II started gathering did, of the general population) do not gain sov- agement of the right of self-determination the Baltic peoples realize that they shared ereignty. To the rear of the Baltic people of the Baltic people against the presump- a common destiny. But then it was too in the West is the open sea. The tions and the pressure of the non-Baltic late to combine their powers on a large Scandinavian peoples on the other side, people (especially those of the Russians), scale.7 remembering their sad experiences in the would be the best solution for the Ger- In international literature one can find past, have always tried to stay away from man interests.5 Unfortunately, this under- the view that the independence of the the problems of the European continent standing came to late. Baltic States was just a short incident in and especially of the Baltics and to remain An extremely unfavourable factor is world history and that the Baltic people in relative isolation on the Scandinavian the small Baltic population. Only six mil- did not play a part in political, economic Peninsula. However, the Baltic and Finno- lion people live in the area, among them and military terms in the past. This opin- Ugrian people have been able to stay on an unusually high number of descendants ion is completely wrong. In the course of the coasts of the Baltic Sea for more than of late immigrants such as Russians, Poles, history, the fact went unnoticed that the 4.000 years although they have lost wide Germans, Jews, White Russians, Swedish Baltic and Finno-Ugrian people have been areas in Northern and Central Russia.3 and others. Estonia and Lithuania (except able to stay in their present areas of settle- The German Empire bordered the Bal- for the areas of Petseri, Vilnius, and ment for 4,000 to 5,000 years, that about tic States in the Southwest. Just like in Klaipeda) were nationally quite uniform, 2,000 B.C. the Baltic peoples inhabited 114 an area that extended from the Urals to trol several times until it stretched from mistake cost the Poles, as well as the un- the Oder and from Estonia to Central the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, becom- fortunate peoples who were linked to Poland and that from the birth of Christ ing the largest state in medieval Europe.12 them, dearly. up to the sixth century the Baltic tribes, The combined powers of the Poles and Although the German conquerors had reached a cultural peak that was quite the Lithuanians stopped the advance of saved the Latvians and Estonians from remarkable compared to their neigh- the Tartars and the Mongols towards Eu- becoming assimilated by the masses of the bours.8 For several centuries, the Latvian rope, saved several Russian areas from Slavs, connected them with Western cul- and Estonian tribes not only resisted the the Mongolian yoke, slowed down the ture and did not try to Germanise them, simultaneous pressure of the Scandinavian Germans drive towards the East by beat- they committed a crucial mistake in ex- and Slavic tribes, but also started coun- ing the German Order in 1410, and ab- ploiting these peoples in the interest of terattacks into the areas of the Swedes, sorbed the Ottomans advance towards German squires and merchants ever more Danes and Slavs.9 The Baltic peoples the Holy Roman Empire.13 Unfortu- mercilessly. A deep rift opened up between showed unusual persistence and bravery nately, the Lithuanians lost their politi- the German immigrants and the native and were militarily successful against en- cal and even cultural independence to a peoples, a rift that weakened the bastion emies that often were technically better considerable extent during the union of Livonia and was hard to overcome. equipped during the crusades. The Esto- with Poland, although kings from the Although Latvian and Estonian units nians fight for freedom against the Lithuanian Jagellons-Dynasty governed fought bravely under their own com- Swedes, Danes and Germans lasted from both states for several centuries.14 The manders, together with German troops of 1191 to 122710 and the resistance of Latvia Poles on their part made a historic mis- the Livonian League against the Russian against the combined German powers take when they tried to subjugate not intruders in several battles, the Livonian lasted considerably longer from 1186 to only the people of the states they had League fell apart. The conflict between the 1290. The Order of the Brothers of the conquered White Russians, Ukrainians leading groups was to blame for this. In Sword was destroyed and the Livonian and Latvians but also the Lithuanians, the following centuries the leading Ger- Order was severely beaten.11 who were their allies and much larger in man social classes mainly tried to defend The Lithuanians not only managed to number. The Poles were not interested their own interests and privileges and failed hold their ground against intruders, but in a confederation in which these peo- to unite the native peoples against the su- also enlarged the area under their con- ples would have had equal rights.15 This premacy of foreign states.16 115 Although the local landowners sub- sian control, soldiers of these peoples were the Latvians and Estonians, in 1905, when jected the majority of Latvians, Estoni- in Russias army and fleet, where they held these countries were more or less under ans, and Lithuanians to serfdom, these positions at the end of the 19th and the control by their own people.29 Lithua- peoples did not lose their national and beginning of the 20th century.23 During nian and, in smaller numbers, also Latvian military spirit even under the most se- Napoleons invasion and during the emigrants also took part in the American vere conditions. The great Estonian re- Crimean War, there were purely Latvian Civil War. The first victim of this war volt of 1343 against Danish and German navy and army units in the fight against was the Latvian Martiò¿ Buciò¿.30 Dur- supremacy, which liberated the whole of the invaders.24 When the Lithuanians came ing the Spanish-American War, Lithuanian Northern Estonia for a short period, under Russian control, the opposite hap- emigrants even sent their own military proved this.17 In 1372, the Lithuanians pened.