The Baltic States from 1914 to 1923: the First World War and the Wars of Independence
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The Baltic States from 1914 to 1923: The First World War and the Wars of Independence By LtCol Andrew Parrott* lands the Republic of Latvia was created relations with Lithuania. This article aims Introduction from the southern parts of the Governorate to describe the events of the First World of Livonia, the Governorate of Kurland War in the Baltic region and the Wars of In the aftermath of the First World War and the western parts of the Governorate Independence in each of the Baltic states. five new states were created out of what of Vitebsk. Further south the Republic of The routes to independence for the four had been Tsarist Russia on the shores of Lithuania, formed from the Governorates Baltic states that will be considered here the Baltic Sea. In the north the Republic of Vilnius, Kaunas and Suwalki, recreated were all similar to the extent that the same of Finland emerged as an independent state a separate Lithuanian state for the first time factors were involved for each state. Where after just over a century as the Grand Duchy in over five hundred years. The Republic their routes to independence differ is in of Finland. South of the Gulf of Finland of Poland also came into being at this time, the relative importance of the various fac- the northern parts of the Governorate of more than a century after its earlier final tors. The first factor is the impact of Rus- Livonia and the Governorate of Estonia division between Russia, Prussia and Aus- sian political control. At the start of the became the Republic of Estonia. Combin- tria. Poland, though, is not considered period in question all of the Baltic states ing former Swedish, Polish and Russian further here other than in the context of were part of Tsarist Russia and the His- * LtCol Parrott is the Head of Defence Administration and Management Department at the Baltic Defence College. 131 torical Background section below relates Tsarist regime and the rise of the Bolshe- White Russians and others opposed to the how that came to be. The second factor is viks provided a narrow window of op- Bolsheviks and in this circuitous way gave the impact of the First World War and portunity for those wishing to escape from strength to the Baltic states. German influences in the Baltic area. The Russian domination. In the context of First World War section examines the Eastern Europe at the time Russia was weak Background political and military impact of that war. but Germany was militarily strong. In a A section entitled The Treaties looks at wider context though Germany was po- Throughout history the lands of the the treaties that concluded the First World litically, militarily and economically weak Baltic states have been much fought over. War and notes how the Baltic states were and the Allies were strong. At the end of Until the twentieth century the Finns, Es- excluded from consideration in these vari- the First World War the Allies had no wish tonians and Latvians were never masters ous treaties. The third factor is Baltic na- to allow the Germans, defeated in the west, in their own lands. Previously the Russians, tionalism and identity and sections for each to profit from their success in the east. Swedes, Danes, Poles and Germans had of the Baltic states consider the struggle Again German weakness offered opportu- continuously contested control of the area. for national independence. There is a gen- nities to the Baltic states. The growth of The situation for the Lithuanians was some- eral pattern of cultural nationalism centred national identity in the Baltic states might what different. Lithuania had previously on language, giving way to a more asser- be seen not so much as a strength but as a been an independent state and then a part tive political nationalism in each state, but source of determination for exploiting the of the Polish-Lithuanian Union. the details of the development of national weaknesses and opportunities that arose. The power of Sweden waned during the identity vary from state to state. Finally There is no doubt that the intervention of Great Northern War after 1700 and in 1721 the impact of other actors, notably those the Allies gave strength to the Baltic states peace was made between Russia and Swe- allied against Germany in the First World but this was essentially a by-product of other den at the Treaty of Nystad. This treaty War, must be considered and this is done concerns. The Allies concerns in respect of incorporated the former Swedish posses- in the section entitled Intervention. Germany have already been mentioned but sions on the Eastern coast of the Baltic Sea That the Baltic states were able to assert the Allies had no wish either to see the Rus- into the Russian Empire as the provinces their national identities and achieve state- sian Bolsheviks prosper. Generally it can be of Estonia and Livonia. Estonia, with its hood is a product of the overall balance said that, exhausted after the First World capital at Tallinn, consisted of what is now of the factors described above. Fundamen- War, the Allies had no wish to fight the the northern half of Estonia and the is- tally Russia was weak. The collapse of the Bolsheviks. They did however support the land of Hiiumaa. Livonia, with its capital 132 at Riga, consisted of what is now the south- order to seize the Danish fleet. Tsar Alex- cember what remained of the French Army ern half of Estonia and the island of ander I also agreed to attempt to mediate a was back in Vilnius and here Napoleon Saaremaa and southeastern Latvia. peace with Britain but when these attempts left his army to return to Paris. Mass graves The Polish-Lithuanian Union was di- failed Russia, seeking to exclude the Brit- recently discovered in Vilnius emphasise vided between Russia, Prussia and Austria ish Navy from the Baltic Sea demanded of the total defeat of the French Army on in three stages starting in 1772. At the first Sweden the closure of Swedish ports to this ill-fated Russian campaign. division Latgale, now eastern Latvia, was the British Navy. The Swedes refused to At the Congress of Vienna in 1815, fol- absorbed into Russia, ultimately as part of comply with the Russian demands and this lowing the Napoleonic Wars, certain parts the Vitebsk province. The second division led to the invasion by Russia of Finland, of Prussia, which are now in modern in 1793 did not affect lands now part of then part of Sweden, in February 1808. Lithuania, were awarded to Russia.1 These the Baltic states but at the third and final By November 1808 Russia had occupied areas became part of the province of division in 1795 what is now southern and Finland and in return for certain assur- Suwalki. At this point, with one exception, western Latvia and nearly all of modern ances the Finns agreed to annexation by all the lands that now make up the Baltic Lithuania became part of the Russian Em- Russia at Porvoo in March 1809. At the states had become a part of the Russian pire. The parts that are now Latvia were Treaty of Hamina in September 1809 Swed- Empire. The one exception is the Klaipeda incorporated into the province of Kurland ish sovereignty over Finland was surren- area of Lithuania, which remained part of with its capital at Jelgava. The parts that dered, and the Grand Duchy of Finland, Prussia, as the better-known Memel Terri- are now Lithuania were divided between with the Russian Tsar as Grand Duke, was tory2 , and only became part of Lithuania the provinces of Vilnius and Kaunas with established. In 1812 the Tsar restored to at the very end of the period being dis- their capitals in the cities of the same name. Finland certain Finnish territories that had cussed in 1923. Russia was defeated by Napoleon in been ceded by Sweden to Russia at the The provisions of the Treaty of Nystad 1807 but then at the Treaty of Tilsit en- Treaty of Nystad in 1721 and the Treaty ensured that, even though they were in- tered into an alliance with France. Russia of Turku in 1743. corporated into the Russian Empire, the recognised French supremacy in western On 24 June 1812 Napoleon invaded provinces of Estonia and Livonia retained and central Europe but was given a free Russia capturing Vilnius before the end distinctive systems of local administration, hand in the Baltic area and it was the Treaty of June. Moscow was occupied on 14 Sep- related to those of the previous Swedish of Tilsit that caused the pre-emptive strike tember but abandoned on 19 October at administration and different from those by the British Navy on Copenhagen in the start of the long retreat. By early De- in other parts of the Russian Empire. 133 When Kurland became a part of the Rus- Latvia, Estonia and Finland that are de- sian Empire this province, too, obtained The First World War scribed later. essentially the same status as Estonia and Germany declared war on Russia on 1 Livonia. The provinces of Vilnius and As the First World War progressed the August 1914 but then, in accordance with Kaunas also initially retained distinct sys- Baltic area was by degrees involved in the the Schlieffen plan, declared war on France tems of local government related to those conflict between Russian and German two days later and commenced the inva- of the former Polish-Lithuanian Union.