GalleryI. The Hitler—Stalin conspiracy against Poland and the Baltic States.
It has been established at the Nuremberg Trials and by documents published by USA State Department (referring to the Nazi-Soviet Relations 1939—1941) that the direct purpose of the Friendship- and non-Aggression Treaty signed by Germany and the Soviet Union on August 23rd, 1939, in Moscow and its secret annex, has been the conquest of foreign countries and the dividing of those countries among the conquerors. Poland and the Baltic States had been chosen as first victims.
Because of discords among the Allies of World War I and their patience, Hitler had managed to build up his war-machinery and now, after signing the Treaty, he became active. Inspired by former successes, he was thoroughly convinced that Great Britain and France would yield again and would not begin war with Germany for the sake of Poland and, therefore, Hitler started its invasion on September 1, 1939. The Red Army needed more time to complete its preparations for war and Stalin was able to step in only on September 17th. Poland's resistance having been broken by that time, Stalins's Armies easily occupied all Polish territories allotted to Soviets by the Moscow Treaty.
Having finished with Poland, both conspirators turned to the Baltic States. Hitler's immediate purpose was to evacuate from there the small group of German inhabitants called Volksdeutsche (3,1%) before Moscow had taken authority over the Baltic States. Stalin's aim was to incorporate those countries into the Soviet Union bei means of concluding with them Pacts of Mutual Assistance as if for better common defence. The protestations of the Baltic States that they did not consider themselves endangered were futile. Moscow persisted in her standpoint which she buttressed by concentrating for intimidation purposes considerable Red Army forces near the borders of the Baltic States. Thus these peace loving States, notwithstanding their declarations of neutrality at the beginning of the German invasion of Poland, were imposed upon with Pacts of Mutual Assistance. In consequence of these pacts Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania had to tolerate Soviet garrisons and naval
All this happened at a time when the relations between Latvia and the Soviet Union had already been definitively settled by various treaties and conventions, the most important of them being the following:
1. Treaty of Peace of August 11th, 1920.
According to this the USSR recognizes the independence and sovereignty of the Latvian State without any objections and forever resigns all sovereign rights over the Latvian nation and territory which had been usurped by the Tsarist Empire.
§ 2 of this Treaty stipulates:
„Russia unreservedly recognizes the independence, selfsubsistency and sovereignty of the Latvian State and voluntarily and forever renounces all sovereign rights over the Latvian people and territory, which formerly belonged to Russia under international Treaties, which, in the sense here indicated, shall in the future cease to be valid. The previous status of subjection of Latvia to Russia shall not entail any obligation towards Russia on the part of the Latvian people or territory.”
In order to preserve the independence and liberty acquired after heavy losses and sacrifices in the war for her freedom and statehood, Latvia tried to avert any misunderstanding resp. conflict with the great neighbour and signed for this purpose different treaties of political and economical character assigning various advantages to the Soviet Union.
2. Treaty of non-Aggression.
On February 5th, 1932, Latvia contracted a Treaty of non-Aggression of 3 years duration with the USSR, which pact was prolonged till 1946 on April 4th, 1934. According to this Treaty both signataries undertook:
„Article 1: to refrain from any act of violence directed against the territorial integrity and inviolability or the political independence of the other Contracting Party, regardless of whether such aggression or such acts are committed separately or together with other powers, with or without a declaration of war;
Article 2
Besides, both parties undertook to settle all conflicts, not-withstanding their reason and character by a conciliation procedure and in case they would not succeed to settle them in a due time, a mixed conciliation committee had to meet for this purpose.
3. A Convention relating to the Conciliation Procedure,
has been signed on June 18th, 1932, laying down the conciliation procedure anticipated in the non-Aggression Pact.
4. Litvinoff Protocol.
Directed by devotion to peace and good neighbourly relations Latvia, together with Estonia, Poland and Roumania signed on February 9th, 1929, with the Soviet Union the so-called Litvinoff Protocol agreeing to apply in their relations the Kellogg-Briand anti-War-Pact signed in Paris on August 27th, 1928, without even waiting till this Pact would come into force for the signatories.
According to this Pact the signatories
„solemnly declare in the name of their respective peoples that they condemn recourse to war for the solution of international controversies, and renounce it as an instrument of national policy in their relations with one another and agree that settlement or solution of all disputes or conflicts of whatever nature or of whatever origin they may be, which may arise among them, shall never be sought except by pacific means.”
5. Convention for the Definition of Aggression.
Developing still farther their relations with the USSR, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Roumania, Turkey and Afghanistan signed on July 3rd, 1933, a special Convention defining aggression and the aggressor. According to this Convention the aggressor shall be considered that State which is the first to commit one of the following acts:
- Declaration of war upon another State;
- Invasion by its armed forces, with or without a declaration of war, of the territory of another State;
- Attack by its land, naval or air forces, with or without a declaration of war, on the territory, vessels or aircraft of another State;
6 - Naval blockade of the coasts or ports of another State and
- Provision of support to armed bands formed in its territory which have invaded the territory of another State, or refusal notwithstanding the request of the invaded State, to take, in its own territory, all the measures in its power to deprive those bands of all assistance or protection."
„No political, military, economic or other considerations may serve as an excuse or justification for the aggression.”
6. Pact of Mutual Assistance
signed in Moscow on October 5th, 1939. Even by this Pact which has been forced upon Latvia it is recognised that the Peace Treaty of August 11th, 1920, as well as the above mentioned treaties and conventions continue to be the firm basis of the relations between both States.
Farther this Pact stipulates:
Article IV. Both contracting parties undertake not to enter into any alliances or to participate in any coalitions directed against one of the contracting parties.
Article V. The carrying into effect of the present pact must in no way affect the sovereign rights of the contracting parties, in particular their political structure, their economic and social system and their military measures.
Contrary to these Treaties, which all have been deposited with the League of Nations, the Soviet Union having no justification whatsoever, not to mention flagrant breach of the principles of International Law, presented in 1940 a short- dated ultimatum to the Baltic-States. This ultimatum prescribed:
- to change the existing governments against such agreeable to Moscow, and
- to admit an unlimited number of Soviet forces in order to ensure the realization of the Pact of Mutual Assistance.
Latvia on her behalf (as well as the other Baltic States) had never broken any of the obligations imposed upon her by the Pact of Mutual Assistance. But the double-faced politics of the Soviet Union was clearly demonstrated by the fact that, contrary to the obligations assumed, she had already agreed with Germany about their respective spheres of influence in the Baltic States and the annihilation of their independence.
In occupying the Baltic States the Soviet Union performed an unprovoked act of aggression against Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania breaking obligations of a treaty, that had been suggested and willingly assumed by the Soviet Union herself.
The maxim of World War I that signed treaties were nothing but scraps of paper, was deliberately adopted by the Bolsheviks and practically applied by the invasion of Poland and the Baltic States, the conflict over Berlin and in other instances. All this reaffirms the fact that according to Soviet conceptions treaties are less than waste-paper. The Bolsheviks do not care about them and act according to tactical motives inspired by the moment.
The invasion of the Baltic States caused deep indignation in the whole civilized world and the United States of America condamned this act of violence in their declaration of July 23rd, 1940, stating:
„During these past few days the devious processes whereunder the political independence and territorial integrity of the three small Baltic republics — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — were to be deliberately annihilated by one of their more powerful neighbours, have been rapidly drawing to their conclusion.
From the day when the peoples of these republics first gained their independence and democratic form of government the people of the United States have watched their admirable progress in self-government with deep and sympathetic interest.
The policy of this Government is universally known. The people of the United States are opposed to predatory activities no matter whether they are carried on by the use of force or by the threat of force. They are likewise opposed to any form of intervention on the part of one state, howewer powerful, in the domestic concerns of any other sovereign state, however weak.
These principles constitute the very foundations upon which the existing relationship between the 21 sovereign republics of the New World rests.
The United States will continue to stand by these principles, because of the conviction of the American people that unless the doctrine in which these principles are inherent once again governs the relations between nations, the rule of reason, of justice, and law — in other words, the basis of modern civilization itself — cannot be preserved.”
