SOVIET FOREIGN POLICY IN RELATION TO THE BALTIC STATES, 1917-1920.

THE working-class of the Baltic countries had the closest of ties with the Russian working-class, ties which had developed and become strengthened during the long years of common struggle against the Tsarist regime. It is, therefore, natural that the October (November) Revolution spread not only over the territory of Russia, but also over the territory of the Baltic States, and. as a logical outcome Soviet Governments were also formed in these States. The Provisional Governments, which were in existence there at the time of the November Revolution having entered into agreements with the German Government, called upon German troops to suppress the revolutionary movement. But the help of the German troops was by no means limited to the suppression of the revolutionary movement in the Baltic countries. In spite of the fact that the German Government themselves had signed a Peace Treaty with the Soviet Government at Brest-Litovsk, they transformed the Baltic States into a jumping-off ground for hostile attacks against Soviet Russia. Complete German hegemony was established over the Baltic States.

For instance, on April 12, 1918 (i.e., after the signing of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty) a so-called “ United Landtag ” of Livland, Estonia, the towns of Riga and the Island of Oesel was called. This “ Landtag ” resolved :—

“ (i) To request the German Emperor to grant military aid for the final separation of the Baltic States from Russia.

“ (2) To express the desire for the creation out of Livland, Kurland, the neighbouring Islands and the town of Riga, a single constitutional monarchy united with the German Empire under a common ruler—the Prussian King.

“ (3) To request that military, monetary, customs, and other agreements should be concluded between the Prussian Kingdom and the State which will be formed by the union of the Baltic territories.”

That the Resolution of the “ Landtag ” was only a pitiful caricature of any expression of the people’s will is shown by the fact that out of a total. of 21 Volost (district) chiefs, in the “ Landtag,” 18 made an official declaration that they had no right to speak in the name of the Estonian nation.

As regards Finland, the Svinhuvud-Mannerheim Government, having suppressed the revolution with the help of the German corps of General von der Goltz, started a veritable military campaign against Soviet Russia. Amongst other repeated attacks on the Soviet frontiers by Finland it is, necessary to mention that on March 21, 1918, Finnish detachments crossed the Soviet frontier, seized Ukhtu and moved towards Kem.

During the summer of 1918 the German Command, as is known, worked out several plans of attack on Soviet Russia, and in all these plans the Baltic countries with the full agreement of their Governments were to play the role of jumping-off grounds for the anti-Soviet attacks, as well as to furnish the necessary number of auxiliary troops. This, as well as finally the seizure of Petrogad, was the aim to which all the plans of General Ludendorff, Hoffman, and also the Staff of the 8th German Army were directed ; Von der Goltz relates all this in his Memoirs. The last plan was ratified by the Supreme German Command in August, 1918, but it was not executed because of the defeat already threatening the German Army on the Western Front.

After the signature of the Armistice between the Allies and Germany, the formation of military detachments was started on the territory of Kurland and Lithuania with the direct participation of the German Authorities, both military and governmental. The recruiting of volunteers and the creation of anti-Soviet armies proceeded under the direction of the German Command in the East, the Headquarters of which were in Berlin. The General Command was headed by the German General von der Goltz who had returned from Finland to Latvia on February 1, 1919, and had established himself in Libava. The majority of the Commanding Staff of the Army consisted of German officers who were being paid by the German Government. In April, 1919, with the direct help of General von der Goltz, a State coup was engineered in Latvia and the Nedry Government was established ; Nedry was the creature of the German Staff and the German nobility. This State coup revealed the real aims of the German General Staff and the German Government in the Baltic States—aims which consisted of the simultaneous consolidation of German hegemony in the Baltic States and the organisation of a campaign against Soviet Russia.

During the whole of 1919 the Governments of the Baltic countries conducted an armed struggle against Soviet Russia. Repeatedly and systematically the Soviet Government proposed the conclusion of peace treaties with the Baltic countries on the following basis : the de jure recognition of their State independence ; the fixing of frontiers on an ethnographical principle ; and the granting of certain economic and financial privileges.

Systematically and stubbornly the Governments of the Baltic States rejected these peace proposals of Soviet Russia.

On July 21, 1919, a radio message had been sent from Moscow to Tallin in which it was indicated that Soviet troops would not cross the frontier of the former Estland province. On August 31, of the same year, a proposal was sent to Estonia to enter into peace negotiations with the object of fixing the frontiers of the Estonian State on the basis of the recognition of the independence of Estonia. On September 4, 1919, a reply was received from the Estonian Government agreeing to negotiations for the cessation of hostilities. On September i1, the Soviet Government made peace proposals to Finland, Latvia, and Lithuania, and on September 17, 1919, in Pskov, a Soviet-Estonian Conference was held. At this Conference the Soviet delegation at once raised the question of an armistice. The Estonian delegation agreed to an armistice, but only on condition that Soviet Russia would be ready simultaneously to conclude an armistice with the other Baltic States. However, Finland flatly rejected the Soviet peace proposals whilst Latvia and Lithuania put off their discussion. Consequently, in spite of the sincere desire of the Soviet Government to conclude peace treaties with all the Baltic States, the first peace conference in Pskov was thus disrupted.

In the autumn of 1919 the former Tsarist General Yudenitch formed on the territory of Estonia the so-called “ North-Western Government,” and subsequently, with the help of the Estonian and Finnish Governments, started his march on Petrograd. In November, 1918, this attack was repulsed and the beaten Yudenitch troops poured into Estonia. Although the Soviet troops were in a position and undoubtedly had the right to cross the Estonian frontier in order to complete the destruction of Yudenitch, they abstained from doing so. The ethnographical frontier of Estonia was not violated. Under such conditions the Estonian Government was finally compelled to accept the repeated offer of the Soviet Government for peace negotiations.

On December 31, 1919, an armistice was concluded at Yurev, and an agreement regarding the independence of Estonia and her frontiers was initialled. On February 2, 1920, a Peace Treaty was concluded between Soviet Russia and Estonia. This was the first Peace Treaty of Soviet Russia with the Baltic countries. On July 12, 1920, a Peace Treaty was concluded with Lithuania, and on August 11, 1920, with Latvia.

Finland was the last of the Baltic countries to establish peaceful relations with the Soviet Government. A Peace Treaty between Finland and the R.S.F.S.R. was not signed till October 14, 1920.

The exceptional hostility of the Government of Finland toward Soviet Russia was manifested not only by the fact that Finland refused longer than the other Baltic States to enter into peace negotiations with the Soviet Government, but in that after peace negotiations had started she did everything possible to prolong them and to hinder the conclusion of peace. It is very interesting to note that already in the summer of 1918, negotiations had taken place in Berlin for the conclusion of a Peace Treaty between Finland and Soviet Russia but these negotiations proved futile owing to the openly provocative behaviour of the Finnish Government. The latter, in particular, insisted on the union with Finland of the whole Kola Peninsula and a part of the Olonetz region.

The Peace Treaties of Soviet Russia with the Baltic States gave the latter great political and economic advantages. At the moment of the signature of these Treaties, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania had not been recognised de jure by a single European State ; it was Soviet Russia who gave them their first de jure recognition. In the sphere of economic and financial matters the Baltic States received part of the gold reserve of Russia (Estonia, 15 million gold roubles ; Latvia, 7 million and Lithuania, 3 million gold roubles). They also received the right to retransfer property and valuables which had been sent from these States to Russia during the World War and also the right to the repatriation of citizens (with the right to opt citizenship) who after the conclusion of the Peace Treaty desired to return to their native country.

In evaluating the economic and political advantages received by the Baltic States as the result of the conclusion of the Peace Treaties with Soviet Russia, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the whole economy of these regions during a long period had been organically connected with the national economy of Russia. The rupture of these connections during 1917 to 1920 had had a very painful effect on the economy and well-being of the populations of the Baltic countries. The Russian market had been closed to them, whilst the Western European markets, not only had no need for the manufactures of the Baltic countries, but on the contrary flooded the markets of the latter with their own manufactures. The industrial products of the Baltic States could find no markets ; on the other hand, as a result of the closing of the frontiers with Russia, the factories and workshops of the Baltic States (for instance the leather industry and others) which had always obtained their raw materials from Russia, had been deprived of such materials for three years.

Peace with Soviet Russia opened for them the wide markets of the latter. It made possible the industrial development of the Baltic States and at the same time provided exceptionally favourable conditions for trade in general and transit trade in particular by the use of the Baltic ports as was mentioned above. Unfortunately, the Governments of the Baltic States seemed to have no wish to make use of these possibilities.

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