THE SACRED WAR- A Soviet AAR

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THE SACRED WAR

A Soviet After-Action Report For Hearts of Iron

“[After Communism succeeds] ...then, there will come a peace across the earth.”
- Joseph Stalin (1879-1953)

Author's notes: Slight changes have been made to more accurately reflect the intricacies of diplomacy and internal politics. The goal is simple: Achieve world unity under the red banner! (In other words, have every nation not only communist, but in the comintern, annexed and/or puppted.) If necessary, the game will continue past the HOI time frame into the 50s!

 

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The Soviet Union's Position In 1936
The USSR stood like a giant poised to strike anywhere in 1936. Every country’s foreign policy revolved around the large communist nation, but within the Soviet Union, there were larger problems. In reality, they were actually quite vulnerable, and had not yet even achieved the establishment of communism in areas that were considered immediately Russian (Moldavia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Finland). Only one minor satellite (not counting the tiny semi-autonomous state of Tuva) was controlled in this time, and that was the developing nation of Mongolia, which had always walked hand in hand with the Soviet Union.

Iosef Stalin.

Diplomacy with the communist ally in Asia was always quite risky. A mutual defense treaty had been agreed to a year before, but the Japanese held an interest in incorporating the realms of Outer Mongolia into their expanding empire. That, combined with their desire to expel the Soviets from Manchuria made the chances for war between the two natural enemies likely.

Hirohito.

In the west, the situation was no less dangerous. Although Stalin had always wanted to expand westward, it was made impossible. The communist bear, it seemed, was locked to its position by the powerful alliance of Great Britain and France. Wedged right between both the communists and the capitalists was the unpredictable Germany. Although Germany’s rivals knew that it was pulling the strings of Europe diplomatically, they only looked towards the immediate effects, ignoring the fact that Germany was slowly restoring her lost power, while at the same time ever weakening the powerful alliance that kept her alive no matter how many times she defied them.

To solve the problems faced in Europe, a plan was formulated that skirted the possible threats if expansion was to be successfully achieved. The main fear was that if a total war came (which the Soviets were not able to handle), the fascists in Germany would align themselves with the capitalists, both of which had a strong anti-communist sentiment. With the passive attitude France was taking towards the Nazis, this seemed likely. But the diplomatic strategists in the Kremlin foresaw that there would be an eventual conflict between the Germans and the French, observing the effects of the German occupation of Saar at the beginning of the pervious year. The direct form of this was unknown, but the best possible outcome would be if Germany took military action to achieve Hitler’s dream of regaining his nation’s lost territories. And so, the Soviet Union carefully observed, waiting for the Fuhrer to make his move.

Adolph Hitler

 

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The situation on the Estonian and Latvian borders.

Preparations For Attack
As early as February, the 12th and 5th Armies as well as the entire Red Air Force and the Baltic fleet had been moved near the borders of both Estonia and Lithuania under the pretext that usual war games were being conducted. Routinely, flights would be made close to or even inside of Estonian and Latvian air space. These were of course missions designed to reconnoiter the landscape so an invasion could be made as quickly as possible. This violation brought complaints from both nations, although they never hinted a sign of suspicion in any formal documents. This can be attributed to the fact that Estonia, Latvia, and even Lithuania (which also tried to keep abreast on its eastern neighbors’ concerns) all wanted to avoid any provocations. In one case, a plane was fired at by nervous gunners in Estonia, and when the pilot safely landed his damaged aircraft, he was offered a full apology from local authorities and a transport across the border.

The wrecked reconnaissance plane being inspected by Estonian authorities and its pilot.

The Red Banner Baltic Fleet In 1936
Stationed at Kronstadt, the Red Banner Baltic Fleet, although expanding, was in good standing (although it was specifically designed to only cruise the waters of the Baltic). It possessed two Marat-class battleships (Oktyabrskya Revolutsia, and Marat), 2 Leningrad-class destroyer flotillas, 2 Izyaslav-class destroyer flotillas, and 4 I-class submarine flotillas. Most ships were not ready for service, but the few that were had been deemed capable of handling the task at hand, as Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania had virtually no naval presence. The fleet routinely patrolled the Gulf of Finland making observations in the months culminating to the attack.

Marat was one of the two active battleships in the Baltic Fleet in 1936.

The Red Air Force In 1936
The Red Air Force under command of Aleksandr Golovanov, based itself in Leningrad and consisted of about 7 squadrons of I-16 fighter planes, and 2 squadrons of SB-2 bombers. While not the most modern air force in the world, it was formidable for its time. Most models in the Air Force did not see combat yet, especially the SB-2 which had actually just been commissioned at the beginning of the year. But as an invasion force was assembled, it was clear that Soviet pilots would be seeing action. Golovanov was a strong proponent of the army-aviation theory, and the Red Air Force itself did not act independently, rather as an element of the Red Army.

The I-16 fighter, while not particularly notable in later years, was considered a good plane for its time. It had been designed by Nikolai Polikarpov, and was literally the product of convict labor. Polikarpov had been targeted during one of the many purges Stalin held regularly, and was told he would be spared if he agreed to design a new fighter for the Red Air Force. When the first model took off at the end of 1933, more were produced in “factories” which were in fact penitentiaries. The fighter boasted a high speed, climb rate, and firepower. Equipped with the 20 mm cannon, it was a frustrating enemy on the battlefield, even at the end of the 30s.

The I-16, as seen in a test flight.

The SB-2 was equally considered good for its time, and used the tactic of high speed bombing (SB or Skorostnoi Bombardirovschik, literally translates to “high speed bomber”), in which bombers are designed to outrun enemy fighters. As new air tactics were devised though, such as the practice of diving to attain greater speed, the SB-2 sunk to mediocrity.

The 5th and 12th Army in 1936
The 5th Army, led by Field Marshal Mikhail Tukhachevsky, was stationed near the Lithuanian border and consisted of the 53rd, 52nd, 50th and 49th Strelkovaya divisions, the 16th Ul’yanovskaya Strelkovaya division, and the Sivashskaya motorized division. Tukhachevsky had commanded the 5th Army since 1920, and saw action as a commander in Siberia and during the Kronstadt Uprisings. The 12th Army, which was near the Estonian border, was commanded by Field Marshal Kliment Voroshilov, and consisted of the 43rd and 31st Strelkovaya divisions, the 32nd Saratovskaya Strelkovaya division, the 34th Srednevolzhskaya Strelkovaya division, and the 7th Chernigovskaya motorized division. Voroshilov was one of the chief figures in devising a strategy to overrun the Baltic States, and thus was granted control of the 13th Army.

Most Soviet soldiers carried an M-91/30 rifle, which was accurate, but also sometimes awkward due to its long barrel. Many surrounding countries, including the Baltic States, used these, or modified versions of these as well. The chief automatic weapon was the AVS-36, which had begun circulation earlier in the year to provide Soviet troops with a greater firepower. At the further disposal of soldiers was the F1 grenade, designed as a defensive anti-personnel weapon. Officers were equipped with a TT-30/33 pistol, which strictly regulated troops at threat of execution.

Artillery, like other Soviet military equipment was often aged, although due to the immediate opponents, it was sufficient. The BA-10 armored car made up the bulk of most motorized divisions. While it had a good amount of firepower when it came to destroying light tanks and infantry, and a moderate speed, it could not hold a sustained attack, and was designed for mass production. At other times, carriages had to supplant other mechanized vehicles for both transport and combat.

A BA-10 armored car, practicing reconnaissance along a road.

The Soviet army was filled almost entirely with conscripts. Two years service was compulsory for every male, and often armies were poorly trained, relying more on number alone. Military life was strict, and there were harsh penalties for breaking rules. Many, many times soldiers would be executed, or simply shot by an officer. Morale was important, as it could always vary depending on the situation.

Soviet soldiers on the march

 

[Mettermrck]

Nice detailed start, Gamma. I got that song, 'The Sacred War', playing in my head now.

 

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Mettermrck: Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it. Especially the details. I didn't know if people would find it interesting or boring.

On another note, I will respond to all posts. It's my first AAR, so any criticism is welcome!

The Plan: Operation Ivan
Operation Ivan, as the plan was nicknamed (after Ivan the Terrible, who had originally incorporated Estonian lands into Russia and began Baltic expansion) was mostly the product of Voroshilov’s thinking. It was simple; the 12th and 5th armies, supported by the Baltic Fleet and the Red Air Force would simply sweep in, and quickly overrun the enemies’ forces. It was critical, Voroshilov pointed out, that the plan be executed with haste before both political and military reactions came. It was projected that the whole invasion would be over in less than 90 days, and cost little.

The plan. The 12th Army (Voroshilov) would circumvent Lake Peipsi (separating Russia from Estonia), and quickly decimate the Estonian army, which was believed to consist of only 3 divisions. At the same time, the 5th army would swarm the Latvian border and smash the two divisions that Latvia was estimated to have in Rezekne. From there, Voroshilov would quickly move along the coast capturing major port cities, in conjunction with Tukhachevsky. The two would finally meet up in Siauliai, which Voroshilov assumed would be defended well. Once the armies had made it through the forests in that area, they would cross the Nieman River (around Kaunas), and declare victory.

The plan had notable flaws, according to some opposers. The Nieman River defended Kaunas, and if a quick attack could not be formulated after Siauliai fell, the Lithuanian army could dig in. Another concern was that the Daugava River, running through the middle of Latvia, could end up stalling the Soviet advance and give enough time for the Lithuanian’s to organize their defenses. These were gambles that Stalin was willing to take. What he did not however, was for the war to extend and require additional troops than those allotted to Voroshilov. And, after all, he needed the war to be over before the alliance in the west could broker an agreement with Hitler.

The plan was set to go forth as soon as any German distraction became available. The NKVD was placed in charge of finding out beforehand what it would be. They had one great asset for this: the master spy, Richard Sorge. Sorge was a German communist who ha been working for the NKVD since the early thirties. Sorge had both a PhD in political science, and an Iron Cross for his service in WWI, and was truly a remarkable man. After joining the Nazi party in disguise, he worked at a German embassy in Japan where he built up an elaborate information-gathering network. Further, he joined the Abwher so he could double-check his sources. Almost every bit of intelligence came to him, and he was perhaps one of the most successful spies of the century.

Richard Sorge, the master spy.

Golden Opportunity: The Rhineland Occupation
On March 5th, Sorge sent an urgent encrypted message to the Kremlin. It landed right on the desk of Genrikh Yagoda, the NKVD Chief. The message read:

“There has been much activity at the German embassy in Tokyo, as well as within the Abwher… Certain evidence has led me to believe… Herr Hitler intends to take military action near France… I will disclose further information as it becomes available.”

Stalin was told of this immediately. However, he was skeptic at first. Nothing had come from Sorge until two days later (March 7th), at around 5 AM.

“I now have decisive proof that during this very night, military units are to occupy the restricted zone of the Rhineland… I am almost certain that this is the event you are looking for.”

Yagoda had as always received this before Stalin had. He made a few changes, to make it seem like Sorge had more solid evidence, and crossed out the almost in “almost certain”. Yagoda always had this habit, as Stalin always expected him to supply what he wanted to hear. This would cost him his life later on.

At 10 PM, Sorge sent one final message on the matter saying that troops had already been moving into the Rhineland. Stalin decided that it was time to act. A dispatch went out to the Estonian, Lithuanian, and Latvian embassies demanding that they surrender themselves to the Soviet Union. The diplomatic staff relayed this information at Soviet gunpoint, and they remained locked in their buildings. Only one nation responded to this, Latvia, and they did not send a message of compliance by any means. At 10:38, they issued an official statement decreeing that any Soviet military personnel crossing their borders would be shot at. While the Stalin never received an official declaration of war, he was content with beginning the invasion. A message was sent to Voroshilov, Golovanov and Tukhachevsky telling them the invasion would begin in 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in the Rhineland, German armored cars raced into the territory they had been restricted from for 18 years. Far to the east, airplane engines roared in Leningrad, ready to create the first casualties in the Baltic invasion.

As the world sleeps, armored vehicles race into the Rhineland.

 

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The Reaction
As early as 11 PM, bombing of Estonia had begun. Voroshilov was awoken in his quarters, and told he was to begin marching his army by the morning. He delivered this message to Tukhachevsky, and at 5:00 AM on the next day, March 8th, the young conscripts that filled Soviet divisions were awoken to the news war had begun. Some could see SB-2s returning from dropping their payloads on Tallinn. The weather was particularly good; it was around 14 degrees Celsius, and there was a light breeze. The sun had not yet risen, although it began to creep above the distant horizon. Officers, who had just risen from their sleep, blew whistles, ordering their men to prepare for a march. When they were assembled, the news of war was announced, and they hastily filed into columns to begin the long walk.

The British and the French had received news of the invasion about the same time they received news of the Rhineland occupation. The result was panic. This left them with lingering suspicions. Had the Germans and the Soviets planned this together? As the western alliance tried to deal with Germany, France’s immediate threat, they sent no more than an official complaint to Moscow. The Foreign Minister, Maskim Litvinov rejoiced at this.

Not only were France and Britain effected by this. Hitler woke up to the same news as they did, and he panicked as well. He became paranoid, believing that there were traitors in his midst. Hitler ordered an extensive search to find the culprit, even though the man they were looking for was far ahead of them

(From left to right) Werner Lorenz, Reinhard Heydrich, Heinrich Himmler and Karl Wolf, conferencing on “the traitor”.

Stalin made an official radio address at 8:00 AM that was broadcasted all over the nation. In it, he made several references to “the massacre of communists and Russian nationals”, as well as “a conspiracy stretching over three nations to invade Soviet territory”. Stalin also claimed, “numerous agents from the nations were found, attempting to sabotage Soviet industry”. After this statement, the NKVD publicly arrested several Estonians in Leningrad, and filed them to a police station where they were shot. Furthermore, papers reported that Latvian troops had fired at Soviet border patrols, and then later all three Baltic States declared war on the Soviet Union, and not the other way around. These statements, especially the public demonstration of “Estonian terrorists” enraged the public. While many saw past the fabricated stories, an equal number believed them.

 

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The Invasion of Estonia
Voroshilov had breached Estonia’s border by March 11th, and as soon as the Estonian army of three divisions saw this, they began an urgent rush to defend their capitol, Tallinn. However, frequent bombing runs regularly made from Leningrad by the Red Air Force stalled them. Combined with the rush and panic, the air raids disorganized the Estonian defenders, and on March 17th, at 11 PM, Voroshilov’s army blocked off their path of retreat to Tallinn and began to attack. They were pushed northward and tried to set up defenses in the hills there, but to no avail. The Estonian army surrendered after three days of slaughter they had sustained on March 20th, right after the last Soviet night offensive.

Soviets: 897 dead, 1,612 wounded.
Estonians: 7,000-8,000 dead, 19,000-20,000 wounded (estimation).
Civilians: 1,000-2,000 casualties (estimation).

On March 11th, the 12th Army approached the border, and the Estonian army attempted to escape to Tallinn. They were stalled, which allowed Voroshilov to continue his adance. At this point, the Sivashskaya motorized division (indicated by the smaller red line) manouevered behind the Estonian army as it advanced, and then attacked it through the narrow gap it had to cross to reach Tallinn. The Estonains tried to withdraw to the hills in the northeast and set up defensive lines, but they were attacked both was by the Sivashskaya motorized division and the rest of the 12th Army.

The remnants of the shattered Estonian army were filed across the border as prisoners over the next few days. Voroshilov marched unopposed into Tallinn, which was partially destroyed from airstrikes and naval bombardment, and organized the terms of surrender with the Estonian Prime Minister, Konstantin Päts. Päts signed over his country to the Soviets, and Voroshilov left a few batallions behind to keep order in the newly gained territory. Yet, he did not feel Estonia had been punished enough, and ordered the former Prime Minister to be put in a prisoner's outfit and displayed on the streets before he was taken to an armored car and escorted far to the east.

Konstantin Päts. He was stripped of his clothes, and marched through Tallinn in a prison uniform. After this, he was taken to Russia where he dissapeared.

 

[Alikchi]

Excellent so far. It's going to be tough getting the whole world though.

 

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Thanks!

As for conquering the world... I have my ways.

*Strokes white cat, while tightening robotic hand and laughing manically.*

 

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Good luck; i love USSR AAR because you never REALLY know if you will win the enemies tech is always so much better then yours.

 

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Yeah. I'm trying to devote a lot of my ICs to research so I don't lag behind. Specifically I'm focusing on infantry and tank (I'll include this later in the AAR). I want to get the T-34/70 out as quickly as possible, and in large numbers.

By the way, I accidentally went over my upload limit of 5 MBs a day (apparently, I upload 5.01 MB, GRRR :wacko: ), so the pictures will be down for one day.

 

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Great work Gamma. This is a very detailed AAR indeed, just the way I like them

I'm looking forward to more

 

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Excellent job so far! I love the details, they really make the transition from AAR to alternate history go quite smoothly .

 

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The Invasion of Latvia
After the fall of Estonia, which occurred in less than two weeks, it can be said the Soviets were generally arrogant. The day that Voroshilov had begun his trapping of the Estonian army, Tukhachevsky had already invaded Rezenke, although he was ordered not to give chase to the Rezenke garrison, which retreated to Riga. Voroshilov confidently began his march into Latvia, and remained virtually unopposed until he approached Riga. The city had been blasted to the ground by the Baltic Fleet (which was pulled there on the 18th) and the Red Air Force (which had conducted a successful bombing campaign in the region for a week). However, that one division that Tukhachevsky did not give chase to in Rezenke was commanded by the Latvian Field Marshal, Karlis Goppers, who organized tight defenses upon his arrival at Riga with the week or so they were not attacked by any ground forces. At this point, Voroshilov contradicted his original plan to make speed the top priority. Tukhachevsky had asked several times permission move forward and eradicate Goppers, but was denied. Voroshilov feared the Lithuanians more than anything, the one country whose army was known little about at the time of the invasion. He happily accepted overestimates of their forces from “enemy deserters” and skeptical advisors, and ordered the 5th Army to stay put in Rezenke so a synchronized advance could be made.

On the morning of March 25th, the 12th Army began their assault on Riga. What they found was a tightly nit, concentrated force of 3 divisions encamped in the rubble of the Latvian capitol. Goppers himself shouted orders on a loudspeaker that echoed through the ruined city. There was surprise at every corner, and it was clear, even after the first day, the battle could not be won at the time. Voroshilov persisted, however. He argued that Tukhachevsky could strike southward, encircle Riga from there, and then reinforce him with the 5th Army. In this he contradicted himself as well, changing his policy of caution against the Lithuanians, as what he requested would ultimately leave the front vulnerable. He also called for more and more naval and air support as the attack that was doomed to failure continued.

As Voroshilov came down the main road to Riga, he dispersed the Sivashskaya motorized division to quickly strike along the coast (indicated by the line to the far left along the coastline). He also had a division moved to engage the militia near Peltes (to the right of the main path into Riga). These both encountered heavy fighting in the ruins, and were told to hold their positions no matter what. By the 26th, Voroshilov had advanced near the center of Riga, and had one of his divisions attempt to breakthrough the Latvian line stretched across the Daugava protecting Goppers himself, and one to attack the other division to its flank. If the Daugava could be breached, Goppers would not only retreat, he would leave most of his army behind. Unfortunately for Voroshilov, things were not going well. He had to send a division to reinforce the Sivashskaya motorized division, as it was down below half strength by the 27th.

The Battle of Riga lasted for 5 days. It was the first real Soviet encounter with tense urban warfare since the Revolution.

By the 29th, high casualties (numbering around 40,000) had forced him to withdraw. Stalin had been pressuring him to retreat, and to allow Field Marshal Shaposhnikov’s 10th Army to move into Latvia. This would take several weeks, and throw Voroshilov’s timetables off, which frustrated him more than anything. He reluctantly agreed.

The motorized spearhead was finally starting to take effect, as the Latvian forces it was engaging had started to crumble. The situation was even better near Peltes, where the milita had been completely encircled. But, in the center of Riga, Voroshilov's attempt to force Goppers on the run failed. The division guarding his farthernmost forces' flank was pushed back, and he had to retreat, or face the possible entrapment of over 15,000 men. He chose the former, and the withdrawl to Estonia began on the 28th. Around 1\3 of his army was destroyed, and so the quick march out of Riga ended on March 29th.

The retreat to Estonia.

Not wanting to wait for the 10th Army before continuing his campaign, Voroshilov had Tukhachevsky complete an encirclement of Riga by April 5th. Now the Latvians could be simply starved out of their positions. Air raids started to come almost every other hour, and the Latvian who heroically stood at Riga, Field Marshal Goppers, was strafed along with other high command by an I-16. As food ran low, the Latvian army started to decay, until nothing remained of it except a few organized cells. Another assault was planned for the 25th of April, and the 5th and 12th Armies, both coming from different directions, finished off the remaining enemy forces in Riga, only sustaining 2,600 casualties (while at the same time inflicting around 30,000). It was over by the 27th.

The second Soviet offensive took Riga within 2 days.


Riga was devastated, and so was the Latvian will to fight. The Prime Minister, as well as the rest of the government, was nowhere to be found (many speculated they had either fled the country, or been killed). A force roughly equalling a brigaide occupied Latvia, but there was little fight left in the country, as most forces had been destroyed in Riga. The guerillas that chose to attack were met violently, and had their bodies dragged by armored cars through towns to scare off resistance. This brutality succeeded in preventing further partisan attacks on the supply lines of the Red Army as it marched to its final conquest of the campaign: Lithuania.

Soviets: 21,987 dead, 21,665 wounded.
Latvians: 57,000 casualties (estimation).
Civilians: 30,000- 50,000 casualties (estimation).

 

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Thanks guys! I promise to include more (there's going to be a lot of political intrigue in the next few months).

Pics down... again.

 

[unmerged(11439)]

nice update

btw i like your sig; how many tiems has that been used (ie Gatling gun, A-bomb, etc)

 

[unmerged(11703)]

Wow! Just discovered this gem! Excellent work, and exciting from day 1.

 

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Thanks. Glad you're enjoying it.

I hope to get new file hosting, so the pictures don't go down (which happens every single afternoon or so).

 

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The Invasion of Lithuania
On May 1st, the 5th, 10th, and 12th Armies all crossed over to Lithuania, fresh from their victory in Riga. The Soviet bulldozer ran on, even with their minor stall in Latvia. To the surprise of Vorshilov, there was little military presence; the Lithuanians, whom were GREATLY overestimated, contained a three-division army which they had pulled back to Kaunas in hope of creating some kind of defensive line. Seeing that Lithuania's three divisions were horribly unsupplied and were losing morale by the day, the three armies took some time to regroup.

By May 10th, all three armies, numbering 13 divisions in total were ready to cross the Nieman River and destroy the last obstacle in their course of Baltic dominance. Yet, Stalin did not wish to risk another Riga, especially with the time the Lithuanians had been given in preperation. Maskim Litvinov, the chief diplomat had suggested that a surrender be offered. And so, terms of surrender were drawn up by Litvinov and others. The document was forwarded to Kaunas, and it had been agreed to on May 11th. The terms were completely humiliating, but no one in the government was willing to fight after seeing what happened to Latvia. What they had agreed to was the disbanding of the Lithuanian army, the virtual dissolution of their government, and the occupation of Lithuania by Soviet troops. The Lithuanian President Smetona was so ashamed, he attempted to cross the German border to East Prussia with his family. However, since German border patrols at this time were ordered to be on top level caution, he was shot at, and killed along with his wife.

Upon the ratification of surrender, the Red Army crossed the Nieman and marched unopposed into Kaunas. But once they entered the city, to their suprise, some fire came from the rooftops of buildings. It was easy to supress these small attacks, but they would continue for years. Behind the scenes, the former commander of the Lithuanian army, Field Marshal Galvydus-Bykauskus, was organizing a resistance. He had been pressuring the government to allow his army to attack the Soviets during their ill-fated first assault on Riga, and then tried to convince them that he could hold out in the capital for weeks if they tried to gain the Germans' support. But no one was interested, so he decided to take action himself.

Soviet: 36 dead, 57 wounded.
Lithuanian: 112 dead, 286 wounded
Civilian: 20 dead, 86 wounded.

The Occupation
The war had officially began on March 7th, and than officially ended on May 11th. Lasting 47 days, it was almost half of what had originally been expected. Yet, it cost the Soviets more as well. The grand total of casualties (on all sides):

Soviet: 22,920 dead, 23,334 wounded.
Baltic: Estimated 85,500 casualties (max estimation, lower ones place it at 70,000).
Civilian: 52,000 (max estimation, lowers ones place it at 25,000, and the Soviet reports put it at less than 5,000!).

After the war, the occupied areas were divided into 4 military districts: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Memelland (marked area). These would later join the USSR.

Vorshilov oversaw the occupation of the Baltic States. They were supposedly allowed to choose their own government, but the elections for new officials were closely monitored, and mostly fixed by imported Soviet leaders, and the NKVD, which quickly followed the military. Attempts were made to make entry into the USSR as soon as possible, but negotations in Lithuania were stalled.

While both Estonia and Latvia had entered in the summer of 1936, it wasn't until February of the next year that Lithuania entered. The problem centered around the Soviet decision to seperate Memelland (which was claimed to be Lithuania) from it. The reason for this was that the area was claimed by Germany, and Stalin wanted to keep it as an "ace-in-the-hole" for future negotiations. Even the new government boldly argued for months, until "mysterious circumstances" led to the deaths of several key leaders. After this, ruling body of Lithuania became a direct extension of Stalin's will. Lithuania became the last Baltic state to join the Soviets after its "government" unanimously approved. But, resistance still continued there more than ever.

Soviet officers posing for a picture in occupied Latvia.

Lithuania is recognized as the state which provided the most resistance. Latvia was too devestated to offer a good amount of it, and while Estonia had its guerilla leaders, attacks only came once in a while. The Lithuanian army hadn't been destroyed, as with the other two states. It was officially "disbanded", but most soldiers had merely gone home to fight another day. As a result of this, Lithuania was more brutalized than any other country. Thousands were arrested and sent to prisons in Russia.

But the true climax of the terror began on in December of 1936. Galvydus-Bykauskus was discovered early that month, and tortured until he gave out the names of the main resistance leaders. The NKVD was dispatched to arrest the leaders, and this led to the finding of more information (such as a massive underground weapons route going through Poland). After he was no longer useful, Galvydus-Bykauskus was executed publically (other atrocities were committed, but they will not be discussed here). Not only was the resistance foundation shattered by this; the whole nation was in shock and mourning. As news spread, throughout the occupied territories, resistance didn't suddenly begin a retaliation. Instead, it died down to a murmer. Voroshilov, the military governer, gave a speech on the matter:

"Let the events of this day be a lesson to all enemies of the people: We shall protect [the people] in any way possible."

The enemies of the people, according to Stalin, were religion, capitalism, and the past governments of the new SSRs. These were each terminated during the occupation.

The streets of Tallinn, 1937.

 

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Yes, it's that time again. Pics are down...

(I'll solve this all by the weekend, I swear!)