The Baltic States in the Years of the Great Patriotic War as Interpreted by Modern Baltic Historiography

Abstract

As we move away from the historical events associated with Germany’s attack on the Soviet Union, attempts to rewrite the history of World War II as a whole and the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 in particular are becoming more frequent in ideological and geopolitical interests. Especially regularly ambiguous and outrightly tendentious interpretations come from Baltic historians. In this regard, the author of the article aims to consider the interpretation of the events of 1941–1945, in the works of Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian researchers and the reasons for the emergence of often opposite assessments of this historical period. In the modern Baltic countries, a very peculiar perception of the events of World War II and the Great Patriotic War has developed, negatively assessing the role of the USSR in the liberation of these territories. The author concludes that the reasons for the dominance of these interpretations lie in the anti-Soviet orientation of local political elites, as well as in the dominance of this trend (for political reasons) in the local politics of memory over the past three decades since independence. In addition, it is important to emphasise the features of the historical development of the Baltic States influencing these interpretations. Thus, the perception of the events of World War II is also influenced by the historical memory of the Baltic peoples about the Civil / Liberation War of 1918–1920, in which representatives of the titular peoples found themselves on opposite sides (red and white formations). In addition, loyalty to Germany and German formations is associated with the strongest German influence in all social spheres in the previous periods of development of the Baltic countries.