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Official Estonian sources maintain that Soviet rule had significantly slowed Estonia's economic growth, resulting in a wide wealth gap in comparison with its neighboring countries (e.g. Finland and Sweden). [85] For example, Estonian economy and standard of living were similar to that in Finland prior to World War II. [86]
The three countries remained under Soviet rule until regaining their full independence in August 1991, a few months prior to the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991. Soviet rule in the Baltic states led to mass deportations to other parts of the Soviet Union, in order to quell resistance and weaken national identity. Mass ...
However, for the majority of Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians, the German rule was less harsh than Soviet rule had been, and it was less brutal than German occupations elsewhere in eastern Europe. [39] Local puppet regimes performed administrative tasks and schools were permitted to function. However, most people were denied the right to own ...
The Sovietization of the Baltic states is the sovietization of all spheres of life in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania when they were under control of the Soviet Union.The first period deals with the occupation from June 1940 to July 1941, followed by the German occupation during World War II.
The Soviet ultimatum to Estonia was issued on June 16, 1940, with the demand to answer by the midnight of the same day. The pretext was political activities of Estonia allegedly in contradiction to the Soviet–Estonian Mutual Assistance Treaty. The demands were to set up a new government and to allow Soviet troops into Estonia. [1]
Estonia signed the Treaty of Tartu on 2 February, Lithuania signed the Soviet–Lithuanian Peace Treaty on 12 July and Latvia signed the Latvian–Soviet Peace Treaty on 15 August 1920. [3] In 1920, all three Baltic states adopted constitutions including universal suffrage , a multi-party system and parliamentary with a president .
On 1 August 1944, the Estonian National Committee pronounced itself Estonia's highest authority, and on 18 September 1944, acting Head of State Jüri Uluots appointed a new government led by Otto Tief. Over the radio, in English, the Estonian government declared its neutrality in the war. The government issued two editions of the State Gazette.
Soviet expansion in 1939–1940. After the Soviet invasion of Poland on 17 September 1939, in accordance with the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact the Soviet forces were given freedom over Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, an important aspect of the agreement to the Soviet government as they were afraid of Germany using the three states as a corridor to get close to Leningrad.