Quoted By:
Today I would like to express my sympathy for the Baltic states after decades of Soviet oppression.
The three countries have a long rich and diverse history. From the Northern Crusades, being dominions under the Swedish Empire, to being under the rule of the Russian Empire.
In the late 1800s into the early 1900s, a strong sense of nationalism grew in Estonia and Latvia. After the end of WWI nationalist thought also grew in Lithuania. Between 1918 and 1920 all three states fought their wars of independence against the Soviet Union which resulted in the independence of all three.
Before WWII the countries were led by authoritarian leaders and there was much political corruption.
In 1939 in accordance with the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact the Soviets invaded Poland and occupied the Baltic states and by 1940 all three were incorporated into it. For the next year, the countries went through a period of Sovietization and 10% of the population was deported and sent to labor camps. In 1941 Nazi Germany invaded and occupied the Balts and within the time they were occupied tens of thousands of Jews were killed.
After the war and end of Nazi occupation, there was forced collectivization of agriculture and multiple guerrilla wars erupted between the states and the Soviets. A majority of the population was Anti-Soviet.
In the late 1980s the Singing Revolution, a massive resistance against the Soviets began, and a two-million person long human chain (600km) the Baltic Way stretched across the states.
On September 6th, 1991 the Soviet Union recognized the independence of three Baltic states, and by August 1994 all Russian troops were withdrawn.
The Baltic states have an amazing history in which they went through many hardships, struggles, and triumphs.
I pray every night that someday they will all unite, build nuclear bombs, and conquer Russia.
