Soviet re-occupation of the Baltic states (1944)
The Soviet Union (USSR) occupied most of the territory of the Baltic states in its 1944 Baltic Offensive during World War II.[1] The Red Army regained control over the three Baltic capitals and encircled retreating Wehrmacht and Latvian forces in the Courland Pocket where they held out until the final German surrender at the end of the war.
See also: Occupation of the Baltic states, Soviet occupation of the Baltic states (1940), and Baltic states under Soviet rule (1944–1991)The German forces were deported and the leaders of Latvian collaborating forces were executed as traitors. After the war, the Baltic territories were reorganized into constituent republics of the USSR until they declared independence in 1990 amid the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Withdrawal of the occupational army from the Baltic states[edit]
On 11 March 1990, the Supreme Council – Reconstituent Seimas adopted Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania, however the withdrawal of the Russian Armed Forces from Lithuania began in 1992 and according to an agreement had to be completed until 1 September 1993.[25] Nevertheless, the withdrawal process was not always performed according to the agreed plans and even on 19 August 1993 the Ministry of National Defence of Lithuania had received notice from the Ministry of Defence of Russia that the withdrawal procedure has been stopped because there allegedly was no signed political agreement regarding it.[25] In the morning of 30 August 1993, Lithuanian President Algirdas Brazauskas had a telephone communication with Russian President Boris Jelcin and urged to withdraw the army on time.[25] Eventually, the last combat unit of the Russian Armed Forces left the Lithuanian territory 15 minutes before the agreed term (on 31 August 1993 23:45), but small Russian military units had remained that also left in the near months.[25] On 26 November 1993 the Lithuanians had taken over the last object from a Russian military unit.[25]