NÕUKOGUDE LIIDU 1939/40. AASTA BALTIPOLIITIKA VENEMAAL ILMUNUD UUSIMAS KIRJANDUSES

Soviet Baltic Policy in 1939-1940 as Reflected in Russian Publications

Magnus Ilmjärv

《Acta Historica Tallinnensia》 12卷1期 (2008/12) Pp. 75-86

並列摘要

The events of 1939-1940 in the Baltic States represent one of those historical topics that continue to attract interest and prevent even today normalization of relations between the Baltic States and Russia. This article gives a survey of how the events of 1939-1940 in the Baltic States are viewed in today's Russia. This is a topic that merits a much more thorough analysis than is possible here. The aim of the article is to look at how Russian publications treat the 1939 pacts with the Baltic States providing for Soviet bases, their subsequent occupation and annexation and to compare today's approaches with approaches that prevailed during the Soviet era. A survey of publications from Soviet time reveals certain mindsets that carry over to the present day.
The subjects of this study are publications of popular history, monographs, study guides and materials aimed at applicants to institutions of higher learning, as well as texts and compilations of documents intended for the students at these institutions.
Throughout the period when the Baltic States remained annexed to the Soviet Union as its member states, it was impossible to treat the said subject objectively. Historical science serving Soviet propaganda was mainly involved with workers' and revolutionary movement issues, which were tied to questions of foreign policy.
It was emphasized that the force that moved history was the masses, i.e. the working class. Soviet treatment of history was characterized by one-sidedness' starting from a communist world-view and interpreting and reflecting history in a light favourable to the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was portrayed as a state that had a pathological love of peace, thanks to which a rather peculiar picture developed in historiography: whereas other states approached foreign relations with an eye on their own self-interest, the Soviet Union occupied itself with demonstrating to the world its love of peace and struggle for peace. According to Soviet historiography, the Soviet Union also always acted as the protector of the independence of the Baltic States.
It must be noted that the current Russian historians prefer to occupy themselves studying the Finnish Winter War or Polish topics. In comparison to the Soviet era, it is possible to point to some basic differences in the approach to the events of 1939-1940 in the Baltic States that are characteristic of today's Russia: 1. The existence of the secret protocol of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact is not denied. 2. Having discarded the so-called revolution theory, they talk instead of an internal political crisis in the Baltic States. 3. Assertions that Soviet foreign policy was aimed at preserving peace and protecting the Baltic States are no longer made. Instead the discussion is about strategic objectives and the need to secure their own borders. 4. The Baltic States are no longer accused of preparing for armed aggression against the Soviet Union.
Only a very few authors use the term ”occupation” in relation to the Baltic States. The fact of occupation is not recognized. It is asserted that one could speak of occupation only if in 1940 the Baltic States and the Soviet Union had been at war or if there had been a military occupation.
When we take a look at what is written in Russia about the history of the Baltic States in the 20th century, it becomes evident that this is in certain ways a very delicate subject. Different nations have approached their pasts differently and this will remain true in the future. This is often determined by the political and ideological points of departure. It would be naïve to hope that a great power could easily reassess its own history and acknowledge all crimes committed in the past. It is true that some nations have acknowledged their past mistakes and crimes. The time has not yet come when Russia too would write the history of the Baltic States in the 20th century so that we could agree with it.