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The occupation of the Baltic states refers to the military occupation of the three Baltic states—Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania—by the Soviet Union under the auspices of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact on 14 June 1940 followed by their incorporation into the USSR as constituent republics, unrecognised internationally by most countries. On 22 June 1941 Nazi Germany attacked the USSR and within weeks occupied the Baltic territories. In July 1941, the Baltic territory was incorporated into the ''Reichskommissariat Ostland'' of the Third Reich. As a result of the Baltic Offensive of 1944, the Soviet Union recaptured most of the Baltic states and trapped the remaining German forces in the Courland pocket until their formal surrender in May 1945. The Soviet "annexation occupation" (''Annexionsbesetzung '' or occupation ''sui generis'')〔Mälksoo (2003), p. 193.〕 of the Baltic states lasted until August 1991, when the Baltic states regained independence. The Baltic states,〔( The Occupation of Latvia ) at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia〕 the United States and its courts of law, the European Parliament,〔( Motion for a resolution on the Situation in Estonia ) by the European Parliament, B6-0215/2007, 21.5.2007; (passed 24.5.2007 ). Retrieved 1 January 2010.〕 the European Court of Human Rights〔European Court of Human Rights cases on Occupation of Baltic States〕 and the United Nations Human Rights Council have all stated that these three countries were invaded, occupied and illegally incorporated into the Soviet Union under provisions of the 1939 Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, first by the Soviet Union, then by Nazi Germany from 1941 to 1944, and again by the Soviet Union from 1944 to 1991.〔"The Soviet Red Army retook Estonia in 1944, occupying the country for nearly another half century." (Frucht, Richard, ''Eastern Europe: An Introduction to the People, Lands, and Culture'', ABC-CLIO, 2005 ISBN 978-1-57607-800-6, p. 132〕〔( Country Profiles: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ) at UK Foreign Office〕〔The World Book Encyclopedia ISBN 0-7166-0103-6〕〔The History of the Baltic States by Kevin O'Connor ISBN 0-313-32355-0〕〔See, for instance, position expressed by the European Parliament, which condemned "the fact that the occupation of these formerly independent and neutral States by the Soviet Union occurred in 1940 following the Molotov/Ribbentrop pact, and continues." 〕〔"After the German occupation in 1941–44, Estonia remained occupied by the Soviet Union until the restoration of its independence in 1991." 〕 This policy of non-recognition has given rise to the principle of legal continuity, which holds that ''de jure'', or as a matter of law, the Baltic states had remained independent states under illegal occupation throughout the period from 1940 to 1991.〔David James Smith, ''Estonia: independence and European integration'', Routledge, 2001, ISBN 0-415-26728-5, pXIX〕 In its reassessment of Soviet history that began during perestroika in 1989, the USSR condemned the 1939 secret protocol between Germany and itself.〔(The Forty-Third Session of the UN Sub-Commission ) at Google Scholar〕 However, the USSR never formally acknowledged its presence in the Baltics as an occupation or that it annexed these states,〔Marek (1968). p. 396. "Insofar as the Soviet Union claims that they are not directly annexed territories but autonomous bodies with a legal will of their own, they (The Baltic SSRs) must be considered puppet creations, exactly in the same way in which the Protectorate or Italian-dominated Albania have been classified as such. These puppet creations have been established on the territory of the independent Baltic states; they cover the same territory and include the same population."〕 and considered the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republics as its constituent republics. Nationalist-patriotic〔 Russian historiography and school textbooks continue to maintain that the Baltic states voluntarily joined the Soviet Union after their peoples all carried out socialist revolutions independent of Soviet influence. The Russian government and its state officials insist that incorporation of the Baltic states was in accordance with international law and gained ''de jure'' recognition by the agreements made in the Yalta and Potsdam conferences and by the Helsinki Accords,〔(''МИД РФ: Запад признавал Прибалтику частью СССР'' ), grani.ru, May 2005〕〔(''Комментарий Департамента информации и печати МИД России в отношении "непризнания" вступления прибалтийских республик в состав СССР'' ), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia), 7 May 2005〕 whereas the Accords only committed existing frontiers would not be violated.〔Khudoley (2008), ''Soviet foreign policy during the Cold War, The Baltic factor'', p. 90.〕 However, Russia agreed to Europe's demand to "assist persons deported from the occupied Baltic states" upon joining the Council of Europe.〔 Additionally, when the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic signed a separate treaty with Lithuania in 1991, it acknowledged that the 1940 annexation was a violation of Lithuanian sovereignty and recognised the ''de jure'' continuity of the Lithuanian state.〔 Most Western governments maintained that Baltic sovereignty had not been legitimately overridden and thus continued to recognize the Baltic states as sovereign political entities represented by the legations appointed by the pre-1940 Baltic states which functioned in Washington and elsewhere. ''De facto'' independence was restored to the Baltic states in 1991 during the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Russia started to withdraw its troops from the Baltics (starting from Lithuania) in August 1993. The full withdrawal of troops deployed by Moscow was completed in August 1994.〔(Baltic Military District ) globalsecurity.org〕 Russia officially ended its military presence in the Baltics in August 1998 by decommissioning the Skrunda-1 radar station in Latvia. The dismantled installations were repatriated to Russia and the site returned to Latvian control, with the last Russian soldier leaving Baltic soil in October 1999.〔(The Weekly Crier (1999/10) ) Baltics Worldwide. Accessed 11 June 2013.〕〔(Russia Pulls Last Troops Out of Baltics ) The Moscow Times. 22 October 1999.〕 ==Background== (詳細はMolotov–Ribbentrop pact. The pact contained a secret protocol by which the states of Northern and Eastern Europe were divided into German and Soviet "spheres of influence".〔(''Text of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact'' ), executed August 23, 1939〕 In the north, Finland, Estonia and Latvia were assigned to the Soviet sphere.〔 Poland was to be partitioned in the event of its "political rearrangement"—the areas east of the Narev, Vistula and San Rivers going to the Soviet Union while Germany would occupy the west.〔 Lithuania, adjacent to East Prussia, would be in the German sphere of influence, although a second secret protocol agreed in September 1939 assigned the majority of Lithuanian territory to the Soviet Union.〔Christie, Kenneth, ''Historical Injustice and Democratic Transition in Eastern Asia and Northern Europe: Ghosts at the Table of Democracy'', RoutledgeCurzon, 2002, ISBN 0-7007-1599-1〕 According to this secret protocol, Lithuania would regain its historical capital Vilnius, previously subjugated during the inter-war period by Poland. Following the end of Soviet invasion of Poland on 6 October, the Soviets pressured Finland and the Baltic states to conclude mutual assistance treaties. The Soviets questioned the neutrality of Estonia after the escape of an interned Polish submarine on 18 September. A week later on 24 September, the Estonian foreign minister was given an ultimatum in Moscow. The Soviets demanded the conclusion of a treaty of mutual assistance to establish military bases in Estonia.〔Hiden & Salmon (1994). p. 110.〕〔The Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania by David J. Smith, Page 24, ISBN 0-415-28580-1〕 The Estonians had no choice but to accept naval, air and army bases on two Estonian islands and at the port of Paldiski.〔 The corresponding agreement was signed on 28 September 1939. Latvia followed on 5 October 1939 and Lithuania shortly thereafter, on 10 October 1939. The agreements permitted the Soviet Union to establish military bases on the Baltic states' territory for the duration of the European war〔 and to station 25,000 Soviet soldiers in Estonia, 30,000 in Latvia and 20,000 in Lithuania from October 1939. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Occupation of the Baltic states」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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