The Forest Brotherhood: Baltic Resistance Against the Nazis and Soviets

The Forest Brotherhood: Baltic Resistance Against the Nazis and Soviets
With Dan Kaszeta
Part of our Resistance series
• Resistance in WWII
Stalin's USSR and Hitler's Reich-- the populations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania had been subjected to a brutal Soviet occupation in 1940, Nazi invasion in 1941, and Soviet re-occupation in 1944, falsely branded as 'liberation'. Variously labelled 'freedom fighters' or 'Nazi bandits' by historians, the Baltic partisans who would become known as the Forest Brothers fought a long campaign against occupation that eventually failed under the might of the USSR. Much of this history of armed resistance, which was also a front in the intelligence war between East and West, is little known outside the region. Treachery, betrayal, heroism and lost futures all play a role in this fascinating tale, as Dan Kaszeta explores themes of independence, nationalism, Baltic identity, the fluidity of boundaries in Eastern Europe, and the comparative weight of Nazi and Soviet oppression.
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Joining us to discuss this is Dan Kaszeta, a specialist defence and security consultant. An associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and the author of Toxic, he has held positions in the US Secret Service and White House Military Office.
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[@iancarr8682]

Such an involved and complicated subject with what is concise presentation. So many detailed stories within it, no doubt. Thanks for bringing this to us Dan and Woody.

[@jimwalsh1958space]

thank you woody and dan for a 1st class example of how to magically implant an impossibly complex short history in to your audiences imagination. thank you also to the WW1/2 community for being so welcoming.

[@Maryland_Kulak]

I had the privilege of working with the Estonian Defence League (Kaitseliit) from 1996-2004 in the lead up to NATO accession. It’s great to hear Dan Kaszeta’s expertise on the topic of Baltic Partisans. I just ordered his book.

[@marks_sparks1]

Superb detailed presentation by Dan. New knowledge revealed here. The Baltic nations were caught between a rock and a hard place but they really tried to not let the flame of resistance perish. Definitely would love to hear about the gulag uprisings.

[@Nyllsor]

I agree!

[@philbosworth3789]

Dan did a great job there describing a complex and tragic topic. Can't wait to hear about the gulag uprisings - if they fit into the @WW2TV timescale.

[@danielkaszeta3086]

I think I can find enough of an angle to make it work

[@Nyllsor]

Yes I really enjoyed this subject, i have wonderd alot about a certain Baltic resistance group (I can't remember the name) briefly written about in 'The Gulag Archipilago' that fought against both nazi and soviets, then they ended up in gulag. What a cruel fate! Another intresting side of the Gulag system is all the Soviet soldiers who ended up as "traitors" because they were abandoned and cut off behind enemy lines, reasoning that they had 'visited' enemy territory, it did not matter that they were savagely holding out against all odds. Maybe i can quote this better when I find the book..

[@1089maul]

Woody/Dan, As I mentioned in the side bar, this was a subject that I knew nothing about. This in depth presentation has changed that. Thank you! Bob

[@WW2TV]

Excellent!

[@JFB-Haninge]

Good stuff, thanks Dan.. 😊😊😊😊😊👍👍👍👍👍

[@joeyj6808]

Brilliant talk! This subject fascinates me, as do so many you've been covering. My family is from Poland and Bohemia (post-WW1) and the resistance of the Poles, as well as the true story of Polish fighting during Fall Weiss is both incredibly inspiring as well as incredibly sad. Thanks for covering this topic!

[@eruno_]

fascinating!

[@nicklehuray526]

Just caught up on this one. As usual Dan provided an excellent insight to the top and in an engaging way. 👍

[@MsZeeZed]

Excellent analysis of a very loaded topic. These states were at the sharp end of Europe’s age of extremes, the Russian Civil War, WWII and the Cold War. Its hard to even approach this history without triggering reactionary watchdogs.

[@meddy833]

You nailed it sir.

[@christopherridle7670]

Yes, that is some very interesting stuff, of which I had no clue. I enjoyed the presence of the guest co-host.

[@Chiller11]

Another excellent presentation about a subject I knew little about. Sometimes I feel this channel doesn’t fill in the gaps in my knowledge as efficiently as it identifies gaps I didn’t realize I had. To paraphrase Donald Rumsfeld’s 2002 Iraq invasion deception this channel keeps illuminating my “unknown unknowns.”

[@mjinnh2112]

Great show. Reminds me of the general in "Smiley's People".

[@stefanodadamo6809]

Very interesting

[@jimplummer4879]

Looking forward to this .

[@paulk8072]

This is great and highly specific in regards to the combat element of the Baltic region during those turbulent times. This work by Dan Kaszeta, coupled with the book "The Baltic Revolution" by Anatol Lieven together provide a sound understanding of the objective facts of the Baltics. "The Testimony of Lives" by Vieda Skultans is also a great book which details the qualitative, psycho-social experience of Latvians during the occupations up until 1990. I look forward to reading "The Forest Brotherhood: Baltic Resistance Against the Nazis and Soviets." My grandfather and grandmother fled Latvia during the war but never really talked about the experience.

[@mybrotherkeeper1484]

I’m pretty much a newcomer, but this was terrific

[@WW2TV]

Welcome aboard, plenty of shows in the back catalogue to explore

[@philbosworth3789]

@mybrotherkeeper1485 The back catalogue of WW2TV episodes is full of fantastic and informative episodes. You won't regret the time spent watching them.

[@Nyllsor]

What a cute co-host we got in this episode :)

[@WW2TV]

Yep, Charlie joined this one

[@Nyllsor]

@@WW2TV Charlie

[@georgewnewman3201]

Actually, Poland gets back on the map in 1919, it was an imperial state in the 1700s but was overrun in the 1790s.

[@MsZeeZed]

1:07:00 - If I recall the Finnish SSR consisted of Finnish communists who had never been to the independent Republic of Finland and where set up in the now deserted city of Vyborg in 1940 at the end of the Winter War. This was subsumed into Leningrad Oblast when the Finns successfully concluded the Continuation War in 1945, without losing their independence.

[@danielkaszeta3086]

Not my specialist subject, but I will take your word on this.

[@mapina-0898]

There technically wasn't a Finnish SSR. What was founded in 1940 was Karelo-Finnish SSR, which was just the previously existing Karelian SSR with stolen and deserted Finnish territories incorporated into it. It was unique among SSRs in that the titular nationalities formed a clear minority in the area compared to Russians. They never claimed to be the official Finnish government, but the naming suggests Soviets were possibly preparing to eventually incorporate all of Finland into the USSR, and so Karelo-Finnish SSR would have Karelo-Finnish majority population. Or it was simply used as an implied threat to scare the Finns. There was a separate Finnish puppet regime which the Soviets founded when Winter War started: Finnish Democratic Republic. They did claim to represent all of Finland, but quickly became irrelevant and disbanded in 1940.

[@WhiskyandBacon]

Viborg used to be Finlands second biggest city.Finland lost the city after the Winter War 1939-40.Finnish troops liberated the city on August 30th 1941.The Soviet army conquered Viborg again on June 20th 1944.Just like in the Winter War 1939-40 several fierce battles was fought close to the city.The battle of Tienhaara in June 1944,the battle of Tali-Ihantala June-July 1944.Every Finnish citizen were evacuated to Finlands new borders.No one wanted to live in a Soviet Karelia.Best Greetings from Sverige (Sweden)🍻

[@stephengoodwin6403]

tere were some Germans that faded into the forest with them at Kurland,it's documented

[@sven5415]

Very interesting subject! Not well covered yet in the western historiography! Tre history of the Gulag during WW2 would also be very interesting! What happened to all the poor inmates? Where they shoveled into frontline meat assault units like today in the Ukraine War?